“The skank said that you were busy. We didn’t believe her.”
“Lisa is not a skank,” Sully said. He was about to say more, but his thoughts were interrupted.
“Is the little girl yours, Sully? Tell me. I have to know.” The tall blonde sounded serious. She grabbed his hand again and held it to her breast. “I can be a good mother.” He quickly pulled his hand out and pushed hers away.
This whole scene was making him uncomfortable. How old were these girls, anyway? Old enough to drive, but that still didn’t make them legal. Alarms were going off in his head.
Thankfully, the gas pump clicked off. “Ladies, I have to get going. See you tonight at the arena.” He screwed the gas cap back on and closed the little door. He couldn’t wait to get away and back to the quiet of his RV.
“Oh, Sully!” The blonde took him by surprise by wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss squarely on his lips.
“Hey!” he protested. “Don’t do that!”
“My name is Tiffany.” She slipped a piece of paper into the front pocket of his cutoffs before he could stop her. “Call me for a good time.”
“How old are you, Tiffany?” All he could think about was Rose. He’d better not catch her doing something like this no matter how old she was.
Tiffany pulled out her driver’s license and handed it to him as if he were a bouncer at the door of the nearest honky-tonk.
Tiffany had just turned eighteen, if her ID was to be believed.
There might have been a time when he would have flirted with these women and met them for a drink or two. But now they seemed so young, and so immature.
Hell, they were young and immature.
Or maybe he’d grown up a bit and started checking IDs.
He tipped his hat to the buckle bunnies and went into the gas station for some water and a couple of candy bars.
When he went back to the RV, both the girls and the VW were gone. Good.
He hit the highway again, chewing on chocolate. Finally, he found the dump station, and he was out of there in record time. He got sidetracked when he saw a character store and decided to stop.
He’d love to buy some T-shirts for Rose.
With a big smile at his good fortune, he parked in an “RV Only” area near the store.
* * *
Lisa pulled the little red wagon loaded with washed and folded laundry. She sipped an icy blue drink that she’d bought at a convenience store. The Florida humidity was getting to her.
Although Leland’s Laundromat advertised in the front window that it was air-conditioned, it was still hot in there. It was even hotter on the walk back.
She arrived back at the arena only to find that Sully’s motor home was gone.
Looking around for some kind of message from him, all she found was an aluminum folding chair, which she promptly sat in.
The sun blazed overhead, and she wished she’d had a hat and some sunscreen.
Taking out a towel from the pile of laundry, she wiped her face with it, then draped it over her head like a veil.
She must look like a derelict.
Thank goodness she had the blue stuff to drink.
In the food tent, it seemed like lunch was in the preparation stages. Lisa’s stomach growled, reminding her that it was nearing lunchtime. She was surprised because she’d had an unusually big breakfast. One that turned in her stomach when she had the flashback to her childhood communes.
“It’s just a gathering of friends.” Lisa repeated Sully’s words like a mantra.
Speaking of Sully...where the hell was he?
Was he overwhelmed by the responsibility thrust upon him, so he decided that he’d had enough and simply took off?
No. Sully might be a lot of things, but he wouldn’t leave her and Rose stranded. Well, maybe her, but certainly not Rose.
Suddenly, she felt uneasy for thinking that Sully would move out and for not trusting him.
She couldn’t help it. She barely knew him.
If he did leave them stranded, there wouldn’t be a rock that he could hide under. She’d hunt him down like the low-down vermin that he was.
How would they get home? Her purse was in the RV. She didn’t have any money, any charge cards, her driver’s license or her cell phone.
She’d have to swallow her pride and call her mother or father to send her money. The lawyer would find out, and Rose would be taken away from them, from her.
Lisa was working herself into quite a lather when she saw Rose walking with Lacy and her mother. Lisa waved and hurried to meet them.
When she walked Rose back to the empty RV spot, the little girl burst into tears.
“Where’s Uncle Sully? Where’s our motor home?”
“Sweetie, don’t cry. Uncle Sully will be right back. He probably went to the store.”
“For what?” Rose sniffed.
“Honey, I don’t know. Maybe something that he needed for the chili he’s making for lunch with the rest of the campers.”
Lisa moved the lawn chair to a patch of shade and Rose climbed onto her lap. They both shared the pink towel as a cover over their heads. The little girl put her head on Lisa’s chest and fell asleep.
Elaine Scoggins, wife of L. T. Scoggins, one of the top-five bull riders, approached them with a big beach umbrella.
She put an index finger over her lips, meaning that Lisa didn’t have to say anything to her. It might wake up Rose. Elaine set up the umbrella and gave her two plastic bottles of water.
She blew Lisa a kiss, and Lisa blew one back to thank her for her kindness. It was so sweet of her that it brought tears to Lisa’s eyes.
She was going to kill Sully, the thoughtless cowboy. He could have left her a note. Damn his miserable hide.
Just as she decided to wake up Rose and move with the shade, she saw Sully’s motor home roll in. He waved to her, smiling hugely, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Of course he didn’t. He was in an air-conditioned vehicle.
Lisa didn’t know whether to be relieved that Sully came back or to rage at him.
She was hot and sweaty and cranky. Her fingers were sticky from her blue drink.
Sully pulled in and she could feel the hot blast of the RV’s engine. He cut the motor and just as she was about to stand up, he hurried down the stairs and held out his arms to pick up Rose.
“She’s out like a light,” he said softly.
“And she’s hot,” Lisa snapped.
He looked at Lisa after he lifted Rose. “You look hot, too.”
“No kidding. And that’s not the only thing wrong with me.” She shot him her best glare.
“Come into the RV. The air conditioning is on, and the ice cubes are plentiful.”
Lisa went up the stairs first and held the door open for Sully because Rose was draped over his shoulder like a toga.
“Let’s put her on the big bed,” Sully said.
After Rose was settled into bed, Lisa was going to have it out with Sully.
She opened the door to the bedroom and stepped inside. Then she stopped, stupefied.
In the bed was the tall blonde she’d met earlier—the same one the security guards had escorted off the premises. Her back was against the faux leather headboard that was built into the wall. The sheet was just about falling off her bare breasts. She had to be naked.
Now she knew what Sully had been doing. Rocking the motor home!
“Sully, you need to relocate your guest immediately. And change the sheets,” Lisa snapped. She turned to leave and collided into him.
“What?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed.
“You heard me.” Lisa took Rose from his arms. She walked over to the passenger’s seat and sat down, rubbing Rose’s back. She tur
ned to have a full view of what was happening in the doorway of the bedroom. If that...groupie didn’t leave, then she and Rose would.
She wouldn’t allow Sully to flaunt his buckle bunnies in front of their niece.
How dare he bring her into...uh...their home!
“Tiffany?” she heard him ask from the doorway. “What the hell are you doing in here?”
He knew her name but seemed surprised that she was in the bedroom. Where did he expect her to be, holed up in the bathroom?
She didn’t hear Tiffany’s answer, but then Sully said, “Get dressed and get out.”
Not exactly love talk from Mr. Good Time Sully.
Lisa heard a sing-song whine from Tiffany, but she couldn’t make out her words.
“Yeah,” Sully said. “Yeah, Lisa’s my girlfriend. The little girl is Rose. She’s ours. That’s why you have to go, Tiffany. Get dressed. Show’s over.”
Whoa! What did he say?
I’m so not his girlfriend!
He closed the door, probably to give Tiffany some privacy. Lisa was surprised he did that, thinking that Sully wouldn’t want to miss seeing the blonde naked again.
For a good-time cowboy, he was showing remarkable restraint.
Lisa still didn’t like him bringing his “dates” back to the motor home, and she was going to tell him so in very clear terms.
* * *
Sully couldn’t believe that this woman was in his motor home and in his bed.
He thought back. She must have snuck in while he was at the convenience store. The VW had gone, but Tiffany had stayed.
If he had known, he would have kicked her ass out. Thank goodness Rose was asleep and didn’t witness Tiffany naked in his bed.
Tiffany finally opened the door to the bedroom. She was fully clothed, her hair was fluffed and she was drenched in perfume.
“Tiffany, don’t do this again, please,” he said.
“But, Sully—”
He held up a hand like a traffic cop. “I told you that I have a girlfriend and a child.”
He pointed to Lisa and Rose sitting in the passenger’s seat. Lisa must have heard him calling her his girlfriend because she raised her hand in a wave.
Rose was draped over Lisa. The poor kid was tired and should be in bed by now. Instead, he’d had to deal with Tiffany.
“But, Sully, I told you before that your bio on the PBR website doesn’t mention that you have a girlfriend and a kid. I’m no home wrecker.”
So Tiffany had scruples.
“Tiffany, what would your parents say if they found out that you snuck into my bed?” Sully asked. Damn, he sounded like an old man!
She rolled her eyes. “I do what I want. I’m old enough.”
Sully was just about to lecture her on safe sex, but he decided that it wasn’t his place.
“I’ll update the PBR website. Until then, goodbye, Tiffany. Find another cowboy.”
He held the door open for her. He didn’t particularly like the fact that everyone would see her exit his rig. It just didn’t look right.
She tossed her blond hair and walked down the three steps. Sully glanced around. Everyone was gathering for the late lunch, so no one was nearby. That was a break.
Closing the door, he walked into the bedroom, pulled off the linens and tossed them into the bathroom. The laundry bag was gone because Lisa hadn’t had a chance to unload her red wagon.
Lisa. He was dreading the confrontation with her. She looked really mad. He half expected her to paw the dirt like an angry bull.
He hurried to make the bed again.
When he was done, he waved to Lisa to bring Rose.
Lisa struggled to get up. Then she shook her head. He hurried to the front of the RV.
“My legs are numb,” Lisa explained.
Gently, he took Rose from her. The little girl moaned slightly and snuggled against him. He walked to the bedroom and tucked her into the fresh sheets.
Rose was out cold. Other than to burrow into the pillow, she barely moved.
Now it was time for him to explain things to Lisa before she imploded.
He walked to the front of the RV. Lisa hadn’t moved from the passenger’s seat. “I didn’t know she was in the RV,” Sully said, jumping right in.
“Who are you kidding?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“You left us stranded in the parking lot, Sully. Why? So you could pick up Tiffany and rock the RV?”
“What are you talking about? I took the RV to the pumping station. We didn’t have a drop of water left.”
“You took it where?”
“To the pumping station at the Sunrise Palms RV dealership.”
She put her hands on her hips and her jaw fell open. She shook her head. “And how was I supposed to know that, Sully? You could have left me a message.”
“I did. I told Jess Caruthers to tell you.”
“Well, he didn’t.”
“He must have gone to the arena. Or maybe he’s at the gym.”
Lisa shrugged. “You could have left me a note.”
“Where? On the tar?”
“On the lawn chair you left behind. The same chair that Rose and I sat on with a towel over our heads because we were melting in the ninety-degree heat.”
“I am totally sorry about that. But, Lisa, we didn’t have a drop of water. I thought I’d be back before you, but the traffic was heavy.”
“You could have called me on my cell phone!”
“That one?” He pointed to her cell phone, which she’d left in the beverage holder on the console of the RV.
She closed her eyes. “Yeah, that one. But what about Tiffany?” she asked. “Why, Sully?”
“It’s not what you think. I stopped at a gas station to fill up. Tiffany was there with her girlfriends. They followed me. While I was in the convenience store, Tiffany must have slipped inside. That’s all there is to that story.”
Lisa was silent. Obviously she didn’t believe him.
“Look, I’d never bring anyone back to the RV, especially with Rose here. Tiffany is a total buckle bunny. She thinks that she’s in love with me, but she isn’t. She’s just young.”
“That was quite the lecture you gave her.”
“Yeah. I didn’t know where that came from. I felt like an old man.”
“You sounded mature.”
Sully laughed. “Don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my reputation.”
Lisa finally cracked a smile.
He held out a hand. “Are we good? Do you trust me to do what’s best for Rose?”
She looked at his hand, gave a big sigh, then clasped his. They shook.
“Yeah, we’re good, but the next time, call me on my cell, will you? And I’ll be sure to take it with me. Or leave a note.”
“You could try to trust me, you know,” Sully said.
“That might be a little harder.”
“Why?”
“Your reputation precedes you.”
“Try and forget about my reputation,” he said.
Sully knew that’d be impossible for Lisa to do. She had already judged him and labeled him a party animal. He liked a good party as much as the next guy, but now he had major responsibilities. He had to take that into consideration.
“Are you hungry?” he asked Lisa, checking his chili.
Lisa took a big sniff of the air.
“Smells good, Sully.”
“It really does smell good,” Sully said, handing her a spoon that he’d dipped into the chili.
Lisa blew on the hot chili, and then tasted it. “Sully, it’s delicious. What’s your secret?”
Sully grinned. “My special blend of herbs is my secret, which
just means that I toss in whatever’s on hand. Then I drive it around Florida for a while and take it to the Sunshine Palms RV dealership. Then turn it down low while I take a shower at the Surfer’s Paradise bathhouse for seventy-five cents.”
She chuckled and handed the spoon back to him. “You know, Sully, I believe you.”
“About the Sunshine Palms, the bathhouse or my chili recipe?”
“About Tiffany.”
They were back to that. “It’s kind of funny if you think about it,” he said.
She rolled her eyes and pouffed up her hair like Tiffany.
“‘Sully, you’d better update the PBR website. I’m not a home wrecker.’” Lisa mimicked the girl in a falsetto voice.
“What are we going to do if one of us actually has a date?” Sully asked.
Lisa shrugged. “I don’t want a parade of faux aunts and uncles coming and going in Rose’s life. It’d be too much for her.”
“I agree. So what do we do?”
“Maybe we shouldn’t bring any of them home.”
He thought for a while. “Yeah. You’re probably right. It’s better that we sneak around.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know what you meant,” he said.
That’d be an interesting dilemma. Dating.
“I guess there’s always a hotel room,” she said.
He looked at Lisa. Her dark green eyes were twinkling. She was thinking all this was hilarious.
“You know, Sully, I don’t know how long you can remain celibate, but I think that Rose should be our first priority. We should put our sexual needs aside.”
“Celibate?” He laughed. “Are you kidding?”
Chapter Eight
Sully finally stopped laughing enough to concentrate on his chili.
Yeah, she was kidding. She didn’t expect any healthy, red-blooded male, such as Sully, to say no to sex if the occasion presented itself.
Lisa couldn’t remember the last time she’d had sex. She’d been too busy to develop a relationship with a guy, and she wasn’t the type for one-night stands.
She’d had several opportunities for casual sex with other pilots and a couple of Atlanta air traffic controllers over the past couple of years, but she’d passed.
Lassoed Into Marriage Page 8
