window and peeked out. “What’s she doing?”
“Hanging a clothesline. Hell, the moon is out. She’s working from the porch light.”
Dani said quite seriously, “You cuss too much. Hell and damn are bad words.”
Wincing, Josh muttered, “Sorry.”
Zack had long ago explained to Dani that while grown men might say certain words now and then, she was still a little girl and was strictly forbidden to do the same. He forgot his daughter’s bossiness as he watched Wynn go about her business. “What in the world is she hanging up?”
Josh narrowed his eyes. “Looks like her laundry. Like—” he smiled “—her underwear.”
Mick came out of his chair in a rush and crowded into the window. Being that he still held Dani, it was a tight fit. He snorted. “You’re both lechers. You should give the woman some privacy.”
None of them moved.
Dani said, “We saw her butt today.”
Both Josh and Mick turned to stare at him. Zack frowned, ready to explain, then he saw Wynn toss a nightgown over the line and clip it into place with a clothespin. It wasn’t a sexy nightgown, but rather what appeared to be yards and yards of material. ’Course, for a woman her size, it’d take a lot of cloth to cover her.
For some stupid reason that thought made him smile.
Moonlight played over her flyaway hair and the slant of the porch light made exaggerated shadows on her body. Why was she hanging her laundry at night? For that matter, why hadn’t she worn down yet? She’d been working all day, non-stop, and it was too damn distracting. The woman must have inexhaustible energy, and that thought did more than make him smile. It made him wonder how she might put all that energy to use.
Through the open window, they all heard her begin to whistle.
“This is pathetic,” Mick groused. “You’ve got me here playing peeping Tom when I’d really rather be playing cards.”
Josh explained, “That’s because you’re blissfully married and therefore immune to fantasies.”
Zack glared at him. “Don’t tell me you’re interested in her?”
And before Josh could answer, Dani braced herself between Mick and Josh, leaned forward toward the screen, and yelled through the window, “Hello, Wynn! We’s peeping Toms!”
They all three ducked so fast, their heads smacked together.
Mick, on the floor with his back against the sink cabinet, flipped Dani upside down while laughing and said, “I ought to hang you by your toes for that!” He tickled her belly and they both laughed.
Josh looked at Zack and said, “Do you think she heard?”
“That one? She hears everything.” Then to his daughter, “Sweetheart, you don’t tell people when you’re looking at them.”
“Why not?”
Josh crept up the edge of the sink and peeked out. With a resigned expression he completely straightened and called out, “It’s a little late to be doing laundry.”
Realizing Wynn must have been looking toward the window, Zack stood, too. He heard her soft laugh, then, “My new washer and dryer won’t arrive for a few more days. I needed clean stuff for tomorrow.”
To Zack’s disgruntlement, Josh smiled, walked to the kitchen door, and continued right on outside and around to Wynn’s house. He should put up a damn privacy fence.
Dani pulled away from Mick and followed. Mick shrugged at Zack, hauled himself to his feet, and followed suit.
Groaning, forced into the situation he’d wanted most to avoid, Zack went along.
When Wynn saw them all approaching, she dropped an item of clothing back into her basket and walked to meet them halfway. Though the night had grown considerably cooler, she was still in the halter and shorts and Zack wanted to strip off his shirt and cover her with it. But it was too late. Josh had already seen her, and was already in charm mode.
Wynn held out her hand when he reached her. “Hello. Wynn Lane.”
Josh took her hand, but not in a handshake. He held her fingers carefully, as if she were fragile. “Josh Marshall,” he murmured, and his tone alone gave away his thoughts on seduction. “Nice to meet you.”
Zack wanted to kick him.
Wynn tried to tug her hand free, but Josh wasn’t being reasonable about it. She snuck a glance at Zack and then back to Josh. “You’re the fireman, right?”
He looked briefly surprised, and Zack explained, “Dani told her all about both of you.”
To Mick she said, “My brother is a big fan of your wife’s work.”
Mick reached out, took Josh’s wrist and pried their hands apart, then indulged his own handshake. At least his was entirely casual and quick. “Mick Dawson. Nice to meet you, Wynn.”
She looked at Zack. “I hope I wasn’t disturbing you again?”
“We were peekin’ at you,” Dani informed her.
Wynn just laughed and petted her hand over Dani’s hair in a show of affection that Zack felt clean down to his gut. “Well,” she said with a wide smile, “I imagine anyone doing laundry by moonlight is sure to draw attention.” And to Zack, “The thing is, I’m still too keyed up from moving in to relax, and I actually brought laundry with me from my apartment, so I figured I might as well get it done. Stuff dried on the line always smells so good, don’t you think?”
Zack thought she smelled good. Working all day had intensified her natural scent, making it more potent, more intoxicating.
He snorted at his own ridiculous fancy and told her, “There’s a Laundromat a couple of miles away, next door to the grocery.”
“You could use our washer and dryer,” Dani offered.
Feeling his smile freeze, Zack said, “Or you could use our washer and dryer.”
Wynn was already shaking her head. “No, I don’t mind using the line.”
Josh stepped in front of Zack. “I’m not that far away. Feel free to use mine until yours arrive.”
Zack considered strangling him. It wasn’t that he cared personally, because he didn’t, but it’d be almost as awkward for Josh to get involved with her as it would be for Zack. Josh wasn’t ready to settle down, and in fact, since Mick’s wedding, he’d been overindulging in a big way. Zack did not want him overindulging with his neighbor.
Mick said, “If you’re about done, we were just getting some drinks. You could join us.”
She took a step back. “Oh no, but thanks anyway.”
“Join us, join us!” Dani sang, bouncing up and down in renewed energy.
