Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) (9 page)

Pete began to undress too, never taking his eyes off her. She disappeared into the bathroom to wash her face. He heard the tap running in the sink and knew that she was brushing her teeth. He realized he was happy. Despite the past, he had found someone that truly made him happy. With her recent cold indifference, he had to wonder about the risks of losing Nina. It was too hard to imagine waking with her gone, never being able to love on her again. He contemplated it all. Dropping his shirt and tie on the bed, his hand stopped at his belt. His eyes were drawn to the closet, then to the open bathroom door. What if he found Daisy? What then? Could he really find the happiness and peace he has with Nina? Did he want to do battle for Daisy’s heart and spend the rest of his life trying to make them both happy? With Nina it was so easy, effortless. He didn’t have to ‘work’ at it. He didn’t feel so inadequate.

“
If you’re hungry, there are cold cuts in the fridge. Not cooking tonight… got to go to work, third shift,” she mumbled, walking out of the bathroom, tying down her robe. Pete reached for her hand. It felt so small in his. He squeezed it until she looked up into his eyes.

“
Can you call out?”

“
No, Pete. I already missed a day.”

“
One more day. Nina, you have plenty of vacation time. Use tonight and let me take you to dinner. There… there’s something I want to ask you, please.”

Nina stared at him, still very hurt, very tired. He read it all in her weepy eyes. The depths of it shocked him. “Hey, no, don’t cry,” he said, wiping his thumb under her puffy lids. “Don’t cry, not because of me. I’m sorry, Nina.” He pulled her close. She threw her arms around him, her face buried in his neck as she let go.

“
I’m so scared, Pete. I can’t do this. Wondering, waiting for her to show up and you to leave. If you want to find her, then just go.”

“
Nina.” He pulled her gently free. "Look at me. I’m not here by default. I’m here because I’m the luckiest man in the Hollow. The one you gave your heart to.”

She looked down as if she didn’t believe him. He knew why. “Please look at me.”

When she did, he couldn’t describe the protective warmth he felt. It was such a relief to his battle wounded heart. He nodded that he understood. “I never told you what you needed to hear, because I was afraid.”

“
Afraid?”

Pete struggled. He struggled hard with his words. "Growing up, my brothers and father didn't love with words but more with actions. It was different with Daisy. I went all in, and it took me a long time to recover. I guess I fear it because I got that feeling again, the one that makes me weak. Does that make sense?"

She nodded.

He pressed his lips to hers until he felt her soften and come up against him for more. Her sweet plush lips parted and her warm tongue came out in greeting. Pete drew it into his mouth, still holding her. Wanting to just express his love, he decided tonight he would. She was beautiful, his Nina, inside and out. What they had was different from his first love. He understood that now.

His mouth parted from hers and he looked in her eyes when he spoke. “Tonight is all yours. Call out. Put that dress back on. We’re going to Louisville.”

“
But you have to work in the morning too.”

“
Hey. Soon I’ll be my own boss, right? Besides, when was the last time we did anything for us?”

She smiled. “You sure?”

“
Yeah, Nina. I’m really sure.”

She hugged him tight and hurried over to the nightstand to call Bea. Pete wiped the tingle from his lips where her kiss remained. How good she felt. He eyed the closet where the ring was hidden. Tonight would be Nina’s night, in ways she couldn’t imagine.

Walking out, a nagging persistent part of his consciousness tossed Daisy up again. But he forced himself to admit another truth. Daisy was gone. Her choice. If she didn’t come home for her father’s funeral, she’d never return. It was apparent that Aiden Keane couldn’t find her either. Aiden said he was happy that Pete didn’t have her. Well make that the same for Pete. He could take some solace in knowing the dirty bastard couldn’t reach her.

***

“
Telephone, Mr. Keane,” the leggy blonde said. She flashed him a smile and a little cleavage, reaching to hand him the phone. He nodded and she lingered a moment longer, hoping for a mile-high invite. Aiden dismissed her with a look.

“
What do you have, Donovan?”

“
Not much yet. Our people are working on it. I have a man at the spa, but I got word you've called in Mathew Sterling? Who is he?"

Aiden trusted Donovan. However, after a few years into his search for Daisy, he got the feeling that his friend only tolerated his obsession. Mathew Sterling was on his private payroll.

"Aiden? Who is he?"

“
Doesn't matter. The spa is called Jahi? Hmm. Pull back your people and let Sterling handle it.”

“
Why? My man can tail her.”

“
She’s too smart for that. I won’t have you fucking this up! Pull him back now.”

“
I found her for you, Aiden," Donovan sighed. "You think Sterling can get what you need?”

Aiden smiled. “This Salon she's visiting, you say it’s a girl’s dream? That Andria liked it?”

“
Yes.”

“
Full body treatment, toes, nails the works?”

“
Yes.”

Aiden chuckled. “It’s hers. She's not a customer. She’s the owner.”

“
Of Jahi? I doubt it. The place is renowned.”

“
Trust me. I always knew it’s where I’d find her. Pull your men back and start digging into Jahi. Everything you can find out about it.”

“
Aiden, my guy says—”

“
It doesn't matter. She can’t suspect that I’m on to her; not until I’m ready for her to know. Give her space. I want the information ready for me when I land.” He ended the call. A cold wave of satisfaction moved through him. No, he hadn’t thought it out, not fully until now. He didn’t build an empire from nothing to be some pussy whipped chump running to her door and falling to his knees. He’d walk into her life on his terms. After all, he had his fucking pride.

His smile faded, as did his nostalgia. If Daisy had gone to such lengths and avoided the burial of her father, she had changed. The Daisy he knew in Vegas he could handle; naïve, trusting, wanting to please him, Daisy. He remembered the starry eyed beauty full of dreams. That was who she was until he broke her spirit. Now who was she? He had to do something, anything to make sure she wouldn’t close the door in his face and shut him out. But what?

***

“
Mommy, I want to make it up now!” Amy said from her closet.

Daisy glanced at her daughter from her vanity mirror. Her little darling, in a sleep shirt and panties, dragged an old makeup and jewelry bag from the back of her closet. She was pretty strong for her tender age. Daisy watched her struggle while removing her earrings from her lobes. “You mean you want mommy to make you up?”

“
Yes! Can we?”

Daisy loved playing dress up with Amy. Though she was left with globs of product in her hair and face paint fit for a fashion disaster, it was such a great bonding time with her daughter. And Amy was a reflection of her. That worried and inspired Daisy.

Amy was always trying to figure things out for herself, plan ahead for what she wanted, and manipulate her friends and mother into getting her way. At two, she broke her arm, and it scared the hell out of Daisy. She called it the ‘cookie incident’. Since then she kept one eye open with Amy no matter what she did during play time.

“
I’ma do you first,” Amy said, running the zipper along the edge of the case. Her little fingers slipped from the tiny tab as she tried to manage it herself.

Daisy rose from the antique Victorian chair and turned from the vanity to slip off her sundress. She selected an oversized t-shirt from the dresser. "Mama's ready, baby." Daisy lowered to the floor in front of her bed, making sure to rest her back against the footboard. Amy climbed on top. Daisy gave her a little push to help her. She immediately took a comb to her mother’s hair, pulling and raking it through.

“
Is my birthday tomorrow?”

“
No, sweetie. Remember we have it on the calendar. You have six more days.”

“
Six, this many?”

Daisy looked back over her shoulder at Amy's tiny four fingers. She smiled. “Plus two.”

“
Plus two,” Amy nodded. “I can spell my name. I learnt it today.”

“
Learned it,” Daisy corrected.

“
Leeeaarnnned it,” Amy mocked, yanking the comb through her mother’s hair.

“
Okay, spell it for mommy.” Daisy said.

“
Amy… A.M.Y…Amy,” she giggled.

“
Very good.” Daisy clapped.

“
I can spell yours too, mommy.”

Daisy flinched. “Well ah…”

“
Danielle… A. M. Y…Danielle!”

Daisy frowned. How could she not, when her own child didn’t even know her mother’s real name. “Can you count for mommy?” she asked, wincing from another yank to her scalp, as her daughter roughly pulled the comb through her hair.

"Okay... one… two… three… four… six… seven… eight.”

Daisy relaxed to the sing-song sound of her daughter's voice. Amy usually jumped the shark when she reached fifteen, and skipped a few numbers in between. This was her life, and she never knew she'd love it so. Earlier thoughts of motherhood had bored her to tears. She could remember rolling her eyes over the affection her nieces and nephews wanted during her babysitting. Daisy remembered the day she walked into the abortion clinic with Jessiemae to do away with Pete’s child. A sharp pang pierced her heart, and she quickly backed out of that memory. Her eyes misted over. What if she never had her? What if in all her selfishness she hurt herself and couldn't bear children? She bit back the shame. The truth was, she did have her. Amy was her baby. Not Pete’s or Aiden Keane.
Hers.
She’d love and raise her the best way she could.

****

Nina laughed. Pete was so cute when he was trying to play big shot. She knew the deal. Their meal would set them back from their budget this week. He’d be packing a lunch, and so would she.

“
Is it good?” he asked, chewing and grinning.

“
I like the lobster tail. You should’ve tried it.”

Pete pointed his knife at the small square of meat that was once a twenty-two ounce porterhouse. “No, you need to taste this.”

Nina sat back, shaking her head. She watched him swirl it up in steak sauce, drowning out all the natural flavors. “No thanks, Pete. I—”

He held out the fork, the block of meat dripping with brown sauce. A lopsided grin on his face revealed the many beers he ordered. She playfully rolled her eyes but opened her mouth to the offering and drew the meat off his fork with a teasingly slow pull, sauce dropping to her bottom lip.

“
Let me get that!”

Before she could wipe, he reached and pulled her face close, kissing her and licking her lips clean. Nina smiled, chewing and enjoying his offering. All of a sudden, the steak was the best part of her meal.

“
You like?”

“
I like.”

He nodded and sat back, staring at her.

“
Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked nervously, touching her short cropped hair. She was thinking of growing it back. Men preferred hair. If she was to base Pete's tastes on Daisy Johnson, she was sure he preferred longer hair.

“
I like your hair short,” Pete said. He stared at her and she nervously smoothed down her nape.

“
You do?”

“
It was the first thing I noticed. How sexy it makes you. I like the way it feels too,” he smirked.

She felt a wave of flutters like a hundred butterflies trapped in her heart. He complimented her every now and then, mostly before and after sex. Never like this. “Thanks, Pete.”