Chapter Four
“Take a deep breath,” Jack told her half an hour later, keeping his eyes trained on Daisy, probably afraid she’d bolt if he didn’t. “And exhale. I promise, this will be over in just a few minutes.”
Easy for him to say. He’d done this dozens of times. Stood up there in front of the microphone, cameras trained on his every move, as reporters plied him with tough questions.
But she was a single mom with no political aspiration, just trying to take care of her family. Not give a press conference that every person she knew back home might be watching on their televisions.
“Why do I even have to go out there at all?” she asked, hating the whining tone that had crept into her voice. “You could answer any of their questions better than I possibly could.”
He smiled, pressing his hands on her shoulders and squeezing. “I doubt you’ll have to do much more than smile and nod occasionally. I’ll do all the talking. You just need to be there to help sell the story. Let them know we have nothing to hide. Are you ready?”
Not in the slightest, but as he’d told her, the sooner they went out there and put the gossip to rest, the sooner the buzz would die down and they would be left to enjoy the rest of their vacation.
At least until they returned home, but that was days away and she’d have more time to adjust.
Her hands went to her hair. Crap. She hadn’t even had time to do anything with it, just pulling it up in a quick bun so it didn’t get in the way as she prepared breakfast before she’d dabbed her usual lip color on, sweeping her lashes with mascara.
And her clothes? Well, at least she was wearing one of the few stain- and hole-free capri pants she owned. Her shirt was modest, too, a simple scoop-neck navy tee she knew complemented her coloring.
“You look great,” Jack said, still smiling patiently. “We are on vacation at Lake Tahoe. They’re hardly expecting us to be dressed for anything but the beach.”
It was true, and out of excuses, she resolved to grow a backbone and get this over. “All right. Let’s do this.”
Aunt Glenda and the kids were upstairs again, since, after she’d explained the situation, the woman had promised she’d keep them from under their heels until after the interview. Something that was a huge relief since she didn’t want them to hear the bald-faced lie.
At the front door, Jack turned, his hand held out to take hers. Another wave of panic surged through her as she stared at it. She was really doing this. Calling this man her…fiancé.
He laughed. “You’re going to have to work on hiding your expression if we’re going to sell this. Flinching and grimacing at any ordinary contact is going to be a huge red flag.”
He was right, and she squelched her nerves down again.
This was her fiancé. This gorgeous undeniably charismatic man smiling so softly at her. They had to look like they were in love.
She forced her face to relax and turned the corners of her mouth up in a smile.
“Better. Now,” he said, his hand still out. “Come on. I’ve got you.”
His hand was warm and dry compared to her clammy one, and his fingers tightened as if to reassure her.
Then he opened the door, and they walked out together.
…
“You have got to be kidding. What is all this?” Daisy asked in disbelief as she stared down at the itinerary Stuart had emailed to them. Jack had to admit to feeling a sense of disbelief himself as the list was extensive.
“I’ve taken the liberty of scheduling a few activities for you all this next week,” Stuart answered from the cell phone’s speaker that sat between them. Stuart had been surprisingly supportive of the engagement idea when Jack called to relay the latest turn of events. Actually, excited might be a better description. Almost as if he’d come up with the idea all himself. Which, come to think of it…might hold a kernel of truth.
“A few activities?” Jack asked. Bowling, miniature golf, hiking, kayak lessons, sailing, summer concerts on the beach, fireworks display, hot-air balloon rides, parasailing, not to mention a black-tie fundraiser dinner. “This is supposed to be a vacation, Stuart. The campaign hasn’t started yet. I’ll give you”—he scanned the list again—“half of these activities. I’d like to enjoy some downtime, too.”
Daisy, however, was still shaking her head, her jaw set in a now familiar stubborn line. “A day at Treetop Adventure Park? I can’t afford to take the kids there. In fact, most of the stuff on this list are way out of my price range.”
“You don’t have to worry about it. I’ll pick up the tab,” Jack offered. It was the least he could do under the circumstances and to be honest, he found himself feeling generous where this woman was concerned. A woman who could use a few good things happening in her life, things that he could easily provide if she let him.
“Sorry. I’m more than happy with hanging out with you and your daughter, even doing some outside activities as warranted, as long as they’re within my budget. But no free handouts.” She met his gaze, letting him know she meant business.
Her stubbornness and insistence on complete independence was admirable, even if it was, in his opinion, shortsighted. It reminded him more than he’d like of his late wife, who, even to the end, wouldn’t let him do everything he could for her until it was too late.
For now, however, he’d compromise and let Daisy have that sense of control she needed. “Got it.”
“And I doubt that kayak lessons, parasailing, or any kind of sailing are things I could swing, either, so you can cross those off the list, too,” she warned.
“Okay, so no to the kayaking and parasailing. But maybe we can keep sailing on the table? The Vaughns already own a boat that is at our disposal, and I’m more than capable of taking it out on my own at no cost to anyone. As for the Adventure Park, I promised Lily that I would take her and we already have reservations for Monday. Why don’t we include this as a reward for the kids for getting dragged into this whole mess, just this once. It has zip lines, climbing walls, and tree rope courses for all levels. Your kids would love it, I promise.”
She hesitated and Jack could see her struggle before finally relenting. “Fine, but I insist on paying half.”
He grinned. “Deal.”
Daisy set the list down and reached up to rub her fingers absentmindedly around a gold heart that hung on a chain around her neck. A long graceful neck, he noticed, framed by a few strands of dark hair that had fallen from her bun set high on her head.
“Another thing…” Daisy continued, unaware of his distracted attention. “What about my family? I can’t expect them to lie for us.”
Stuart took this one. “We think that, for the most part, once we’ve broken any illusions there’s some juicy scandal between you two, the attention will return to the real story—that of the governor stepping down and the new cabinet role he’ll be assuming. Jack’s qualifications as the next governor should be a close second.”
“But if they ask?” Daisy persisted.
Stuart sighed, his patience was clearly ebbing as he answered, “Should any reporter reach out directly to you, your kids, or the rest of your family, a simple ‘no comment’ should suffice. Or you can send them to me.”
From the other side of the door, the faint sound of raised voices could be heard as a new argument seemed to have broken out.
“If that’s everything, I should probably get out there to the kids,” Daisy said, heading toward the door. “I promised I’d take them down to the beach hours ago and they’re getting a little stir-crazy with the house confinement.”
“Sounds good,” Jack said. “I’m going to tie things up here with Stuart for a few more minutes. Would you mind if Lily hung out with you until I get there?”
“Of course not. She’s more than welcome to join us.”
“Thanks.” He watched her leave the room as if relieved to have a moment to escape.
He had to admit, that of all the women he’d met in the six years since his wife passed, he couldn’t think of anyone he’d want more to be his fake fiancée for the coming days. Weeks even. Not just because of the woman’s soft but fiery beauty, but also her strength and courage and the fact that he knew every minute with her was going to be a challenge.
Something he was looking forward to, probably more than he should.
…
Half an hour later, a large brimmed hat on her head and a book in her hand, Daisy following the kids down a landscaped pathway to the beach, Natalie and Paul racing in the lead. Jenna and Lily, she noticed, barely looked at each other, both determined to act as if the other one wasn’t there.
She cast a glance to her aunt who gave her a look as if to say she’d fill her in as soon as they were alone. Returning her attention to the landscape before her, Daisy nearly lost her breath.
Unbelievable. They’d been here since last night and this was the first time she’d fully had a chance to appreciate how beautiful it was.
The lake practically shimmered under the afternoon sun, almost brilliant turquoise, bordered by the sharp green of the pine trees. The bright blue sky, now clear of the gray rain clouds of yesterday, seemed bigger and bluer than it was at home. Vibrant. It all felt like a picture that Natalie had just drawn with her brightest crayons.
Daisy slipped out of her Payless canvas shoes and came to the edge to dip her toes in the water.
Freaking A! The water was practically arctic.
But the kids hardly noticed as they splashed around. Hopefully tomorrow the weather would be warmer and the cold water would be more welcome. In the meantime, she’d experience the activity from one of the lounge chairs scattered around a stone-enclosed fire pit, a few yards from the beach.
For a moment, Daisy inhaled the sharp fresh air that always seemed to hover after a storm. Standing here, her feet sinking into the still damp sand, she could finally believe that everything would turn out okay.
They would make this work.
She and Glenda each dragged a lawn chair closer to the kids then took a seat, each temporarily lost in their own thoughts.
For the first time in some time, Daisy was feeling optimistic for the future. She had little doubt that with the future governor’s name on the loan application, the loan would be as good as hers. And then she’d be one step closer to having her dream come true.
A million ideas ran through her mind of what she would do once she held that approval in her hand. Contact the owner of the small corner shop that had a for lease sign in the window for the past five months. Create a list of menu options she’d feature. And most importantly, put her notice in at the bakery where she’d been working for the past year and a half. A place that had first given her a little bit of herself back as she worked in a job that permitted her to do something she loved—baking. There was always something calming about the motion of creaming the butters and sugar, sifting the flours, then blending them together to form a delicious, mouthwatering confection.
Daisy had loved her job and loved the independence she’d gained when she finally made enough money to move her and the kids from her parents’ basement and into their own place more than a year before. But that was when the bakery had been under Gina’s kind and understanding guidance. A woman who, with four grown kids of her own, had understood the difficulties that arose working full-time and raising a family.
But after Gina’s husband suffered a heart attack last Christmas, Gina’d decided to sell the bakery and travel the country with her husband. The new owners, who also managed two other bakeries in the greater Salt Lake area, then put Shannon Murphy at the helm.
Shannon was as different from Gina as night and day. An ambitious rule follower, she didn’t take kindly to any deviation from the established business operations—especially the store’s schedule. Not when it came to requesting schedule adjustments for days off to accommodate doctor and dentist visits, parent teacher conferences, not even for days when Daisy’s kids’ temperatures unexpectedly rose past 102 and she had to stay home. Even being on this vacation was costing Daisy a lot, and she knew she’d be paying for it when she returned.
Then there was the fact that Gina had embraced creativity and introduced menu items that were out of the usual offerings of a bakery. With a mom who had taught her a few things about some of the specialty dishes and ingredients of her home country—Mexico—Daisy had incorporated many of those same ingredients into creating her own special recipes Gina had been happy to sell in the bakery’s front case. Recipes like her Mexican pumpkin bread with a hint of Mexican cinnamon and chili peppers. Or the chocoflan, a decadent layered dessert with gooey chocolate cake on the bottom and a rich creamy caramel flan on the top.
When Shannon came on, Daisy’d been working on making some adjustments to her favorite empanada recipe, mixing up the flavors and ingredients to create both sweet and savory varieties. But Shannon had a put a stop to that—at least in the bakery. She and the new owners preferred consistency and uniformity in the bakery menu. Uniformity that didn’t include any of Daisy’s own creations, no matter how successful they’d been with the customers, a few of whom had put in regular special orders every week until that point.
Ah. It was going to be a wonderful moment when she could walk into work and hand Shannon her apron and keys to the store.
She was pulled out of her thoughts when Natalie and Paul shouted their dismay after the ball they’d been throwing up and down the shoreline flew into the water. But their groans turned to giggles when the small Lab lunged into the water and, a moment later, popped up with the ball in his mouth. The older girls, however, seemed to be in a battle of who could look less impressed.
“What’s the story?” Daisy asked and turned to her aunt who wore a hat that was possibly even bigger than Daisy’s.
“Earlier, Lily said something about not needing to be babysat since she wasn’t a baby. Jenna took immediate offense, of course. Give it time, though. It will pass.” She smiled a little more mischievously as she returned her gaze to Daisy. “To think, even if for just a few weeks, I’m going to be able to have bragging rights to my niece being engaged to the most powerful man in the state. Do you think he might stop by and say hello to the girls in my bridge club when we get back?”
“I think he might have a few other pressing duties he’s going to be handling—”
“But I can check my schedule when we get back and see what we can arrange,” Jack said, nearly sending Daisy jumping from the chair.
How long had he been standing there?
Damn. He really was quite a specimen. A fact she’d been trying to ignore for the greater part of the morning, especially when they were pressed into the close quarters of the study and she’d been sitting so close to him she could smell his clean, masculine scent as it wafted toward her. It was why she’d nearly raced out of there the moment she had a clear excuse to.
The sun reflected off the top of his hair, which was more a mess of dark brown and light golden strands than any one monochromatic color. His eyes were hidden behind the dark lenses of aviator sunglasses—thank God—but the glasses seemed to only highlight the strong angles of his face and the sensuousness of those lips that even now were curved into a smile.
In light khaki pants rolled up so the bottom didn’t brush against the sandy ground, a white linen shirt rolled up around his arms, he was…perfect. And combined with the Vaughns’ home in the backdrop, Jack Harrison had all the grace and confidence of a Kennedy standing on the shores of Cape Cod.
In cheap, well-worn Payless shoes and capris from Old Navy’s last sale, Daisy felt seriously out of her element. How was anyone going to buy into this ruse?
He glanced up and down the near-empty shoreline. “I’m glad this stretch of beach is private. We won’t have to worry about being pestered by any remaining reporters.”
Having spotted her dad, Lily sauntered over, her mouth turned down in obvious frustration. Tall and gangly with light brown hair and a spattering of freckles across her pale face, she was cute if a touch gawky, as all kids her age tended to be. Most of her physical traits bore little resemblance to her dad’s sturdy, strong, and almost golden persona, particularly his warm, easy smile.
Except her eyes. Brilliant and blue, they were definitely his.
“I’m so bored,” she said in a high whiny voice that Daisy well recognized. “Can we go hiking now?”
Jack looked at his watch and then up at the clear sky. “I think we could probably arrange that.”
Paul ran over—obviously having heard Lily’s request—as he asked, his voice high and hopeful, “Mom, can we go with them? Please, Mom?” A sentiment that Natalie repeated a second later, as they both held their hands out and pleaded with her.
“I think we should let Lily and her dad have a moment alone together. Besides, we don’t know how long the trail is or how hard it might be.” Not to mention that the thought of hiking through rocks, dirt, and tick-infested bushes sounded less than appealing.
“The trail is actually a favorite of ours,” Jack said. “It’s not at all difficult and circles up and around to a lookout that gives a pretty awesome view of the lake. Probably won’t take more than an hour to get there and back. You’re all more than welcome to join us.”
“That sounds lovely,” her aunt said first. “Unfortunately, my sciatic nerve seems to be acting up a bit, so I think I’ll take a pass and stick around here. But you guys should go have fun and I’ll hold down the fort.”
Daisy wracked her mind, trying to come up with her own excuse that would save her from accepting his offer. Hiking, camping, or doing anything nature-related, had never been a favorite activity of hers. It was what had sold her on this vacation in the first place—knowing that the Vaughns’ home would be anything but rustic.
Her idea of vacation was sitting by the pool—or lakeside—with a good book and an ice tea, or a margarita, if she was really feeling decadent. A spa trip with a full massage would be the only thing that could top that fantasy.
She sighed. That was why she was here, though. To give the kids a taste of Tahoe to take their minds off what they were missing. She glanced down at her shoes that already had the soles pulling away and a few holes where she could see her toes. Fortunately, the kids all had new, even if off-brand, shoes, since every extra penny went to making sure they had the basics. An occasional coffee from 7-Eleven was the only treat she allowed herself these days.
“Okay. But before we go, I want everyone to run to the house and use the bathroom and add another layer of sunscreen.”
This earned a few squeals of excitement as Natalie and Paul raced back to the house. Jenna followed at a slower pace, but she seemed to be interested in going, if only because she could play with Ollie, who was fast on her heels.
Lily, however, didn’t look as thrilled. “I thought the whole idea of this vacation was for you and me to spend time together, Dad. Why do we have to go with them?”
The girl looked truly hurt and immediately Daisy felt guilty for impinging. She knew that with Jack about to become governor, this alone time was valuable to them.
“I know, honey,” he said. “But they’ve never been here before, they don’t know what to expect. I thought we might make an adventure out of it for everyone. You and I will have some time alone together soon. I promise. In fact, there were a few things I wanted to talk to you about before we go. You don’t mind if Lily and I take a few minutes, do you?” he asked, turning to Daisy.
“Take your time,” she said, swatting at a mosquito that had landed on her arm. “We’ll be up at the house.”
Jack laughed. “You sound like you’re being sent to the gallows. It won’t be that bad, I promise. If you want, I can take them myself.”
Tempting. Seriously tempting, but she was here to spend time with her kids, not foist them on someone else. Plus, who knew what kind of trouble they might get into if she didn’t keep a watchful eye of them. She sighed. “It’s okay. I’ll suck it up. I wouldn’t want to miss the adventure.”
“It will be worth it. I promise,” he said in a softer tone that definitely sent her belly swirling in strange discomfort.
Lord. When she’d agreed to go along with this plan, her focus had been purely on coming up with a solution to the more pressing issue of protecting the kids. She had given little thought to what exactly spending every moment for the next week alongside this man was going to cost her. Or more specifically, what it was going to do to the carefully built wall she’d built around herself since Leo had left her.
Men weren’t supposed to be on her radar, least of all dangerously sexy men who she was expected to publicly call her own.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for her. And her heart.