that?"
Jack flushed. "A raccoon ran off with my shirt."
Robert was not amused. "A raccoon?"
"Umm...yes."
"And did the raccoon first put on your shoes and socks for extra speed so you couldn't catch him?"
Jack swallowed his retort and only said, "That isn't funny."
"No," Robert informed him. "It certainly is not." He stepped closer to Jack, then leaned down into Jack's face, forcing Jack's eyes to look only into his own. "You know, Jack," Robert said quietly. "I'd hate to think that even though you're aware that Kelly Jo hoodwinked you that you're still willing to cover up for her."
Jack wanted to blink, but kept his gaze steady on Robert's unmoving gaze. "Why would you think that?"
"Because," Robert began. "You're an easy target. A complete gentleman, easy going, repeatedly giving someone like Kelly Jo the benefit of the doubt. To the point that they make a complete fool of you if that's what it takes to get what they want."
Kelly Jo leaped from behind the tree, flames shooting from her eyes even as she battled to cover vital areas. "I would never do that to Jack!"
Jack and Robert both shouted, "Kelly Jo!", but each for a different reason. Why Jack cared that Kelly Jo would be snatched and returned by Robert was beyond him. But without hesitation he stepped in between them.
When Wiley's unsure, "Jack?" reached his ears, to Jack's shock, Robert instantly vanished and Kelly Jo sped for the cover of the tree.
When Wiley stepped onto the path holding a large bag, he gave Jack a look of bewilderment. "Who were you just talking to? I heard a man's voice but I don't see anybody."
Jack did his best to offer a laugh of assurance. "Oh, that. I was just practicing a ventriloquist act. I thought maybe I'd enter the contest, too."
Wiley looked at him like he was crazy, but only said, "Oh."
Jack cleared his throat and tried not to look around to see if Robert had returned but stayed out of Wiley's line of vision. "What's in the bag?"
Chapter Seventeen
Wylie held the bag out to Jack but kept glancing around, as though expecting the owner of the deep voice he'd heard to jump out from nowhere.
Jack grabbed the black garbage bag, opened it and peered inside. He sighed, then smiled at Wylie, his voice dripping relief. "Dry underwear!"
Kelly Jo's eager, "Throw me the bag, Jack," made Jack laugh.
"You can wait your turn," he informed her. He rummaged through the bag to Wylie's apologetic, "I got you some skivvies and a tee shirt out of new packs and a pair of jeans my dad outgrew, but I didn't dare take any of his shoes or socks."
Jack pulled the clothes from the bag and hurried to find a spot behind a tall bush. "That's okay," he called to Wylie, ignoring Kelly Jo's wail of "hurry up!". "You're a life saver, Wylie, and we'll definitely pay you back."
Jack winced as he dragged the wet boxers down the length of his body, then kicked them off in favor of the brand new blue boxers Wylie had provided. He pulled the faded jeans on, blocking out Kelly Jo's irate comments about what happened to ladies first ? "Your dad's about my size, I guess," he noted as he tugged on the waistband. He pulled the white tee shirt on to a surprisingly snug fit.
He left his wet boxers where he'd kicked them and stepped out to find Wylie watching him. He gave Wylie a somber look but his eyes danced despite the seriousness of his tone. Jack jerked his head toward where Kelly Jo half-crouched behind the tree. "Should we leave her here?"
"Jack," she cried. "When I get my hands on you..." she warned, then trailed off into a sheepish smile when Jack and Wylie laughed and Jack tossed the bag to her.
"Wylie's right," Jack hollered to her. "You'll look great in that outfit."
Kelly Jo stuck her hand in the bag, then ducked out of sight with the clothes. "I don't care how it looks or even if it fits. I just want to get something on."
Kelly Jo dressed in silence and even before she
Jack flushed. "A raccoon ran off with my shirt."
Robert was not amused. "A raccoon?"
"Umm...yes."
"And did the raccoon first put on your shoes and socks for extra speed so you couldn't catch him?"
Jack swallowed his retort and only said, "That isn't funny."
"No," Robert informed him. "It certainly is not." He stepped closer to Jack, then leaned down into Jack's face, forcing Jack's eyes to look only into his own. "You know, Jack," Robert said quietly. "I'd hate to think that even though you're aware that Kelly Jo hoodwinked you that you're still willing to cover up for her."
Jack wanted to blink, but kept his gaze steady on Robert's unmoving gaze. "Why would you think that?"
"Because," Robert began. "You're an easy target. A complete gentleman, easy going, repeatedly giving someone like Kelly Jo the benefit of the doubt. To the point that they make a complete fool of you if that's what it takes to get what they want."
Kelly Jo leaped from behind the tree, flames shooting from her eyes even as she battled to cover vital areas. "I would never do that to Jack!"
Jack and Robert both shouted, "Kelly Jo!", but each for a different reason. Why Jack cared that Kelly Jo would be snatched and returned by Robert was beyond him. But without hesitation he stepped in between them.
When Wiley's unsure, "Jack?" reached his ears, to Jack's shock, Robert instantly vanished and Kelly Jo sped for the cover of the tree.
When Wiley stepped onto the path holding a large bag, he gave Jack a look of bewilderment. "Who were you just talking to? I heard a man's voice but I don't see anybody."
Jack did his best to offer a laugh of assurance. "Oh, that. I was just practicing a ventriloquist act. I thought maybe I'd enter the contest, too."
Wiley looked at him like he was crazy, but only said, "Oh."
Jack cleared his throat and tried not to look around to see if Robert had returned but stayed out of Wiley's line of vision. "What's in the bag?"
Chapter Seventeen
Wylie held the bag out to Jack but kept glancing around, as though expecting the owner of the deep voice he'd heard to jump out from nowhere.
Jack grabbed the black garbage bag, opened it and peered inside. He sighed, then smiled at Wylie, his voice dripping relief. "Dry underwear!"
Kelly Jo's eager, "Throw me the bag, Jack," made Jack laugh.
"You can wait your turn," he informed her. He rummaged through the bag to Wylie's apologetic, "I got you some skivvies and a tee shirt out of new packs and a pair of jeans my dad outgrew, but I didn't dare take any of his shoes or socks."
Jack pulled the clothes from the bag and hurried to find a spot behind a tall bush. "That's okay," he called to Wylie, ignoring Kelly Jo's wail of "hurry up!". "You're a life saver, Wylie, and we'll definitely pay you back."
Jack winced as he dragged the wet boxers down the length of his body, then kicked them off in favor of the brand new blue boxers Wylie had provided. He pulled the faded jeans on, blocking out Kelly Jo's irate comments about what happened to ladies first ? "Your dad's about my size, I guess," he noted as he tugged on the waistband. He pulled the white tee shirt on to a surprisingly snug fit.
He left his wet boxers where he'd kicked them and stepped out to find Wylie watching him. He gave Wylie a somber look but his eyes danced despite the seriousness of his tone. Jack jerked his head toward where Kelly Jo half-crouched behind the tree. "Should we leave her here?"
"Jack," she cried. "When I get my hands on you..." she warned, then trailed off into a sheepish smile when Jack and Wylie laughed and Jack tossed the bag to her.
"Wylie's right," Jack hollered to her. "You'll look great in that outfit."
Kelly Jo stuck her hand in the bag, then ducked out of sight with the clothes. "I don't care how it looks or even if it fits. I just want to get something on."
Kelly Jo dressed in silence and even before she
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