Daisy Does It All (Clover Park, Book 2) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) (24 page)

Then Max had the nerve to try for her again. “Daze, now that I know you’re single—”

“Don’t even go there!”

“This shouldn’t affect us. It’s Jessica’s fault—”

“There is no us!” She hung up.

She couldn’t believe she’d been falling for his sweet talk, for nostalgic memories of their college days.

Now Liz was poking her head in the bedroom door. “Daisy?”

Daisy didn’t answer, caught up in her memories. Liz must have come in because the next thing Daisy knew, the blinds were open. She blinked against the glare of the winter sun reflecting off the snow. “Honey, it’s nearly noon. Get up.”

Daisy pushed her messy hair out of her eyes. Trav had taken Bryce early this morning, and she’d gone right back to bed.

Liz sat on the end of the bed. “I’m worried about you.”

“Everything’s fine.”

Liz’s mouth formed a straight line. “The power company says we should get power back today.”

“Good,” Daisy said. She could move back to her place. She hated to impose on Liz and Ryan, who were still very much in the honeymoon stage. She felt like a third wheel around here. Though it was better than her parents’ place, where she felt like a total disappointment. And better than staying with Trav, who was still mad at her for saying they weren’t a couple, even though it was the truth.

Liz scooted close and took Daisy’s hand. “You don’t have to pretend with me. I know you’re hurting. But you know what? I don’t think it’s so bad that you described a beautiful house on your blog. You made a lot of people happy imagining such a wonderful place.”

Daisy said nothing.

“And you’re practically married to Trav anyway. He is so devoted to you and Bryce. It’s just a matter of time, right?”

Daisy looked away. “I don’t know.”

“Do you love him?” Liz asked. “Because everything he does for you and Bryce speaks volumes about his love for you. Sometimes men just can’t say the words.”

Daisy snorted, thinking of Trav’s belief in Love, Incorporated. “I wish I could say it was that easy.” She rubbed the satin edge of the blanket between her fingers. “You know I like things easy, but it’s complicated. I love Trav for being so good to Bryce. And I think he loves me because of Bryce too. It’s not the same as if we met each other, just us, and fell in love. We did everything ass backwards, and you can’t change that.” She stared at nothing, deep in thought. “You just can’t.”

A beat passed in silence.

“Since when have you ever done anything in the right order?” Liz asked. “The Daisy I know wouldn’t let that stop her. She’d go for it and the hell with everybody else.”

“This is different.”

Liz pulled back the covers. “Get dressed.”

Daisy yanked the covers back over her. “I know you mean well, but I just want to stay here.”

Liz grabbed Daisy’s arms and pulled hard so Daisy was half hanging out of bed and about to tip out.

“Okay!” Daisy slid to the floor and pulled the blanket over her head.

“I think we need to plot a little revenge,” Liz said.

Daisy grunted.

“That bitch Jessica Larsen won’t get away with this,” Liz said.

Daisy tugged the blanket down and stared. “Liz, I’ve never heard you talk like that before.”

“I’ve never had Jessica Larsen making my sister miserable before,” Liz replied. “I say we egg her limo and then stand outside the studio holding signs that say, ‘Jessica Larsen is a rat.’ Or we start an online petition against defamation journalism!”

“Is that a thing?” Daisy asked.

“Sure,” Liz replied.

“I dunno.”

“We should sue her,” Liz said, rubbing her hands together. Daisy’s eyes widened at this new vengeful side of Liz. “For emotional distress and defamation of character.”

“I don’t want her to know I’m distressed,” Daisy said.

Liz’s face lit up. “I know! Blog about how awful she is in real life. You expose
her
.”

“I don’t want to stoop to her level,” Daisy said. “Though I wouldn’t mind slipping something into her wheatgrass smoothie.”

Liz nodded knowingly. “Ex-Lax.”

“No, even better, a high-cal milkshake,” Daisy said. “Have you seen how skinny she is?”

Liz giggled.

Daisy gave her a small smile. “I appreciate your mad scheming skills, but it’s hopeless. I lied. She found out the truth. I deserve whatever she dishes out on her show.”

“No, you don’t,” Liz insisted. “You don’t have to take this lying down.”

“I’m sitting,” Daisy said, attempting a joking tone. Her cell rang, and she grabbed it off the nightstand. Max.

She put up a finger to her sister and took the phone out into the hallway. “Hi, Max. What’s up?”

“I’m afraid it’s bad news. The piece on you runs tomorrow morning. I’m so sorry, Daze. I feel like this is my fault for reaching out to you in the first place. If it wasn’t for me, Jessica never would’ve heard of you.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s but mine.”

“She talked to a clerk in your town and pulled your marriage license that shows Trav was husband number three and that you didn’t apply for the license until after you got the talk show gig.”

“Anything else?”

“She found out where you live and got a picture of your apartment building.”

“That’s an invasion of privacy!”

“She can’t give out the address, but she can show the building.”

“I hate her.”

“She has footage of Bryce screaming.”

“He’s a baby. That doesn’t prove anything.”

“It all goes into her story of how you’re nothing like you say you are on your blog.”

Her lips formed a tight line. “Can we stop her from running the baby footage?”

“I’m sorry. You signed a release.”

She blew air through her cheeks. “Okay. Thanks for the heads-up. I gotta go.”

“Wait! Are you okay?”

“I’m just great.”

“We can do some P.R.,” Max said. “Spin things in a positive light. I can get the word out through some of my contacts.”

“No, I’m done. Just let it go.”

“I’ll call you again to check in. Bye.”

Before she could say
don’t bother
, he hung up.

She returned to Liz.

“What?” Liz asked.

“
Mornings with Jessica
runs the piece on the great fraud, Daisy Garner, tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry, honey,” Liz said gently.

“Thanks,” Daisy said weakly.

Liz brightened. “Hey, at least no one in Clover Park will see it with the power still…” She trailed off as the lights flashed on and a few beeps rang out as appliances turned back on.

“We’ll boycott it,” Liz said solemnly.

Daisy bit her lip. Time to face the music.

~ ~ ~

Daisy stopped by Trav’s place that afternoon to pick up Bryce and head home to her apartment for the first time since the storm.

“Hey,” Trav said. “You’re early.”

Bryce was in his exersaucer, smacking the springy butterfly and bouncing his little legs.

“I know. I just wanted to get him settled back at home now that the power’s back. Get back to our routine. Would you stop by with his crib and gear from Maggie’s place?”

“No problem.” He studied her. “You okay, Daze?”

“No, I’m not, but I have no one to blame but myself.” She pulled Bryce from his exersaucer, and he threw both fists forward in a little baby hug. She smiled. He wasn’t an easy baby, but she did miss him when he was with his dad.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Trav said. “What’d you do? Write a blog? Since when is that a crime?” He slid the diaper bag onto her shoulder.

He was back to being pleasant and nice. She was surprised after the way they’d left things.

“I lied,” she said. “And
Mornings with Jessica
is exposing me on air tomorrow.”

He shook his head. “What’s she gonna say? Daisy only visits the house she described? Daisy isn’t married? We could get married easily.” He snapped his fingers. “Like that.”

Daisy shook her head, knowing it was too late to fix things. She just had to get through this. “I’ll see you back at the apartment.”

“Sure, I’ll see ya.” He kissed Bryce’s little fist and put his hand up for a baby high-five. “Till later, little man.”

Daisy buckled Bryce into his car seat and drove back to her apartment on the other side of town. She pulled into the parking lot and immediately slowed down. News vans sat in the parking lot, along with a group of reporters with cameras and microphones lining the sidewalk that led to her apartment.
Shit
.

She turned around and headed straight back to Liz’s place.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Daisy Does It All

Single Mom

An Apology to My Readers

Dear readers, thank you for all your support and enthusiasm for this blog. This will be my last post. I wanted to reach out before the news hits tomorrow. I lied about my perfect life. The truth is, I’m a single mother living in a messy one-bedroom apartment. I work as a waitress at my parents’ restaurant. It’s not glamorous or fun. In fact, my baby is both a delight (to me) and an exhausting screamer.

It was my own shortcomings as a mom and in the life I provided for my son that led me to dream of something better. I channeled those hopes and dreams into my blog, sharing my fantasy with all of you, pretending it was real.

I am so, so sorry.

If I have made anyone feel less than, like they couldn’t measure up to my perfect life, I don’t want you to feel that way. We’re all doing the best we can with what we’ve got. Some of us pull that off better than others.

Tomorrow on
Mornings with Jessica
, you might see the apartment building I live in. You might hear me admit that I lied on a recording that Jessica made on a recorder that she had hidden in her hand. You might even see some footage of my baby, Bryce, screaming (as he does every night). These were not things I agreed to when I signed up to appear on
Mornings with Jessica
. For this reason, I will not be tuning into the show.

That is not to say that I blame Jessica or her show for exposing my lies. I take full responsibility for those lies here and will not comment further in the press.

Sincerely,

Daisy Garner

~ ~ ~

Trav tuned in to
Mornings with Jessica
and watched grimly as Jessica morphed from perky host to aggressive investigative journalist. Daisy had already told him she wouldn’t be watching.

Jessica looked directly into the camera, an expression of sadness on her face. “I had hoped to bring you a piece today on the woman behind
Daisy Does It All
. I had hoped to show you her beautiful family. Darling Husband. Baby Delight. Their beautiful home. Sadly, I cannot. Why, you ask? Because it is all a lie. Take a look.”

She turned to a screen behind her. Daisy’s blog post apologizing for the lies came up.

Trav cursed. They used Daisy’s own blog against her.

Jessica read the post aloud emphasizing all the wrong parts—
lied
,
exhausting screamer
,
pretending
.

“I’m afraid that’s not all,” Jessica said, looking into the camera. “I was not allowed to play the recording I have, but I can read you a transcript in Daisy’s own words. And I quote, ‘I’m sorry. It just sort of happened. I made up the perfect life.’”

Jessica raised her brows. “I don’t know about you, but things don’t just sort of happen in my life. If it happened, there was purpose behind it. Intention. The home that Daisy lives in is not a beautiful Victorian that she lovingly tends, instead, it’s this.”

The screen flashed to a picture of Daisy’s apartment building. Trav pounded a fist against the sofa. “They can’t show that!” he yelled at the TV. “That’s endangering her and Bryce!”

“Her husband…doesn’t exist,” Jessica continued. “In fact, we learned that Daisy applied for a marriage license after she booked her appearance on my show. Trying to cover up her lie after the fact.”

Footage rolled of the town clerk, Sally, speaking into a microphone. “Yes, it’s true. Daisy and Trav applied for a marriage license on February seventeenth.” She lowered her voice. “And, just between you and me, it was marriage number three for Daisy.” She straightened and jutted an ample hip out. “But I was rooting for the two of them to make it. It’s so sad they never went through with it.”

Trav couldn’t believe it. Sally had ratted them out. The woman couldn’t resist gossip, but still…to talk to a reporter about them. Unforgiveable.

Jessica went on. “This is the kind of relationship Daisy really has with the man who fathered her child.” She turned to the screen behind her. He watched himself rushing the camera and covering it with his hand. Daisy yelling, “Trav, stop it! You’re making a fool of yourself!”

Jessica replayed Daisy yelling three times, and each time Trav felt his rage build. How dare she? This was all out of context. He’d rushed the camera when Jessica kept pushing them for details on their sex life.

“And let me show you Baby Delight,” Jessica said in a stage whisper. Footage rolled of Bryce in full throttle screaming mode.

Dammit. They couldn’t show Bryce, could they? Then he remembered they’d signed a release for the whole family to appear. This looked like the tail end of their interview time. He remembered when Bryce had started crying. He thought the cameras had stopped rolling.

Jessica cringed. “Ouch. And here’s some footage we shot before we realized none of what Daisy Garner says is true.”

On the screen, Jessica asked them about their first date, and they came up with two different answers. Trav stood, his hands in fists. Jessica had no right to run Daisy over the coals like this. He watched to the bitter end as Jessica milked the footage she already had to the fullest, commenting on the truth, comparing it to the lies they’d told. Finally, Jessica finished.

“Shame on you, Daisy Garner, for making decent, hardworking moms feel less than compared to your glamorous, yet fictional life.” She shook her head sadly, then turned to the camera with a fake smile set in place. “Stay tuned for weight loss tips from Dr. Larry that really work.”

Trav shut off the TV and headed straight for Shane’s shop. His brother was friends with a lawyer. They had to be able to sue for this. Jessica had no right to completely humiliate Daisy like that on national television for one stupid mistake on a stupid blog.