She ties her hair into a knot on top of her head.“It’s best to learn on a stick shift.You don’t want to be a pussy who only knows how to drive an automatic.No offense, Phyllis.”
Phyllis scowls at Summer.It’s the first time I’ve seen her without a smile on her face.“Listen, girlie.I was driving my father’s dirt mover before you were a glint in your mama’s eye.Ten gears.Don’t judge me on my Toyota.”
“I can’t.I have to work.I’m deep cleaning.”My explanation comes out with more than a twinge of panic.“I’ll have to learn to drive another day.”
Like never.I’m too old to learn to drive.I read that somewhere.Nobody should learn to drive after the age of eighteen.
“Oh, come on.Think about poor Finn.”
I shake my head.“Huh?”
“You need to ease him into this whole housekeeper thing,” Summer says.“You’ll make him stroke out if all of a sudden his house isdeep cleaned, whatever the fuck that even means.”Summer displays a palm toward Phyllis and bows her head.“Apologies.Anyway, you should break him in slowly, Emma.It’s eleven thirty.If we start now, I can teach you by two o’clock, and then we can go to the DMV in town and get you your license.”
“But…” I start.
Summer stands and wipes her mouth.“Let’s get ’er done.First lesson is how to steer with your knee.It’s a safety hazard if you don’t learn to drive hands-free.”She puts her plate in the sink and turns to me, her eyes wild.“See, the thing is, steering with your knee means you can eat and still pay attention to the road while you drive.Otherwise, you could crash.I know a guy who was drinking a milkshake while he was driving and, well, let’s just say it was bad.”Her mouth drops open, and she looks up at the ceiling.“Oh, that’s pretty ironic.All he can do is drink through a straw now.Funny how that worked out.”
“Uh…”
Summer pulls me up from the chair and thanks Phyllis for lunch as she drags me out the front door.
I look back to Phyllis, but she’s just looking down at her hands and shaking her head.
It’s no use.I’m about to learn how to drive Summer’s truck with my knee.
CHAPTER 28
Finn
My hand glides down the Quarter Horse’s hindquarters to her leg.Strong as iron.The three-year-old filly is perfect in every way physically, and she has a sweet temperament, too.Her father was an endurance standout, and her mother was a world western reining champion.
Evander says that she’s being sold for more than she’s worth, but I’m in charge of horse flesh around here, and I know she’s exactly what we need for our bloodlines.I want her because I want Yosemite Ranch to become the most prestigious Quarter Horse breeding operation outside of Texas.
“We’ve got a deal,” I tell the breeder’s representative.He brought the horse to me for my final check.It’s not unheard of for breeders to bait and switch horses, so I needed to make the final identification before purchase.
He shakes my hand just as a terrible screeching noise erupts outside the barn, followed by hooting and hollering.To my ear, it sounds like Declan, Evander, and a few ranch hands are having way more fun than they should.
“Will you excuse me a moment?”I ask the rep.
He looks at his watch.“Two minutes.Then I need the papers signed.”
There’s another metal-on-metal screech and more whooping and yelling.I jog outside to see Summer’s truck lurching, braking, and bucking.Each attempt at forward motion is followed by the sound of gears getting the living fuck stripped out of them.
At first I think Summer must be drunk or worse, but she’s not driving.She’s in the passenger seat.Emma is driving.
Well, she’stryingto drive.
Summer is laughing hysterically, banging her hand on the dash.She sticks her head out the open window.“I’m going to need a new gear shaft, but this is so worth it!”
“I’m sorry!”Emma yells, sticking her head out the other window as the truck lurches in a circle.
“Ride ’em, cowgirls!”Declan yells.
Evander tugs at his suit vest and wipes tears from his eyes.“I’m not even sure what I’m looking at, but I haven’t laughed this hard in a while.”
Special K stands next to Evander.He’s the only one not cheering on this clusterfuck.Special K and me.
K’s not amused because he rarely is.I’m not amused because I’m trying to buy a horse.
