Page 53 of Open Season

“And you left that to come to a little town like Hillsboro?”

“I got tired of the pressure. Aunt Bessie died, I inherited her house, and I decided I wanted to try small-town life as an adult.”

“No transition problems?”

“Just language problems,” he said, and grinned again. “Now I can almost say ‘y’all’ like a native.”

“Uh—-no, you can’t.”

“What? Are you saying my ‘y’all isn’t authentic?”

“I suppose it’s an authentic Yankee trying to do a southern accent.”

Just like that she found herself beneath him again; the man could move like a cat. “How about an authentic Yankee doing a southern woman?” he murmured against her throat.

She looped her arms around his neck. “You’ve got that down perfect.”

He turned his head and looked at the “Froot Loops” array of condoms on the floor. “I don’t want to wear purple again. How about the yellow? That would be banana flavored, wouldn’t it?”

Daisy made a face. “Euww. Not yellow.”

Exasperated, he said, “Why did you buy colored ones if you don’t like the colors?”

“Oh, I never meant to use them,” she said, blinking at him. “They were just for show, “You know. For Mrs. Clud to tell her friends that I bought them, so they’d tell their friends, and some of the single men in town were bound to hear and be interested enough to ask me out. Then you ruined that by giving her the impression we were involved.”

The expression on his face was indescribable. He coughed, strangled a little, and cleared his throat. “That was . . . ingenious.”

“I thought so. It wouldn’t have worked if I’d bought them at Wal-Mart or a chain pharmacy, but Barbara Clud is one of the biggest gossips in town, and she always tells what their customers bought. Did you know Mr. McGinnis takes Viagra?”

He coughed again, thinking of the bluff and hearty city councilman. “Uh, no, I didn’t.”

“Mrs. Clud told everyone. So I knew she’d tell about my condoms.”

He buried his face against her shoulder, breathing deeply. He was shaking a little, and Daisy snuggled him close. “There, there. It’s just small-town life. You’ll adjust.”

He lifted his head to see the humor sparkling in her eyes, and he gave up attempting to control his laughter. “If I ever need Viagra, remind me not to go to Clud’s Pharmacy.”

She considered the firmness pressed against her inner thigh. “I don’t think you’ll need it anytime soon. I didn’t think you were supposed to be able to get hard again so fast. All the articles I read—”

He kissed her, and she stopped talking to taste the honey. His eyes were heavy-lidded when he lifted his head. “Maybe I’ve been inspired. Or provoked.”

She took exception to that. “If anyone’s been provoking, it’s you—”

“Ididn’t buy seventy-two condoms.”

She was silent a moment, digesting the meaning behind that; then a satisfied smile broke across her face. “So my plan worked, didn’t it? After a fashion.”

“It worked,” he said gruffly. “I kept thinking about the bubble gum flavor.”

The phone rang, interrupting them. Daisy scowled; she didn’t want to talk on the telephone; she wanted to play with Jack. She hesitated long enough that he said, “Answer it. It might be your mother, and we don’t want them coming over to check on you.”

She sighed and stretched beneath him, snagging the receiver and bringing it to her ear. “Daisy Minor.”

“Hello, sweetie. How did the hunt go last night?”

It was Todd, and normally she loved gossiping with him, but not right now. “There was another fight, and I left early. I think I’ll go to another club next time.” Uhoh; she hadn’t meant to say that in front of Jack. She deliberately didn’t look at him.

“I’ll ask around, find out which places are best. So there weren’t any prospects?”

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