She stiffened and snapped her beer down on the small table next to her. “Look, what I’m interested in is how much you’re paying. Charlie said top dollar, but if that means—”
“Twenty an hour. The farm can’t afford your insurance, so you’ll have to carry your own.” He looked away from her as he took another long pull from his beer. He was a little disappointed to find out she was like most women—she’d have been all over him if she thought he had money. Better to keep this all business anyway.
She stood up and stared at him, her green eyes round and big as if she was trying to figure him out. “That’ll do. Now if you don’t mind, I need to get my hours in for the day. What else is on the list?”
They headed back to the barn, Zach eating his hoagie on the way. He left his beer behind. He needed an extra pair of hands, and until he could hire someone else, he’d have to make do with Lucy. He wanted to get an old tractor hauled off for scrap, but when he told Lucy that, she stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“Give me two hours with it—three maybe tops.”
“What?”
She stared at him. “You heard me. A ladder that’s a death trap you’ll keep, but you want to scrap this baby?” She waved at the tractor. It had more rust on it than paint. “This...” She slapped a wheel. “It’s an International. It’ll run forever if you treat her right.”
“How do you know?”
She smiled. “I’ve been working on cars since I was ten. Go... go walk fences or whatever else you need to do.” She disappeared into the barn. He heard the sounds of metal on metal so she had to be rummaging for parts or tools. With a shrug, he took her advice. He had to check fences—the neighbor’s cows would make short work of any alfalfa he put in if he had a break. And he had irrigation pipes to check on. Charlie said she had them, but if they were like that ladder, he might have to buy new.
Two hours later—well, more like two and a half—he came back to see black smoke belching from the tractor. Lucy sat in the seat, grinning, her faced smudged with oil. “See, what did I tell you!” she yelled over the engine.
She drove it into the barn, cut off the engine and came out, wiping her stained fingers on a rag. “Charlie must have left it out for a couple of years. The seat’s pretty damp still.” She turned and shook her butt at him. He didn’t even notice the dampness on her jeans—just that tight butt.
She turned back. Lifting a hand, he wiped the oil from her face. “You’re dirty.”
She pulled back. “Nothing wrong with hard work or a little dirt.”
“Didn’t say there was—but it’s quitting time. Gonna be dark soon enough.”
“But I could—”
“Boss says it’s quitting time, it’s quitting time.”
She muttered something about lazy bosses and set off down the road in front of him. She called back, “I’m billing for the walking hours!”
He grinned. They found Charlie on the porch, waiting with lemonade and fresh oatmeal cookies. Holding up the plate, she asked, “How was your first day?”
Zach held up a hand. “Fine enough. But if you’ll excuse me, I need to shower and take care of some things in town.”
“Buy a ladder you mean?” Lucy asked. She looked at him, all innocence. “And maybe pay your employee.” She held out a hand.
He pulled out his wallet and took out enough twenties to cover her for the day. She’d made a cool hundred and sixty.”
“Yeah, that too.” He headed inside. And he didn’t know if he wanted to strangle that girl for her smart mouth and money-grubbing attitude, or kiss her for having the nerve to keep going toe-to-toe with him. Either way, she was at least going to make his stay interesting.
Chapter Four
Lucy knew she should go shower—and lighten up on Zach. Instead she tucked the cash into a pocket, sat down on the porch swing and picked up a cookie. “Sure felt good to be outside working again, Charlie.”
Charlie sat in the rocking chair next to the swing. “Don’t give me that. I know what you’re thinking. And I’m thinkin’ you’re crazy to be handing over your money to Martino like that.”
Finishing the cookie, she brushed the crumbs from her fingers. “I am not draggin’ anyone else into it. And you know I need to give him something on faith. It wouldn’t be a good thing for me or my mother if I didn’t.” Getting up, she put a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “I’ll get out of th
is yet.”
“Your daddy better be rottin’ in hell for how he left you.”
“Let’s hope,” Lucy said. She went around the back to the back bedroom. A hot shower and clean clothes left her feeling better—almost optimistic. But her insides jittered, just like they always did when she had to make a payment. She kept a twenty back for herself, and tucked the rest into an envelope. She always tried to make this more business-like than it was.
Fluffing out her hair, she put on earrings and headed for her truck. It complained, just like always, but started. One of these weekends she was going to have to break it down and give it more than the promise of a tune-up. She still had the sun up as she drove to Martino’s casino on the other side of town.