The Rancher's Twin Troubles Read Free Page B

line.
    â€œUm…” She gnawed her bottom lip. “He wanted to go for a walk, but then he got lost.”
    â€œUh-huh.” Hands on her hips, miles behind on the morning’s lesson, Josie said, “Get in line. Bonnie, you, too.”
    Bonnie tilted her head back and screamed.
    Not just your garden-variety kindergarten outrage, but a full-blown tantrum generally reserved for toy store emergencies. A whole minute later she was still screaming so loud that her classmates put their hands over their ears.
    Josie tried reasoning with her, but Bonnie wouldn’t hush longer than the few seconds it took to drag in a fresh batch of air. Not sure what else to do, Josie resorted to pressing the intercom’s call button.
    â€œOffice.”
    â€œCami!” Josie shouted over Bonnie, “I need Nat down here right away.”
    The door burst open and Shelby ran in. “What’s wrong? Sounds like someone’s dying.”
    Nat followed, out of breath and barely able to speak. “C-Cami said it sounds like someone’s dying.”
    Both women eyed the squirming student lineup and then Bonnie. Betsy stood alongside her, whispering something only her twin could hear—that is, if she’d quieted enough to listen.
    â€œSweetie,” Josie tried reasoning with the girl, “if Green Bean is your pet, I won’t let him go, but we’ll have to call your father to come get him. You know it’s against our rules to bring pets to school when it’s not for show-and-tell.”
    For Josie’s ears only, Natalie said, “Hang tight, I’ll get hold of her dad.”
    Â 
    â€œL OOK,” D ALLAS SAID AN HOUR later. When he’d gotten the counselor’s call, he’d been out on the back forty, vaccinating late summer calves. It was a wonder he’deven heard his cell ring. “If my girl said the snake got in her teacher’s desk by accident, then that’s what happened. Nobody saw her do it. Even if it did purposely end up there, how many boys are in her class? Could one of them have done it?” In the principal’s office, Bonnie sat on one of his knees, Betsy on the other. Stroking their hair, he added, “I’m a busy man. I don’t appreciate having to come all the way down here for something so minor.”
    Principal Moody sighed. With gray hair, gray suit and black pearls, she looked more like a prison guard than someone who dealt with children. “Mr. Buckhorn, in many ways schools are communities. Much like the town of Weed Gulch, our elementary maintains easy to understand laws by which all of our citizens must abide. I’ve been at this job for over thirty-five years and not once have I seen a snake accidentally find its way into a teacher’s desk. I have, however, encountered fourteen cases of students placing their reptiles in various inappropriate locations.”
    Hardening his jaw, Dallas asked, “You calling my girl a liar? Look how upset she still is…”
    Bonnie hiccupped and sniffled.
    The woman rambled on. “All I’m suggesting is that Bonnie may need additional lessons on appropriate classroom behavior. Perhaps you and your girls should schedule a conference with Miss Griffin?”
    Imagining the girls’ scowling teacher, Dallas wondered what kind of crazy dust he’d snorted to have found her the least bit attractive. “As I’m sure you know, I wentto this school, as did all of my brothers. My parents never had to deal with this kind of accusatory attitude.”
    â€œYou’re right,” the principal said. “When y’all attended Weed Gulch Elementary, a simple paddling resolved most issues.”
    After ten more minutes of way-too-polite conversation that got him nowhere, Dallas hefted himself and his girls to their feet and said, “These two will be leaving now with me. Is there something I need to sign?”
    The principal rose from her regal leather