Chapter 10

The summer went fast. The corn grew tall. Daisy irrigated and weeded and managed the farm like a pro. (Which she was, having lived on one all her life.)

Lilly worked hard right along with her. She grew muscles she didn't know she had. The ones she knew she had grew firmer. She looked hot!

Glasses or no, the local men took to looking at her more. Daisy too, but neither of them was very responsive to their advances. It was inevitable that rumors about them started to fly by fall.

One night Bobby cornered her by the barn.

"Billy Taylor was passing the Singleton place the other day. He said her saw her pat your ass!" he accused.

"We were joking around about what you men like to do." she countered.

"Maybe so, but there's rumors all around town about you two. You're always together, laughing and joking. You two men haters?"

"Bobby, I manage Miss Singleton's farm. We see a lot of each other just like you and I see a lot of each other. I don't hate men, I just never found one that was worth much. I know Lilly feels the same way."

"Maybe so. But folks is saying that you two are lovers. The way you come in shining sometimes I could believe it."

Daisy was a little shocked. Her and Lilly had been very discreet. They never touched each other off the farm. The pat that Billy Taylor saw wasn't much of one. But she realized that it was enough to start the rumors flying.

"Bobby" she said absently, "I get that shining look from hard work, you ought to try it some time. Besides, why would a woman want to love another when there's lots of you big strong men around?"

He nodded to himself over that one. "That makes sense. I just wanted to let you know that people was talking."

"No you didn't. You just wanted to stick your nose into my business. Even if Miss Singleton and I were lovers, You'd only care so that you could get the drop on someone else with the latest gossip."

"There's no need to talk like that about me!"

"After the way you was just talking about me?"

"You didn't deny it!"

"I shouldn't have to. You're my brother."

She turned and walked away.

She talked to Lilly about it.

She sighed and said: "I warned you it could get hairy. Do you want to break it off?"

Daisy was too hurt for words for a moment, then said: "No. I knew what I was getting into. This has been my community all my life. I know the way they think and act. I don't care. I love you. That's all that matters to me."

"Daisy you're pretty young to get a reputation like that. It'll stay with you the rest of your life. Like you said. This is you're community. You have family here. You'd have to live with it. I can just move away. You're all I've got here."