Read Online Geoducks Are for Lovers by Daisy Prescott - Free Book Online Page A

use the outdoor shower. I could walk by. Nature could take its course.”
    “Think I’ll stick with the upstairs shower for right now to be safe.”
    Quinn glares at Maggie, and snaps his fingers. “For the love of the Queen Mother, scones, woman, scones!”
    “Can I help?” Selah offers from her spot curled in the corner of the sofa. Her uncharacteristically-tousled, dark bob is barely visible above the plaid throw wrapped around her. 
    “You stay right there. I can make these scones with my eyes closed. In fact, there were probably many pre-dawn mornings at the bakery when I did. I’ll get these in the oven and then take a quick shower when Gil is done.”
    “You and Gil should shower together and save water. Save the environment and all that good stuff you love.” Selah sits up, her red silk robe emphasizing the devilish expression on her face. 
    “Or not.” Maggie blushes and heads into the kitchen.
    Disentangling herself from her blankets, Selah walks over to refill her mug with coffee while Maggie takes out the baking sheet and ingredients.
    “How was the run?” 
    “Good. We chatted about ex-spouses and not having kids.”
    “Before breakfast? Yikes.”
    “I know. What was I thinking?” She swats Selah’s hand as she tries to steal a marionberry.
    “I’m glad you two got it out of the way. Onwards and forward. With that sage advice, I’m going outside for a cigarette.” Selah steals another berry, then prances out of Maggie’s swatting range.
    “I think you’re the last person I know who smokes. Didn’t you quit?”
    “I know, I know. I need to get those fancy electronic cigarettes the cool kids have. Remind me to research them.”
    “You’ll give yourself wrinkles,” Quinn pipes up from the sofa. 
    “Thanks for the judging.” Selah flips them off before heading out to the deck with her coffee.
    Maggie mixes up the scone dough and puts them in the oven. After going upstairs, she turns the corner to her room, and runs into the wet body of Gil coming out of the hall bathroom.
    “We have to stop running into each other like this.” Gil smiles down at her.
    Speechless, she gazes down at Gil’s body wrapped only in a towel around his hips. 
    “My eyes are up here.” He laughs.
    She glances up at Gil’s twinkling brown eyes and sees he is barely repressing a smirk.
    “Sorry.” She manages to get out. His fingers softly graze hers as she shuffles past him to go to her bedroom. After shutting the door, she leans against it to collect herself. He still affects her the same way he did back in college. Gil is a friend, an old friend. He isn’t the same Gil she loved from not-so-afar in college, she reminds herself. 
    No, he might be better.

 
     
     
     
    Nine
     

     
    Maggie walks into the kitchen as the egg timer sounds. Her damp hair is pulled into her typical bun and she’s thrown on a pair of jean shorts and a boatneck T-shirt since she doesn’t know what the plans for the day will be.
    At the sound of the timer, Quinn bounds off the sofa and bounces next to her as she pulls the scones from the oven. Setting them on a cooling rack, she protects the pastries from Quinn’s grabby hands.
    “You’ll burn your tongue off, young man,” she scolds in a mocking tone.
    Gil appears on Maggie’s other side and reaches for a scone. He snatches his hands back after touching one. 
    “Damn! Those are hot.”
    “Did the two of you not watch me pull them out of the hot oven? We graduated from the same college, I know you aren’t stupid.”
    “Perhaps not Dr. Morrow, but you know I skid by on my good looks.” Quinn grabs a napkin to hold his hot scone, attempting to cool it by blowing on it.
    “Didn’t Dr. Morrow live on an island full of mutant animal-human hybrids?” Maggie asks as she retrieves butter and a jar of homemade raspberry jam from the fridge.
    “Different spelling,” says Gil while sucking on his burnt finger. 
    When she turns around and sees him, she thinks,