Jackrabbit Junction Jitters Read Online Free PDF

of a ten-point buck hung on the wall above where
Gramps glowered from the avocado couch. He looked like he was sitting on a
patch of Prickly Pear cactus. Next to him, Ruby balanced on the front edge of a
cushion, her face slightly flushed.
    Across the room, Kate occupied one of the barstools at Ruby’s
bar, inspecting her fingernails.
    Claire’s mother stood center stage, her freshly painted lips
pinched, her blonde hair perfectly coifed, her designer clothes somehow
crease-free in spite of the long car ride. All she needed was a spotlight and a
microphone.
    “Claire, darling!” Deborah rushed over and enveloped Claire
in a Chanel No. 5 perfume-laced hug. “I’ve missed you so much.”
    Dear Lord! Roll out the red carpet for the drama queen. It
wasn’t as if Claire had joined the Peace Corp and spent a year in some
ape-filled jungle. It’d been only three months since her last face-to-face
confrontation with her mom.
    Claire shot her younger sister a what-the-hell frown over
her mom’s shoulder. Kate nudged her head toward Ruby, and Claire caught on
immediately.
    Her sinuses burned from an overdose of perfume by the time
Deborah released her. “How was your trip, Mom?”
    “Wonderful,” Deborah answered too quickly. If she smiled any
wider, her ears were going to cave in. “The scenery was breathtaking, and
Kathryn is such a good driver. Traveling with her was a treat.”
    Kate coughed out what sounded vaguely like “bullshit.”
    Claire seconded that cough. The last time she’d ridden with
her sister, Claire had left imprints of her size eight shoes in Kate’s
dashboard.
    After snaking a glare at Kate, Deborah turned back to Claire
with another lip-splitting smile. “I was just telling Ruby and your grandfather
how excited Kathryn and I are to be joining them for their special day.”
    “And we’re so happy you could join us.” Ruby’s voice was
warm and sweet, like frosting on a freshly baked cake.
    Claire wanted to run over and shield Ruby with her body.
    The sound of the bell jingling over the store’s front door
had Ruby eyeing the curtain.
    “Sounds like we have a customer.”
    When nobody moved, Ruby cleared her throat and stared
pointedly at Jess.
    “Okay, okay,” Jess said, trudging across the room and
disappearing through the curtain.
    Silence, soupy thick, filled the air.
    Claire wondered if anyone would notice if she slipped out
the back door and left the state.
    “You have a lovely daughter,” Deborah said.
    “Thank you.” Ruby smiled back. “And you do, too. Both of
them. I mean, I really know only Claire, but I look forward to getting to know
Kate. I’ve heard such good things about her from your grandfath—” Ruby’s cheeks
reddened even more as she stumbled. “I mean your father.”
    Again, heavy silence.
    The bar stool squeaked as Kate crossed one leg over the
other.
    Gramps scratched the back of his neck.
    The clock cuckooed once, announcing the half-hour.
    “Mom!” Jess hollered from the other side of the curtain,
snapping the silence like a dry twig.
    Deborah and Kate both jumped. They’d need a couple of days
to get used to Jess and her propensity for yelling instead of talking.
    “I’ll be right back.” Ruby stood, her whole face now the
same shade as her hair as she strode across the room.
    As soon as the curtain stopped swaying from Ruby’s exit, Gramps
jumped up from the couch. For a seventy-plus man, he could sure hit the
turbo-boost when needed.
    “Deborah Lynn Ford! I don’t know what game you think you’re
playing, but you’d better stop it right now.”
    “What?” Deborah said, all wide-eyed. “I’m merely trying to
make a good impression. Unlike Kathryn with her swearing and Claire.”
    “What did I do?” Claire asked.
    Her mother sniffed. “You could have at least worn socks and
shoes to greet me. I didn’t raise you in a barn.” She glanced around the room,
her flawless face crunched in a sneer. “Although, judging by Ruby’s lack