Page 67 of Space Cowgirl: Houston, All Systems Go
He shakes his head, his socked feet skimming the newly laid floors. “I donotwant to be around when you tell that little lady that she ain’t in charge no more.” I don’t know whether to be amused or impressed that he dared call Jules a little lady again. “Uh, uh. No way.” He tucks his clip board under his arm and pockets his tape measure. “Good luck withthat.” He emphasizes the last bit in my direction.
I pull at the hair on top of my head. “Fuck.”
Flynn steps back like I struck him. “Did you just say fuck?”
Eighteen
Acock
Jules
“No.”I cross my arms over my chest and stare down a petite, mousy brunette with a face like a hatchet.
Okay, her face isn’t like a hatchet, that’s just mean. But she does have what you would call aregal nose, and she’s trying to relieve me of duty.
“Jules…” Jackie’s eyes blink at me behind her thick frames.
I am immune to the pleading in my best friend’s voice. Sort of.
“You said I was in charge.” I barely resist the need to stomp my foot. Damn it, this day started offso well. Hell, I’m still in post-orgasmic afterglow, and yet now I sneak out to the barn to find my usurper taking barn measurements while my mind is stuck on the look on Holt’s face when I shooed him out of the laundry room. Did I do something wrong? Did hewanthis brother to see us come out together?
Let’s not even mention the mini-breakdown I nearly had over a stupid delivery box.
My best friend laughs nervously, pushing her frames up her nose. “Uh, well, no, I didn’t. Not really.”
My gaze snaps to Jackie, who steps back. “Yes, you did. On the phone the day after I passed out.”
The pseudo wedding planner pipes up. “You passed out?”
The look I give her shuts her right back up.
“When I called, I asked you to be my maid of honor,” Jackie says slowly.
“Yes. And I accepted.” I nod. “There you go. Confusion cleared up.” I look back at the interloper. “You’re dismissed.”
Heaving what I consider to be a rather dramatic sigh, Jackie takes my arm and leads me out of the barn. “We’ll be right back,” she throws over her shoulder to the wanna-be usurper.
Once we’ve cleared the barn door, Jackie turns me in front of her, placing one hand on each of my shoulders. “Jules.” It’s kind of cute how she’s trying to look me in the eye, but has to tilt her head up to do it.
“Jackie.”
Another sigh. It suddenly strikes me that with all the sighing going on—from my mother, Holt and Jackie—thatI’mthe common denominator. Huh. Food for thought. Later.
Jackie’s slim fingers pulse on my shoulders. “You didn’t honestly think I would just dump my wedding on you when you have a full-time job kicking butt at NASA and are up for a promotion, did you?”
Hmmm. Now that I think about it…
“I would never put so much on you. I know you’ve got a lot going on.”
Well, she doesn’t knoweverything. Like the daily texts full of slimy innuendos and threats.
Ugh, focus on the task at hand. Dropping my chin lower, I do my best pout. “ButI’myour maid of honor.”
One side of Jackie’s lips tilt up, skewing her glasses. “Do you actuallyknowwhat the maid of honor does?”
No, no I do not. But I’m not about to tell her that. “Judging by the thumb drive you gave me, I’d say plan the wedding.”
“I see.” Jackie lifts her hands off me and steps back. “I may have been a tad overzealous after Flynn proposed, and didn’t think the thumb drive through. I made it a while ago, after Flynn and I, uh, you know…”
