Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy? by Abigail Sharpe

become intimately acquainted with the color of her underwear. If she was wearing any.
    Riley started back toward his chair but Daisy stopped him. “All the way over there, Tiger? Scared of little ol’ me?” Her assessing slant devoured him and she patted the cushion next to her. He paused, torn, afraid of what she’d do if he chose the chair. Maybe curl up in his lap. He sat on the couch as close to the arm as possible.
    “How are you enjoying Wyoming so far?” he asked. Conversation was good. Then he could ignore her exposed cleavage that seemed to sparkle unnaturally. His eyes kept darting down, try as he might to keep them on her face. A well-pleased and seductive curve of her mouth told him he wasn’t fooling her at all.
    Daisy curled her legs so she was on her knees and leaned toward him. “It’s getting better all the time.” Riley swore she purred, and she crawled across the small space between them. Surely she wouldn’t…
    Her lips barely grazed his and he bolted to his feet. “Can I get you a drink?” he asked, heading for the refreshments. The cozy room was too small to put much more space between them.
    “You’re being the perfect gentleman. Stop it.” Daisy stalked him and raked her red nails from his shoulders down his chest, ending the seductive slide by hooking her fingers in his belt. He gripped the table to keep himself steady, nearly pulling off the decorative white cloth Molly had used to dress it up. He couldn’t move away without bodily touching her, so instead he tried to get her claws away from him. His thoughts left his mind altogether when Daisy started swaying her hips against his, dancing to her own music. She turned and took a few steps before showing him the practiced moves of an exotic dancer. He had answers to his questions. Yes, and pink with white daisies.
    Riley slid to the side, hoping to put some furniture between them, but Daisy followed him. She ended her dance by jumping into his arms. His arms shot out to catch her before he realized he should have let her fall on her rump. Once secure in his hold, she wrapped her hands around his neck and tried to pull him down. Immediately he dropped one of his arms and guided her with the other to the floor so she didn’t fall, but pressed his head against the wall to avoid her searching, eager mouth.
    Thankfully Jeanne approached the room like a herd of wild horses. Daisy curled her fingers into his shirt and tipped her chin up, her lips grazing his neck like a pesky moth. “Later, Tiger.”
    She stepped away seconds before his sister entered. “Time’s up,” Jeanne said.
    Daisy curled her fingers like a paw to wave and sashayed out the door. His sister’s stifled giggles filled the small room and she poked his neck with her finger and showed him smeared lipstick. He grabbed a napkin and wiped it away while glaring at his little sister.
    “Molly thought you could use a break,” Jeanne said. “And she wanted me to tell you to eat something.”
    Riley had to remind himself his oldest sister had been mothering Seth and Jeanne for a long time. It was only natural to include Riley in the mix, too. He stuffed a meatball in his mouth and Molly walked into the small room.
    “How’s it going so far?” she asked.
    Patience . He fortified himself with a deep breath. They’re only doing this because they love me and want me happy. “Pretty well. Though I think I upset Mary Ellen.”
    “What happened?” Molly flopped down on the sofa.
    “I think she got offended when I asked her if she could cook.”
    “Hmmm. I wonder why. I mean, it’s not like you asked her without any explanation, right?”
    Was that it? “You said I needed to find out how comfortable they are in the kitchen,” he defended himself.
    “You just out and asked her?” Molly sat up straight, horror etched on her face.
    “Yes. What’s the big deal? It’s not like I asked her to tell me her bra size or something.” He peered over at Jeanne, her face