Kelly Jo.
"Kelly Jo," Jack said softly. "Don't talk. The dog picked up the sound."
Kelly Jo remained silent. So did Jack.
To Jack's chagrin, the dog laid down beneath the tree branch to watch him. Now what? He knew he couldn't move, couldn't talk or he'd incite the dog all over again.
Jack and Kelly Jo had no choice but to wait. Quietly.
Half an hour later the dog tired of watching Jack and rose to his feet.
Jack heaved a sigh of relief as the dog began to wander off, but he knew not to climb down until the dog was either well on his way home or had reached it.
"Is he gone?" Kelly Jo whispered.
The dog's ears picked up again and he returned, this time to stare at the painting.
Jack's heart thumped. Was there anything this dog could do to Kelly Jo? Was she able to control her fright and remain still? He held his breath, hoping she realized just how unmoving she needed to be.
The huge black dog sniffed the painting, then circled the tree and came back to his original spot at the painting...and lifted his leg.
Chapter Nine
Kelly Jo's shriek sent the dog jumping backward in panic.
Jack roared so hard with laughter he nearly fell from the tree, clutching hold at the last second, straddling the limb and hanging on for dear life, letting the tears roll down his face as his loud, unchecked laughter hit the air.
Kelly Jo's second shriek of indignation sent the dog racing for home, yelping in fright.
Jack's laughter continued unabated and though he tried to carefully throw one leg free and to jump down, he failed. He hung in the air, right leg dangling, his left leg and both arms still wrapped around the thick limb as he slowly, involuntarily, slid over the side. His stomach hurt from laughing so hard but he couldn't stop, his mind kept replaying the moment.
This payback was the greatest, most appreciated thing he'd ever seen.
Finally the pull of his weight was too much and his arms and left leg followed the path of his right leg, pulled loose from the limb and Jack fell to the ground.
Still roaring with laughter.
"This isn't funny!" Kelly Jo wailed in distress. "Look at what he did to me!"
Jack rolled over onto his stomach, still blubbering with mirth and belly-crawled the short distance to where Kelly Jo, both the frame and the person drenched, stared at him in shock. "You're wrong," he informed her. "This is definitely funny," Jack choked out between spurts of laughs.
"Help me!" she cried. "I'm...I'm... wet !"
"Oh...oh, yes, you certainly are," Jack managed to get out, not a shred of sympathy in his voice as his gaze rested on the thoroughly soaked naked woman. The cascade of golden curls were now a mass of ringlets flat on her head and down her body. Kelly Jo grimaced as her fingers only tentatively held the ringlets over what she needed covered.
Still prone, Jack put his hands on the ground in front of him and rested his chin on them, wrinkled his nose and made a face, but his tone remained one of sheer bliss. "You also have one God-awful awful stink to you."
"You have to wash me," she said flatly. "Right now. I can't believe you let this happen to me."
Jack shook his head, still grinning. "I'm not washing you," he told her. "I’ll get you some wet leaves or something, but..." he stopped and stared back at her. "What do you mean I let this happen to you? If you had kept quiet like I told you..."
"Go get the leaves," she ordered, then added hastily, "Oh, never mind. There's a creek not too far from here. Take me over there and I'll see what's handy for a bath. You can gather things..."
Jack threw his head back and laughed. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm touching that frame, let alone carting it around."
"This is all your fault," she seethed. "The least you can do is try to be helpful, try to find a way..."
"I am not touching that painting," he repeated. "Think of something else."
Kelly Jo's blue eyes had turned to
"Kelly Jo," Jack said softly. "Don't talk. The dog picked up the sound."
Kelly Jo remained silent. So did Jack.
To Jack's chagrin, the dog laid down beneath the tree branch to watch him. Now what? He knew he couldn't move, couldn't talk or he'd incite the dog all over again.
Jack and Kelly Jo had no choice but to wait. Quietly.
Half an hour later the dog tired of watching Jack and rose to his feet.
Jack heaved a sigh of relief as the dog began to wander off, but he knew not to climb down until the dog was either well on his way home or had reached it.
"Is he gone?" Kelly Jo whispered.
The dog's ears picked up again and he returned, this time to stare at the painting.
Jack's heart thumped. Was there anything this dog could do to Kelly Jo? Was she able to control her fright and remain still? He held his breath, hoping she realized just how unmoving she needed to be.
The huge black dog sniffed the painting, then circled the tree and came back to his original spot at the painting...and lifted his leg.
Chapter Nine
Kelly Jo's shriek sent the dog jumping backward in panic.
Jack roared so hard with laughter he nearly fell from the tree, clutching hold at the last second, straddling the limb and hanging on for dear life, letting the tears roll down his face as his loud, unchecked laughter hit the air.
Kelly Jo's second shriek of indignation sent the dog racing for home, yelping in fright.
Jack's laughter continued unabated and though he tried to carefully throw one leg free and to jump down, he failed. He hung in the air, right leg dangling, his left leg and both arms still wrapped around the thick limb as he slowly, involuntarily, slid over the side. His stomach hurt from laughing so hard but he couldn't stop, his mind kept replaying the moment.
This payback was the greatest, most appreciated thing he'd ever seen.
Finally the pull of his weight was too much and his arms and left leg followed the path of his right leg, pulled loose from the limb and Jack fell to the ground.
Still roaring with laughter.
"This isn't funny!" Kelly Jo wailed in distress. "Look at what he did to me!"
Jack rolled over onto his stomach, still blubbering with mirth and belly-crawled the short distance to where Kelly Jo, both the frame and the person drenched, stared at him in shock. "You're wrong," he informed her. "This is definitely funny," Jack choked out between spurts of laughs.
"Help me!" she cried. "I'm...I'm... wet !"
"Oh...oh, yes, you certainly are," Jack managed to get out, not a shred of sympathy in his voice as his gaze rested on the thoroughly soaked naked woman. The cascade of golden curls were now a mass of ringlets flat on her head and down her body. Kelly Jo grimaced as her fingers only tentatively held the ringlets over what she needed covered.
Still prone, Jack put his hands on the ground in front of him and rested his chin on them, wrinkled his nose and made a face, but his tone remained one of sheer bliss. "You also have one God-awful awful stink to you."
"You have to wash me," she said flatly. "Right now. I can't believe you let this happen to me."
Jack shook his head, still grinning. "I'm not washing you," he told her. "I’ll get you some wet leaves or something, but..." he stopped and stared back at her. "What do you mean I let this happen to you? If you had kept quiet like I told you..."
"Go get the leaves," she ordered, then added hastily, "Oh, never mind. There's a creek not too far from here. Take me over there and I'll see what's handy for a bath. You can gather things..."
Jack threw his head back and laughed. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm touching that frame, let alone carting it around."
"This is all your fault," she seethed. "The least you can do is try to be helpful, try to find a way..."
"I am not touching that painting," he repeated. "Think of something else."
Kelly Jo's blue eyes had turned to
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