Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) (43 page)

Janette narrowed her eyes. “The what?”

“
Nothing.” She went to the bathroom to hang the towel. “He just wants us to start again. He’s in love with me, and I don’t want to hurt him. Not like I did before.”

“
Did Pete tell you about Nina?” Janette asked.

Daisy stopped at the door. She turned, “Nina?”

“
Nina Stevens. Ya'll all went to school together. Did he tell you?”

“
What would he have to tell me about Nina?”

“
Oh I don’t know. Let’s see…” Janette rose. She put her hands on her hips and the folds to her pink robe fell open. “They’ve been living together out there in Manchester Apartments off Leslie Street for the past two years.”

“
That’s not true.”

“
Yes, baby-girl, it is. In fact, Pete was living with Rosy Tate a few months after he came back to town. They moved to Louisville first. He was working for his brother out there.”

“
Rosy? Out in the trailer park… that Rosy?”

“
Yep. After they split and he kept coming and going I think he was with Missy um… forget her last name.”

“
Melissa Bradon?”

“
Yeah, that’s her. Then he come back again. This time it was to stay, and he hook up with Nina. Been with her ever since.”

“
Wait. Wait… they’re together now?”

“
No. He broke up with her after he found you. Or she broke up with him, not sure on that one, but Sandra said they were getting close to marriage. She said she spoke to Nina’s cousin who said she found a ring in Pete’s things. He was going to propose.”

Daisy didn’t hear the rest. She couldn’t process it. Nina Stevens and Pete, married? It made no sense. Nina wasn’t even Pete’s type. She walked out of the room. She wouldn’t stand there and be watched by Janette and be judged. Not when her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and the corners of her eyes stung with the making of frustrated tears.
Why didn’t he tell her
? Even if they weren’t together anymore, he could have been honest. He owed her that since he demanded so much honesty from her in return.

He wasn’t sitting around pinning over her and wanting her. Hell, she was celibate for five years. He was back at the Creek fucking nasty ass Rosy only after a few months.

And Nina? Nina of all people? He was about to marry Nina?

“
Daisy,” Janette said in a hushed but worried voice. Daisy didn’t bother to look back. She was angry and disillusioned. She needed some space. No. What she needed was answers from Pete.

****

Pete looked at his cell phone. It was Daisy calling. His eyes went to Nina. She stood at the car, glaring.

“
You’re pregnant?”

Stuffing his cell in his pocket, he walked up and crowded her again. He put a hand to the roof of he car to block her escape. “Nina, a baby? My baby?”

“
Yes, Pete, a baby. I found out after you left. I swear I didn’t want to tell you like this.”

“
What do you mean you didn’t want to tell me?”

“
Just move. I want to go to the hotel.”

Pete put the other hand up on the other side of her. She kept looking to the left and the right, trying to avoid his questioning eyes. She was so hurt and he’d done it. He would fix it and put their lives back together. He knew what she needed, and he felt like the idiot for not giving it to her sooner. But before that, he had to let her know how happy she had just made him. “We’re going to have a baby! A little me and a little you.”

Her eyes cut to him. He kissed her softly on the lips. It was so soft that he felt a little forgiveness in the way she responded. Enough to give him hope. Pressing his forehead to hers, he dropped a hand to put his open palm against her flat tummy. “Do you know how happy you’ve made me? Do you?”

“
What about Daisy?”

“
Daisy? She has nothing to do with you and me. Nothing to do with our baby.”

“
Are you serious? You made me sit in there and listen to you go on and on about her and your new daughter for almost an hour.”

“
I made you? What is that, Nina? I didn’t make you come here, and I didn’t make you fall in love with me. Stop trying to end what we have because you’re scared!”

“
Scared? Pete, I’m terrified. I knew it from the beginning that I was walking in her shadow. And I told you it was okay. Now I’m so scared.”

“
Okay. I get it.” He took her face into his hands, stroking her cheeks.

“
No, Pete, you can’t say that this is a good thing and that all this stuff with you and Daisy has changed because I’m pregnant.” She pulled his hands away from her face. “I won’t do this anymore. I can’t! I have more to lose and more to care about.”

“
Hey! Hey! I was in there telling you about Amy, not Daisy. I don’t love Daisy. Do you hear me? I love you. Only you. God, I love you so much… Nina, I do.”

“
Then why didn’t you say that before I told you about this baby?” She shoved him off, opened the car door, and got inside. Pete frowned. He scratched the back of his head and blew out a frustrated breath. “Shit,” he mumbled. Things were really fucked up and moving fast. He could barely keep up.

Going around the car, he couldn’t help but bury his smile. She wouldn’t understand it. She was too angry. But the thought of being a father, with her, was the reality check he needed.

****

Aiden tied the middle of his robe while walking through his suite to his door. He’d called Donovan after he got out of the shower. There would be no sleep tonight. He’d screwed up several business meetings being at Daisy’s all day. The old man was surely pissed with him.

The door opened and Donovan glared. He walked fast on his cane. Aiden sighed and closed the door. Donovan’s attitude would do nothing but damper his mood. Daisy gave in to him tonight, not just physically. He felt her opening up to him. It was blowing his mind.

“
I left several messages.”

"I got each,” he said, dropping his hands in his front pockets and following. Donovan stopped. “The Commissioner voted down our deal. Did you know that?”

Aiden stepped back. “He did what?”

“
He doesn’t take kindly to being ignored, Aiden. You missed two meetings with him. The vote passed in El Arlo’s favor. We’re out.”

Aiden sighed. “Fine, we can—”

“
We can’t. Do you hear me? They voted. It’s done.”

Aiden went to the bar provided in his suite. “Whatever. Then the deal is off. Recoup what you can… bury what you can’t.”

He could imagine the popping sound of Donovan’s eyes jumping out of his skull. Turning, with his scotch in hand, he saw his friend’s face red and puffed with restrained anger. Of course he had offered him a part in the deal if they were able to get past the pesky zoning laws.

“
Since when do you let a deal… this deal… go bad? We’ve been working on this for two years. We’ve already pumped 50 million dollars into this project. We—”

“
It’s over, Donovan. We may recoup some of our investment. If we don’t, then so be it.” Aiden lowered into the comfy cushion of his chair, smiling. Donovan moved around the furniture in a slow stalking pace, bracing on his cane, eyes red and furious. “It’s
her,
isn’t it?”

“
Careful, Donovan. I won’t tolerate you talking against her.”

“
What she do? Let you play house and now you’re a changed man?”

Aiden’s eyes flipped up. He sneered, “I have a family now. Many things will be changing. You of all people should know this. You have a daughter.”

“
That test hasn’t come back yet. And that daughter of mine cost me 40 grand a year to keep in school.”

“
So, it’s money?”

"No, damn it, Aiden! It’s you. Chasing her is one thing. Getting her is another. But you buried a lot of bodies along the way to build this empire. Your enemies are circling. The Shamrock cost more in the upkeep than it does in profit lately. The kingdom goes down without the king.” He pointed his cane. “Too much at stake right now for you to play Daddy, when it’s something you yourself never wanted. Remember Maxine?”

“
Shut up.”

“
I’m the only one that can remind you of who you are and who you
aren’t
. I don’t know why this one is different. I don’t give a shit. There are things—”

“
Don’t you tell me about things,” Aiden hissed. “It’s my fucking company. I built it! I know damn well what it needs to sustain.”

“
Then run it! I can’t get you to concentrate on a simple transaction now. What will happen if that kid is yours? You going to do suburbia here in Mango Grove? Go to the PTA and ballet classes?”

“
Of course not. Daisy and my little girl come with me. I’ll get them whatever they need. She can run the spas in the casino,” Aiden smirked. He liked the idea of them working together. He’d give her cart blanche to do whatever she wanted as long as she was his. What the fuck did he care?

Donovan dropped in the chair. “And if the kid’s not yours. If she has a kid with that Pete guy, are you going to raise another man’s child? Take her and Daisy both?”

Aiden just stared at him.

“
I’m your friend. This triangle between you three is going to end badly. And if it does, you won’t be able to pull back. You and I both know that,” Donovan stated emphatically. He lowered his voice and tried to take the anger out of it. But Aiden saw it all over him. His friend had reached his limit, washed his hands in blood for years and finally they were close to the biggest pay-off. He wanted Aiden Keane back. Well Donovan had no fucking clue who the man before him was, and why would he? Donovan had never seen Aiden in love.

“
You’re being reckless, Aiden, and that’s not like you. Never like you. You always bet on a sure thing.”

“
This is a sure thing.”

Donovan fumed. “You aren’t listening to me anymore. There is no getting through to you.”

"I’m not your fucking son, Donovan! You work for me. For me!! Get out.” Aiden rose, carrying his drink to his room, oblivious to the glare Donovan cut him as he left. He had something more important on his mind; his future with Daisy and Amy.

****

“
I just want to be left alone,” Daisy snapped, walking out of the kitchen with a bottle of water. Janette followed. She went to the sunken living area and dropped down on her white leather sectional sofa.

“
We aren’t done.”

“
I say we are. What is there to talk about? Pete’s a lying jerk,” Daisy snapped.

“
Pete hasn’t lied to you.”

“
Whatever. He never told me he was with Nina Stevens. Here he is making me feel like the town tramp, and he’s fucking everybody in the Hollow.”

Janette dropped down next to her. “I thought you were falling in love with Aiden?”

“
What does that have to do with this? My feelings for Aiden don’t mean I can’t feel anything over Pete… over him cheating on me.”

“
Cheating? He moved on.”

“
It’s more to it than that, Janette! I was damn near on my knees apologizing and feeling guilty. I hated myself for hurting him. He let me think that he lost himself because of me."

“
You need to be honest about what it is you feel. Are you hurt or jealous, Daisy Marie? You were perfectly fine upstairs with thinking that you were the center of those men’s world. Now, you find out differently and—”

“
I’m going to bed.”

“
Sit down!” Janette snapped.

Daisy sat down, jaw tight with anger. She held back what she wanted to say using all the self-restraint she could muster.

“
You’re playing a dangerous game, baby-girl. Pete left Nina for you. That man, Aiden, left here tonight thinking you two are in love. Do you want them battling over you? You keep this up and you’ll lose them both.”