“She definitely said husband.”
Those words aren’t mine, and they definitely aren’t Gwen’s. Eyes wide, I look up from the screen of my phone to find Flynn looking at me with a laid-back smile, as if it’s no big deal that we’ve just dropped a nuclear bomb of truth in the kitchen.
“My Daisy…my strong, big-hearted, independent, doesn’t need a man Daisy is married?”
I look between Gwen and Flynn, and all I can do is nod.
“Daisy! What?! How? I need to know all the details, and I need to know them now. Seventy years of men flowing in and out of my life, and I can’t imagine committing to one of them. And, what? You found someone to do it with in the Yellow Pages? Fill me in here.”
Between one breath and the next, my phone is out of my hands and Flynn’s face is filling Gwen’s end of the camera line.
“Hi, Gwen,” he greets her, still flipping shirtless and only wearing a towel. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m sure you know our Daisy is a bit of a talker.”
Our Daisy?
“That she is.” Gwen smiles through a startled laugh. “Though, she doesn’t seem to be doing a whole lot of it right now.” My cheeks flame, and I move farther out of the camera frame of the call. Oh God. “Maybe you can explain to me how you fit in here—a whole husband I didn’t even know about.”
“I’m Flynn Winslow,” he says without a hint of nervousness in his voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gwen. I know this must be confusing and concerning for you, but I think you’ll understand best if I explain it this way—I’ve never in my life met a woman like Daisy, and I doubt I ever will again. She’s the kind of person you don’t forget, and given the opportunity, she’s the kind of person you don’t let go. Understand?”
“Well, this is quite the surprise,” Gwen comments, in a way that, to me, is completely nonsensical, a tiny shimmer of tears in her eyes, and Flynn smiles.
“It was for my family too.”
“I can’t decide if I’m mad at Daisy for not telling me anything or happy for her. Or maybe both.”
What the hell? I mean, that’s it? She’s just done with the questions?
“I think you’re probably just happy for me!” I blurt out loud enough for her to hear, too relieved to give my inner skeptic any credence.
“I think I am too, but I also think you have a lot to tell me,” Gwen responds, but I take heart in the fact that I can sense a smile in her voice.
“Before I make you give the phone back to Daisy, I have a few questions for you, Flynn.”
He nods.
“Are you taking good care of my girl?”
“Always.”
“Are you financially stable?”
He smiles. “Yes.”
“Any criminal background?”
He shakes his head. “No, ma’am.”
“What if I told you I was going to hire a private investigator to do a secret background check on you?”
“I’d tell you to give him my number and address, and I’d be more than happy to give him all the information he needs.”
“I think I like you, Flynn Winslow,” Gwen eventually responds. “I’m not too happy that you and my Daisy got married without telling me, but I might be able to let that slide.”
Flynn smiles. “I hope you will, Gwen.”
“Daisy?” Gwen’s voice fills my ears, and I know it’s time for me to put on my big-girl panties and stop hiding in the corner.
“Yeah?” I respond and take my phone from Flynn’s outstretched hand.
He pats a gentle hand to my shoulder and mouths, “You okay?”
I nod.
He leans forward to press a kiss to my forehead before heading out of the kitchen and back into the bedroom.
“So, I guess congratulations are in order, huh?” Gwen questions, and I look at the screen to find her raising a pointed brow in my direction.
“Don’t be mad.” I cringe. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but it’s all been a bit of a whirlwind and it never felt like the right time and, yeah, I’m mostly just sorry you’re finding out like this.”
“I didn’t even know you were dating.”
That’s probably because I wasn’t.
“Shoot.” She shakes her head on a sigh, a horn honking in the background. “You’re lucky I have to head out for an art class, but just know, I have a lot more questions for you, missy.”
“Understandable.”
“Before I go, I have one question for you.”
“Ask me anything.” Well, besides why I got married. Don’t ask me that.
“Are you happy?” Her question is so simple, and my answer isn’t as complicated as I would’ve thought it would be.
“Yes,” I answer, and it doesn’t feel like a lie at all. It just feels…I don’t know…right?
“Good. That’s good, darling. If you’re happy, then I’m happy.” Gwen smiles. “Okay, well, I’ll definitely be talking to you soon.”
“Definitely.”
“And one more thing…” She pauses and drops her voice to a whisper. “Is Flynn nearby?”
I shake my head. “In the bedroom. Getting dressed.”
She waggles her brows. “After seeing that man in a towel, I can’t blame you for marrying him. I would’ve done the same.”
“Gwen!”
She winks. “Kisses, darling!”
And then she’s gone, off the screen and leaving me standing in the kitchen, trying to wrap my head around what just happened.
You managed to tell Gwen you’re married…but you didn’t tell her why you got married. So basically, you’re still lying to her…
I lean my head back and blow out a breath.
“You okay, babe?” Flynn’s voice snags my attention, and I find him standing in the kitchen again, but fully dressed for the day.
“I will be once you take me for a big fat pancake breakfast with all the fixins.”
He quirks a brow. “Why do these pancakes seem like penance?”
“Because they are. First, for being an accomplice in my big marriage reveal to Gwen. And second,” I say and pointedly tug the collar of my robe down to show him all the glorious marks he left on me last night. “These.”
He smirks when he sees the tops of my breasts and then shakes his head. “You were going to have to tell Gwen at some point, and you can’t even pretend to not like those hickeys. Astronauts are taking photos of your smile right now from space.”
“Okay, so I might like the hickeys.”
“Then why are you trying to start an argument?”
“Look, Flynn, sorry to break it to you, but you married an occasionally crazy person who sometimes is irrational, and since you were the one who helped me break the news to Gwen and blessed me with all these hickeys and orgasms last night, I’m making you take me to breakfast.”
“Okay,” he says and shrugs. “Pancakes it is.”
No questions. No rebuttals. Not even an annoyed sigh.
Just…okay.
Sometimes, Daisy, this man is so perfect for you, it’s as if you made him up in your head.