by Dahlia West
Shooter grunted and shuffled the cards.
Tildy reached out and ran her fingers over Daisy’s arm. Daisy grinned at her and leaned closer and whispered loudly, “I don’t swing that way.”
Tildy blushed and took her hand away. “I was just looking!” she insisted. “You have so many. Why?”
“Tildy,” Hawk warned.
Daisy waved her hand at him. “It’s fine.” She held out her right arm so Tildy could get a better look. “My daddy left before I was born and it was always just me and mama. She works nights at the processing plant, always has, and sleeps during the day. She could never afford a babysitter, so I had to be real quiet. She’d put me in front of the TV with some paper and some crayons. I knew I’d get a belt if I made any noise, so I just drew. All day long.”
Tildy’s face fell and she withdrew a little bit. “My mom... my mom was like that,” she half-whispered.
Daisy nodded patted the girl’s arm. “Take away the money and we’re all the same,” she said. “Everyone’s got problems, not all the same ones, but everybody’s got them. Anyway, when I got older, I started staying after school to work in the art room where they had more than just crayons. I had a teacher who thought I had talent, which was better than my mama who never thought I was good for much of anything at all. And when I turned sixteen, I got my first one.” She pointed to a small dove on her forearm.
“I loved it,” she told Tildy. “It hurt like hell, but it was worth it. I could see, right there, plain as day, that I was worth something, that I had something no one else in Delay had- talent. And they could see it, too. Now, anyone who looks at it knows I’ve got something special about me.”
Tildy wrinkled her nose. “But they don’t know,” she pointed out. “I mean, you could’ve just had someone else draw them and put them on.”
Daisy shrugged. “Why would I care what strangers think? If they take the time to get to know me, then they know I drew them.”
“I love mine,” said Tildy. “I look at it in the mirror all the time.” Then she leaned a little closer. “Do you know what a reverse cowgirl is?”
Abby laughed from across the table. Hawk shook his head and groaned.
Daisy grinned at her. “Honey, I’ve ridden more cowboys than horses.”
“Hawk likes to look at it while we’re... you know.”
“That’s why tattoos are sexy, honey. They’re a tiny little piece of your soul that you wear on the outside so everyone can see what you love the most.”
Tildy sighed wistfully and looked at him across the table. “He’s my soul mate.”
Daisy squeezed her arm and smiled warmly. “Well, hold on to him, honey. Not everybody gets one.”
Chapter 22
Two days later, Daisy walked to Tildy and Hawk’s place from the Rainbow. She glanced at Easy’s living room window, but the blinds were pulled and she couldn’t see in. Sighing, she mounted the steps of the other house and rang the doorbell. Tildy answered, in real clothes instead of a sleep shirt, and let her in. Daisy glanced around but didn’t see Hawk.
“He’s still at work,” said Tildy. “Easy, too. But they knock off early on Saturdays.”
Daisy shrugged. “Wasn’t all that interested. I’m here to try on dresses.”
Tildy gave her a knowing smile and Daisy scowled. “Okay, I’m a little interested,” she admitted. “For whatever that’s worth. He doesn’t seem to care.”
“We’ll put you in something fabulous,” Tildy replied. “Then you’ll see.”
She led Daisy down the hall to the last door. In the Master bedroom, the closet doors were open and Tildy’s wedding dress was hanging from one of them. It was off-white and short, as far as wedding dresses went. Daisy guessed it would hit Tildy just below the knee. It was strapless and had a bit of satin trim at the top and a matching strip at the waist. Daisy ran her hand over the creamy fabric and sighed. “This is beautiful, Tildy.”
Her new friend beamed. “I love it. Of course, my mother would hate it. It’s not traditional enough for her.” She shrugged. “Then again, neither is Hawk. He’s about as far from Tate as you could get.”
Daisy looked up from the dress. “Who’s Tate?”
Tildy blushed and bit her lip. “My ex-fiancée.”
Daisy grinned. “Tildy! Getting around all over town! Did you dump him for Hawk?”
Tildy shook her head. “Not really. I dumped him and Hawk happened to be there. It was... complicated. But I made the right choice. Hawk is... ” She sighed. “He’s everything Tate isn’t and everything I need.”
“Better in the sack, too, I’m guessing.”
Tildy flushed scarlet but laughed. “Way better,” she whispered. “I only slept with Tate once, but I can tell I’m not missing anything.” As she gazed down at her wedding dress, her hand fluttered to her lower belly.
“How long ‘til you know?” Daisy asked.
“Another week,” Tildy sighed. “It’s torture! I’d give anything to know. Hawk is so excited. It’s all he can talk about.”
“So, he likes kids?”
Tildy nodded. “He loves them. He’s got two little nephews that he adores.”
Daisy considered this. “Good in bed, loves kids, and the cat likes him. I don’t know this Tate, but I’d say you traded up.”
Tildy turned and pulled open the closet door. As she sorted through some dresses, she said, “Definitely.” She hesitated, then said, “Hawk’s so much... bigger, too.”
Daisy laughed. “The more I get to know you, Tildy, the more I like you. A size queen trying out all the men in town until she found the right fit. I’m starting to think maybe we should’ve gotten you a tramp stamp, instead,” she teased.
“Oh, hush!” Tildy scolded and pulled out a blue dress. “This one matches your eyes. Give it a try.”
Daisy took it from her and looked it over. It was sleeveless and short, as far as reception dresses went, she supposed. Tildy was the same height but a bit more on the scrawny side. “Tildy?” she asked. “How sure are you that my boobs are gonna fit in this thing?”
Tildy frowned and looked down at her own chest, then at Daisy’s. “Hmm. Wear a thin bra,” she suggested.
Daisy went to the bathroom and shut the door from behind her. There was a huge tub nestled in a corner under the window and Daisy knew she’d give anything for a soak. “Holy crap!” she said loudly.
“I know, right?” came Tildy’s voice through the door.
“How many people can you fit in there?” Daisy asked, stepping out of her shorts.
“Um... at least two.”
“Tramp!” Daisy called out. Tildy laughed in response.
Daisy squeezed into the thing and managed to zip it halfway up on her own. She frowned at herself in the mirror, not sure what to think. She’d never owned anything this nice. It felt, and looked, so strange that she couldn’t judge it for herself. Her tats stood out against the bright fabric and she had to admit her tits looked nice, too. She had more going on than Tildy by comparison, but it still wasn’t a lot. The dress made her look like she had more cleavage.
She opened the door and stepped back into the bedroom. Tildy gasped.
“You look so pretty, Daisy!” She moved forward and swept Daisy’s hair off her shoulder. “Easy’s going to love it.”
Daisy frowned and shrugged. “He won’t even be my date.”
“Well, he’ll be there anyway,” Tildy reminded her. “He won’t be able to resist.” She put one of the castoffs back on the hanger. “How’s it going with him?” she asked quietly.
Daisy sighed and shimmied out of the winning frock. “He’s a tough nut to crack,” she admitted. “And by nut I mean I think he might be slightly certifiable.”
“Daisy!”
“Oh, come on. The guy lives in perpetual fear of being judged because of how he looks, but he keeps on doing it to me. For a guy who’s so self-conscious, he’s about the least self-aware person I’ve ever met.”
“He just needs time,” Tildy i
nsisted.
“Time I’ve got, but I can’t change who I am, even if I had forever.” She hung the dress back on the hanger and slipped the plastic over it. “Maybe I’m just the bridge girl,” she told Tildy. “The one who helps him get over it, on his way to something else.”
“You’re not! I mean, you’ll help him get over it. And then he’ll see he’s been an idiot and you’ll stay together.”
Daisy shook her head. “Yeah, the thing about bridges, Tildy, is they usually end up getting burned.”
Chapter 23
Easy raised the door to the garage and pulled out the lawn mower. As he came around the corner of the house, on his way to the back lawn he stopped short. Tildy and Daisy had apparently camped out on Tildy’s lawn. They had towels spread out and were wearing bathing suits like they were at the fucking beach.
Daisy spotted him and grinned. “Mow that lawn, baby. Give it hell!” she shouted.
He stalked over toward them, stopping at the edge of the towel Daisy was laying on. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him over her sunglasses.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Objectifying you.”
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered.
“It’s cheaper than a strip club,” she said, lifting a glass of sangria. “But I’ve got some ones in my wallet. If you come a little closer, I’ll stuff some in.”
“Give me a break,” he scoffed.
“Well, if you want fives and tens you’re going to have to shake that ass a little more. And lose the shirt.”
Tildy giggled. Easy frowned. “Well, stay out of my way,” he told them.
“We’re all the way over here. Doing important things,” Daisy pointed out. Tildy held up a wedding magazine for good measure.
“Well,” he said, flustered, “keep it that way.”
He stalked back to the mower and jerked on the handle a bit. He couldn’t very well tell Tildy not to be in her own damn backyard, but he didn’t much like the idea that they’d be watching. Eventually he’d slip in the grass and then what? They’d laugh. Or worse, get all concerned. Either way he didn’t want to deal with it.
He glanced around the lawn, sizing it up. The grass was too long. It had to be mowed immediately. He could perhaps put it off, but the wedding was tomorrow. If Hawk saw that it wasn’t mowed, he might offer to do it for him, and that made him almost as pissed off as the idea that the girls would laugh at him. He decided it had to be done and that there was just nothing for it. He leaned down to grab the pulley.
“There you go!” Daisy shouted from across the yard. “Very nice!”
He growled and shook his head, wishing he could angle himself differently so that she wasn’t looking right at his ass. But it would take longer to adjust his position than it would to just pull the goddamn starter.
He fired the thing up and set his mind to the task in front of him. It made no difference at all that there was a cute little blonde in a string bikini eyeing his every move. He set the mower on the first pass across the yard and got started. Midway through, though, his ankle twisted and his heel slipped a few inches on the loose cuttings. He quietly glanced over his shoulder at the girls. Daisy was smiling, but not at him. Tildy was showing her something in her magazine. He sighed in relief and vowed to be more careful.
After several more passes, being careful was starting to wear on him. He should have been at least halfway done by now. It was getting hot as hell out here, too. But hurrying through it would only result in falling on his ass. He grit his teeth and re-aligned the mower. He’d just have to suffer through the heat.
He was in the middle of doing just that, suffering and wiping the sweat off his brow with his forearm, when he noticed Daisy waving at him. She was up off her towel, standing at the edge of Tildy’s lawn. He debated simply ignoring her and returning to work, but Daisy didn’t strike him as the type to take being ignored all that well.
He let go of the safety bar and the mower’s engine died. He headed over to her, careful to keep the glare affixed to his face so she’d know just how much she was annoying him right now. She remained pleasant, though, a bright smile played on her lips and he had a moment of weakness as he remembered kissing them. Then he glanced down and caught sight of her tits and remembered kissing those, as well. He came to a stop just in front of her and prayed she wouldn’t notice the bulge in his khakis.
“What?” he practically barked at her.
“It’s hot.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, seriously? I didn’t notice.”
She held up a bottle of water. “I thought you might want a drink. I would’ve brought it to you, but you said to stay over here.”
Easy was now officially torn. He didn’t know which he wanted more, the water or the girl offering it. He hesitated in taking the bottle, though. Daisy had angles. All he could see, though, was a pretty girl smiling up at him so he reached out and grasped the bottle from her.
As he took his first sip, she asked, “Are you going to take your shirt off?”
“Maybe,” he replied replacing the cap.
“You definitely should. It’s downright oppressive out here.”
“Then why don’t you take yours off?” he teased.
Instead of being cowed into silence, she said, “Good idea,’” and left with his water.
He watched as she tossed the bottle down onto the towel and picked up another one, sunblock this time. Ignoring Easy, Daisy leaned forward and whispered something to Tildy. Tildy put down her magazine and took the sunblock, squirting a copious amount into her hand. Daisy turned to face Easy, a slight smile on her face, and reached around behind her back. She untied the strings at her neck and they fell. Then she untied the other set.
“Daisy!” Tildy gasped, but Daisy just shrugged. Easy got an eyeful, just before Daisy laid down on the towel. Tildy moved next to her and began rubbing on the lotion. Easy was glad Daisy had moved further away because the bulge in his pants wasn’t quite finished growing.
“You’d better be looking at the blonde.”
Easy turned to see Hawk standing next to him. He must’ve come up the side yard between their houses.
“You better not be,” Easy warned.
Hawk raised his eyebrow. “You staking a claim on that?”
Easy’s jaw twitched as he realized he might have been. “No,” he replied. “Your woman is right there. And Tildy might put up with a lot, but something tells me she won’t take too kindly to you dogging other chicks.”
Hawk grunted in amusement. “She knows she’s the only one for me.” Now that Tildy was done with Daisy, she put some more sunblock in her hand and began applying it to her arm. As she got to her shoulders, she paused thoughtfully.
Hawk grunted again, though this time he was not amused. “You take your top off in public,” he said loudly, “and you’d best be considering what else you’ll be doing. In public.”
Tildy squeaked and dropped the bottle. Then she laid down next to Daisy, blushing furiously.
“Daisy’s a bad influence,” Easy observed.
“Nah,” Hawk replied. “If you weren’t here, I’d let her do it.”
Easy scoffed. “You would not.”
Hawk leveled his gaze at him and Easy saw not only amusement, but also desire glittering in his friend’s eyes. “The hell I wouldn’t. We’d have to burn that towel, too, when we were done.”
He left and Easy headed back to the mower, trying not to think about Daisy, topless and just a few feet away.
Chapter 24
Daisy watched as Easy turned off the lawn mower and began pushing it back to the front of the house. She briefly considered letting him go and waiting to see if he’d come back over, now that he was done. Something told her, though, that he wouldn’t. She got up off her towel and headed across the yard.
“Bye!” Tildy called out, teasing. “Don’t come back!”
Daisy trotted across Tildy’s lawn and onto Easy’s. She mounted the wooden s
teps of his deck and tried the back door. She discovered it was unlocked and slid it open quietly. She shut it behind her and stood in his kitchen. The place was immaculate, and that impressed her. The only men she’d been with lived like pigs, among old pizza boxes and dirty socks.
She crossed into the living room, noting the homey touches. The place was painted a soothing green color and it made the small house seem cooler on such a hot day. Sarah had done a nice job on the place. The couch was nice, soft and comfortable looking. Daisy briefly imagined cuddling up to Easy on it, watching a movie, not that he was the cuddling type.
She was reminded of this when the front door swung open, and he stepped inside. The dark look on his face told her he wasn’t happy to see her.
“What are you doing in here?” he demanded, slamming the door shut behind him.
“Waiting for you,” she replied as he moved toward her.
“Daisy-”
She reached out and ran her hand along his forehead, tousling his short hair. “You need another shower,” she told him.
“You need to go.”
“I don’t want to.” She tugged at the hem of his t-shirt and slipped her hands inside. His abs were hard and slick with sweat.
“Daisy,” he said again, but it was less stern this time, and she knew she was winning.
She stood up on her tiptoes and touched her lips to his. He smelled warm and musky and she pressed her hands to his back to get closer to him. For a brief moment he let her do all the work, teasing his lower lip and running her tongue along it. Then he gripped her around the waist and pushed her back.
He came with her, though, his body dangerously close to hers, and soon they were against the wall of the hallway- the hallway that must lead to his bedroom. Daisy desperately wanted him to take her there.
Instead he placed one large hand on each of her hips and kissed her hard. His cock ground against her through the thin fabric of the bathing suit. His fingers found the ties at each side and tugged. The bottom half of the suit came loose, and he yanked it roughly away. Daisy’s heart thundered as she realized that was exactly what she’d envisioned him doing when she borrowed this bathing suit of Tildy’s in the first place.
