The Boss Lady's Man

{Chapter} 9

{Chapter 9}

“Pay very close attention, J.T., as his information is very vital to our plan. You are Adrian Jackson. You have an English accent and you are a lady’s man. Do you understand?” Zach leaned closer to J.T. as if the man hearing the words louder might help him perform the actions.

“Wait a sec. What if that girl catches on and gives me the same treatment she gave Wilbur?” J.T. narrowed his eyes.

“Not if you are a good actor, understood?” Zach said.

“Jose could do this, no problem,” Jose said from his place a few feet away.

“Shut yer bean-hole, hombre” J.T. growled.

“Both of you act civil to one another? How about we focus our frustration on the problem at hand, and that is the BF Ranch” Zach looked at his brother and shook his head.

Duke rolled his eyes.

“Let’s work on your accent. Show me what you have” Duke crossed his arms as he spoke.

“What do ya want me to say?” J.T. asked.

“Say ’the sky is blue’ or something. Come on, get creative” Duke said, adjusting his holster on his hip.

“The sky is blue, mate” J.T. said in perhaps the worst Australian accent ever known to man.

“Oh, no. That is terrible, man!” Zach stood.

His own English accent was indeed growing less intense the more time he spent in America, but Zach still knew how to speak with his native accent.

“Try speaking like me,” Zach commanded.

J.T. pulled his pants halfway up his stomach and placed one hand on his hip while twisting an imaginary mustache. “The sky be the most cha-a-rming shade of blue, my good man,” he said in a majestic air while impersonating a perfect English accent.

Zach choked back an embarrassed smile. Surely, he didn’t look so ridiculous. “That’s a good start, J.T.,” he said.

J.T. still held the same stance. “Why, thank you” he said, drawing out the ’you’.

Zach looked over at his snickering brother.

This plan might work after all.

**********

Erik slipped the bit in Prince’s mouth while fighting the animal’s bobbing head. Today the mustang had let him slip the saddle on without much of a fuss, but he truly hated the bit and bridle.

“Be still, Prince, will you? There’s only so much a man can take” Erik tried to soothe the wild-eyed animal by rubbing his neck.

“Hope you know what you’re gettin’ into with that animal” Erik turned toward Ben, who stood with his boot propped up on the corral fence.

Erik smiled. Oh, yes, he knew full well what he was getting into.

“I could say the same thing to you about Miss Katie,” Erik said with a grin.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ben asked, diverting his eyes.

“Don’t think you’re hiding what’s behind that little brown Stetson, Ben. We all know that you fancy each other” Erick finished strapping the bridle onto Prince’s head.

“Each other? You mean she fancies me, too?” Ben suddenly seemed very interesting in what Erik had to say.

“I didn’t say this, but I think so” Erik grinned as he walked closer to Ben.