“Really?How many legs, exactly?”
“Too many.”
“Probably a wolf spider,” Emmy Lou said.
“Awolfspider?”Quinn’s hands grew clammy.“It attacks wolves?”
“No, no.”Emmy Lou looked as if she was trying hard not to laugh, for which Quinn was grateful.“They just look ferocious.They’re not poisonous or anything, and they keep the other insects under control.”
Quinn got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.“What other insects?”
Emmy Lou gazed at him, a twinkle in her eye.“You know, it’s really sweet of you to offer to defend me, considering you’re so scared of bugs.”
“I’m not, either!That’s no bug.Bugs are things like flies and mosquitoes and ladybugs.Moths, butterflies, caterpillars.This is...prehistoric.”
Emmy Lou smiled.“How did you think the creek and town got named?”
“I tried not to think about it, if you must know.”He had a horrifying thought.“You mean these things are common around here?”
“Sure.You get used to them.”A wicked little gleam appeared in her eye.“You’re more likely to find them down at the bunkhouse than up here.”
Quinn caught his breath.For one wild minute he thought of reconsidering his sleeping arrangements.Then Jo appeared in the living room doorway, and he knew he’d have to stay in the bunkhouse, ugly bugs and all.She’d combed her hair and fastened her clothing so she looked perfectly proper, but he remembered all too well how she’d helped him unbutton her blouse.And how she’d unhooked her bra for him.And then lifted those spectacular breasts, pressing them into his waiting hands.
“What’s going on?”Jo asked, gazing at the sofa cushion tossed aside, the coffee table capsized and the fireplace shovel in Quinn’s hand.“Spring cleaning?”
“Sort of,” Quinn said.“Don’t come in here, Jo.Wolf spider.”
“Really?Cool!Where is it?”
He couldn’t believe her reaction.“Under the sofa,” he said ominously.“You know, under thesofa.”He wondered how long it would take her to realize the monster could have attacked while she was lying there exposed.
“Then let’s move the sofa,” Jo said, totally nonchalant about the whole thing.
“Don’t, Jo.It’s huge.”
“They usually are,” Jo said, walking toward the sofa.
“Suit yourself, Red Riding Hood.”Quinn folded his arms, but he kept hold of the fireplace shovel.“Move that sofa and take a look at that big old wolf spider.Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Emmy Lou started out of the room.“Hold on.I’ll get a glass and see if we can catch it and put it outside.”
Quinn almost dropped the shovel.“You’re going to what?”
“Try to catch it.You know, put a glass down on top of it and then slide a piece of cardboard underneath.”
“Are you crazy?”
“No.I’ve done it before.”
Quinn rolled his eyes.“Then you’d better bring a punch bowl and a piece of plywood!We’re not talking about Charlotte here, ladies.We’re talking big.Very, very big.Spiderzilla.”
Emmy Lou smiled at him.“I’ve discovered that men tend to exaggerate the size of things.”She left the room.
Jo let out a very unladylike snort of laughter, and Quinn glared at her.
She tried to compose herself but was obviously having trouble.“Did you tell her about the tape?”
“Not yet.I?—”
