Penny Sue Got Lucky

“Do you suppose you could manage to answer my questions in two sentences or less?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. But I could try.” She reached up and smoothed his wrinkled brow with her fingertips. He jerked back as if her touch had burned him. “You really should smile more, Vic. You’re a very good-looking man, but frowning all the time isn’t very attractive.”

“Ms. Paine—”

“Penny Sue.”

He heaved a deep, exasperated sigh. Was he annoyed with her? Probably. Just a tad. Silly of him, of course, to get so bent out of shape over nothing.

“Penny Sue,” he said. “How about we try yes and no answers?”

“All right. Does that mean you’ll ask me a question and I’ll say either yes or no?”

“That’s what it means.”

“All right. Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s go on home. If we stand out here in front of the Kimbrew house for much longer, Oren Kimbrew will come out here and ask us what we’re up to. He grows prize-winning roses and for the past two years, Aunt Dottie’s roses have won first place in every contest in which they competed against each other. So when he sees any member of the Paine family near his house, he accuses us of trying to sabotage his roses.”

Vic picked up his case with one hand and using the other hand, grabbed her arm and spurred her into motion, leading her up the block in an all-fired hurry. If she hadn’t been so perturbed by his actions, she’d have noticed sooner that once again her body was tingling all over just from his touch.

“Vic?”

“Hush, will you?” After drawing in a deep breath, he added, “Please.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I know better. Tell me.”

Without looking at her, but holding on to her arm and keeping up their fast pace down the sidewalk, Vic said, “I’ve never met a woman who talked so much and said so little.”

Penny Sue balked. He yanked on her arm, but she wouldn’t budge. He let go of her.

“That wasn’t a very nice thing to say,” she told him.

“You’re right. It wasn’t. I tend to say exactly what I think. If you want an apology, then I’ll apologize.”

“No, don’t bother. It wouldn’t be sincere. And an insincere apology is worse than no apology at all.”

“If you say so.”

“I do say so.” Penny Sue pursed her lips into a little pout. Tears moistened her eyes. Her chin trembled. There was no excuse for being rude. Well, maybe one. If Vic was a Yankee, she might be able to overlook his comment. But she could tell by his accent that he had been raised somewhere in the South, probably farther north than Alabama. Virginia or Kentucky. But even in those states, people were taught good manners, weren’t they?

He studied her for a couple of minutes. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

She sniffled. “Would you please put that into a question I can answer by either yes or no.”

He glared at her. She glanced away, refusing to look at him. Since they were going to be spending a great deal of time together during the next few weeks, he needed to learn right now that she would not tolerate bad manners, especially not from an employee.

“Did I hurt your feelings?” he asked, his manner downright surly.

“Yes.”

“Will you accept my apology?”

“No.”

“Why the hell not?”

She gasped. It was a fake gasp, but he didn’t know that.

“Don’t tell me—you’re offended by my saying hell?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He blew out an irritated huff. “Look, lady, I’m a man. I occasionally use profanity. And my manners aren’t all they could be. But you didn’t hire me because I’m a gentleman. You hired me because I’m a professional. Can we agree on that?”

“Yes.”

“Then will you accept my apology?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Lifting her head just enough to indicate indifference, she glanced right and then left. He needed to be taught the proper way to deal with a Paine woman. And the sooner, the better.

“You’re not answering because you’re sticking with the yes or no responses I asked you to give,” he said. “Is that it?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t mean it so literally,” he told her. “I just wanted to find a way to cut your never-ending explanations to a minimum of words. Feel free to elaborate beyond yes and no.” When she opened her mouth as if to speak, he held up a restraining hand. “Brief elaboration.”

“No.”

“Ms. Paine!”

She glared at him.

Then he said, “Penny Sue?”

She softened her gaze just a little, enough to let him know she was considering the possibility of being agreeable. “Yes?”

“I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. Is that all right?”

“Yes.” She crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

He glanced from her face to her bosom, then swallowed hard and looked her right in the eyes. “I didn’t want this assignment. I consider it frivolous and silly. My background qualifies me for just about anything the Dundee agency can throw my way, however, I think I’m just a little overqualified to guard a millionaire dog. But I’m here until another agent can take my place, so that means you and I have to work together on a daily basis. I think it will be to both your advantage and mine if we can be civil to each other. Do you agree?”