Rapid-fire knocking brought Mary running to the farmhouse's entryway. The sheer urgency and volume of her mystery caller conjured expectations of a grave emergency. Panting for breath, she grabbed the knob and hauled the front door open.

"Geez, took you long enough. I thought I was going to have to dig around beneath the hedge for that fake rock you keep the spare key in." Without waiting for an invitation, Tammy crossed the threshold and swept past, leaving a jasmine-scented cloud of perfume in her wake.

"Please, do come in," Mary intoned with heavy sarcasm and swung the door closed behind her best friend.

"Don't start with me!" Tammy whirled and wore a mask of outrage on her face.

"Start what?" Mary asked, projecting innocence. Standing straight, she braced for impact. The reckoning she'd been dreading had just arrived in a hot pink sweater dress and stiletto heels. Now Mary would have to account for Friday night's events after Tammy had left the bar. She wasn't prepared to tell all, especially not with Demetri living and working on the farm as a hired hand. Tammy had a talent for turning molehills into mountains. She'd certainly do that here...unless Mary could manage to keep the whole thing secret. Currently, Demetri should be riding the property line, checking the fences. Not like he was lounging on her couch in his boxers, looking like the Greek god of sex.

Tammy snorted and settled her hands on her hips. "Where the heck've you been? I've been trying to reach you for two days. Have you been dodging my calls?"

"No, of course I'm not dodging your calls. I've just been super busy." Mary gnawed her lower lip.

Technically, it wasn't an outright lie. She'd spent countless hours on the phone with the tax office in addition to her regular chores. For all her trouble, she'd gotten nothing but the run around: put on hold, transferred multiple times, and had her call dropped. It'd taken forever just to update her mailing address with them. Finally, an officious government agent had advised the matter required "research" and she could expect to receive a reply in the mail. Mary considered sharing her financial woes with Tammy but decided against it. There wasn't anything her friend could do.

"Super busy avoiding me! So, what happened?" Tammy hoisted her brow high in expectation.

"A drunk motorist swerved off the road and took out an entire section of fencing on the south pasture. Luckily, none of my flock were injured, but they scattered. We spent all day yesterday rounding them up." Mary chose the route of deliberately obtuse but truthful. Twirling on the ball of her foot, she set sail for the kitchen.

Tammy stomped along in Mary's wake.

"Would you like an iced tea?" Mary asked

"Yes, please," Tammy replied and added, "You know that's not what I was asking!"

"It's not? Hmm. Well, that's why I haven't called you back." Mary ducked into the fridge, hiding while she formulated a plan. Within, a glass pitcher of chilled sweet tea waited on the top shelf

Tammy huffed. "Wait a second! You said we. We who?"

Fudge! Mary's fingers weakened on the handle. She almost dropped the pitcher. Tightening her grip, she set the container on the countertop and then went to the cupboard to retrieve two tall glasses. Her mind raced while she filled both to the brim with ice cubes and tea. Quick! She needed to fabricate a plausible explanation to cover her slip of the tongue. The best, most plausible story would have its roots in the truth.

"I adopted a new dog," Mary said with the absolute maximum smoothness she could muster. She did good, damn good, frankly. Her poise even shocked herself.

"Oh?" Tammy swayed, apparently taken off guard, although Mary wasn't sure why the information should surprise her friend so much. Growing up, her parents had always kept dogs as both pets and helpers. The only reason she didn't have one now was that Quentin had despised canines...and threatened to kill any pet she brought home.

"Yes, an Australian cattle dog. Her name is Colleen." A touch smug over having a pat answer, Mary offered her friend the beverage.

"I didn't know you planned to get a dog." Tammy clung to her skepticism but accepted the glass.

"I didn't, but Colleen is a fully trained herding dog. She's fantastic with the flock. She was too good to pass up." By the same ironic logic, Demetri was the pie in the sky. And Mary had already decided to bring him home before she even met the cattle dog. But Tammy didn't need to know any of that. Her ignorance was Mary's bliss.

"Huh." Tammy took a sip of her tea and slipped her hair over her shoulder in a gesture of supreme impatience. Her high heels clicked on the floor as she drifted to the bay window over the sink. "So, where is this canine wonder?"

"Out with the sheep." Mary raised her drink but changed her mind. She wasn't really thirsty. The only reason she'd poured the tea in the first place was to distract Tammy. She placed it back on the counter, and asked, "So, why're you all dolled up? Do you have a hot date?"

"Tinder hook-up," Tammy tossed over her shoulder with what could only be termed a sardonic smile.

"Tinder?" Mary frowned. The term sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Never mind." Tammy grinned and glanced out the window. Suddenly, she stiffened and tilted over, spilling the contents of her glass over the rim. Luckily, the liquid poured straight into the sink. A woot of pure admiration burst from Tammy—one syllable shy of a wolf whistle. "Holy hand grenades! Hello, gorgeous!"

A splurge of worry seized Mary. "What're you looking at?"

"Not what—who! Hallelujah! The Lord be praised." Tammy planted both hands on the edge of the counter and leaned farther forward. Proverbial drool dribbled down her chin.

Mary missed a step, almost fell, but then caught herself. She rushed over to see what sight had reduced her friend to carrying on like a babbling brook...or maybe a horny construction worker. Of course, she feared the worst, and her doubts settled as soon as she reached the bay window. Mary's knees turned to rubber.

The cheerful yellow curtains framed a view worthy of thanking the Almighty for. Demetri stood in the front yard, shirtless beneath the afternoon sun. His blond hair shone like polished gold. Bronzed skin over bulging muscles. When he leaned over to turn on the hose, his jeans grew taut over his backside.

"Oh, my gosh! Look at his butt!" Tammy fanned herself like a twitterpated Southern Belle. She jabbed her elbow into Mary's side. "Do you see that?"

"Yeah, yeah, I see it!" Mary grabbed the countertop to stop herself from sinking to her knees. While her sense of embarrassment soared, her purely feminine side compelled her to keep staring.

Truly, Demetri's ass would've qualified as a one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A Woman's Wonder of the World—his spectacular posterior most definitively inspired Mary to divine introspection.

While they gawked and slobbered, Demetri twisted the faucet handle, turning the hose on full blast. He doused himself beneath the stream. Tilted his head back, exposing the strong column of his throat... Ran his hand across his scalp... Water slicked his hair... Rivulets flowed along his body, following the natural hard lines that defined his torso. It was awe-inspiring.

Heavens above, the man was a god.

"Who is he?" Tammy demanded, sounding breathless.

"¡Ay, caramba!" Mary exclaimed. Mustering a heroic effort, she tore her gaze off Demetri. By a pure stroke of luck, her wandering attention landed on Colleen. The cattle dog sat beside a fence post, her tongue lolling from the side of her muzzle.

Upon noticing Mary's regard, Colleen wagged her tail.

"You don't even speak Spanish," Tammy chided.

"That's Colleen." Mary leveled her finger toward the dog.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Tammy said, as dry as the Sahara Desert. She grabbed Mary's wrist and redirected her hand. "Him."

"Him? Oh, that's just Demetri..." Mary supposed some other poor person might've sounded lamer at some point in history. Maybe. Honestly, she figured she rightfully owned the title Lamest of the Lame in the Guinness World Records.

Demetri finished rinsing off his god-of-sex body, and swooped to shut off the hose. Those wet jeans clung to him like a second skin. Once again, the glorious presentation of his posterior robbed Mary of both her breath and her senses. Oh, noms! Inhaling sharply, she swore to attend church that coming Sunday. Sinners, repent!

"Who is he?" Tammy shook Mary so hard her teeth rattled.

"He's my new ranch hand."

Demetri turned so his face came into clear view, and Tammy gasped. "Oh, my goodness! That's the guy from the bar!"

"Well, yeah, that, too." An irrepressible smile overtook Mary. Shameless pride filled her, bloating her ego. Did it make her a brazen, horrible hussy to glory in the knowledge that she'd nailed that sexy, sinful man? If yes, then so be it. She had a right to be satisfied.

Tammy pivoted. She stared, her jaw hanging, and then understanding replaced her astonishment. "Why, you sly devil," she said in awe and respect. "You brought him home and kept him!"

"You might say he's working under me now." Mary grinned to the nines. Right then and there, she wasn't above gloating.

Oh, no.