walking up to him and saying, ‘Hey there, Willy. Would you mind letting me blow your socks off—or anything else you might have that needs . . . blowing?’” She reached over and lifted Eve’s mouth closed. “What? You don’t think I’d dare?”
“Maddy,” Eve hissed, taking hold of her arm and dragging her out onto the porch. “William Killkenny isn’t some eighteen-year-old twit; he’s like Kenzie and Robbie MacBain and the MacKeage men who helped rebuild our house.” She arched a brow. “Are you forgetting what happened to Susan? You so much as even bat your big brown eyes at William, and he’s going to have you naked before you can even ask him if you can . . . if he’s got . . .” She sighed. “What happened to him being an uncouth, lecherous caveman you don’t want anything to do with?”
“Have you looked at him lately?” Maddy asked, waving toward the barn where the men were saddling the horses for their ride. “The guy not only cleaned up well, he literally takes my breath away. And you should see him with our residents. He’s sweet and thoughtful, and he sincerely likes them. So what’s your problem all of a sudden? I thought you wanted me to take an interest in William.” Feeling prickles of heat rise to her cheeks, Maddy smoothed the front of her blouse. “Or do you think William wouldn’t be interested in me ?” she asked softly.
“No! What would make you say something like that?”
Maddy tucked her escaping hair behind her ear, suddenly having second thoughts about her grand plan to seduce William Killkenny. She gave a self-conscious laugh. “We both know I’m not exactly a sex kitten. I mean, really; my girls never did perk back up again after I had Sarah, and I could lose twenty pounds and still not fit into my old cheerleader uniform. And the last time I had a tan and sun-streaks in my hair was in high school.”
“You’re beautiful,” Eve growled.
“Yeah, I know. I have beautiful brown eyes and a smile that lights up the world, just like my nine-year-old daughter.” She snorted. “And we both know how men love fondling a woman’s eyes.”
Eve shot her a scathing look. “My God, how did we go from your wanting to blow William to your blowing yourself up?”
Maddy sighed. “I think I’m in the early stages of menopause—one minute I’m horny as a toad, the next I’m feeling sorry for myself and can’t stop crying, and then the next minute I just really, really want to hit something. And sometimes I’m all three at the same time! It has to be my hormones getting ready to croak.”
“You are not going through menopause!” Eve hissed. “You’re twenty- seven .”
“Yeah, but some days I feel seventy-seven ,” Maddy shot back, although she couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s ferocious glare.
“Oh, it’s your hormones, all right. Only they’re not croaking, they’re getting ready to explode all over the first man brave enough to get you naked.”
“But you just said—”
“What I was trying to say,” Eve snapped, cutting her off, “is that if you jump William’s bones, you’d better be prepared for the consequences. I’m not trying to scare you off, Maddy. I’m trying to tell you that he’s not like the men around here.” She glanced at the barn before lowering her voice. “Remember how I kept complaining about how old-fashioned Kenzie was? Well, I have a feeling William’s even more old-fashioned.” Eve grabbed Maddy’s shoulders and shot her a smile. “Nobody wants to see you and William together more than I do. But because I’m your very best friend, it’s my duty to warn you that you’ll be getting more than you bargained for if you pursue this. You remember how you told me you thought Kenzie was an all-nighter kind of guy?”
Maddy nodded, smiling smugly. “And I was right, wasn’t I?”
“Well, I suspect William is an all- weekend kind of guy.”
“All weekend?” Maddy rolled her eyes. “I wish. Billy was
“Maddy,” Eve hissed, taking hold of her arm and dragging her out onto the porch. “William Killkenny isn’t some eighteen-year-old twit; he’s like Kenzie and Robbie MacBain and the MacKeage men who helped rebuild our house.” She arched a brow. “Are you forgetting what happened to Susan? You so much as even bat your big brown eyes at William, and he’s going to have you naked before you can even ask him if you can . . . if he’s got . . .” She sighed. “What happened to him being an uncouth, lecherous caveman you don’t want anything to do with?”
“Have you looked at him lately?” Maddy asked, waving toward the barn where the men were saddling the horses for their ride. “The guy not only cleaned up well, he literally takes my breath away. And you should see him with our residents. He’s sweet and thoughtful, and he sincerely likes them. So what’s your problem all of a sudden? I thought you wanted me to take an interest in William.” Feeling prickles of heat rise to her cheeks, Maddy smoothed the front of her blouse. “Or do you think William wouldn’t be interested in me ?” she asked softly.
“No! What would make you say something like that?”
Maddy tucked her escaping hair behind her ear, suddenly having second thoughts about her grand plan to seduce William Killkenny. She gave a self-conscious laugh. “We both know I’m not exactly a sex kitten. I mean, really; my girls never did perk back up again after I had Sarah, and I could lose twenty pounds and still not fit into my old cheerleader uniform. And the last time I had a tan and sun-streaks in my hair was in high school.”
“You’re beautiful,” Eve growled.
“Yeah, I know. I have beautiful brown eyes and a smile that lights up the world, just like my nine-year-old daughter.” She snorted. “And we both know how men love fondling a woman’s eyes.”
Eve shot her a scathing look. “My God, how did we go from your wanting to blow William to your blowing yourself up?”
Maddy sighed. “I think I’m in the early stages of menopause—one minute I’m horny as a toad, the next I’m feeling sorry for myself and can’t stop crying, and then the next minute I just really, really want to hit something. And sometimes I’m all three at the same time! It has to be my hormones getting ready to croak.”
“You are not going through menopause!” Eve hissed. “You’re twenty- seven .”
“Yeah, but some days I feel seventy-seven ,” Maddy shot back, although she couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s ferocious glare.
“Oh, it’s your hormones, all right. Only they’re not croaking, they’re getting ready to explode all over the first man brave enough to get you naked.”
“But you just said—”
“What I was trying to say,” Eve snapped, cutting her off, “is that if you jump William’s bones, you’d better be prepared for the consequences. I’m not trying to scare you off, Maddy. I’m trying to tell you that he’s not like the men around here.” She glanced at the barn before lowering her voice. “Remember how I kept complaining about how old-fashioned Kenzie was? Well, I have a feeling William’s even more old-fashioned.” Eve grabbed Maddy’s shoulders and shot her a smile. “Nobody wants to see you and William together more than I do. But because I’m your very best friend, it’s my duty to warn you that you’ll be getting more than you bargained for if you pursue this. You remember how you told me you thought Kenzie was an all-nighter kind of guy?”
Maddy nodded, smiling smugly. “And I was right, wasn’t I?”
“Well, I suspect William is an all- weekend kind of guy.”
“All weekend?” Maddy rolled her eyes. “I wish. Billy was
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