Free Just Her Luck by Jeanette Lynn Page B

chuckled and patted my back.
    "Nice try, you little booger, but I aint budgin', so knock it off . Did you forget your Auntie is just as, if not more, stubborn than you are?"
    I harrumphed and sat back down in my seat.
    "It was worth a try," I muttered as I put the car into reverse and slowly backed out, slumping a little in my seat.
    "Yep," she said proudly, chuckling a little, "You are most definitely like me."
    I peeked at her through the corner of my eye, brow raised challengingly.
    "Does that mean I can crash all of your shit anyways and get away with it?" I sassed, only half kidding.
    "Not unless you want to end up on a gurney alongside me, honey lamb ," she said sweetly.
    "Who the hell told you about the 'honey lamb' shit?" I blurted, surprised- but I really shouldn't be- that she knew of the goings on at the Harrison household.
    She grinned, proud of herself for effectively changing the subject, and silly me, I let her.
    I can always work on her about her surgery stuff on the way to her next appointment.
    There's still time.
    "Who was it, though? Who blabbed?" I prodded, my curiosity piqued.
    "I'll never tell," she swore solemnly and folded her hands in her lap.
    "It was Ephraim, wasn't it?" I guessed.
    She just smiled secretively and gave her head a little shake.
    "That boy doesn't usually say more than two words to me," she chuckled, staring out the window.
    "Huh. Really? Sometimes I can't get him to shut up. Thatch either..."
    Hmmm. I thought about it for a minute, wracking my brain.
    Duh! Why did I think of him first?
    "Oh, I know! It's Thatcher! He's worse than a gossipy old bitty."
    "No, and stop guessing, 'cause I'm not sayin'."
    She turned the radio on after that and ignored any further attempts to guess the tattle tale we had floating around the Harrison house.
    Well, shit , I thought, irritated all the more. Now I have to worry about a blabber mouth too!
    I wonder if Ruthie knows about the rug beater incident?
    I eyed her as I contemplated that and immediately dismissed the idea.
    Nah, she would have lectured me up a wall if she knew.
    It was pretty damn funny though.
    I grinned a little in remembrance.
    "What has you smiling like the cat that just got the cream?" Ruthie asked interestedly.
    "Wouldn't you just like to know," I said primly and laughed when she pinched my earlobe.
    "You little brat!" she harrumphed.
    "Ow! Watch it! I'm trying to drive here, ya crazy ol’ bat! Do you want to crash?"
    "That's right, Genevieve Ermentrude Ferguson, you just wipe that silly look off of your face and watch the road."
    I gasped and put a hand on my chest.
    "What have I ever done to you to deserve that?"
    "I'll tell all my boys your middle name... let ‘em know how much it bothers you." She chortled to herself a little, an evil smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
    Gah!
    "Shutting up." I shoved my hand back on the steering wheel and looked straight ahead, both hands at the correct positions.
    "That's what I thought," she said smugly.
    "You could be bluffing." I eyed her warily
    "I could," she said slowly, "But with the way you and Reeve are digging for dirt on each other, do you really wanna find out? Might be I’m not."
    "Traitor," I grumbled and sulked the rest of the drive.
    Ruthie's evil laughter and the radio were the only noise for the remainder of the trip.
    Sometimes people just suck.
     
     
    Foiled Again!
     
     
    "Thank you for the ride, Vieve," Ruthie thanked me as we pulled up to Barry's house.
    "You know... you could always stay with me at my house. I can find a fill in for the Harrison's and then I can take care of you. You don't have to stay with Barry," I piped up hopefully.
    "Oh, no, Barry's house is just fine. Besides, they need you over there, and I need to know someone is taking real good care of my boys," she said warmly.
    "Um, yeah... about that," I cleared my throat, glancing at her sheepishly and rubbing at the back of my neck anxiously, "Some of them, who shall remain nameless, don't