Chapter Eleven
A couple of hours later, Daisy kneaded the warm chocolatey empanada dough onto the counter, finding herself oddly at peace. From outside, there was a shout and she looked out the window to see Jack chasing the kids around the lawn with a massive water gun.
“Don’t even think about getting me,” her aunt warned from a chair set a few feet away from the chaos.
“Get me! Get me!” the kids shouted, despite their shrieks moments before when he had done just that. Daisy smiled, shaking her head at their antics.
It felt almost…too perfect.
She knew that. She was going down a dangerous road by not telling Jack first thing this morning that enough was enough. That as tempting as his offer was, once they returned home, and back to their regular lives, they’d face the reality of the situation.
What they had here, tucked away in this part of the world, was only a fantasy life.
Living here in this big beautiful house…enjoying kisses and touches from a guy who was not only generous and kind and funny but also sinfully sexy to look at…doing fun and adventurous things without worry about how much things would cost or how much of a bite it would take out of her paycheck…
None of this was reality.
Back in the real world—her world—she’d be trying to figure out how much in groceries she’d have to cut back on to cover last month’s electric bill and still allow her to put aside enough money to buy the kids new jackets for the fall.
On the other hand, another voice was there telling her that all that stress would be waiting for her at home soon enough.
What was the harm in enjoying, for this brief moment in time, this little glimpse of a life that was close to perfect?
She knew why.
Because she’d want it forever. And when it all came crashing down, she might never recover from this one.
The timer went off over the stove, and she grabbed the hot pads and went to check on lunch. The top of the empanadas were a golden brown exactly as she wanted them. Satisfied, she pulled them out and set them on counter. After Jack’s assurance after breakfast that he didn’t mind her driving his ’67 Ford Mustang convertible, she had gone to two grocery stores to pick up all the ingredients she would need for her recipes and the menu she had planned for testing today.
She grinned at the memory of driving alone in that classic car. There had been something freeing about letting her hair blow in the wind as she drove down the street, almost without a care in the world. Another thing she could get used to.
Daisy was stirring the chocolate mixture for the dessert she had planned for later, when her phone buzzed with an incoming call. She looked at the caller ID and grabbed the phone, excited to talk to her sister.
“If it isn’t ‘the mysterious woman who has stolen the heart of the most eligible bachelor in the West,’” Benny said, quoting the headline that Daisy had seen just that morning.
She groaned. “You’ve seen the papers? I would have thought there’d be more important things to do three weeks out from one’s wedding than reading idle gossip.”
Benny was too cheerful as she replied, “But this isn’t just some idle gossip rag. It’s in the Tribune. So it must be absolutely true. Look at how fast you move,” she teased. “Engaged and already choosing the china pattern for the dishes that will be set out in the Governor’s Mansion.”
“It mentioned no such thing,” Daisy said, biting back her laughter.
“And here we thought Cruz and Payton’s hasty tequila-induced Mexican wedding had actually managed to top the craziness of Dominic and Kate’s fake relationship. Getting fake engaged to the future governor definitely takes the cake.” She laughed uncontrollably again.
“Well, I wouldn’t say that Henry’s Eliza Dolittle-ing of you last year just so you could impress what’s-his-name was any more sane.”
“It was definitely the best insane decision I could have made.” Daisy didn’t have to see her sister’s face to know that it was radiating happiness. “I just want to be sure to have a front-row seat when you explain this all to Mom and Dad when they get back from their cruise this weekend. Anyway, what’s the plan? How long are you guys going to keep this up before the big breakup? Because, you know, if you stretch this long enough, I would love a chance to get the insider’s view of the Governor’s Mansion, not to mention the inner chambers at the Capitol.”
Daisy sat down and stared out the window where the kids had wrestled Jack to the grass and were nearly drowning him with their water guns.
“Hello? You still there?” Benny asked.
“I don’t know. Things have recently become a little more…complicated. We haven’t really talked about that yet.”
Benny was silent for a moment. “Funny thing, when I saw those pictures of you all out sailing and fishing, you seemed like you were really having a good time. And the way you both looked at each other when you were out on the dance floor? I don’t know, Dais,” she said, “it didn’t feel fake to me. Do you like this guy?”
The words were so familiar that Daisy was almost certain she’d used the same on Benny last year when she’d been in denial about her real feelings for Henry. But even if they were real, Henry hadn’t been the future governor of the state. He didn’t have a daughter and three million other people relying on him to make decisions. And Benny didn’t have children whose hearts and hopes needed to be protected if, for whatever reason, the relationship didn’t work out.
“I don’t know. Maybe I do. But whether I like him isn’t relevant to the situation.”
“Isn’t relevant? Whether you like him is everything, you dope.”
“Benny, think about what Leo has put my kids through over the past couple of years. All the broken promises. He always chooses every other priority over his own kids. If I bring someone into their lives, I need to be certain that person is going to stick around. That he won’t leave them disappointed and heartbroken.”
Benny sighed. “I can see why you’d feel that way, and no, I haven’t spent time with you all to see this connection in person—something I hope will be rectified this Sunday at family dinner—but…I think that from what I can see in those photos. You’re already invested. So rather than worrying about what could go wrong, focus on seeing what wonderful things are possible. Look, I have to run, we’re going to a barbecue over at Henry’s sister’s place and, since he’s the grill master—his words, not mine—we probably shouldn’t be late. But, Daisy? If you want any advice from your little sister? Go all in.”
Daisy stared at the now disconnected phone for a moment before setting it down, returning her gaze to Jack outside.
Go all in?
That’s what she was afraid of doing. It was getting out that had her terrified.
Daisy tried to still her nerves as she watched Jack bite into the poblano and cheese-stuffed empanadas she’d made for lunch. Not that she needed his approval, but it was a recipe she’d been tweaking for weeks and she thought she’d finally reached the right balance with the cotija cheese and spices. In fact, she was hoping that this one, along with the dessert empanada next to it, might be her own Big Mac so to speak—her mainstay entrées—for her new bakery.
Paul, her human guinea pig, already was halfway through his and eying his sister’s. But her son wasn’t always the best test subject since spicy for him was inferno to someone like Glenda. Which was why for those with more sensitive buds, Daisy’d made a milder version, like the ones in front of everyone but Paul and Jack. Lily was waiting for her dad’s verdict before she tried hers.
Jack’s empanada was what she’d consider possibly a level three or maybe even a four on a sliding scale of one to five, thanks to the added kick of a small serrano pepper she’d added to the mix. Not that she’d shared that with him.
“Oh my God. That’s…really good,” Jack said, and she studied him closely, trying to see if he was being sincere. He took another even bigger bite and was eating it when she noticed his face starting to look a little flushed. “It gains a little heat as you eat it, doesn’t it?” he asked after swallowing, holding his mouth open a touch as if he was trying to cool it off.
“Oh, you’ll get used to it. Maybe another bite will help?” she asked, trying not to laugh at the tiny beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. “Girls, how are yours?”
Jenna and Natalie, her painfully slow eaters, took another bite and set them down to resume coloring their pictures as they chewed, looking none the worse. Having witnessed the girls enjoying theirs, Lily picked hers up and took a bite. “Hmm. Pretty good,” she said and took another.
Daisy smiled and turned to Jack, who was trying to surreptitiously wipe his forehead with the back of his hand. “You doing okay, Jack?”
He took another bite and tried to smile. “They’re really good.”
“Let me get you another,” she said evilly.
But the last bite might have been too much and Jack suddenly dropped it and went to the fridge to grab the milk, quickly pouring some in a glass then gulping it down.
Daisy burst into laughter, holding her side as she watched him.
He shook his head. “I don’t know how they do it. Lily? It isn’t too hot for you?”
“No, Dad. Not really,” she said, glancing at him with amusement.
Daisy was still laughing, wiping a tear as he studied her, suspicion suddenly drawn on his face. “What exactly is so funny?” But Daisy only shook her head, unable to talk.
Jack walked to Lily’s plate and took a bite, chewing almost cautiously. Realization seemed to strike him as he looked at her. “This is not the same thing.”
She nodded. “Well, technically Paul is eating the exact same batch as you and he’s fine.”
“Yeah, but I also saw the kid wolf down a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and not even blink.” He walked back over toward her, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
Before she could guess what he was about to do, his fingers were at her hips—in the exact spot he knew was intensely ticklish. She tried to fend him off, laughing as she did, but he squeezed again before catching her against him and planting a warm, poblano-infused kiss on her lips.
It wasn’t anything overtly sexual, and if there was a rating, it would have been G-rated by the big mouse himself—even if it sent the world around her spinning.
But it was also in front of their kids. And Aunt Glenda.
She looked over and found all five sets of eyes glued to them, Paul’s mouth wide open. Glenda’s, however, seemed a little more pleased as she smiled almost knowingly at them. Quickly, Daisy slid away from Jack and started placing the chocolate salted caramel empanadas on a plate for dessert.
“Why were you two kissing?” Natalie asked, first in puzzlement. “Do you like each other?”
“Of course they don’t,” Jenna said, glancing a little uncertainly at Daisy.
“And what’s wrong with my liking your mom?” Jack asked in a playful tone. “Don’t you like your mom?”
Natalie giggled. “Yes.”
“And because you like her, don’t you want to kiss her, too?” he continued.
“I suppose so,” she admitted. “But Daddy didn’t ever kiss her. Not that I can remember anyway.”
Daisy felt color suffuse her face and there was a moment’s pause as Jack seemed to process that before he continued. “Then he didn’t know what he was missing. So. Now that my mouth is on fire, do you think that maybe I’ve earned one of those chocolate empanadas? And then I thought we could take the sailboat out for a last trip before dinner and the firework show.”
This earned the kids’ shouts of excitement as they all quickly finished their lunch, chatting about the firework show later that night.
Daisy met Jack’s gaze, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Smooth. Very smooth.
And despite being a bit annoyed with his maneuver in front of everyone, she couldn’t help but touch her lips, briefly wondering if they were tingling because of the peppers…or Jack’s electrifying kiss.
…
Jack flicked the lighter again, trying to get the sparkler to ignite while Natalie hopped from one foot to the other impatiently. Even though the fireworks show had ended five minutes ago, the air wafting across the lake already smelled faintly of sulfur, the kids had wanted to finish off the box of sparklers before heading to bed.
“Look at this, Nat!” Paul cried as he leaned over the water and wrote something in the air with his sparkler.
“Paul. That’s close enough,” Daisy warned from a few feet away.
Lily and Jenna were apparently too old for something as juvenile as sparklers and were stretched out on their backs on the blanket they’d brought down to enjoy the fireworks show. Glenda sat in a chair by the fire pit, basking in the warmth from the flames, watching them all with a soft smile on her face.
Jack looked around, feeling absurdly happy.
Everything about today had been perfect. Sailing, swimming, enjoying delicious food prepared by a beautiful and loving woman, hearing the sound of the kids’ laughter—even when it was interspersed with arguments—surrounding them.
It was something actually foreign to him. He had been an only child, as was Lily, and save for the occasional get-together with his cousins who lived across the country in upstate New York, life had been one of quiet and peace and, truthfully, a little loneliness. This, this chaos and laughter, was what Lily had been meant for, what he and Lara had wanted before death took her too soon.
It made him a little sad knowing that in a few days, this vacation would come to an end and they’d all be returning to their separate homes. But he also knew that whatever thing had taken hold of him and of Daisy, it wasn’t over, and he would do everything in his power to keep her and her family a part of his—and his daughter’s—life.
When the last sparkler puffed out, Glenda came to her feet. “Well, I’m ready for bed. Anyone care to walk with me?”
“I think it’s time we all start back,” Daisy said as she gathered the trash into a bag. “Girls, can you grab the blanket? Natalie and Paul, go ahead with your aunt and get in your pajamas. We’ll do baths tomorrow.”
“I bet I can get there first,” Natalie challenged her brother, who immediately darted across the lawn, Natalie rushing to catch up. The older girls moved slower, following behind Daisy.
“Ollie and I’ll be along after I get the fire out,” he called, as Daisy took up the rear.
Jack stood out there another ten minutes, longer than necessary to put out the flames, but wanting a moment just to enjoy the stillness that—now the fireworks were over—had fallen over the lake. Of course, Officer Kenney was outside along with him, but far back in the shadows.
“Come on, Ollie,” he said and whistled to the dog, who was chasing something on the fringe of the water. At hearing his name, Ollie abandoned his game and followed Jack. As he opened the door, Ollie rushed through and headed straight upstairs, no doubt to be with the kids.
Jack stopped to wash the soot from his hands before heading up. When he reached the landing, he made out Daisy’s soft, calming voice as she tried to settle the kids in. Glenda’s door was already shut and a second later—almost as if she’d heard his footsteps—the light from beneath her doorway disappeared as if she’d turned her light off.
Probably standing on the other side of the door with a glass up to her ear, he’d bet.
He continued down the hall until he was outside the kids’ room, but he didn’t move to go inside, instead he stood at the door, watching for a moment.
For some inexplicable reason the kids had changed beds tonight. This time Lily and Jenna were sharing one of the bottom beds, while Natalie, Paul, and Ollie were piled on the other as Daisy read from a thick hardcover book. He listened, trying to place the story. It took until the third sentence to recognize it was Harry Potter. And even though Lily had read the entire series twice, she looked engrossed as she listened to Daisy read.
Minutes passed until finally she reached a chapter break and closed the book. “Okay. That’s it for tonight,” she said, setting the book down next to the bed as everyone groaned.
“Oh, Mom. It was just getting good,” Paul whined.
“Yes, but I’m exhausted.” Paul lost his argument when he yawned a second later, and Jack heard the smile in Daisy’s voice as she said, “I think we all could use the extra sleep as it’s well past your bedtime.”
Daisy leaned down, smoothing Natalie’s brow, before running her fingers up her daughter’s tummy and saying, “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Not quite finished, she then tucked the covers tightly around her daughter as she continued to whisper, “Snug as a bug in a rug, ugh, now give me a hug,” Then she proceeded to kiss her daughter loudly on each cheek, her forehead, ending with a smack on the lips. She repeated the same thing with Paul and then Jenna, each kid grinning from ear to ear at their mom as she finished.
When Daisy got to Lily, she didn’t even hesitate to tighten the covers and do the exact same thing to the teen. And although Jack half expected his daughter to balk at being treated like a little kid or being kissed by some woman she had only known less than a week, it was hard to miss the almost wistful smile on her lips as Daisy finished the ritual. “And you thought you were going to get out of it.”
“Are you sure you won’t read one more chapter?” Lily asked softy, which the other kids quickly echoed.
Daisy paused as she studied Lily’s face that Jack could see was filled with wistfulness as she stared up at Daisy. “Okay. You win. One more. But I’m not kidding. Then it’s bedtime.”
Jack’s heart swelled as he watched Daisy pick up the book and resume her reading. He wondered if his daughter remembered how Lara used to read stories about princesses and pirates to her every night until Lily could barely keep her eyes open.
He missed Lara and sometimes forgot how much Lily must miss her even more.
He’d meant what he said to Daisy, about dating here and there but nothing serious. Not just because he didn’t have the time for it or inclination, but because with other women, there hadn’t been that same—he hated using the overused term but it couldn’t be helped—magic. The magic and wonder that had him spending every waking minute thinking about her.
At least, not until Daisy came into his life a few short days ago and he just…knew. It had been much the same as Lara.
He crept down the hall more certain than ever that having this woman in both his and Lily’s lives would be the best thing that could happen to them. To all of them.
Now he just had to convince Daisy.