Daisy stuck her thumb in the end of the garden hose and sprayed down the hood of her mother's Cadillac withwater. Then she plunged a soft sponge into a bucket of soapy water and washed dirt from the car. The hotafternoon sun beat down on her, and she could feel it toast her shoulders, chest and her back above the scoop ofher red tank top.
She'd spent most of her day over at lily's, cleaning house and doing laundry while Lily sat on the couch with hercast resting on pillows. Lily's divorce was final now, and her lawyer had come through for her. He'd showed thejudge bank statements prior to Ronnie draining the account, and the judge had ordered Ronnie to pay Lily tenthousand dollars, monthly child support, and he had to pay Pippen's medical insurance, too.
Her mother was still over at Lily's fetching and toting. Daisy knew that her sister was having a hard time doingsimple tasks since she'd come home from the hospital. She didn't mind helping out, but Lily's messed up lifehad put Daisy in a bad mood.
Actually, it was more than just a bad mood. She felt unsettled, but lily had very little part in that. Lately, Daisy'smood had more to do with the sum total of her life rather than just one piece. She was anxious to get on with herlife, yet scared and uncertain. Her house in Washington hadn't sold yet, but it had only been on the market forabout a month. She was moving forward with her plans to open a photography studio, yet she felt a stitch ofanxiety when she thought of leaving Texas. It seemed to her that one moment she was crystal clear about whatshe wanted, and in the next she was confused as hell.
She'd gone out twice with Matt and she'd had a good time. But when he'd kissed her, she'd known therewouldn't be a third time. She was in love with someone else, and it wasn't fair to Matt.
Daisy leaned as far as possible over the Caddy's hood and washed a spot she'd missed. She glanced up as one ofthe biggest reasons for her confusion pulled his Mustang beside the curb in front of her mother's house.
Jack got out of his car and walked across the yard toward her. A lock of dark hair hung over his forehead, andfor once he wasn't wearing a hat. Sunlight refracted little blue pinwheels off the lenses of his sunglasses. Hisgreen shirt buttoned up the front and he wore faded Levi's. It was Saturday and he hadn't shaved. Dark stubbleshadowed his face and drew attention to the sensual lines of his mouth. Every time she saw him, her heartsqueezed a little while her head told her to run screaming in the opposite direction.
"Hey there," she said as she straightened and rinsed soap from the hood. "What are you up to, besides no good?"
"I'm looking for Nathan. I thought he might stop by my house after his driver's ed class, but he didn't."
"He's not here yet," she said and could feel his gaze on her from behind his glasses. "I'm sure be here soon ifyou want to wait.'"I'll wait a few," he said as he glanced down the street. He'd been doing that a lot since they'd returned from thelake about a month ago. Undressing her with his eyes then turning away. Of course it was entirely possible thathe wasn't even looking at her with any more interest than a bug. It was very possible that she was imagining itall. Kind of like wishful thinking. Which made her not only sad and pathetic and extremely delusional, but ascrazy as the rest of her family. Scary thought.
She picked up the bucket and hose and moved to the opposite side of the car from Jack.
"Tomorrow night, Billy and some of the guys are getting together to play football over at Horizon View Park."
He rested his weight on one foot and returned his gaze to her. "I talked to Nathan about it the other day, and hewas going to get back to me about whether he could make it."
"We don't have anything planned, so I don't have a problem with him going." Daisy set the bucket on theground and raised the hose to the roof of the car. "Tackle or flag?"
"Flag football is for sissy men," he scoffed as he moved to stand directly across from her. "And girls."
She decided to let that one pass. "I don't want Nathan to play without a helmet and pads."
"We'll make sure he has all the right equipment." He tilted his head to the side as if he where sizing her up too.
"Why don't you come on down in one of your old cheerleader outfits? You can do cartwheels and backflips likeyou used to." The corners of his mouth slid upward into a purely carnal smile. "Or those toe-touch jumps. Youused to give a beauty of a crotch-shot."
Daisy's thumb found the end of the hose again and water sprayed across the roof of the car, hit Jack's chest andshoulders, and splattered his sunglasses.
"Oops," she said and removed her thumb.
His brows lowered and disappeared behind the lenses. "You did that on purpose."
She gasped. Scandalized. "No. I didn't."
"Yes," he said very slowly, "you did."
"Wrooong." She shook her head, stuck her thumb in the end of the hose again and hit him dead center in hischest between his shoulders. Water sprayed up to his chin and down to the front of his shirt. "Now that," shesaid when she pulled her thumb out, "was on purpose."
"Do you have any idea," he spoke as he removed his sunglasses and stuffed them in the pocket of his soggyshirt, "what I'm going to do to you?"
"Nothing."
His green gaze promised retribution as he walked around the hood of the cat "Wrooong," he mimicked her.
She took a step back. "Stay where you are."
"Scared?"
"No." She took another step back.
"You should be, baby girl."
"What are you going to do?"
"Quit movin' and you'll find out."
She stood her ground, raised the hose and shot him in the head with a stream of water. He ducked, and beforeshe could even think to run he was on her, pinning her against the back passenger door and wresting the hosefrom her hands.
"Jack, no!" She started to laugh. "I'll never do it again. I swear"
He looked down into her face and water ran from a lock of hair hanging above his forehead and dripped on hischeek. His long eyelashes were wet and tangled on the ends. "I know you won't," he said as he pulled out thefront of her tank top and shoved the hose inside.
"That's cold - auggg!" She grabbed his hand and attempted to wrestle the hose from her shirt.
"Laugh it up, funny girl." He pinned her with his body and was getting just as wet as she was.
"Stop!" Water shot between her cleavage and ran down her stomach. Her nipples puckered from the cold.
"That's freezing."
With his face just above hers he said, "Tell me how sorry you are."
She was laughing so hard she could barely talk.
"Sooooo sorry" she managed as she tried to squirm her way out from beneath him. His hips held her exactlywhere he wanted her.
'That's not good enough." He pulled the hose from her shirt and dropped it on the ground. "Show me," he said,his voice rough.
Daisy's laughter died on her lips and she looked into his face. Really looked at the desire shining through hisgreen eyes. He stood with his feet on the outsides of hers. His thighs, hips and lower abdomen pressed into her,and she was suddenly aware that at least eight inches of him was very happy to see her. A ribbon of warmsensation uncurled in her stomach. Her heart told her to stay while her head screamed at her to run. "How?"
"You know how." He lowered his gaze to her mouth. "And make it good."
She ran her cold hands up his wet chest and shoulders and through the side of his hair. She lifted her face andslid one hand to the back of his head. She touched her mouth to his and she felt her heart expand. It filled herchest and made breathing difficult and there was no denying it for exactly what it was. She'd felt it before. Onlythis time it was stronger. Less confused. Like turning the camera's focus ring until it was very clear.
She was in love with Jack Parrish. Again. Her heart had won this round.
The thinnest slice of sunlight separated their mouths. They both held their breaths; their gazes locked. Waitingfor the other to make the first move.