"Hurry up, Pete. Mike wants to start practice a little early today. We need to get going—I have to get my run in!" Davy was practically foaming at the mouth. He couldn't believe Peter hadn't even noticed the treehouse yesterday! Davy knew why though. Peter was too busy staring at the mystery woman, and Davy had missed out! God, he was mad about that. But he'd listened to the exchange they'd had as Peter had excitedly told him every detail.

"And she was so pretty!" Peter's eyes were snapping with delight. "Maybe we'll see her again this morning!"

"If so, I'll be the first one there," Davy commented, feeling somewhat self- satisfied that he'd get to see her first. Peter didn't comment on that, and it made Davy wonder what he was thinking. Davy had given Peter a run-down of his own encounter with the mystery woman a few days ago.

"Why didn't you tell me before this?" He had known that would be the first question Peter would ask. Davy knew him so damn well.

"I didn't want any of you guys going over there and gawking at her. I made her upset enough as it was. And why are you so eager to see her? She treated you like shit, from what you said."

"Oh, I don't think she meant to."

"So you think she's all bluff?"

"I don't know, but I do know I get a good feeling about her. I don't think she's evil—just a little prickly."

A little prickly?

Off they went, Davy pushing a bit more speed out of himself to be sure he got sufficient space between himself and Peter. He reached Shannon's property a little before eight, Peter so far behind that he wasn't visible anymore. She wasn't there! The markers were painted bright red though, just as Peter had said they would be, and the weeds had also been completely removed.

Davy looked at the house, but saw nothing. Well, he couldn't stay here, just standing around, looking like a doofus, waiting for her to appear. That would really make him look stupid. He didn't know what to do. The disappointment rankled him. His stomach had been in knots ever since he'd gotten out of bed. He had no idea why she fascinated him so—he hadn't really even seen her yet—just her outline in the window. It grated on his nerves that a woman he didn't even know could have this kind of control over him.

She could be watching him right now, laughing to herself about him just standing there like a fool. So with palpable unwillingness, he began to run again. He didn't want to look back over his shoulder as often as he did until the treehouse was out of sight, but he couldn't help it.

Shannon had seen Davy from her window. He was early. She hadn't anticipated that. She'd been all ready to have a very satisfying go at him, and now he was disappearing. She'd seen him staring at the house, but she had no way of knowing if the house was his focus of attention, or herself. Fine… she didn't want to run into him again anyway. She had a faint notion that he thought a little too much of himself. Maybe that was why she had wanted to yell at him again. To put him in his place. But that didn't make sense, as he hadn't copped an attitude that day. He'd been so gracious. Maybe her lack of male attention was making her bitchy…

Oh well… she decided to go outside anyway just in case that blonde one showed up. You never knew… and sure enough, she was out by the markers when Peter jogged up. She really hadn't expected to see him today. Those two must know each other. They had to have run into to each other on their morning runs at some time or another.

Well, she'd take out her orneriness on him! That's what she'd do!

"Didn't I tell you to stay clear?" were her words of greeting as he jogged up. Peter's eyes grew wide, and he gulped.

"I'm not on your property though, ma'am," his voice sounded like a plea, only annoying her further.

"But you're just about as close as you can get, aren't you? Taunting me! Trying to show me you can still run by here just because you're on the other side of the markers!"

Peter couldn't help allowing his eyes to sweep over her. The silky reddish blonde hair, the very bright green eyes, the shapely form… wow. He hadn't noticed just how breathtaking she was on the first meeting, mostly from fear at her outburst. But now he just couldn't stop looking…

"Why are you staring at me?" she demanded.

"Can't help it," he said after an awkward pause. "You're just so pretty."

Shannon paused, dumbfounded. That was one of the last things on earth she'd expected to hear, and it knocked her off kilter. Everything she was going to say was forgotten, and she suddenly felt very vulnerable… and embarrassed. How did one respond to a comment like that? Should she be angry?

Should be angry. Wait a minute—she tried to analyze her feelings quickly. She wasn't really angry, but was pretending to be. Why? Heck if she knew.

"Oh, so now you're going to try flattering me?"

Peter looked confused. "No, I was just telling the truth."

Well, if he wasn't almost impossible to be mad at! He appeared meek and shy, but how was she to know he wasn't putting on an act? She wasn't used to being complimented. She just stared at him, not a single thing coming to mind that she could say. So there they stood, just staring at each other.

Right about then, Davy showed up, having retraced his steps, wondering if Peter might have spied the treehouse and frankly, being so curious that he hadn't been able to resist. That's when he saw them standing there, eyes locked. Confusing emotions surged through him.

"Oh, you!" exclaimed Shannon, wrinkling up her nose at Davy as if he stunk.

Davy was instantly enchanted with her, just like Peter, but he wasn't going to let on.

"Why are you talking to him, and acting disgusted when I show up?" he asked.

"Because this one isn't trespassing like you did! This one is much more respectful!" was her tart retort.

"But I didn't know I was on your property, or I wouldn't have done it. I already told you that."

Peter was perplexed—first he'd been her target, and now Davy was.

"You look too smug for your own good. Probably stuck up too," she said to Davy.

That's when Davy had had enough. "I've had to listen to you yelling at me twice now, for no good reason. Well, it's no more mister nice guy! Stop giving me a hard time! I haven't done a thing to you. Come on, Peter, let's go!" Davy grabbed Peter's sleeve and jerked him back onto the trail Davy had blazed. Peter had to run because Davy had ahold of him and Davy was strong, so all Peter could do was turn his head to her as they ran and say, "Nice meeting you!"

Shannon was floored. All she'd seen of Davy before had been his dark hair. Now that she'd seen him up close, she'd nearly gaped at him, grinding herself to a harsh halt before he realized she was admiring him. Those twinkly brown eyes! Peter was definitely cute, but Davy's good looks were almost overwhelmingly so. Now she knew why she'd had the idea that he was conceited. Even though she hadn't been able to see his handsomeness before because of the distance, she'd sensed he had something special. Something a woman picks up on instinctively.

He wasn't shy like Peter—he was confident, self-assured. Peter would make a much better first impression if he'd had Davy's confidence. But Peter underplayed himself, and she was sure he didn't even know what kind of appeal he had. Davy, in comparison, knew very well what he had, no doubt through years of experience with girls throwing themselves at him.

He wasn't tall. In fact, he was short—very short. He wasn't any taller than she was. But she doubted women paid much attention to that. The rest of him more than made up for his lack of height.

She'd heard him call the blonde guy Peter, so evidently they not only knew each other, but were friends, otherwise the little one wouldn't be hauling Peter off like that. Rude… that's what it was. If she and Peter were talking, who did he think he was, to butt in on their conversation? Now she was more annoyed with him than ever. If she wanted to be friends with Peter, or at least speak to him as he jogged by, then she damn well would! And to hell with the little one!

Davy was so bothered that he didn't talk to Peter the rest of the way back to the Pad. Fearing Peter might try to turn around and go back, Davy slowed his pace to be sure that didn't happen. After a while, when Davy had had a chance to cool off, and wasn't quite so put out, and asked Peter what he'd thought of the enormous treehouse.

"What treehouse?" Yep, Davy was right—Peter still hadn't noticed it.

"She has a treehouse as big as a small apartment, and she lives in it. It's the only thing on the property," explained Davy. When he'd told Peter about his encounter with the woman the first time, he hadn't mentioned the treehouse—just that she'd come unglued when he trespassed.

"I never even saw it."

"I know why—you were too busy looking at her," accused Davy.

Peter blushed. "Yeah, I guess I was. I still think she's a nice person underneath. She's the kind that you have to get to know." Sage advice from someone who was a pretty good judge of character, reflected Davy. Peter was positive about life, and people. A natural born optimist. Sometimes Davy envied him, because Peter refused to see the bad in people, and therefore always expected a favorable outcome. Peter wasn't wired for worry most of the time. He took one day at a time, and had faith that things would always turn out for the best. Just one of the many things Davy revered about Peter.

"Anyway, you'll dig that treehouse. It's a trip."

Davy's take no shit attitude was getting him nowhere. Every time he jogged by Shannon's place, things got worse. She thought he was jogging by just to bait her. But in reality, he was doing it in an effort to see her—feast his eyes on her, give himself more material for fantasies about her for when he was alone. He was damned if he knew why both he and Peter were so captivated by the witch.

Most of the time they glared at each other as he ran by, and this did nothing to improve Shannon's opinion of Davy. Davy did notice she just happened to be outside many of the days he ran by, but he thought she just enjoyed being outdoors. He didn't know she secretly enjoyed this taunting—this advance and retreat game of theirs. Their scoffs, eye rolls and smirks just added fuel to the fire. But what Davy didn't realize was that if he didn't change his approach, and his manner, he wasn't going to get to see the good side of her that Peter insisted was there. Shannon wasn't shallow enough to fall for his looks alone.

Peter, as nonthreatening and unassuming as he was, was having an effect on her, and it was much more positive than Davy's effect. He always greeted her pleasantly, and had complimented her on the treehouse, berating himself for not noticing it sooner. And, with his unwitting charm and clever, spur of the moment quips, he'd actually gotten her to smile! She'd told him her name too, making Davy unbearably envious. So far though, she hadn't really taken any extra time to talk to him. She was always busy pulling weeds or standing watch while her obese Siamese cat ran around exploring, taking care not to pay much attention to Peter. Or so he thought… what he didn't know was that every time he resumed his run after greeting her, she watched him until he was completely out of sight. He was looking better and better to her all the time. She now suspected he wasn't quite as young as his demeanor made him out to be. She was pretty sure he was at least twenty. If she could just figure out a way of getting rid of that pesky little one, she just might be interested in getting to know Peter a little better.

The routine was always the same. Davy would always run by first, then Peter would show up a little later, then, if Peter lingered more than a couple of minutes, Davy would be back—presumably to collect Peter, but come on… Peter was a grown man! Shannon had a feeling Davy was just grabbing that extra opportunity to torment her again with his scornful, searing stares.

Truth was, Davy didn't want Peter talking to her any more than he already did, which was little more than a simple "hello, isn't it a beautiful morning," generic type of thing. The boys saw that Shannon's car was gone on some days, and they assumed she was working on those days.

One day, as Peter came by, Shannon was nowhere to be seen, and her car was parked in the carport. He stopped and scanned her property, and saw something that looked like limp Play Dough in one of the trees close to the big oak that held Shannon's treehouse. As he watched it, the thing began to move, then trash around, then to scream eerily. He realized then that it was Shannon's cat, stuck between two branches, and too fat to break free.

"Shannon!" he called. No answer, and no detected movement from inside the treehouse. Peter didn't hesitate any longer. She might get angry with him, but he would not let her cat continue to suffer for another moment. He ran as fast as he could to the tree and shimmied up about eight feet, talked quietly to Geisha, and extricated her within a couple of minutes.

"Wow, you were really wedged in there, weren't you?" he crooned to the feline.

Shannon, having let Geisha out first, then stopping to comb her hair, heard the raucous sounds from below. She came rushing down her ladder just as Peter was freeing Geisha, and she completely blew her top.

"Peter! What are you doing on my property! I told you never to cross the markers again!"

Then she saw that Peter had Geisha in his arms, holding her tenderly, unable to climb down the tree, as the cat was so heavy and unwieldy as to make it almost impossible. She ran to the base of the tree, and Peter handed Geisha down to her with great care.

"Oh, Geisha!" Shannon cried as she found a few scrapes where the hair was gone on the cat's body. "What happened to you? I almost have to watch you every second, don't I?"

"She was stuck in the tree, and you weren't around, and she needed to be rescued," said Peter. "I'm sorry I came on your property, but I just couldn't let her stay stuck like that."

"Oh Peter… come down. I'm so sorry for snapping at you! I only let her out a minute ago. I just saw you in the tree and didn't realize… I'm sorry."

Peter climbed down and they both looked Geisha over. "There's just a little fur scraped down to the skin here and there, but I don't see anything that looks serious," said Peter.

"Come in the house with me so I can clean her up, will you? I might need you to hold her—she's a love, but she can get a little intractable if she doesn't like something."

"Sure!" said Peter, pleased beyond words that she would invite him inside. His heart soared and raced with the suspense of seeing the inside of her home…but mainly, being able to spend more time with her. Oh, Davy was going to have a cow when he heard about this!

Peter was overcome when he entered the treehouse. It was so groovy that he had no words. He silently looked around for what seemed ages before realizing he had a job to do—hold Geisha while Shannon cleaned her up.

The skin was only scraped in two places, and it was superficial, so Shannon washed the areas with soap and warm water, dried it, and applied a dab of antibiotic cream. Geisha growled and lashed her tail about the entire time, but didn't attempt to scratch or bite Peter as he held her gently, reassuring her with a low, hypnotic voice that made Shannon want to eat him up. He was bringing out the beast in her!

"She complains a lot, but she's all bark and no bite," said Peter, and Shannon laughed.

"Yep, you have her number alright! She can be grumpy when she doesn't get her way, but she'd never really hurt anyone. She's a 'sweetheart in disguise,' as her vet calls her."

"Okay, I guess she'll live," announced Shannon, and Peter released Geisha, who acted as if nothing had happened, licking herself casually.

"She's trying to act dignified," remarked Shannon. "So we won't know how offended she is with us treating her wounds."

"She's… kind of… portly," said Peter, not sure if he should even mention it. It couldn't be taken back now, but he was already regretting saying it.

Shannon was deadly silent for a few moments, then she burst into laughter, startling Peter. She bent over and just let loose with a full, natural, bubbly laugh that filled Peter with delighted amusement. When she got her breath back, Shannon said, "I love how you referred to her weight problem as portly. You're really funny, Peter. Anyway, I've been trying to get some weight off her, as the vet's scale said she weighs twenty-three pounds—about ten pounds more than she should be for her build. The vet said the average cat is about eight pounds, but Geisha is big boned, so that gives her a little leeway, but she still needs to lose at least several pounds, for her health. That's a lot of weight for a cat, and she loves her treats. It's my fault, I spoil her," she finished, looking a little ashamed.

"Ah, don't worry Shannon. You'll get the weight off her. She's a beautiful cat, and so is your treehouse. I'm sorry I didn't comment on it when we came in, but it kind of overwhelmed me—its outta site!" he said enthusiastically.

"Thank you. My father built it for me. Oh, have a seat, Peter. And again, thank you so much for rescuing Geisha. Would you like a cold drink?"

Oh… sure."

"I have beer. Do you like beer? Or something else?"

"Beer sounds good. That's very nice of you. I hope you'll join me—having a cold drink, that is," Peter was having trouble deciding what he should or shouldn't say in this situation. He figured he hadn't gone too wrong so far, as she hadn't thrown him out, and he'd even made her laugh. But, he didn't really know what to talk about with her. Talking to women was not his forte. He seemed to blow it every time he tried. However, he was happy to find that Shannon was easy to talk to, and before he knew it, they were eagerly discussing all sorts of subjects with ease.

Shannon got herself a beer as well, and settled beside him on the couch. At first she was going to sit on the loveseat, but it seemed so natural to just sit down next to him. He seemed to draw her in. She liked everything about him. His looks, his smile, and most of all, his sweetness. She didn't usually drink beer in the morning, but seeing how he seemed a bit nervous, she made an exception so he wouldn't feel awkward by being the only one drinking it.

"This tastes good," Peter placed his beer carefully on a coaster on the coffee table after sipping it. "It's getting warm fast this spring."

"Yes, I noticed that. I love the heat. Peter… I know we've been greeting each other every morning, but we haven't really talked, so I don't know much about you… your friend always seems to put an end to us talking, even if we haven't even really started," she smiled.

"Davy… yeah, Davy and I live together with two other guys, and yeah, he can get a little on the bossy side, but we're best friends and he'd do anything for me." Peter felt a need to establish that fact first before he said anything else.

"Oh, so you have three roommates?"

"Yeah, and we're the Monkees. We're a rock 'n roll band."

"Really? The four of you are a band?" Shannon tried to picture Peter and Davy singing and playing together.

"Yes, we are. We play gigs in town, and actually, wherever we can get them."

"I don't go out to clubs, or I might have seen you before. What do you play, Peter?"

"Bass guitar. Mike plays guitar, Micky plays drums, and Davy percussion, although I'm teaching him drums and bass. Micky, Mike and Davy have the main voices. I usually do mostly backup singing. I'm interested in a lot of instruments." He didn't want to boast about how many instruments he could play, but at the same time he really did want to, considering he'd just about admitted to her that his voice wasn't particularly strong. For some reason he felt the need to let her know he was good at something.

"What instruments?"

Ah yes… she'd asked, so he'd answer. "Bass, of course, guitar, french horn, keyboards, piano, organ, harpsichord, banjo, ukuele, a little harp."

"Wow, you play all those?" Shannon was really intrigued now. "That is impressive!"

Now she'd embarrassed him.

"I love music," he declared simply.

Shannon was astonished that he hadn't volunteered this information earlier, in order to impress her. The guys she'd hung around had always tooted their own horns whenever they saw the slightest opportunity. This guy was not only sweet, he was humble. She was aware of a tingling in her middle. It traveled around, even down into her fingers and toes. She was pretty sure it was Peter's presence, as she hadn't felt this before. It wasn't unpleasant, in fact, it was very pleasant. There was a heat that hadn't been present before, and it wasn't just the weather. Somehow, Peter sitting beside her was filling her with a different brand of heat that was, in fact, very welcome. Stimulating… that's what it was.

Shannon happened to look out the window when there was a slight pause in the conversation. There was Davy… jogging the opposite way. Looking for Peter, of course. Peter saw him too, but pretended not to. He didn't want to give up any available time with Shannon. He was feeling a little intoxicated with her receptiveness to his ramblings about music and his love for it. Just sitting beside her was almost undoing him.

Five minutes later, Davy went by again, this time in the other direction. Davy looked at the treehouse, trying to appear casual, but it was only too clear he was agitated.

"He's probably figured out I'm up here with you, since I'm not on the jogging trail, and you aren't outside," Peter said unnecessarily. "We practice every morning, and Mike will be getting antsy too pretty soon, if I don't get back."

"Oh, well… I don't want to hold you up. But it was very enjoyable, talking to you. I hope you'll come back again sometime to visit again," Shannon was downright appalled at her own words. She was actually encouraging him to return! She hadn't tried to inspire male attention in God knew how long.

But Peter… Peter was different. His whole aura told her so. He was an excellent conversationalist, a bit clumsy with the female sex, which only made him more alluring, and he was, hopefully, interested in her as well. Now, if she could only find some way to keep that damn Davy from roaming around, trying to snatch him away from her…