Gus pushes me. It takes a few shoves for me to really get going, but when I do, I laugh, the fluttering in my stomach all too familiar. He keeps pushing me. I keep laughing. And for a moment, I forget about all the craziness going on around me.
Gus helps me off the swing, and I step forward, tripping on an exposed root. I fall into his arms and look up at him, my lips parting when I see the way he’s looking back at me.
The sun is going down, the air a little cooler. His fingers brush away some stray hair from my face, and I swear he’s going to lean down to kiss me. I jerk out of his grip.
“Sorry,” I say quickly. “I’m clumsy.”
Gus smiles. “It’s okay,” he says softly.
“We should get back,” I say. “I could use a shower.”
“Of course.”
He keeps his hands in his pockets as we walk back to the house and split ways.
And as I wash up… I wonder when the last time they took a shower was.
Chapter Nine
Daisy
Aftermyshower,Iput on a pair of pajama shorts and an over-sized T-shirt. I head out the back door and find the guys sitting on the ground in the pen. I stay on the porch, not wanting to walk out into the dirt.
“Would any of you care for a shower?” I ask, hoping this will be the thing that gets me into their good graces. Well, more so Rhett and Wade.
Gus is willing, wanting to be friends. Rhett felt like he was getting there, and then me telling him that I’m not staying pushed him away again. Wade wants nothing to do with me. I can see how they would be upset with me over what my grandmother did, but I really do want to help. If only they’d give me a chance to show that I’ll do my best.And if they aren’t going to accept my offers, maybe I need to entice them a little more.
So… first I’ll start with a shower. Next, I’ll flaunt food in their faces. I won’t give them a choice. They’re getting my kindness whether they like it or not, and hopefully, eventually, they’ll all trust me enough that we can work together to figure this out.
“Shower?” It’s Rhett who speaks first.
I grin. “Yeah. I just finished, and I figured you might want to hop in? It’s been a while, right?”
Rhett blinks, then glances at Wade who looks angrier than I’ve seen him so far. It’s going to take my best charm to reel him in.
“Since neither of you are moving, I’m going,” Gus says, jumping up and hurrying toward me.
Rhett gets up, but takes his time, wiping off his butt and watching Wade carefully.
“Leave the door open for them,” Gus says quietly as he passes me.
It takes a moment for me to realize what he means.
Rhett and Wade are having a whispered conversation, so quietly I can’t hear.
“I’m just going to leave this open for you,” I say. “Come in if you want.”
I go inside, and Gus nods his approval. “It needs to be Wade’s idea,” he says.
Good to know.
“The bathroom down here is the only one with a shower. You’ll have to put those clothes back on because I don’t have anything for you to wear.” I look at him carefully. “How are they still so clean?”
He shrugs. “Got to be part of the magic or something. Whenever we shift back to human form, we have our clothes on—which we are grateful for, by the way—and they’re always clean.”
“Are they just random clothes?”
“It’s what we were wearing when we ended up here…”
