Read Online Driven to Distraction (Silhouette Desire S.) by Sheri Whitefeather, Dixie Browning - Free Book Online

aren’t they?” Be generous, Maggie—he could be going after Suzy or Ann. “I wouldn’t mind having either one of them for a mother.”
    When Suzy lifted one penciled eyebrow, Maggie shrugged. “My mother was never your standard cookie-baking, PTA-meeting, do-your-homework type of mother, if you know what I mean.”
    Suzy nodded, indicating she understood, then said, “Not exactly.”
    â€œNever mind. Look, how about doing me a favor? Remember what I told you about my friend, Mary Rose Dilys.”
    Â 
    It was hardly a promising beginning, Maggie thought a few hours later as she dressed for supper—starting with having to expose her total lack of talent, followed by a lapful of cold, sticky iced tea. After that came the afternoon session, which only confirmed what the morning class had hinted at. She’d bought the wrong kind of paint, the wrong kind of paper and her one and only brush was about as useful as a secondhand Q-Tip. Add to that the fact that of the only two men enrolled, the only attractive one—devastating, really—attractive didn’t begin to describe him—preferred older women. As in about forty years older.
    Catching sight of Ben and Janie wandering around outside while she tried to tame her hair, she thought, maybe if I were to use a rinse…
    Her brush-hand fell still as she stared out the tiny window at the pair highlighted by the setting sun. Ben was definitely a saunterer, but Janie’s walk defied description. Viewed from the back, with her pink, shoulder-length hair—which was really more of a peach-color—she didn’t look a day over twenty-five. Maybe thirty. Even with those ugly cross-trainers. Heads together, the two of them were as chummy as a pack of Nibs.
    Oh, well, Maggie rationalized, she hadn’t come here looking for romance. From now on she’d pay strict attention to her mission, she vowed as she fished through her suitcase for something suitable for supper and dancing. Dancing was one of the few sports in which she excelled.
    Lifting out her stiletto heels, she remembered the last time she’d worn them. She’d got one heel jammed between the boards in the deck of a nicecouple who’d invited her to supper to meet their nephew.
    No point in courting disaster. She’d be just as tall in her everyday platforms.
    Suzy breezed into the room, still wearing her high-cut skintight shorts and the skimpy low-cut halter. “Hi, you getting ready for tonight?”
    â€œFor supper. I thought maybe—”
    â€œRight. You thought maybe you’d get dressed up for the big diesel.”
    â€œThe big—” Maggie felt her face grow warm.
    Suzy said dryly, “You need to keep your eyeballs on a shorter leash. I mean, the man’s a serious stud muffin, but he has this hang-up about older women. You said so yourself.”
    Maggie dropped back onto the cot. It threatened to tip and she grabbed the wooden sides. This was not her lucky day. “Are you going to do it?” she asked, referring to their earlier conversation.
    â€œWhat, troll my bait in front of Silver?”
    â€œWell, yeah…sort of. Nothing outrageous, but just let him know you might be interested. See how he reacts. In a house full of people you’ll be safe enough, and I’ll be standing by to rescue you if it comes to that.”
    â€œNow if we were talking about the mighty Hunter, I’d be way out ahead of you.” She rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. If things get too tense I can always take a cue from Ann and sneeze real loud.” Their roommate had serious allergies.
    Maggie sighed heavily. “It seemed like such a perfect plan when I started out. Now I’ve blown all this money—my dad’s home alone eating junk food andsmoking too much, and I’m not sure that even if I get proof that Perry’s a—a philanderer, it will make a speck of