Free The Great Jackalope Stampede by Ann Charles, C. S. Kunkle Page B

from her pores. “Did Butch get you on this health kick?”
    “Butch has nothing to do with it.” The sharpness in Kate’s tone made Claire lean forward.
    “What’s going on with you two?”
    “Nothing,” Kate said, her tight lips making it clear she was not going to share a peep.
    “Fine, if it’s nothing, then you’ll help me get access to his home computer so I can get online and do my own research on this pocket watch.” Claire tapped the gold casing with her gloved finger.
    “I’m not going back there.”
    “Listen, whatever this fight between you two is about, I’m sure he doesn’t want you to move out. You’re overreacting.”
    “Said the kettle.”
    “I do not overreact to a fight—unnecessary drama is Ronnie’s song and dance routine.”
    “That’s right,” Kate said. “You just tuck tail and run.”
    After waking up to another morning with the impending doom of motherhood still a possibility in the forecast, Kate’s words struck way too close to the truth. It had taken Claire five minutes of whispering to herself in the Skunkmobile’s bathroom mirror and a few self-inflicted smacks to the face not to grab the car keys for Mabel and flee the state. Instead, she had grabbed her hidden pack of cigarettes on her way out the door but then had remembered why she needed a smoke and cursed, stubbing her stress-aid out as soon as she had lit it. She had settled for stuffing her face with Twinkies upon reaching the store.
    However, while Kate was dead-on pinpointing Claire’s flaw, she didn’t need to stand there looking so damned smug about it. “Do you really want me to come around this desk and sit on your diaphragm until you turn a lovely shade of purple?”
    Kate sighed. “No. Sorry, I’m just …” she flapped her hand in the air as if she were shooing away a fly.
    “Okay, crazy, let’s move on then,” Claire said. “How about you let me into Butch’s office at The Shaft? I know he has a computer and internet connection there.”
    “He has a docking station, but he took his laptop with him.”
    “Damn it.” Claire picked up the watch again, stroking the face with her gloved finger. It was time for Ruby to join the modern world and start offering free wireless internet to her campers. If Claire could only talk Gramps into buying a computer, or shipping the one he had back home in Nemo down to Arizona.
    “Claire!” Deborah’s voice rang through the closed office door, making Kate jump and Claire cringe. “Open this door. I need to talk to you.”
    “I’m busy,” Claire yelled back.
    Her mother was quiet for a couple of beats. “Is MacDonald in there?”
    Claire rolled her eyes. “You know Mac hates it when you use his whole name.”
    “You two aren’t doing anything funny in there again, are you?”
    Kate snickered into her fist.
    “Mac isn’t in here, Mom. Just Kate.”
    “Kathryn? I thought I told you to bring Claire upstairs.”
    “I’m trying, Mother.”
    “Try harder. She needs to come get a handle on her new grandmother. Ruby is throwing a silly tantrum.”
    Claire stormed over to the door and yanked it open. “What did you do, Mom?”
    Deborah stood under the stairwell light looking like she’d dressed for the horse track down in Del Mar, with bright lipstick, a pale pink shirt, dress pants, and a silk scarf with cowgirls lassoing cowboys on it. All she was missing was a feathered hat.
    “I didn’t do anything.” Deborah smirked. “Jessica did.”
    “What did Jess do now?” Kate asked, looking over Claire’s shoulder.
    A wicked glint lit Deborah’s blue eyes. “She invited her father to breakfast.”

Chapter Six

    Mac rolled to a stop in front of his aunt’s place. Shielding his eyes from the morning rays, he stared at the silver Cadillac sitting in his usual parking spot by the willow tree. Aside from the complimentary coat of dust that came with southeastern Arizona breezes and being a decade old, it looked to be in mint condition. Ruby must