attracted to me. Matter of fact, I think she hates me. Ain't no use wastin' time and besides, I've got all I can handle with Emmett and trying to get that ranch back in working order. I just plain haven't got the time or energy for her."
"Yep, she'd be a handful, all right. It'll take a strong man to tame that one. I see the way you look at her. You've got bit, old man, by the lust bug. But you probably couldn't keep up with her anyway. She's out of your league," Jim Bob taunted.
"It won't work, Jim Bob. Give it up. And besides, since when is a bartender out of my league?"
"I can tell Chigger I tried and believe me, Daisy is a hell of a lot more than a barmaid."
Jarod chuckled. "Tell Chigger you gave it your best shot and leave it at that."
Jarod listened to Jim Bob sing Chigger's praises but his eyes kept straying to the porch. Daisy had disappeared inside with Chigger then reappeared a while later wearing a dress and her hair down. He couldn't wait to get the fish cleaned so he could get a better look at her all dolled up.
***
Chigger joined Daisy in a few minutes. Her blond hair had been blow dried and floated on her shoulders. She wore a sundress, not unlike the one she'd loaned Daisy, only it was made of a demure pink and white gingham check and came to her ankles. Like Daisy, she was barefoot and her shoulders were bare. Daisy was ready to argue that no way were her big breasts that perky without silicone and then she noticed the clear bra straps across Chigger's shoulders.
"Where'd you find a bra with clear straps in your size?"
"Victoria's Secret. You should shop there. They've got the cutest things. Not that you'd ever need a bra with clear straps with those perky girls you've got, but you could get a little lace teddy and seduce Jarod."
"Shhh." Daisy nodded toward the two men taking long strides toward the house.
Jarod's mouth went as dry as desert sand when he saw Daisy sitting there in a dress with her bare feet drawn up in the rocking chair. If only he'd met her at a friend's house and not in a bar. If only she was a teacher or a lawyer or even a waitress, and not a barmaid.
Jim Bob bent to give Chigger a lingering kiss on the mouth. "Well, lookee here. You two sure do clean up nice."
Chigger pointed toward the door. "And we're hungry, so go cook."
"Want some help?" Daisy asked. The electricity between her and Jarod was almost visible and the tension it created was thicker than the walls of a nuclear fallout bunker.
"Naw, we'll take care of supper. Chigger's too pretty to be comin' in the kitchen. Besides, she can't cook worth shit. Only thing she makes that's fit for human consumption is sweet tea." Jim Bob carried the bowl of fish fillets inside the house.
Jarod followed. He felt a need to say something, anything. But not a single word came to mind. Daisy looked good enough to eat, but it was more than that. He knew she was smart, hard-working, and feisty. Cleaned up and dressed up she looked beautiful, but with the intelligence in her eyes and her capable hands, she also looked like a woman who could dance all night, get up at dawn, and work until dusk, and then do it all again. She looked vulnerable and strong at the same time and Jarod had gotten shot with a bolt of lust, and something else, like had never happened to him before.
Whatever it was, it's killing me, he almost groaned.
"I think he liked what he saw," Chigger whispered.
"You really can't cook?" Daisy tried to change the subject. Anything to get her mind off the way Jarod's eyes swept over her, creating a demanding desire that she had trouble controlling.
"Let's get on the same page. Some things is not contagious. Momma tried right hard to infect me with the cooking bug. It didn't take. I was immune to it. But the first time I looked at a Cosmopolitan with a big headlin e on the front about pleasing a man, I was hooked on
"Yep, she'd be a handful, all right. It'll take a strong man to tame that one. I see the way you look at her. You've got bit, old man, by the lust bug. But you probably couldn't keep up with her anyway. She's out of your league," Jim Bob taunted.
"It won't work, Jim Bob. Give it up. And besides, since when is a bartender out of my league?"
"I can tell Chigger I tried and believe me, Daisy is a hell of a lot more than a barmaid."
Jarod chuckled. "Tell Chigger you gave it your best shot and leave it at that."
Jarod listened to Jim Bob sing Chigger's praises but his eyes kept straying to the porch. Daisy had disappeared inside with Chigger then reappeared a while later wearing a dress and her hair down. He couldn't wait to get the fish cleaned so he could get a better look at her all dolled up.
***
Chigger joined Daisy in a few minutes. Her blond hair had been blow dried and floated on her shoulders. She wore a sundress, not unlike the one she'd loaned Daisy, only it was made of a demure pink and white gingham check and came to her ankles. Like Daisy, she was barefoot and her shoulders were bare. Daisy was ready to argue that no way were her big breasts that perky without silicone and then she noticed the clear bra straps across Chigger's shoulders.
"Where'd you find a bra with clear straps in your size?"
"Victoria's Secret. You should shop there. They've got the cutest things. Not that you'd ever need a bra with clear straps with those perky girls you've got, but you could get a little lace teddy and seduce Jarod."
"Shhh." Daisy nodded toward the two men taking long strides toward the house.
Jarod's mouth went as dry as desert sand when he saw Daisy sitting there in a dress with her bare feet drawn up in the rocking chair. If only he'd met her at a friend's house and not in a bar. If only she was a teacher or a lawyer or even a waitress, and not a barmaid.
Jim Bob bent to give Chigger a lingering kiss on the mouth. "Well, lookee here. You two sure do clean up nice."
Chigger pointed toward the door. "And we're hungry, so go cook."
"Want some help?" Daisy asked. The electricity between her and Jarod was almost visible and the tension it created was thicker than the walls of a nuclear fallout bunker.
"Naw, we'll take care of supper. Chigger's too pretty to be comin' in the kitchen. Besides, she can't cook worth shit. Only thing she makes that's fit for human consumption is sweet tea." Jim Bob carried the bowl of fish fillets inside the house.
Jarod followed. He felt a need to say something, anything. But not a single word came to mind. Daisy looked good enough to eat, but it was more than that. He knew she was smart, hard-working, and feisty. Cleaned up and dressed up she looked beautiful, but with the intelligence in her eyes and her capable hands, she also looked like a woman who could dance all night, get up at dawn, and work until dusk, and then do it all again. She looked vulnerable and strong at the same time and Jarod had gotten shot with a bolt of lust, and something else, like had never happened to him before.
Whatever it was, it's killing me, he almost groaned.
"I think he liked what he saw," Chigger whispered.
"You really can't cook?" Daisy tried to change the subject. Anything to get her mind off the way Jarod's eyes swept over her, creating a demanding desire that she had trouble controlling.
"Let's get on the same page. Some things is not contagious. Momma tried right hard to infect me with the cooking bug. It didn't take. I was immune to it. But the first time I looked at a Cosmopolitan with a big headlin e on the front about pleasing a man, I was hooked on
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