Willow Smoke (69 page)

Daisy
removed
her
working
gloves
and
shook
her
head.
“No,
I
better
be
getting
back. I’ve got a lot of sorting yet to do.”

Cassie
sighed
and
leaned
against
the
fender
of
the
truck.
“Don’t
expect
we’re
talking
about
odds
and
ends.”

Giving
her
friend
a
faint
grin,
Daisy
replied,
“Not hardly. I’ve got to get out of that
place,
Cassie.
I’m
sorry,
I
didn’t
mean
to
shout,
and
I
know
you
like
Nick
a
lot.
But...”

“Listen
to
me,
Daisy.
I’ve
made
it
clear
to
you
and
to
Nick
that
I
will
support
you
no
matter what you choose to do. What I think about Nick doesn’t matter. It’s
what
you
think
that
does.”

“I know, but that doesn’t
make it any easier.
I just feel like
I’m suffocating. There’s too much clutter in my life. I can’t even find my damn
clothes.”

Chuckling,
Cassie
quipped,
“That’s
probably
a
bigger
problem
for
you
than
for
Nick.”

“Right.”
She
paused
and
squinted
at
Cassie.
“Do
you
think
he
loves
me?
He
says
he
does.”

“Do
you
think
he
does?”

Daisy
banged
a
hand
against
the
pickup
door.
“You’re
answering
questions
by
asking
questions.
Are
you
going
to
be
my
social
worker,
my
mother
or
my
friend?”

Moving
closer
to
Daisy,
Cassie
squeezed
her
shoulder.
“I’m
sorry,
I
know
how
you
hate that. But I can’t really say. I know Nick thinks he loves you. But
does it feel like it to you—not in your head, but in your heart?”

Daisy
took
a
deep
breath
before
answering.
“I
don’t
know.
I
don’t
know
what
I’m
feeling anymore. One minute I think I must
be
in
love
and
the
next
I
think
I’m
a
fool.”

“So
we’re
really
questioning
you
being
in
love
with
him.”
Cassie’s
lips
turned
up.
“It’s
okay
to
question
such
an
emotion.
My
goodness,
there
probably
isn’t
anything
more
powerful
or
far
reaching
than
love.”

“But
that’s
just
it.
I
don’t
even
know
what
love
is
supposed
to
feel
like.”
Daisy
sagged
until
she
sat
on
the
running
board.
“I’m
such
a
mess.”

“No
more
so
than
much
of
the
population
that struggles with intimacy.
Listen,
Daisy,
I
think
you
were
wise
to
prepare yourself
about
sexual
matters
by
reading
and
watching
videos,
but
they
probably
didn’t
do
much
to
teach
you
about
love.”

Daisy
scowled.
“I’ve
only
been
around
one
couple
who
I
think
is
really
in
love,
and
that’s
you
and
Clint.
Maxine
hardly
counts. And
you
guys
seemed
different.
I’m
not
you, Cass.”

“And
you
shouldn’t
be.
You
have
to
be
yourself
in
matters
of
love,
as
in
working
with
horses
or
with
anything
else.
I
hope
we’ve
helped
you
feel
loved,
but
I
expect
there
remains
a
large
hole
for
you.
Maybe
you
expect
too
much
of
Nick
and
too
little of
yourself.”

“Now
what’s
that
supposed
to
mean?”

“Maybe
you
expect
him
to
fill
that
hole
by
himself. I’m not saying you do, but if
that’s
what’s
happening
then
you
may
need
to
rethink
your
own
role
in
a
love
relationship.
It
takes
two
people
to
truly
experience
a
loving
relationship.”

“I
think
I
know
what
you’re
getting
at.”
Daisy
closed
her
eyes
and
paused.
“I’m
not
sure I’m ready to give as much as he
needs, or even as much as I need.”

“And
maybe
that’s
the
answer.
Maybe
you’re
not
ready.
That
doesn’t
make
you
the
bad guy, nor Nick
either for that matter.”

Daisy
pushed
herself
up
from
the
running
board
and
brushed
off
her
jeans.
“You
may
be
right,
Cass.
You’ve
given
me
even
more
to sort through. Thanks. But I do
have to go. Make sure Hip sixty-four doesn’t get into trouble.”

“I’ll
do
that.
Now,
you
give
me
a
hug
before
you go. I won’t tell you to stay out of
trouble.
It
seems
to
be
finding
you
these
days
without
you
looking
for
it.”

“That’s
for
sure,”
Daisy
whispered,
hugging
the
smaller
woman
who’d
thrown
her
a
lifeline
on
more
than
one
occasion.
Yes,
she’d
think
on
her
words.
Carefully.

Maybe
she
just
wasn’t
ready
to
decide.

“So
you’ll
be
leaving
us
soon.”

Daisy
peered
at
Mary
Brown.
How
had
that
woman
read
her
mind
again?
Having
showered
and
dressed,
Daisy
had
been
trying
to
decide
whether
to
pack
before
talking to Nick
or after. It might be
safer
to do so
before, but if he found out she
was
all
packed
he
might
be
wounded
more
than
she
wanted.
This
wasn’t
going
to
be
a
painless
departure,
but
she
didn’t
want
to torpedo their entire future
either.

Mrs.
Brown
stood
in
Nick’s
bedroom
doorway
with
her
feet
spread
wide
apart.

Closing
the
closet
door
before
answering,
Daisy
turned
and
said,
“Yes,
I
need
to
get back to my place. I’ll be closer to
help
Maxine.
And...well, I just need to be
there.”

To
her
surprise,
Mary
Brown
chuckled
and
entered
the
room.
“I’m
not
gonna
bite
your head off.
Mr. Nick’s the one you gotta worry about. Not me. Just be careful,
girl.
There’s
too
much
evil
lurking
around
you.”