A Cowgirl's Secret

Chapter Eleven

“Congratulations,” Vera said early the next morning. “My sellers accepted your offer.”

“Eek.” Daisy did a happy dance in her office desk chair. Considering the amount of work she had ahead of her, she should’ve been terrified, but all she could focus on was the end result of raising Kolt in such a grand old home.

“I’ll be over this afternoon with final documentation, and even though we already know of a few existing trouble spots, I still recommend getting a professional inspection for possible foundation issues.”

After settling on a time to meet, Daisy tried concentrating on the few projects Barb had sent her way, as well as several more pro bono cases she’d taken, but she had a hard time concentrating when all she really wanted to do was start scraping and painting.

She called her mother to share the news, and then Wren and Josie.

Kolt would have to wait until after school.

As for the one person she most wanted to tell, Daisy knew she shouldn’t call Luke. Every time she spoke to him it was akin to ripping off a bandage a tiny bit at a time. He meant so much to her, but she wasn’t entirely sure why. Yes, they’d been the quintessential high-school sweethearts and shared a child, but beyond that, they were strangers. He knew nothing of her dreams or goals and she didn’t know his.

So why was it that whenever he was near—as he’d been the day they’d been out house-hunting—she was constantly checking herself to make sure she hadn’t inadvertently brushed against him or too often said his name?

Exhausted from overanalyzing every little thing in her life, Daisy pushed back her chair and stood at one of the windows overlooking the town’s busiest street.

All seemed normal in Weed Gulch, so why did she feel uneasy? Expectant? Maybe she shouldn’t have put an offer in on the house?

There she went again, second-guessing. But why? Why couldn’t she accept her lot in life and be happy?

With all of her secrets finally in the light of day, with Henry, she hoped, far, far away, at times her overall satisfaction meter felt unbearably full. Other days, the weight of what, in Luke, she hadn’t lost but had practically given away, felt crushing. The trick was not dwelling on the past. She had Kolt and the rest of her family, and a dilapidated house that might as well be a second child.

Deciding fresh air might help her mood, Daisy powered down her computer, grabbed her purse and keys and locked up.

Outside, she winced at the bright sun.

The heat blasted her as if she’d stuck her head in an open five-hundred-degree oven.

She climbed into her car, only to be that much hotter.

Damn, this stupid weather. When she’d talked to Barb that morning, she’d reported it raining and seventy-five degrees. Should she back out of her house deal and just go home? Would San Francisco still feel like home?

Arching her head back, she groaned, only to have an image in the rearview mirror catch her eyes.

On the back window, someone—no doubt, Kolt—had scrawled:

I See You.

Grinning, she started the engine and backed out of the lot. All of her worries were unfounded. What she needed to do was relax and fully embrace this new chapter in her life. As for Luke… Daisy had no choice but to be satisfied without him.

WEED GULCH GOSSIP had it on good authority that Daisy had gotten her house. On that evidence, Luke had stopped by Reasor’s for a big bunch of flowers and was now headed up the Buckhorn Ranch main drive.

In all the years he’d known the family, he’d rarely knocked before entering and this time was no exception.

“Hello?” he called once inside.

When no one answered, he followed the sound of laughter and found the whole clan grilling hamburgers by the pool. Just as he had when facing the prospect of Daisy moving into her new house without him, Luke felt irrationally slighted by not having been invited to the cookout.

Forcing a smile, reminding himself this was a place where he’d always been welcome even without a formal invite, Luke asked the chef, “Is it too late to get mine medium-rare?”

“Long time no see,” Dallas said, backing up when fat from the meat caused the gas flame to flare.

“Cooking burgers or your facial hair?”

“Little of both,” Josie teased, slipping her arm around Dallas’s waist, “just think of it as bonus protein.”

“I’ll try.”

As much as Luke enjoyed horsing around with his old friend, he searched the back porch and pool area for Daisy and his son.

“Looking for someone?” Dallas asked, a smile lighting his eyes.

Luke tossed the flowers on the table. “Nope. Just you.”

“I’m flattered. But in case you have a hankering to see my sister and nephew, they’re upstairs, getting into their swimsuits. Wanna borrow trunks?”

“Sure.” Had Dallas noticed Luke’s relief? Why, Luke couldn’t say, but lately he’d craved Daisy and his son more than his favorite brand of ice cream sandwich. “Your mom still keep a bunch of them in the pool house?”

“You know it.”

A few minutes later, Luke ditched his jeans and T-shirt to step onto the diving board he hadn’t played on in years.

“Cannonball!” Dallas shouted from the grill.

“Don’t you dare!” Daisy called from the shallow end. “I don’t want wet hair.”

As a kid, Luke would’ve ignored Daisy’s wishes, going so far as to get her as wet as possible. But as a grown man, he dove cleanly into the tepid water, surfacing with barely a splash feet from where she stood. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.”

Just looking at her, he couldn’t help but smile. She’d piled her hair high in a messy bun, and still had curves in all the right places. Her black bikini didn’t leave much to the imagination. “Remember the last time we went swimming?”

“Shh,” she admonished, cheeks flaming. “You promised never to speak of that again.”

“But it was fun.”

“Luke!” Kolt rocketed out of the French doors. “We’re having a barbecue party ’cause we got our new old house. You wanna have hamburgers with us? I told Mom we should ask you, but she said you probably wouldn’t wanna come.”

“This true?” Luke asked his son’s mom.

Daisy focused on retrieving the beach ball floating nearby. “I know you’re busy.”

“Never too busy for a party.”

She rolled her eyes. For his ears only, she asked, “Do you intentionally send out such mixed signals, or is toying with me your favorite game?”

“What are you talking about?” Her question genuinely confused him.

“The way one minute you’re shamelessly flirting, and the next, telling me how we don’t stand a chance even as friends.”

“I wasn’t flirting,” he protested, slicking the water back from his hair. “Hell, I wouldn’t even know how.”

“You are so full of yourself.” She whisked her hand over the water just hard enough to give him a light splash.

Jumping back, he warned, “Watch it. For a woman wanting her hair to stay dry, you’re playing with fire.”

“Mom!” Kolt hollered from the diving board. “Watch me!”

Shielding her eyes from the sun, she called, “I’m watching, sweetie!”

Hopping on the end of the board, Kolt said, “Luke, you watch, too!”

“Okay, bud! Show me what you’ve got!”

Kolt’s dive wouldn’t land him in the Olympics any time soon, but Luke’s chest swelled with pride all the same.

“That was great,” he said when Kolt popped up from under the water. “You’re really good.”

“Thanks.” Kolt beamed.

“Sweetie,” Daisy said, “show Luke your fancy dive.”

“Okay!” While Kolt repositioned himself for another show, Luke studied Daisy—the way her whole face fairly glowed, watching their son. For each year she’d been gone, she’d grown infinitely more beautiful.

“Hold on tight for this one,” she advised. “It’s a pretty awesome move.”

Kolt ran off the board, giggling and wiggling. Any reputable judge would’ve scored him a zero. In Luke’s eyes, however, his kid had earned a solid ten.

“You’re amazing,” Luke said when Kolt swam his way.

“Really think so?” Kolt asked.

“Absolutely. You’ll need a pool at your new house so you can keep practicing your moves.”

Kolt’s reaction to the suggestion was to give Luke a huge smile and an ambush hug. “We’ll put the pool right by our tree fort. You need to help me pick where they’re gonna go.”

With his son still clinging to him, for Luke, time slowed and then froze. Daisy grinned at him from where she sat on the pool steps and in that moment, Luke had never felt more complete. Yes, Daisy had screwed up royally by not immediately telling him she was pregnant, but was Luke prepared to toss away what could potentially be a great future all because of fear? If so, how was he any different from Daisy who had kept Kolt’s existence from him for the very same reason?

“You two men look handsome together,” she said.

“I don’t know what you think,” Luke said to Kolt, “but I’m thinking your mom is pretty gorgeous.”

Kolt made a face. “You’re not gonna kiss her, are you?”

“I hope not,” Dallas said with an odd tone. “Because the burgers are done, meaning all of you slackers need to get out of the water.”

All through dinner, Luke couldn’t shake the feeling that his friend didn’t approve of a potential rematch between him and Daisy.

When the ladies volunteered for KP duty, Luke seized the opportunity to ask Dallas what was on his mind. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not a big fan of the idea of me and your sister giving things another shot?”

“Because I’m not.” Dallas eased onto a chaise lounge, resting his arms behind his head. “Bet it’s going to rain tomorrow. The knee I twisted in that ice storm a couple years back hurts like hell.”

“Nice try at avoiding the issue,” Luke said, sitting in the chair beside him, “but I would’ve thought you of all people would support a reunion.”

“Used to think I would,” Dallas said. “But after this business with Henry, Daisy’s messed up. She’d have to be to keep you from your son.”

“Yeah,” Luke said. “I agree.”

“Which proves my point.” Dallas winced while repositioning his leg. “Seems to me you’d be better off going with someone new. So would Daisy. The two of you together?” Dallas shook his head. “Never work.”

“You’re pissing me off,” Luke said, his whole body tensed. “I’ve known you my whole life. You know the kind of solid man I am. What makes you think for a second I couldn’t make Daisy happy?”

Gazing across the glassy pool, Dallas said, “I don’t for a second doubt that. What worries me is that you even have to ask. Used to be, when it came to Daisy, the two of you just did whatever you wanted. To hell with what anyone else thought. Now, you’re too mechanical about it. For the sake of your son, I think part of you wants to be with his mom, do the whole perfect family routine, but wanting isn’t enough. You have to need it. In here.” He patted his chest.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Dallas the philosopher.”

“Mark my words,” his supposed friend said, “you go into a relationship for any reason but love, you’re either going to get burned or light the fire. Either way, no one’s getting out alive.”

“Nice.” Rising, Luke said, “Remind me next time I need a friend to look elsewhere.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

After changing back into his jeans and T-shirt, Luke bypassed Dallas on his way into the house. He found Daisy putting leftover tomato and onion slices in a plastic container. Bonnie and Betsy sat at the kitchen table struggling with math homework. “Thanks for dinner,” he said, “but I’ve gotta go feed my horses.”

“Sure,” she said. “Rub some noses for me.”

“Will do. Where’s Kolt?”

“Upstairs changing.” Putting the tub in the fridge, she added, “He’s got spelling words to practice.”

Not entirely ready to leave, yet not sure what else to say, Luke nodded. “I, ah, got you flowers. They were on the table outside.”

On her way to stash leftover buns in the pantry, Georgina said, “I wondered who those were from. I already put them in water.”

“Thanks,” Daisy said. Luke couldn’t tell if she’d meant the sentiment for him or her mom.

“Thought you had to feed your horses?” Bonnie glared up at him.

“I do,” Luke said. “What’s with the mean look?”

“You ate the last scoop of potato salad and everyone knows that’s my favorite.” Hands on her hips, Bonnie resembled a pint-size linebacker, itching for a fight.

“Yeah,” her twin, Betsy, chimed in. “Everyone knows.”

Hands up, Luke said, “Sorry. Next time I won’t take a single bite.”

“Better not,” Bonnie said with an extra-fierce scowl.

“Knock it off.” Georgina gave both girls swats on their behinds in passing. “Daisy, why don’t you walk our guest to his car.”

Safely in the living room, Luke asked his escort, “They this territorial about other things?”

Laughing, Daisy said, “As far as I can tell, they don’t like sharing cookies or deviled eggs, either. If you have a hankering for brussel sprouts, you should be safe.”

“Good to know. Thanks for the intel.”

Outside, serenaded by the cicadas’ rise-and-fall song, Luke was again struck with the notion that he didn’t want the night to end. His quiet cabin didn’t hold its usual appeal.

“I never asked what brought you by,” Daisy said.

“I heard through the grapevine that you got your house. Wanted to congratulate you.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Her faint smile contained layer upon layer of meaning Luke wasn’t equipped to decipher. Why couldn’t women be as easy to read as horses? “I was pretty jazzed.”

He asked, “When do you close?”

“End of the week. For the deal I got, I’m paying cash from my trust. Without loans, it’s a simple transaction.”

Looking to his boots, then back to her, he asked, “Once you’re in, think I might be able to help?”

“Sure.” A light breeze caught her hair, floating it back from her face. Superhuman restraint was the only thing keeping Luke from grazing his fingertips along her cheeks to sweep those loose strands behind her ears. “Kolt and I will need every willing body we can find.”

“Good. I want to be there—for both of you.”

“While I’m grateful for the offer,” Daisy said, “I’m also a little suspicious. What happened to your solid stance on staying away from me?”

Good question.

“Look,” he said, hands crammed in his pockets, “I’ve never claimed to be perfect. Occasionally I say things I probably shouldn’t. I’m not saying I’m ready to settle down with a white picket fence, but what could it hurt if we spend time together—like a family?”

“Don’t…” Daisy’s smile faded. “It’s not fair for you to insert yourself into every aspect of our lives without commitment. Now that you’re a part of Kolt’s life, he’ll expect you to stay.”

“Which is exactly what I’m offering.”

“No.” She smacked her palm against the hood of his Jeep. “What you want is to play house, but I’m not interested. More than anything, I crave a lasting relationship, a man to hold me in the quiet of night, but I’m not desperate. Not nearly ready to beg for a man’s crumbs.”

“You’re being ridiculous.” Taking his keys from his pocket, Luke rounded to the driver’s side of the car. “First, I never offered anything—let alone, crumbs. Second, this has nothing to do with you and me, but with me and my son. I have a right to spend time with him.”

“Of course you do.” Tears pooling in her eyes told him he didn’t have a right to toy with her heart. But he failed to see how hearts even entered into it. Was this one of those cryptic woman things?

“Thank your mom for dinner,” he said.

Daisy crossed her arms as if hugging herself.

“Sharing Kolt doesn’t have to be complicated,” Luke said. “You’re making a bigger deal out of it than need be.”

“Just go.” She turned away from him to wipe her eyes.

For the life of him, Luke couldn’t figure what Daisy wanted. She was the one who’d left him. She’d kept his son a secret for ten years. From where he stood, he was the injured party.

“Please, Luke…”

Bracing his hands on the edge of the car’s roof, he said, “I don’t know what you want from me. I’m offering all I have to give.”

Turning her back on him, she marched up the front porch stairs.

“Real mature, Daisy! We’re having a conversation here!”

She entered the house and closed the door behind her, audibly ramming the dead bolt.

Luke kicked his tire.

Honestly, the woman hadn’t matured one iota since turning fourteen. He was sorry for what Henry had put her through—more than he could ever adequately convey, but that didn’t give her the right to play with him like this.

One minute, her smile put him on top of the world. The next, her pretty pout kicked him to the gutter. Where did that leave him? The last thing he needed was drama.

What did he need?

After this latest encounter with Daisy? A good, stiff drink.