“Hurry up and put your dress on. We can ditch the boys and go check out Mr. Shotgun and hiscrazydad.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Daisy pulled a gauzy, white cotton dress over her head. “We shouldn’t wander offtoofar.”
“You’re such a square sometimes,” Meadow huffed. “You need to get laid. I’d let Mr. Shotgun plow my fieldanyday.”
“What?” River scowled at hisgirlfriend.
“I only have eyes for you, babe,” Meadow said as she wrapped him in a tight embrace. She winked at Daisy over his shoulder. When she pulled away, she flashed him a sexy smile. “We’ll go look for some dryer wood while you guys set upapit.”
Daisy marveled at her friend’s ability to wrap River around her finger. In a way, she envied their relationship. Even though things got rocky from time to time, she didn’t doubt that they truly loved each other. But Daisy didn’t want to be tied down to anyone or anything. She loved her freedom too much to give it up foraman.
“Don’t wander off too far,”Andysaid.
“We won’t,” Daisypromised.
She grabbed Meadow’s hand and dragged her into the forest. Just because she didn’t want to commit to anyone didn’t mean she wanted to join a convent. She hadn’t been with anyone since Tony. He’d hurt her enough to make her consider a life of celibacy, but she couldn’t go through with it. She liked making love far too much to give it up for the rest ofherlife.
As they strolled through the forest, her impulsive nature drew her through the woods toward the farm. She just wanted one more glimpse of the hot stranger. Even though she’d never get to talk to him again, he could fuel her fantasies until she found a newboyfriend.
“We’re going to the farm, aren’t we?” Meadow asked with amischievousgrin.
“Maybe,” Daisy said. “But you can’t tell Andy. He’dkillme.”
“You’re such a spaz. He might yell at you and puff up like an ostrich, but deep down, he loves you. He wants to protect you from scumlikeTony.”
“I hope his new girlfriend cheats on him. Maybe then he’d change his ways,”Daisysaid.
“Doubtit.”
“I can dream, right?” Daisyasked.
“Yes… just not about him. He should be dead to you,”Meadowsaid.
“Heis.”
Daisy pushed between two bushes as she skirted the tree line. She was ready to head back when the farmhouse finally came into view. A large covered porch wrapped around the plain white building. A steeply sloped roof formed an inverted V over the second story of the house. A rocking chair swayed in thebreeze.
“Wow, it’s really nice,”Meadowsaid.
“It’s pretty in a country kind of way,”Daisysaid.
It couldn’t compare to her parents’ Victorian in San Francisco, but this was a totally different world. In the city, most of the houses were crammed together with only a foot of space separating them. She couldn’t look out her bedroom window without catching a glimpse of old man Withers’s naked ass. She shuddered. Getting old was going to suck. All thosewrinkles.
“There he is,” Meadowwhispered.
Daisy pulled her friend behind a huge pine tree before peeking around it. Mr. Shotgun strolled through the field on the left side of the house. He leaned a large wicker basket on one hip. Beads of sweat formed on his naked chest. As he bent to pluck a ripe tomato from a vine, his chest muscles flexed and rippled withstrength.
“Hot damn,” Meadowmurmured.
“He could nail me any day,”Daisysaid.
“You should go talktohim.”
“No way. He can’t know that we’re still onhisland.”
Meadow huffed and then leaned out for a better look at the sexy stranger. Daisy pushedherback.
“Hey, cool it,” Daisy said. “If he sees us, we’re going to have to leave tonight. You heard what River said about driving inthedark.”
