The Mating Game: Big Bad Wolf(31)

Cadence glanced around. “Well…okay, I didn’t know if I should tell you this or not. The other day I got out of work early. I went to this park on the north side of town to do some sketching, and I saw Larissa there…with Ronald. Your Ronald.”

Ronald was the jerk who’d dated her for several weeks and then told her he wanted to have sex with her because he’d never been with a heavy woman before.

“Don’t call him my Ronald,” Daisy said with a shudder. “Wow. Ronald. Are you sure?”

“Totally sure,” Cadence said. “They were standing by a tree, talking to each other. It was getting pretty intense.”

Daisy winced. “Well…I mean, it’s not like I ever wanted to see him again. I guess I can’t be annoyed about the two of them getting together. Nauseated, yes. Annoyed, no.”

“But he was a total douchenozzle to you,” Cadence said indignantly. “She’s being a really suck friend if she’s associating with him.”

“Yeah, I mean…it’s kind of a jerk move on her part. But you guys are basically stuck living together until the lease is up, so I’d hate to see you both be miserable,” Daisy said.

“Don’t worry about me,” Cadence said with a shrug. “I just ignore her. So, what about you and Ryker? Have you decided if you want to make the mating permanent?”

“Permanent?” Daisy said, startled. “I…honestly, I don’t know. Maybe that’s not what he’d want.”

“Stop selling yourself short,” Cadence said. “He’d be lucky to have you.”

“That’s what my aunt says,” Daisy mused.

“She has the wisdoms. Listen to her,” Cadence advised.

She glanced over at the table – to see that Larissa had left and was heading for the door, and Ryker was fending off autograph seekers..

“Well, now the night’s looking up,” Cadence said cheerfully.

* * * * *

“So your idea of a good time is…painting the kitchen walls?” Ryker said doubtfully.

There was a patch of peeling paint on the wall by the refrigerator that had been driving Daisy crazy.

The truth was, however, the real reason that she wanted to paint was to distract herself. She was petrified of making a fool of herself with Ryker. She was mildly tipsy from the margaritas, and the more she got to know Ryker, the more attracted to him she was, but he still had her completely confused.

He hadn’t said anything about wanting her to stay there for good. And she couldn’t forget when they’d been interrupted kissing – and he’d declined to kiss her again afterwards.

But then he’d taken her down to the family swimming hole and pulled her to him and kissed her.

What did he want? What would happen if she gave in to her impulses and threw her arms around him and pulled his hard, strong body up against hers?

She was too afraid to find out. So she was painting.

“I am passionate about painting,” she said firmly.

“Painting, huh? That’s what gets you excited?” There was an amused curl to his lips. “In that case, I’m going to go get all my painting supplies. Tarps, painter’s tape, foam rollers. I’d love to see what you look like when you’re passionate.” His eyes were boring into her as he said that, and there was a roguish gleam in his eye.

She stifled a moan. So much for painting as a distraction.

Ryker left the kitchen to go fetch the supplies, and Daisy pried the lid off a container of light-blue paint. The doorbell rang, and Daisy headed to get it, still holding the paint can.

His mother was there, waving a newspaper in the air and looking fuming mad. Ryker’s aunt Marge was with her.

“Um, hello?” What could possibly be upsetting Harriet to this level now?

Harriet shoved the newspaper into her hand.

“How could you?” she yelled at Daisy.

“You shameless tramp!” Marge added, shaking her finger in Daisy’s face. “We made you pie! Pie!” She looked at Harriet in dismay. “You gave her your secret recipe,” she moaned.

Daisy looked at the page that the newspaper was open to.

She felt sick to her stomach when she saw what was there. There was an announcement of her engagement to Frasier, printed in her hometown newspaper.

“How could you humiliate my son like that?” Harriet shouted, her face bright red with anger.

Before Daisy could answer her, Harriet grabbed the bucket of paint from Daisy and dumped it on her head, sending blue paint cascading down her hair and face.

Ryker came barreling out the door as Daisy spluttered in astonishment, and blinked paint from her eyes.

“What the hell are you doing?” he shouted. “You’ve gone around the bend! I will have you committed, I swear on a stack of Bibles I will!”