Willow Smoke (96 page)

Daisy
shrugged,
not
trusting
herself
to
speak.

“People
make
choices.
They
play
the
cards
they’re
dealt.
I
don’t
always
believe
individuals
make
the
best
choices,
but
I
really
can’t
judge
because
I
haven’t
lived
my
life
in
their
shoes.
As
for
you,”
he
lifted
her
chin,
“you’ve
maximized
the
cards
you
were
dealt.
I
hope
our
children
will
be
as
resourceful
and
able
as
their
mother.”

Daisy
felt
her
cheeks
burn
and
her
body threaten
to
implode.
She
shook
her
head
trying
to
find
equilibrium.
There
must
be
something
she
should
say,
but
her
thoughts
were
a
jumble.
He
wasn’t
walking
away.
And
he’d
just
said
that
their
children
should
be
like
their
mother.
Good
grief.
She
knew
with
every
fiber
in
her
body
what
was
coming
next,
and
she
wasn’t
going
to
run
anywhere
but
into
this
loving
man’s
arms.

“So,”
Nick
said,
wiping
tears
from
her
cheeks.
“This
is
not
the
ambiance
I
had
in
mind for this, but this is the right
moment.”

Holding
her
breath,
Daisy
watched
Nick
reach
into
his
pocket
and
bring
out
a
small
jewelry
box.

“I’ve
been
carrying
this
around
for
a
few
weeks
now,
trusting
there
would
be
a
right
moment
and
that
I’d
be
bright
enough
to
recognize it for what it was.”

He
lifted
the
case
top
and
plucked
out the
largest
diamond
ring
Daisy
had
ever
seen.
He
dropped
to
his
knees
beside
the
bed.
He
bent
and
kissed
her
fingers.
“Daisy
Ann
Matthews,”
he
said,
staring
brightly
into her eyes. “I very much
want
you
to
be
the
mother
of
my
children.”
He smiled
even
more
broadly.
“But
I’m
old
fashioned, I guess. Would you marry me
first? I love you.”

Daisy
nodded.
“Yes,”
she
managed
to
whisper,
and
then
grinned
so
wide
it
hurt.
She
giggled.
“I
guess
I’m
old
fashioned,
too,
and
I
love
you
so
much.”

Nick
slipped
the
ring
on
her
finger
and
kissed
her
fingers
one
by
one.
She
reached
for
him
and
slanted
her
lips
across
his.
He
responded
hungrily.
She
deepened
the
kiss.
Love
oozed
between
them
and
through
them.
She’d
never
felt
this
loved
before.

The
next
morning
she
woke
in
Nick’s
bed.
In
their
bed,
she
corrected
herself.
She
lifted
her
left
hand
and
gawked.
How
many times
had
she
stared
at
diamond
rings
through
the
plate
glass
windows
of
jewelry
stores,
never
quite
allowing
herself
to
dream
of
having
one
of
her
own?
It
was
true. He’d
asked.
And
she’d
said
yes.

She
stretched
and
yawned
and
brought
her
knees
up
to
her
chest.
Staring
at
the
clock,
Daisy
laughed.
It
was
mid-morning,
but
she
had
no
place
she
absolutely had
to
be.
There
was
no
class
to
go
to,
and
Sam wouldn’t want to take her
back so
soon.
That
didn’t
matter.
She’d
agreed
with
Cassie
and
Nick
that
she
needed
to
take some time for herself and kick back.
No
way
would
she
allow
herself
to
get
spoiled,
but
this
was
okay.

Checking
her
skin
for
blotches,
she
was
relieved
to
see
that
the
fiery
redness
had
subsided
and
she
no
longer
itched.
She
grinned.
By
tonight
she’d
be
ready
to
love
Nick
like
a
fiancé
should.

Fiancé.
Daisy
gulped—she
had
to
plan
a
wedding.
She
didn’t
know
the
first
thing
about
weddings.
But
Angie
might.
Maybe
Cassie,
but
her
wedding
had
been
a
tiny
ceremony
in
Salt
Lake
City.

She
heard
muffled
footsteps
in
the
hallway.
She
waited,
holding
in
a
giggle.
The
door
cracked
open
and
Mrs.
B.
stuck
her
head
in
the
room.
Once
she
saw
Daisy
awake,
Mrs.
B.
opened
the
door
wide
and
gave
Daisy
her
broad
gap-toothed
grin.

“Good
to
have
you
back,
Miss
Daisy.
And
for
good.”
She
tilted
her
head.
“Mr.
Nick
does
have
it
right,
don’t
he?
You
did
say
yes?”

Laughing,
Daisy
leaped
out
of
bed
and
hugged
the
older woman. “Oh, that’s right.
Can
you
believe
it?”

“Well, it’s about time.
Mr. Nick
couldn’t
stop
grinning
and
humming
this
morning.
Told
me
he
had
a
surprise.
He
just
about
gave
me
a
stroke
when
I
heard
the
news.
I’m
so
happy
for
you,
girl.
This
old
house
is
gonna
have
some
life
again.
Won’t
be
no
time
and
we’ll
have
younguns
tearing
around
here
and
you
for
sure
won’t
know
which
end
is
up.”