A Little Surprise For The Boss. Elizabeth Lane

      Terri forced a friendly smile. Inside, she was seething. Why couldn’t Buck have used her job title, or just her name? Didn’t he know how demeaning right-hand woman sounded? Obviously not, unless it was meant as hidden message to the waitress—don’t worry, she’s not my girlfriend.

      Meanwhile, the waitress was looking at Buck as if she wanted to eat him alive. No doubt she’d be happy to sleep with him, if she hadn’t already.

      Terri brought herself up with a mental slap. Good Lord, she couldn’t be jealous! Buck had never tried to hide his love life from her. She’d always accepted his shenanigans with a sisterly shrug, burying any hurt bone-deep. Even his shotgun marriage hadn’t shaken her unconditional affection for the man. And she certainly hadn’t expected for Buck to promise her fidelity and exclusivity after one romp in the bedroom together. But to see him now, just hours after their encounter, flirting with another woman while treating her with his usual indifference, she felt a senseless urge to leap across the table and smack Buck’s handsome face.

      Grow up and get over it! she told herself as the petite blonde walked away from the table with their order. Even the sway of her jeans-clad hips held an invitation. The art of seduction was one Terri had never mastered. And suddenly she felt very insecure about her performance that morning. She was hardly the alluring, experienced type of woman he usually chose as a bedmate. The sex had seemed fantastic to her...but had it been merely forgettable to him?

      She had to forget what had happened. That would be the only way to survive life in Buck’s magnetic aura. That—or leave.

      Quinn’s happy chatter was enough to fill the awkward silence while they waited for their order. Lost in her own thoughts, Terri was startled when Buck reached across the table and nudged her arm. “Hey,” he said, “where have you gone to?”

      She blinked herself back to the present. “Did you need something?” she asked.

      He gave a shake of his head. “You’re not at work now, Terri. I don’t need anything. I just asked you a question. Did you know one of your earrings was missing?”

      “Oh, yes.” Reflexively, she brushed a hand to her bare earlobe. Was it an innocent question, or was he testing her? “Bob noticed it was gone earlier today. I’m still hoping it’ll turn up somewhere.”

      “Too bad. I know you liked that pair.” His expression was all innocence.

      “Yes, I did.” Terri scrambled to change the subject. “Quinn was telling me she’s growing out of her clothes. I think she needs a shopping trip.”

      “I’ll let you off early tomorrow to take her,” he said. “Take my credit card and get her anything she wants.”

      “Can I have an iguana?” Quinn asked.

      Buck raised an eyebrow. “Now where did that come from?”

      “My friend has one. It’s really cool. I’d take care of it. Iguanas are easy. They just eat lettuce and stuff.”

      “Think about it a minute,” Buck said. “If it eats, it poops. You’d have to clean its cage every day. Could you do that?”

      “Sure. That stuff doesn’t bother me.”

      “But what would you do with it at the end of the summer?” Terri put in. “You can’t just walk away from an animal and leave it here. You’d have to take it home with you. Would your mother let you keep it?”

      “If I ask her and she says yes, can I have one?”

      “Ask her first. Then we’ll talk about it.” Buck cast Terri a grateful glance. He ran Bucket List with an iron hand, but his daughter could talk him into anything—whether it was a good idea or not.

      What the little girl really wanted was his time. But it was easier for him to flash his credit card and get her whatever caught her eye. By now Terri knew the pattern. Now that she had arrived for the summer, Buck would welcome Quinn with open arms—he did love his child. But as business issues pulled him away, she’d be shunted off to riding and swimming lessons, turned over to Terri, or left to read books or play video games on her own. Maybe this summer, Terri could help her find some friends her own age in the area.

      The subject of the iguana was tabled when the pizza and drinks arrived. Terri tried to ignore the way Jennifer’s hip brushed Buck’s shoulder as she set their order on the table. Was the woman angling for a big tip or something else? But what did it matter to her? Why should she even care?

      They were all hungry. Conversation dwindled as they wolfed down the pizza. Buck had just paid the bill when Terri glanced at her watch. It was almost eight o’clock. The aides at Canyon Shadows usually came in around eight thirty to shower the residents and get them ready for bed by nine. With the facility at the far end of town from the restaurant, she would barely have time to make the promised visit to her grandmother.

      She stood up, brushing the crumbs off her lap. “I’ve got to get going, or I won’t make it.”

      Buck rose. “We’re ready to go, too. We’ll walk you out.”

      They trailed outside. At this hour the summer twilight was still fading. Mourning doves called from the old cottonwoods that overhung the parking lot.

      “Thanks. See you tomorrow.” Terri strode ahead to her Jeep, then halted with a groan. She wasn’t going anywhere. The Jeep’s rear tire was flat to the rim.