Coming Up Daffy by Sandra Sookoo Page A

farm tomorrow morning and bring a couple flats of pansies. I’ll get them planted for my grandma. It’ll be an early Easter gift.”
    â€œSure.” A shiver of disappointment eased down her spine. It certainly wasn’t exciting date-wise but at least it was something. Would it be enough to grow a relationship?
    ****
    â€œOh, that’s just perfect!” Mark chased Sarge around the pen inside the barn. It had finally stopped raining so he’d decided to transfer the llamas, sheep, and goats outside to let them enjoy the fresh air. While the sheep and goats had gone docilely enough, of course the llamas had other ideas. Pippa hadn’t given him a problem, but Sarge was a different story. “You’re the last thing I want to think about today, llama.”
    He hadn’t been able to sleep last night since Alice occupied his mind. She was so sweet and kind, and she truly seemed to care about her dad, even though growing pains of aging parents were inevitable. Her habit of being daffy only made her more attractive, which was why he didn’t mind her forays into unrelated subjects. And the kiss at the lake? Holy cow. If he’d been a space shuttle, he’d have launched himself into space. Though he’d kissed his fair share of women before, none of them had made him feel as if he could move a mountain or scoop out an ocean with one soft, heated meeting of mouths.
    The snort of a llama behind him brought him back to the moment. Sarge stood three feet away with a decided glint in his dark-lashed eyes. “Oh, you’re trouble, aren’t you?” Sarge had escaped an earlier attempt with the harness, and from the looks of things, the second try wouldn’t be successful either. The animal snorted, spit, and then eyeballed him with a spiteful expression — or at least as spiteful as a llama could summon. Just as Mark approached him again with the harness, Sarge danced away. He wheeled around, burst from the pen, and sprinted toward the open barn door.
    â€œThat’s it.” Mark threw the harness onto the ground. “When Matt gets back, I’m advising him to sell you stupid animals.”
    Sarge shook his tail and pranced with preliminary victory out of the barn.
    While black thoughts slid through Mark’s mind, he jogged after the llama. The last thing he needed was for the animal to break away and terrorize the countryside. Who knew what sort of trouble Sarge could find? Yet there he was, patiently waiting near the gate of the paddock, touching noses with Pippa over the railing. “Stinking, stubborn llama.” He headed that direction just as Alice pulled up the drive.
    Mark waved then tugged on the gate latch. Sarge snorted, Pippa rushed the gate, and seconds later both animals pelted across the yard and gravel drive toward Alice’s station wagon while she parked.
    â€œGood grief. I wonder how much I can sell two llamas for online?” Or maybe the spirited animals would be abducted by aliens. Yeah right. No amount of wishing away the llamas would make them get in the paddock sooner. He followed them and reached the station wagon the same time that Alice exited the vehicle.
    She gave both of them a curious glance before moving to the rear of the wagon and swinging open the back door. “Hey, Mark. I brought the flats of pansies. Just tell me where you want them planted, and I’ll start work on the flowerbed.”
    â€œUh, I thought about putting them along Grandma’s driveway with some around her mailbox. She doesn’t really have a flowerbed.” For one moment he ignored the antics of the farm animals to gaze at Alice. In a cheery blue t-shirt and a pair of white denim overalls, she seemed the perfect picture of innocence. She stole his ability to breathe.
    â€œWill do. If you’ll help me turn over the soil, it’ll make the job go even faster.” She fingered a purple petal. “Your grandma will be so