Tabloid (Dirty Laundry #1)

23. Sally's an Asshole

"Ow! Why did you do that?" Zeke rubbed his cheek while he bent over picking up his fallen hat.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry." Talia moved away from him.

"It's ok. I probably deserved it. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that."

Talia nodded. "Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be back at the ranch?"

"A few of the guys heard you scream. I wanted to make sure you were ok." Zeke sat on the grassy shore.

Talia walked over to the rock her clothes had been drying on. Hopping up she pulled her knees to her chest. "As you can see I am fine."

Zeke sighed. "So, what made you scream? A spider?"

The glare Talia shot at him should have made him combust. "It was a demonic stink weasel."

"What?" A confused look on his face.

"A skunk. It just popped out of the brush, turned its butt toward me and I screamed. I turned off the path and ran to get away from the horrible animal."

His face got really tight and he looked at his hands. When his shoulders began to shake Talia got angry.

"You're laughing at me? I ran all the way to the lake, fell down the embankment and went into the lake fully clothed hoping I didn't get any of the skunk spray on me."

He didn't bother holding back his laughter anymore. His booming laughter scattered some birds in the nearby trees. Talia sat watching him laugh himself silly.

He took a few deep breaths before answering her. "Her name is Sally."

"Whose name is Sally?"

"The skunk's name is Sally. She is Ben and Addie's pet. She can't spray but she loves pretending she can. You aren't the first person she's done that to."

"Wait. I thought I smelled something when I was running through the forest."

"I don't know what that was, but it wasn't Sally." He shrugged.

Talia thought for a moment. "A skunk for a pet? Why was she loose in the woods?"

"They let her out to wander while they work. She is always waiting for them when they get home."

"Are you telling me a fucking fake skunk scared me, had me running through the woods like a maniac and jumping into the lake fully clothed?" He nodded. "That skunk is an asshole. Now, I'm going to get stupid chub rub from my wet pants. Just ignore when I start walking around like a cowboy." She jumped down and crumpled when she landed.

Zeke jumped up running over to her. "What's wrong?"

Pain shot up her leg. Her ankle was swelling as she tried to flex it. She cried out from the pain. "I think I hurt my ankle when I fell down the embankment. It wasn't too bad until now."

"Are you going to be ok?"

She shrugged. "I need a few minutes. Maybe I just twisted it the wrong way or something."

Zeke took her foot into his lap. Gently taking her shoe and sock off he winced at her increasingly swelling joint. "You are going to need more than a few minutes. This needs ice and ibuprofen."

"I will be fine. Just go back to the ranch."

His brow furrowed. "I'm not fucking going back without you. What the hell kind of guy do you think I am?"

Talia leaned against the rock and closed her eyes.

"Answer me, Lia. Do you really think I would do that?"