Monday couldn’t come fast enough for Kendall, especially since she’d spent a good portion of Sunday doing nothing but sitting on the back porch gazing at the lake and daydreaming about Jason. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d thought about a guy like that. Oh, yeah. It had been back in high school and she’d been daydreaming about Jason back then, too.
The store was already bustling with customers when she arrived, so she couldn’t do more that give Jason a smile and a quick, “hello,” before getting to work. It was pretty much like that all day, and when there was a lull in the afternoon, Jason only stopped by the counter long enough to tell her he had to run a few errands and would see her later.
That was two hours ago.
Sighing, Kendall finished ringing up a customer and asked to help the next person in line—a short, stocky bearded man.
“I’d like to buy some crickets,” he said.
Crickets? Okay, that was a new one. She glanced at Nicole. The girl must have anticipated her question because she answered before Kendall could ask.
“Live bait. It’s out back. Just put some in a container for him.”
Kendall frowned. Live bait? And what did Nicole mean, put some in a container? She wanted to ask, but didn’t want to look even more clueless.
Telling the man she’d be right back, Kendall reluctantly made her way through the store and out the back door. The town of Copper Canyon had been built on a huge lake, so most everywhere had some part of that lake in their backyard. Outdoor Outfitters was no exception. Having been out here with Jason that first day when he’d given her a tour, she remembered him saying something about live bait being kept in the hothouse behind the store. At the time, she hadn’t really been listening to what he’d been saying. She wished she’d paid more attention.
Opening the door, she cautiously stepped inside the building. Hot, humid air hit her immediately. Damn, she could already feel her hair starting to curl.
She looked around and saw a row of tables on either side of the enclosure lined with fish tanks. But instead of being filled with water, they were full of dirt and grass. Three of the tanks were labeled crickets. Beside one was a box of plastic baggies and a fish net.
She picked up the net and frowned at it. What the heck was she supposed to do with this? Obviously, she was supposed to use the net to scoop out the crickets so she could put them in a plastic bag.
Duh.
Kendall eyed the tank of creepy creatures warily. The idea of venturing in there with nothing but a flimsy net for protection was almost enough to send her running out of the hothouse. But getting live bait for the customers was part of her job. Besides, how hard could it be? All she had to do was put the net in the tank and wait for the crickets to jump in.
Simple, right?
Taking a deep breath, she slowly inched the lid off the tank and carefully set it down on the table, then hesitantly peered inside. The creatures froze, their eyes trained on her. They seemed just as afraid of her as she was of them.
Not a chance.
Steeling herself, she thrust the net into the tank, only to jump back with a loud scream when a cricket jumped on her arm. Black and shiny, it had to be the biggest cricket she’d ever seen. Terrified, she slapped at it wildly with her free hand. The cricket bounded high in the air. She whirled around, trying to track the thing in case it attacked her again, but it was no use. She had no idea where it went. She only hoped it wasn’t on her.
Shuddering at the thought, she turned back around. While trying to save herself from that psycho cricket, she’d dropped the net into the tank with the rest of them. Crap.
Heart thudding in her chest, she leaned forward to chance another look into the tank. She was trying to get up enough courage to reach in and fish out the net when a cricket jumped out of the tank and headed straight for her. She barely had time to scream and duck for cover when the rest of them launched themselves at her. One thumped against her head. Another smacked against her arm.
Kendall shrieked and ran for the exit, waving her arms frantically. Outside, she slammed the door shut and leaned against it, her breathing ragged. There was no way in hell she was ever going back into that hothouse every again. The damn fishermen could use those ghastly rubber things that were made to look like bugs as bait for all she cared.
After checking to make sure she wasn’t bringing any of the uglies with her, she took a deep, calming breath, then smoothed her hair and walked back to the store,
The man was waiting for her just inside the door. When he realized she’d come back empty handed, he gave her a questioning look.
She offered him a small smile. “I’m sorry, sir, but we’re out of crickets.”