Willow Smoke (90 page)

One
thing
Reggie
didn’t
have
to
worry
about
was
her
telling
Nick
about
their
arrangement.
This was her family that
was
causing
all
the
trouble,
and
she’d
deal
with
them
one
way
or
another.
Why
had
Reggie
and
Maxine
been
easier
to
handle
when
she
was
dirt
poor?
Reggie
was
right
about
one
thing—he
and
Maxine
were
her family.

Daisy
gingerly
touched
the
rising
bruise
circling
her
left
breast.
She
squeezed
her
eyes
shut.
Family
didn’t
do
this.
Reggie
was
no
more
a
blood
relative
than
the
man
in the moon. Or the cow that jumped
over
the moon. Daisy shook her head. Was
she
going
crazy?
If
this
pressure
cooker
didn’t
drive
her
crazy,
nothing
would.

“Damn,”
she
muttered,
“Nick
will
be
home
soon.”
Stepping
out
of
the
shower,
Daisy
dried
off.
She
put
powder
on
her
bruise,
but
she
knew
Nick
would
notice
it
before
it
went
away.
She’d
have
to
concoct
a
good
story
to
explain
the
discoloration.
She
shuddered—that
was
so
like
Maxine.
She
was
becoming
too
good
at
lying,
at
not
telling
the
whole
truth.
No
wonder
Nick
couldn’t
trust
her.
Hell,
she wasn’t sure she could trust herself any more.

Nick
had
raced
home
as
soon
as
he’d
heard
that
Reggie
Lassiter
had
shown
up
there.
He
failed
to
understand
why
Clint’s
man
couldn’t
intervene.
Clint
had
explained
that
the
detective’s
hands
were tied
unless
Reggie
had
tried
to
break
in.
Someone
from
the
inside
had
opened
the
door.

That
someone
had
to
be
Daisy.
Mrs.
B.
wouldn’t
let
the
man
in,
and
she
would have
told
him
about
Lassiter
ringing
their
doorbell.
Daisy,
however,
remained
silent and
distant
throughout
supper.
She’d
said
she
had
a
lot
of
work
to
do
and,
after helping
clear
the
dishes,
she’d
disappeared
into
the
upstairs room that she’d set up as a
makeshift
study/office.

Getting
up
from
the
desk
in
his
study,
Nick
scanned
his
bookshelves.
Too
bad
there
wasn’t
a
book
that
could
provide
a
clue
to
what
really
made
Daisy
Matthews
tick.
She
loved
him;
he
was
assured
of
that
now.
She
needed
him
about
as
much
as
he
needed
her,
but
there
was
still
a
heavy
chain
that
held
her
back.
And
he
wasn’t
entirely
certain
that
Reggie
Lassiter
was
the
complete
problem.

Lassiter.
The
bastard.
Nick’s
fingers
balled.
What
he’d
give
to
be
alone
in
an
alley
with the creep. If they didn’t get him soon, he might have to
take matters into his
own
hands.

Nick
ran
a
finger
down
the
spine
of
a
book. Lassiter
wasn’t
the
only
factor
holding
Daisy
back.
She
simply
seemed
unsure
about
making
a
lifelong
commitment.
Nick
squinted
at
the
small
lettering
on
a
book.
Maybe
that wasn’t too surprising.
Other
than
Cassie
Travers,
everyone
who
had
mattered
to
Daisy
had
died
or
left
her
when
she
needed
them
most.

Slamming
his
fist
against
the
wall,
Nick
muttered,
“I’m not leaving. Why can’t
she
trust that? What more do I have
to do to earn her trust?”

“You’re very quiet
tonight. Was it
something
I
did?”
Nick
asked,
crawling
under
the
covers
and
cradling
Daisy.

“No.”
She
sighed
against
him.
“I’m
just
a
little
preoccupied.”

“Care
to
tell
me
about
it?”

He
sensed
her
hesitate.
Her
breath
seared
his
bare
skin.

“There’s a lot of work
for my class. We
have
a
horse
off
his
feed
badly.
The
vet
hasn’t been able to figure out his problem yet. I want to stay at the
apartment the next few nights. It’s so much further to
commute to the library and the track from here.”

Nick
stiffened.

She
circled
his
nipple
with
a
finger.
“It’ll
only
be
a
few
days.
I’ll
get
my
paper
written;
then
I’ll
be
back.”

“That’s
what
you
want.”

“Yes,
it’s
what
I
need.
I
do
love
you,
Nick,”
she
whispered.
“Don’t
question
that.”

He sighed. “I know. And
I love you more
than
I can ever say.
It’s just that I’m not
sure
what’s
happening
anymore.”

“Welcome
aboard.”

Nick
leaned
over
and
brushed
his
lips
across
her
forehead.
She
inched
away.
Now,
what
the
hell.
She
wasn’t
telling
him
about
Reggie
paying
her
a
visit.
She
wanted
to
be
away
from
him
for
a
few
days.
And
she
was
withdrawing
from
his
embrace.

“Do
you
have
something
else
on
your
mind?”

“No,”
she
yawned.
“I
guess
I’m
just
exhausted.
It’s
been
a
hard
week.”

“I
understand.
Why
don’t
you
just
roll
over
and
we
can
cuddle?
You’ll
be
asleep
in
no
time.”

He’d never tire of the
pressure of her
rear
against
his
groin.
He
grazed
his
lips
across
the
back
of
her
neck.
And
cradled
her
breast...
She
jerked
away
as
if
he’d
hit
her
with
a
hot
poker.
“What
the
hell?”
he
demanded.
“What’s
wrong,
Daisy?
Let
me
look at you.”