herself.
“Not a bad picture, though,” Wade said. “If you like out of focus.”
“It’ll look better online,” she said. “I’m waiting for my laptop to wake up so I can log in to the site.”
“The Leader has a website? Well, shit, maybe it is the twenty-first century here in Brittain.”
Daisy smiled. “Don’t be too impressed. It’s not any different from the paper version and it’s behind a paywall. I use Megan’s login to read it.”
“They still deliver a day late out in the county?”
“Yeah.” The Leader’s website took forever to load. A question occurred to her while she waited. “How did you get my number?”
“I ran into Jillian. She gave it to me.”
Daisy huffed. “What is it with my friends?”
“Well, she’s my cousin so she knows I’m mostly harmless.”
She had to smile at the word mostly . “Why did you call?” The front page of the paper finally loaded but then she had to wait some more to get to page three.
Nothing but silence for a long moment. “You’re easy to talk to.”
Page three loaded and there it was, right at the top. They were sitting on the grass against the privacy fence, talking. Had they really angled their bodies toward each other that way? She couldn’t remember. She was looking at the ground and he was looking at her, and God, if she ever caught him looking at her like that in person she just might embarrass herself. Had any man ever looked at her like that before? Like conversation with her was worth at least as much as sex.
“I still know a lot of people here but it’s not the same,” he said.
The loneliness that edged his voice caught her by surprise. Then she thought of the conversation they’d been having when that picture was taken. He seemed like someone who needed a friend. She knew what that felt like. She rushed the next words out of her mouth before she could talk herself out of it. “Well, I’m free all day if you need someone to talk to. As a friend.”
Another long pause had her wondering if he’d heard. Then he said, “You want to go for a drive? Maybe have a picnic somewhere pretty?”
Say no, say yes, don’t get involved, an offer of friendship is not an offer of sex, yeah right you know you’re attracted to him. Those and a hundred other thoughts ran through her head at breakneck speed. “Okay.” A flurry of panic hit. She lived in a dumpy rented trailer, for God’s sake, and this guy was a big country star. Even before becoming a star, he’d lived better than she did now. And stuck in a car with him didn’t seem like a good idea. Yes, he seemed like the good time kind of bad boy, not the restraining order type. Yes, he was famous and as far as she knew he didn’t have a history of violence. Yes, she was friends with his cousin. But still. The last time she’d taken a chance on trusting a guy, she spent three days in the hospital.
Daisy hated that she couldn’t let go of that fear. They’d been alone together when she closed the bar and he’d given her no reason to be afraid of him. Cousin or no, Jillian would never have given Wade her number if he was at all dangerous. But still, Daisy found herself holding back. “How about I meet you at the state park? It’s pretty there and there’s lots of picnic tables.” Also regularly patrolled by park rangers and in this nice weather, there’d be plenty of people around. Too late, it occurred to her he might not like that, being out in the open and exposed. What if he was recognized?
“Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.” He sounded so eager that it made her heart hurt for him. How lonely must this man be to want to spend time with someone like her? Okay, maybe he was at least somewhat interested in getting in her pants, but still.
She gave him a time and offered to bring the food if he took care of plates and drinks. He agreed and she ended the call smiling. She would not break her vow to never again get involved with a good time bad boy,
“Not a bad picture, though,” Wade said. “If you like out of focus.”
“It’ll look better online,” she said. “I’m waiting for my laptop to wake up so I can log in to the site.”
“The Leader has a website? Well, shit, maybe it is the twenty-first century here in Brittain.”
Daisy smiled. “Don’t be too impressed. It’s not any different from the paper version and it’s behind a paywall. I use Megan’s login to read it.”
“They still deliver a day late out in the county?”
“Yeah.” The Leader’s website took forever to load. A question occurred to her while she waited. “How did you get my number?”
“I ran into Jillian. She gave it to me.”
Daisy huffed. “What is it with my friends?”
“Well, she’s my cousin so she knows I’m mostly harmless.”
She had to smile at the word mostly . “Why did you call?” The front page of the paper finally loaded but then she had to wait some more to get to page three.
Nothing but silence for a long moment. “You’re easy to talk to.”
Page three loaded and there it was, right at the top. They were sitting on the grass against the privacy fence, talking. Had they really angled their bodies toward each other that way? She couldn’t remember. She was looking at the ground and he was looking at her, and God, if she ever caught him looking at her like that in person she just might embarrass herself. Had any man ever looked at her like that before? Like conversation with her was worth at least as much as sex.
“I still know a lot of people here but it’s not the same,” he said.
The loneliness that edged his voice caught her by surprise. Then she thought of the conversation they’d been having when that picture was taken. He seemed like someone who needed a friend. She knew what that felt like. She rushed the next words out of her mouth before she could talk herself out of it. “Well, I’m free all day if you need someone to talk to. As a friend.”
Another long pause had her wondering if he’d heard. Then he said, “You want to go for a drive? Maybe have a picnic somewhere pretty?”
Say no, say yes, don’t get involved, an offer of friendship is not an offer of sex, yeah right you know you’re attracted to him. Those and a hundred other thoughts ran through her head at breakneck speed. “Okay.” A flurry of panic hit. She lived in a dumpy rented trailer, for God’s sake, and this guy was a big country star. Even before becoming a star, he’d lived better than she did now. And stuck in a car with him didn’t seem like a good idea. Yes, he seemed like the good time kind of bad boy, not the restraining order type. Yes, he was famous and as far as she knew he didn’t have a history of violence. Yes, she was friends with his cousin. But still. The last time she’d taken a chance on trusting a guy, she spent three days in the hospital.
Daisy hated that she couldn’t let go of that fear. They’d been alone together when she closed the bar and he’d given her no reason to be afraid of him. Cousin or no, Jillian would never have given Wade her number if he was at all dangerous. But still, Daisy found herself holding back. “How about I meet you at the state park? It’s pretty there and there’s lots of picnic tables.” Also regularly patrolled by park rangers and in this nice weather, there’d be plenty of people around. Too late, it occurred to her he might not like that, being out in the open and exposed. What if he was recognized?
“Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.” He sounded so eager that it made her heart hurt for him. How lonely must this man be to want to spend time with someone like her? Okay, maybe he was at least somewhat interested in getting in her pants, but still.
She gave him a time and offered to bring the food if he took care of plates and drinks. He agreed and she ended the call smiling. She would not break her vow to never again get involved with a good time bad boy,
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