her suit jacket as the pup headed straight for the woods. “This isn’t like the manicured lawns of Beverly Hills.”
Making her way to the water’s edge was a bit tricky in her three-inch heels, but as soon as she found an oversize rock to sit on, Priscilla slipped out of her shoes and dipped her aching toes in the crystal blue waters. “I need to wear flats the next time I plan an escape.”
Unable to resist, she stood and waded in farther, pleased to find the creek’s bottom wasn’t as rocky or muddy as she’d thought it would be. She looked around, noticing a rope hanging from a tree that arched over the water. The clearing was obviously well used. It was easy to picture a group of kids or a family enjoying a picnic here, but at the moment it was only her. With the cold water swishing past her calves and a light breeze caressing her bare arms, Priscilla reveled in the solitude of the natural surroundings, feeling as if she’d drawn her first deep breath in months.
No ringing phones, no disapproving fathers or whiny excuses from her sister, no annoying clicking and flashing from the paparazzi’s cameras...
Just peace and quiet.
* * *
“Honey, I’m a man who needs female companionship.”
Dean Zippenella hoped he sounded sincere, but a part of him knew he’d already lost this argument. Usually he had no problem when it came to charming the ladies, but this one—his favorite one—was stubbornly quiet in the passenger seat of his truck.
“Look, you’ve made your feelings perfectly clear, over and over again, and while I love our alone time, I’d like to bring a friend to the house once in a while without worrying you’re going to do something crazy.”
He tried to catch her gaze, but a quick turn of the head revealed that she was staring out the half-open window.
“You know, it’s more than just your unpleasant attitude. It’s your very unladylike behavior that gets you in the most trouble.”
That got him a tilt of her nose that looked almost regal.
“Do I need to list them for you?” Dean kept one hand on the steering wheel and used the other to tick off the all-too-familiar offenses. “Peeing on their clothes, hiding their shoes, chewing on whatever you can scrounge out of their purses, including feminine products that no man should ever see.”
Daisy turned to face him, offered a quick bark, and darn if the corners of her mouth didn’t turn up into a cocky grin. Then he remembered the latest mischief. “And yes, that includes the cash you always manage to get out of their wallets.”
His last guest had shrieked when she spotted the contents of her purse scattered at the dog’s feet and the mangled remains of a twenty-dollar bill hanging from Daisy’s mouth. Dean could’ve sworn the mischievous furball had been grinning then, as well.
That had been, what, almost two months ago? He’d tried to pay back the twenty dollars but the woman took offense. As if he’d been offering to pay for the time they’d enjoyed together or something. He’d been a lonely man after that. Something that hadn’t happened much since he’d moved to Destiny, Wyoming, a few years ago.
The ladies liked him—or they used to—and he’d never been at a loss for company. As long as he spent time at their places. Once they got an invite back to his home and met Daisy, they quickly discovered Daisy had no qualms about showing just how she felt about human females.
She didn’t like them. Any of them. Not even the women who meant the most to him. His grandmother, mother and three sisters, who’d all tried to win Daisy’s affections when Dean had shown up at the family home in New Jersey, his duffel bag in one hand and a puppy in the other, after a stint in the army.
While the scraggly mutt he’d saved from a harrowing life in the Middle East had been devoted to him over the years and was friendly with any males she came across, she never changed her mind about the ladies.
Deciding to end this one-sided discussion, Dean checked his watch, noting he had at least an hour before his last physical-therapy patient of the week. He’d finished his shift at the veterans’ center in Cheyenne earlier than planned and returned home to pick up Daisy. She always accompanied him whenever he worked with his favorite patient and then they’d grab some takeout for dinner.
After that, the evening, and the rest of the weekend, stretched out in front of him.
Rounding the bend in the road, Dean spotted a red convertible parked down by the river. He frowned. Not the typical style of car found around Destiny, where pickup trucks like his were the favorite mode of transportation.
He wondered if someone might be in trouble. Turning down the dirt road, he pulled to a stop on the far side of the clearing. The sight of a beautiful blonde bombshell cooling off in the Blue Creek River caught him by surprise.
Bellissima! Where in the world did you come from?
He tossed his sunglasses up on the truck’s dashboard while pressing a button, raising both the windows. “Sorry, sweetheart. I know you love to play in the water, but someone else got here ahead of you,” he said to Daisy.
He exited his truck, but left the engine and the air-conditioning running, and headed for the riverbank. His steps slowed as he enjoyed the view of the stranger’s sexy legs when she lifted her skirt high on her thighs as she waded into deeper water. From the fancy suitcases piled in the backseat of her car to the clothes she wore, it was easy to see this beauty definitely wasn’t from around here. In fact, she seemed more big-city chic than country simplicity—
Suddenly a blur of golden-brown raced past him.
“What the hell?” Dean had no idea how Daisy had managed to roll down the window enough to squeeze out, but she was making a beeline for the water’s edge.
And for the unsuspecting lady.
“Daisy!” Oh, man, this had trouble written all over it. “Daisy, get back here!”
His dog wasn’t listening. Nope, she headed straight for the water nymph.
The woman had spun around when he yelled. Blond waves flowed over her shoulders and dark sunglasses shaded her eyes. Her luscious mouth dropped open in surprise at the sight of him and his dog.
She stumbled back a few steps the moment Daisy charged in, splashing her way right to the woman before suddenly halting in front of her.
And damn if Daisy’s tail didn’t start wagging just above the waterline.
The woman started to smile and then leaned down, one hand outstretched toward his pet. A typical reaction, but Daisy wasn’t a typical dog.
Dean called out, “Stop! Don’t touch her.”
The nymph froze in place for a moment before slowly straightening, her free hand retreating to her chest. She was probably unaware she still held the ends of her skirt hiked up way past her knees with the other.
She stared at him—at least Dean thought she did behind those dark sunglasses—before she looked down at Daisy. Then she directed her gaze back to him, her chin lifting a bit. “I was only going to say hello.”
Her voice was as smooth and silky as the finest Chardonnay. Dean stopped when his boots
