Bushedwhacked Groom by Eugenia Riley Read Free Book Online Page A

here.”
    Half an hour later, every step was torture as Lucky hobbled through the bedroom toward the back door, leaning on Jessica, a skimpy towel tied at his midsec tion the only barrier between propriety and the alto gether. He couldn’t figure out which smarted more, his body or his pride. At least Jessica had allowed him some measure of privacy when she’d returned for him, turning her back while he slipped off his briefs and donned the towel.
    Much as he found his current situation absurd, he remained amazed that this slender, middle-aged woman had such a soothing effect on him. She was pretty, too, with her graying auburn hair and classically lovely features. She seemed well educated.
    Just like the Jessica Garrett who had disappeared would have been, he thought with another chill. But hadn’t that Jessica been much younger—still in her twenties, if memory served?
    She swung open the back door and helped him step down onto the porch. With a grimace he glanced about. The expanse of gray-blue deck was large and sheltered, protected on two sides by the whitewashed back walls of the house and on a third by a huge trellis teeming with fragrant honeysuckle.
    Then he caught sight of Grandma, who stood proudly grinning in the center of the porch next to a steaming tub.
    “Well, there you are,” she greeted.
    Taking in the small proportions of the tin tub, he managed a pained grunt. “You expect me to take a bath in that?”
    “Sorry, son, but we ain’t got any of the so-called modern stuff they got in town,” Grandma replied. “ No indoor plumbing, no electricity and none of them godless horseless carriages, neither.”
    Lucky was stunned. “Damn—how far out in the country do you folks live?”
    Jessica laughed. “Don’t worry, Lucky. You’ll catch on to everything in due course. Now go have a good soak in the tub.”
    He eyed her askance. “Looks more like a torture chamber to me.”
    “We’ll help you in,” she offered.
    He grabbed his privates. “Not on your life!”
    “If we leave, will you promise to get in?” cajoled Grandma.
    Lucky glanced from her fiercely determined face to Jessica’s. “Okay, then.”
    “Okay?” Grandma stepped forward to elbow Jessica. “Ain’t he a hoot! He’s talking that new slang like they do in the Springs, eh?”
    Lucky rolled his eyes.
    “Come on, Ma,” urged Jessica. “Let’s give the poor man some privacy.” She turned to give him a quick once-over. “Looks like you’re about the same size as my Vance. I’ll lay out some clean clothes for you in the bedroom. After you’re done, I imagine Mr. Reklaw and I will want to have a word with you.”
    “Yeah,” Lucky muttered.
    “Call if you need anything,” Grandma added pleas antly.
    Lucky flashed the women a stiff smile. “I think you folks have done enough for me already.”
    After they left him, Lucky struggled to gather his wits. These people were clearly whacked as hell, living in primitive squalor with no electricity, indoor plumb ing or phone. He needed to get his butt away from this funny farm, pronto.
    But how? After that jarring upside-down ride on the hell cat’s horse, he wasn’t sure exactly where he was. Plus he couldn’t just hightail it for the hills in his current state of undress. Though Jessica had mentioned laying out some clothes for him.
    He tiptoed over to the bedroom door and eased it open. He froze. Jessica was there, gathering up his dirty duds, placing his wallet on the dresser; but so far she hadn’t yet laid out any fresh garments. He might as well take a quick bath and soak his wounds in the Ep som salts. Then he’d sneak in, grab the clothes and make tracks before anyone caught on.
    He hobbled over to the tub, dropped his towel and painfully lowered his large body inside. The position was awkward and hellish, with his knees folded up practically to his chin, but the hot, medicated water felt wonderful on his scratches, cuts and bruises. No doubt this would help limber