Chapter Fourteen
“I’ve done a lot of things of late, maybe you could be specific,” Jack said, his tone relaxed, humored even. Which only infuriated her further.
“Don’t play dumb with me, buddy. I’m talking about why a brand-new minivan is sitting in my driveway.”
Two hours before, Leo had arrived to take the kids, leaving Daisy completely to herself. With Jack working late tonight, she’d thought she might slip into the tub and put something on Netflix.
Only she’d started wondering whether her last batch of orange cardamom bread tasted a touch too much of cardamom and if the chorizo sausage might be a better filling to the ground beef in the last batch of empanadas. And instead of sinking into a hot bath, she was sinking her arms in flour as she tested her theories with the television turned on in the background to her latest indulgence—a brilliant British baking show—that only served to give her more ideas.
Then the doorbell had rung. And standing on her front porch was a guy holding a key up to her. She’d barely had her hands around it, still confused, when she saw the red bow behind him. And the shiny new car underneath it.
The guy took off without having heard her sounds of alarm. It hadn’t been too difficult to figure out the likeliest culprit.
“You don’t like it?” Jack asked, sounding genuinely confused.
“No, I don’t. I liked the slightly rusted, well-lived in minivan that was paid in full.”
“This one is paid in full, Daisy. And it gets better gas mileage and is guaranteed to get you from point A to point B without breaking down.”
“I appreciate your concern, Jack, but it’s my business. My responsibility. There’s no way I could accept such an expensive gift from you. It wouldn’t be right.”
“How about you look at it another way. Soon you’re going to be opening your own bakery and you’re going to need something reliable to help you make any deliveries, to pick up ingredients. Something professional. Look at this as an investment for me. After all, I do have a five percent interest in seeing you succeed.”
Argh. She hated when he came back like that, making it seem so simple, so sensible, to accept what he wanted her to. Even though it went against everything she’d said she wouldn’t do again. Rely on someone else until she soon lost herself.
But he had a point, which was so frustrating. She did need a new van, something in this century and that wasn’t covered with rust nearly as much as paint. And he did have a stake in this. He was putting his name to the loan and would risk loss if it failed.
She leaned against the counter, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Okay. On this thing only, Jack. But nothing else. No more springing for car expenses, no more expensive gifts, no more making decision that affect me without asking my permission first. Please?”
He hesitated. But she wouldn’t give. She couldn’t risk losing herself in another relationship. Finally, he sighed. “You drive a hard bargain, but I can agree to that.”
“Good.” The conflict over, she sank onto a stool.
“Now that I’ve been properly chastised, tell me a little about your day. Are the kids with Leo yet?”
“He was half an hour late, so I was worried for a minute there, but yeah. He has them.”
“So you’re there, in the house, entirely alone? This seems like such a wasted opportunity. Are you sure I can’t come over later tonight, check in the closets, maybe under a few beds for you?”
She smiled, enjoying the thrill his words brought. “Tempting, but if you’re not getting here until well past ten, and knowing exactly what you might really have in mind for tonight, it would make it impossible for me to drag my butt out of bed at the sorry hour of four a.m.”
“That’s right. I forgot you were going back to work tomorrow,” he said, the disappointment clear. “I was hoping to make a day of it with you and Lily, poolside.”
“I’ll be off by two, so we’ll still have plenty of time to swim and bask in the sun.”
“You know, what with starting your own business, you’re going to eventually have to quit your job.” His tone was hopeful again. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to put yourself out of your misery a little sooner than you planned?”
As much as she would love to turn in her apron and keys and remove herself from the growing toxicity at work, she still had bills to pay. “Unfortunately, there’s a little something called rent. Water and power bills. Not to mention groceries and gas for that new car. And since I have no idea how long it will be before the money from the bank loan actually hits my account and I can get the bakery on its feet, I’m going to need income for the next little while.”
“I would—”
“Before you offer to float me a small loan to tide me over, or come up with some other way of coercing me into taking your money, remember what you just agreed to. I’m going to do this my way, okay?” But she had to admit it was nice that he wanted to help. She softened her tone. “I appreciate what you want to do for me, Jack. And I promise, after work, I’m yours.”
She could practically hear him grinning through the line. “I like the sound of that. Okay. I probably should get back to work. And you—you should get back to whatever new recipe you’re cooking up.”
Daisy was fairly certain she hadn’t mentioned what she was up to, but it was another example of how well he seemed to know her—at least on issues not involving her accepting overgenerous gifts.
“Oh, I forgot to mention. Benny called me earlier today to warn us. Apparently, she’s taken it upon herself to let the entire family know that our fake engagement might not be so fake after all.”
“Why would that need a warning?”
“Well…” Daisy remembered her brothers’ reactions to every other guy she’d brought home. There’d been a little blood, a few bruises. One dislocated shoulder. At least with age and both of their recent marriages, Cruz and Dominic had mellowed.
A little.
After all, when Benny brought her fiancé, Henry, home last summer, he’d only suffered mild bruising after an elbow to the head during an overly competitive game of scrimmage. It wasn’t the brothers’ fault that the injury only compounded another one that same day when Benny had accidentally swung a golf club at his head. In the end, it had only taken a year, but her brothers were finally taking it easy on the guy.
Maybe Jack would get off relatively unharmed. But just in case, she should give him some warning.
“Keep in mind, Cruz and Dominic tend to get a tad protective where their sisters are concerned. So despite what they might suggest on Sunday, I would avoid playing any high contact sports for the first visit.”
He laughed. “I’m sure it won’t be as bad as that.”
She hoped. “Of course not.”
“All right. I’ll be on guard. Anyhow, Stuart is shooting daggers in my direction so I should go. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yep. I’ll be the one driving the sporty new minivan.” She paused, the words she wanted to say on the tip of her tongue. But…it was hard. And she wasn’t ready yet to make herself so vulnerable. “Night, Jack.”
“Night, Daisy.”
…
“Nice shot, baby,” Payton Vaughn Sorensen shouted to her husband, Cruz, when he skillfully hit the volleyball over the net—and at an alarming speed—at his brother, who barely dived to avoid it before it went out of bound.
Despite the brotherly warfare going on out on the grass, Jack was happy to see Payton finally matched with the right guy. Jack had known her previous fiancé and had always thought she could do better, a sentiment proved correct when she’d caught him cheating just before she boarded a flight to Mexico for Dominic and Kate’s wedding. Whether it was too much tequila or just fate, their marriage, real or not, had been the best thing that could happen to her. Payton’s smile was lighter, her face brighter, and her figure noticeably wider from being seven months pregnant. Not that she let that slow her down as she hopped nimbly from foot to foot on the grass.
Daisy’s other brother Dominic was up next, and from the glint in his blue eyes as he stared down his brother, it was clear he was going to be exacting a little payback. His wife, Kate, a beautiful redhead with striking gray eyes stood next to him.
“Just remember that the loser gets stuck doing the dishes!” Kate called out as a reminder to everyone. “Did I mention that I was helping make dinner tonight?”
This earned a groan from the youngest sibling, Benny, who—teamed up with Cruz, Payton, and her own fiancé, Henry—apparently knew Kate’s assistance signified something dire.
Jack had to admit he was a little envious over the general camaraderie that fell among the siblings and their partners. Even Henry, who barely managed to avoid being trampled by Cruz when he raced toward the ball only to get thumped a second later with it in the back of his head, seemed to be included in the fun. Even if it was as a good-natured target.
He, however, despite Daisy’s earlier warning, was being treated with courteous if distant politeness. The last serve sent his direction sailed in the air almost in slow motion, landing practically in his hands. It had been hard to miss the glance that Daisy had passed with her sister before getting lost in the game again a second later when Benny spiked it.
Jack glanced at the perimeter of the backyard where one of the officers assigned as his security team was keeping a guarded eye on him. That was probably it. The guys didn’t want to risk being pinned to the ground.
At that point, a piercing wail filled the air and Kate and Dominic paused, sharing a look as their newest addition to the Sorensen clan, little Marianne, made it known she was in need of attention.
Up on the deck, Elena Sorensen, Daisy’s mother, hopped nimbly to her feet. “No, no. You all continue playing. I’ll see to her.”
A minute later, the older woman with dark eyes and hair just like Daisy’s came out with the baby in her arms, cooing softly to calm her. Her husband, Petter Sorensen, who with his light blue eyes and blond hair had sat quiet and stoic through dinner, almost like a Viking warrior as he stared at Jack with a ferocious intensity, broke his silence to say a few soft words of his own to his granddaughter. Even rubbing the baby’s thick crown of golden hair when Elena came close enough for him to reach over.
It was hard to miss the soft spot the grandparents had for this new baby as well as their own children. Daisy had been pretty lucky. No, they all had been.
A few minutes later, their team declared victory after Cruz, in an attempt to shield Payton from a hard spike, ended up careening into Henry instead, leaving the ball to fall in front of them.
Daisy shouted in victory and in a surprised moment, threw herself into Jack’s arms with such force he nearly fell to the ground before he steadied them both. Since first seeing her tonight, standing at the doorway of her parents’ house in that sleeveless turquoise dress that skimmed her ankles, her dark hair bound up like it had been the first time he’d met her, Jack had been fighting the urge to pull her into his arms and show her exactly what she did to him.
Common sense had told him that mauling her in front of her brothers might be bad form, so he’d refrained.
But now, with the adrenaline still high from the win, her body slightly against him, it felt natural for him to hold her closer and tip her head back so he could kiss her red lips, enjoying the smile that tugged at them when he finally drew away.
It took him another moment to realize that the backyard had grown strangely silent, and he glanced around, realizing that all eyes were on them. The women all shared conspiratorial grins and seemed genuinely hopeful and excited. It was the brothers whose eyes had narrowed perceptibly, their stance almost offensive as they studied him.
Any tension was immediately broken when the kids, who had been playing on the tree swing in the front, came barreling through the house shouting that it was their time to play on the zip line that ran across the length of the backyard. Lily was among them, her eyes shining and happy, and any anxiety he’d felt about this evening completely evaporated.
Her brothers might not be certain what to make of him just yet, but he wasn’t going anywhere so they’d have to grow accustomed to seeing their sister being kissed by a man in love.
In love.
He said it again to himself. Yeah. He was definitely completely head over heels in love.
Not that it was something new, this rush of emotion that hit him when he thought about Daisy. Jack was fairly certain he’d felt this way almost since the moment he’d laid eyes on the woman.
But it was nice to finally admit the truth to himself. He wanted to spend the rest of his life protecting her, caring for her, and always letting her know she was loved.
…
“Sorry, babe. We’ll have better luck next time,” Henry said, draping his arm over her sister’s shoulder, seemingly unaware of the tension in his soon-to-be brothers-in-law.
Daisy met Benny’s eyes, both of them definitely aware of the undercurrents.
Starting with her brothers’ lack of the usual cheap moves they played on any newly introduced boyfriends. It was tradition, a hazing of sorts.
But today’s game had been downright…polite. Not exactly what she or Benny had expected, which was why Benny had taken the initiative and hidden the badminton rackets earlier that day. The men in question, Cruz and Dominic, were being pulled along to the deck by their wives, who seemed to sense they were in dangerous waters.
“Jack,” Natalie called. “Can you come play with us?”
“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Henry asked, feigning outrage.
Once upon a time, Natalie and Jenna were glued to the man’s side, nursing their own little crushes on him, alongside their aunt.
“Come play, too!” Paul called. “You can play with Jenna and Lily. They’re going to need the help.”
“We’ll see about that,” Lily said.
“Looks like you’re going to have your hands full for a bit. I’m going to go help by mom with the dessert. You’ll be okay?” she asked Jack.
“I think I’ll be able to hold my own. You game, Henry?”
Henry, sensing an advantage in having another man in the mix, nodded, leaving Daisy and Benny to make their way into the house.
“So, that was weird, right?” Daisy asked her sister.
“You mean because Cruz and Dominic played like they were coaching middle school kids instead of playing like the Huns they usually do? Yeah. Then again, maybe the security squad lurking around the perimeter had them on their best behavior.”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’ll sort itself out.” They reached the kitchen, where they poured themselves tall glasses of iced tea and sat at the counter. It was the first chance she and Benny had to catch up since her vacation, and she found herself a little nervous at what prying questions her sister might ask.
“How are the wedding plans coming? I feel terrible leaving you in the lurch like that when your wedding is two weeks away.”
“Are you kidding? The wedding plans are a breeze. Payton and Mom have it all under control. I just have to show up and look pretty,” she said, and they both laughed.
Payton loved to plan a good party. It was what she used to do before she enrolled herself in law school to become an environmental attorney. It came in handy since Benny had been the proverbial tomboy growing up, needing to practically be arm wrestled into doing anything girly.
At least until she met Henry.
“I noticed the shiny new car you drove up in. What’s the scoop?”
Right. She hadn’t had the chance to relay this bit of news to her sister. She lifted her glass and took a drink before answering. “It was a gift from Jack.”
Her sister’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding.”
Daisy shook her head. “He claimed to be worried about the old one breaking down on me and the kids again—”
“Which is completely justified,” Benny added before Daisy could continue. “I think we all have been worried about that jalopy for some time. However, what surprises me is that you, the same woman who wouldn’t even take a small loan from her own family to get back on her feet two years ago…accepted it.”
Daisy sighed. Reaching up to the top knot she had her hair in, she released the elastic that had already become slack in the past hour, retwisting the thick rope of hair until it felt neat. And she’d had some time to consider her answer.
“It wasn’t entirely well received, I’ll admit,” she said.
Her sister smiled, shaking her head. “You make it sound like he did something horrible. This is a good thing. That he cares about you and wants to take care of you and the kids. Not that you need to have anyone take care of you”—she added almost hastily—“but it’s nice to know that someone wants to look out for you for a change.”
Daisy just had to hope that Jack had taken her warning to heart, since whether he or her sister believed it, she couldn’t afford to let herself slip back into her old habits of letting someone else call the shots until she became helpless, vulnerable, and entirely too dependent again.
But Benny couldn’t understand this, and it wasn’t worth the long discussion to try and get her to see her point. Fortunately, their mom came in then, having relinquished her hungry granddaughter back to the care of her momma. She squeezed Benny’s shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek before doing the same to Daisy. “So now that the fuss has died away, let me see that ring,” she said.
Daisy held her hand up as her mother and sister stared appreciatively at the stunning green-hued stone. “It’s beautiful, mija.” Her mother looked up at Daisy, studying her. After a moment, she nodded. “It suits you. This man, Jack. He suits you, too, I think. Not that I didn’t have some doubts when Benny told me about the two of you growing feelings for each other in so short a time.” She grinned, caressing the back of her hand against Daisy’s cheek. “But speaking from experience, sometimes we just get lucky and find the one heart that matches our own.”
“Thanks, Mama,” Daisy said, swallowing a lump in her throat. Did her heart really know for sure? Was she ready to give herself so certainly to one man again? “So you two like him?”
Benny nodded. “He seems to be okay. And more importantly, the kids really like him, which speaks well of him since I swear kids have a radar about people. If they like him he can’t be that bad. Even if he is a Republican.”
Daisy laughed. “Henry’s a Republican.”
“Don’t remind me.” She sighed heavily before taking a drink of her iced tea.
“Mama? What do you think?” Daisy asked, more nervous than she’d expected.
“I like how he makes you happy. How your face lights up when you look at him—and more importantly, how his face lights up when he looks at you. And his daughter? Lily? She’s sweet. It makes my heart happy to think that maybe you can offer her the same love you give your kids so generously.”
Daisy exhaled in relief. Having her mama’s approval meant more than she’d thought.
“Now why are you two hiding away in here? Come on, it’s time we rejoin the party. But first, help me grab the ice cream from the freezer. Your father spent the entire day yesterday mixing up gallons of it using the new ice-cream maker that you and Henry bought him for Father’s Day. I’m swimming in ice cream, even with your father’s sweet tooth for the stuff.”
They clambered off their stools and went to the freezer, taking the tubs their mom handed them and, tucking them under an arm, headed back outside.
Setting the tubs on the table, Daisy took a moment to look out over the lawn. Jack was holding onto Jenna, making sure she was ready for him to let her go so she could soar the four feet over the ground that the zip line provided. Nothing death-defying, but certainly enough to give them a thrill.
“Ready?” he asked. Jenna nodded, and in a second she was sliding, her face one of pure joy and triumph.
Daisy met Jack’s gaze and her heart thumped hard in her chest.
It would be easy to get swallowed up in the emotions she felt for this man, emotions that grew each and every day.
Emotions that terrified her, knowing the pain and heartache she’d be in for if some day, for whatever reason, he wasn’t there.