Nope! I was downright innocent, a good girl, my pa said. And I never had no intentions on Mr. Avery. He was widowed, his wife passed on years before, but he was my pa’s age and I thought of him as more of an uncle than anythin’ I guess you could say.
Or at least, I did.
Things began to change though right from that first time.
The walk to Mr. Avery’s farm was a doozy! A good hour out of my mornin’ just to make it to work, so by the time I got there I was already a bit perspired an’ tired. A smilin’ Mr. Avery greeted me though, the tall fella lookin’ happy to see me as he waved me on in.
He was guidin’ his prized horse then, Ms. Molly, the most beautiful pony you ever did see. She was white as snow, and with a thick mane. You could tell Mr. Avery took special care of his animals, ‘cause Ms. Molly looked gorgeous!
“Hey Mr. Avery!” I called out, wavin’ back to him as I stomped on up in cowboy boots and my daisy dukes. Workday weren’t even started and I already had my plaid shirt tied up over my stomach, collar done low. Summer heat was quickly buildin’ after all.
“Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes, Daisy,” he said, and I could tell Mr. Avery had been hard at work already too. He was a big, tall man, built like a brick house. His work shirt was tied up above his elbows, and I could see his sun-browned forearms clear as day, thick and bulging with veiny muscles.
“How’s Ms. Molly doin’?” I asked, ever fascinated with that beautiful mare.
“Doin’ just fine, and lookin’ almost as good as you this morn’, if’n I might say so, Daisy,” he said smoothly, smiling at me all brightly. Part of what made Mr. Avery such a handsome fella was how smile, all white-toothed and good lookin’, complimented his blonde hair so well.
“Aw shucks, Mr. Avery,” I said, slipping my hands in my back pockets and rockin’ on my heels a little. I’d blossomed into a woman some time before, but still... with so few fellers around I didn’t often hear compliments from men folk.
“Well,” I said before he had a chance to make my cheeks burn a brighter red, “I suppose I should get to work then. Daylight’s a burnin’! As my ma always said.”
Mr. Avery chuckled, patting Ms. Molly’s neck as he smiled at me.
“You know where the farm is, I’d show you around but... I reckon you know your business as good as any, Daisy. And this farm ain’t no stranger to you. If’n you want somethin’, it’s yers to roam about freely. And if you do got a question, well... I’ll be out here tendin’ to the horses or the crops.”
“Yes sir!” I said brightly, pleased as punch that my dreams were comin’ true! Mr. Avery weren’t goin’ to ride my back like ma and pa did, he’d let me do things my way.
Things went well like that for a while. Mr. Avery’s farm was a sight newer than ma and pa’s, big but with more empty space. Mr. Avery didn’t have help after all, not before I got there.
I’d come in the mornin’s, tend to the chickens, milk the cows, and help tidy up some. And he paid me generously!
Though one mornin’ I got there and he saw me eyein’ him and Ms. Molly.
“You wanna give her a ride, don’t ya?” he asked, a bright, cheery grin on his face. He was proud of his animals, most of all Ms. Molly.
“Well I’d be a dirty liar if I said ‘no’, Mr. Avery,” I confessed, rubbing my palms over my jean shorts anxiously. It was pretty darned obvious I had a fancy for his horses, and most of all Ms. Molly.
“Y’know... I been lookin’ at buyin’ up a new stallion, that black one that Larson’s been tryin’ to sell. You know the one, right?” he asked, and boy howdy did I!
“You wanna buy that black beauty?!” I said, eyes wide. “If ever there was a stallion handsome enough for Ms. Molly, that’s the one!” I said, and he laughed and nodded his head. I felt like a silly girl blurtin’ that out so loud and fast!
“That was exactly my thinkin’ too,” he said with a smile. “But I already got so much work to take care of here... addin’ another horse to the mix, well... that’d be too much.” He took his time, but I was nearly jumpin’ out of my boots with excitement!
“If we had an extra hour or so in the mornin’, I could give you responsibility for Ms. Molly here, and then... well, you’d need a bit o’ extra time in the evenin’ to enjoy her for some ridin’ too, I reckon. And I’m already keepin’ you late as I can without gettin’ in the way of supper.”
My heart beat so fast, then fell! I was so anxious to look after Ms. Molly and ride her around, that I said the first thing that came to my mind.
“What if I stayed with you from now on? I mean, then I wouldn’t have to be walkin’ for an hour each mornin’. And I could ride Ms. Molly around in the evenin’.” It was pretty bold of me, gotta say, but right away I could tell he was ponderin’ it. And I didn’t want him to say no!
So I kept a goin’.
“I know it’s a lotta extra fuss, Mr. Avery, but... I can cook too! Ma taught me how. I could fix us breakfast and supper, just like how I fixes us up a lunch now! And I know you got two extra rooms,” I said, fidgetin’ and squirmin’ in front of him, suckin’ my lower lip into my mouth and gnawin’ at it anxiously.
“If it’s good with yer ma and pa, well...” he broke down into a broad grin of his own, runnin’ a hand through that thick mane of golden hair he had. “I’d love to have yer smilin’ face here right at sunup.”
Mr. Avery made me blush. Again.
“You’re a right sweet talker,” I said, and I tried to say it teasingly, but I was too busy grindin’ my toes into the dirt and lookin’ bashful.