A Cowgirl's Secret (12 page)

“I know,” Daisy said, placing the folder with her paperwork on the kitchen counter. “But that's part of its beauty. I'll be saving the home for future generations.”

Dallas snorted. “Ask me, you'd be better off throwing money in a fire.”

“I didn't ask you,” Daisy snapped. “Why can't all of you be excited for me? Not only is it a lovely historic
home, but the forty acres adjoin our land. If for no other reason, Dallas, I would've thought you would be the first person in line with an offer.”

“I was. The family got wind of the fact that I planned to doze the place and turned me down.”

“I'm glad.”

“Both of you hush.” Georgina put the tomato she'd been cutting on top of chopped salad greens. “If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were both back in kindergarten.”

Josie, who'd been sitting at the kitchen table writing lesson plans, cleared her throat. “Point of fact—my kindergartners are better behaved.”

“Way to stand up for the man you supposedly love.” Dallas kissed his wife.

“Oh—I love you, I just think you're being shortsighted. Daisy, if you ever need help, please give me a call. I love painting and decorating.”

Daisy brushed Dallas out of her way to steal a hug from his wife. “Consider yourself hired.”

“When do you find out if your offer is accepted?” Georgina asked, placing the salad at the center of the kitchen table.

“Hopefully tonight, but you never know.”

“Well, regardless of the outcome,” Georgina said, “we'll support you. Although, I'd rather do yard work than anything inside.”

Daisy hugged her mom, too. “Great. Thanks. All right, Dallas, you're the only one without a job.”

He scoffed at her suggestion. “Count me out. Some
one needs to maintain this house so when my sister loses her shirt on this deal she has somewhere to live.”

 

A
FTER THE DINNER DISHES
had been washed and put away, Kolt had come home from Jonah's, taken his bath, brushed his teeth and gone to bed, and Daisy once again found herself dreading the empty hours remaining in the day.

Dallas and Josie were holed up in their room, watching TV. Every so often, their laughs punched through the silence.

Georgina was in her craft room, working on a Christmas quilt.

Daisy, meanwhile, sat on the foot of her bed, pouting because she hadn't received her much-anticipated real-estate call.

When her cell chose that moment to ring, her heart leaped to her throat. Expecting Vera, hearing Luke came as a surprise.

“Did you get the house?” he asked.

“I don't know.” Tossing back her covers, she climbed in, propping pillows behind her. “Do you think it's a bad sign they haven't already called?”

“Not necessarily.”

“That didn't sound overly confident.” Nibbling her lower lip, she imagined him seated in his comfy armchair. He'd wear PJ bottoms and nothing else. Suddenly overheated, she pushed back her down comforter.

“All I'm saying is they could be out of town or working late. Maybe their phone's broken. You never know.”

“I suppose you're right.” Hearing his rich, country twang directly in her ear did delicious things to her insides. “Funny, but before I saw that house, I wasn't even sure I wanted my own place. Now, it's all I can think about. I'm ready to jump out of my skin.”

“How'd your date go?”

“What date?” She sat up straighter. Was he talking about Rowdy? She'd forgotten even talking to him. Turns out he'd been waiting for his latest girlfriend, so they'd spent three minutes chatting and then Daisy had left. End of story.

Luke laughed. “You don't have to play coy with me. I'm not the jealous type.”

“Why would you be? Especially when you've told me how little I mean to you.”

“I never said that,” he protested. “Obviously, I care about you or I wouldn't have called.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Should Daisy be flattered by his concern?

“How's Kolt?”

“Nice change of topic, but for the record, he finished his homework and is tucked into bed.”

“Think he could spend the night over here some time? I'd like that—helping him with his routine.” Luke's question struck Daisy in a long-forgotten place. It took her mind off the potential house deal and all the petty bickering she and Luke had shared. In the end, this was the sentiment at the core of Luke's pain. He'd missed not only countless Christmas programs and soccer games, but more importantly, the little times. The
quiet moments like bedtime stories and sweet, heartfelt prayers.

“Of course,” she said past the knot in her throat. “For that matter, once we're settled in the new house, there's plenty of room for you to hang out there as much as you'd like. No pressure—just putting the offer on the table.”

“Thank you.” The warmth behind his words struck her as different from his usual tone—at a level it hadn't been at in a very long time.

“Sure, Luke. I'll do whatever you need in order for you and Kolt to grow close.”

He stayed silent for a long while. “I hope you get your house, Daisy.”

“I appreciate that.” He had no idea how much.

“Well…” He laughed. “Guess I should let you go.”

“Yeah. I have, um, stuff to do.” Liar. If Daisy had her way, she'd have curled up in her bed, chatting with him for hours. She liked the rich timbre of his voice. The way he'd made her loneliness disappear.

“Me, too.”

“Okay…”
You hang up first, because I'm not strong enough to sever this tenuous tie.

He laughed again, this time slowly and sexily enough to make her stomach tighten. “Good night, Daisy. Sweet dreams.”

When he hung up, for a moment she felt lost. Then she remembered that when it came to Luke, she'd never even been found.

“Congratulations,” Vera said early the next morning. “My sellers accepted your offer.”

“Eek.” Daisy did a happy dance in her office desk chair. Considering the amount of work she had ahead of her, she should've been terrified, but all she could focus on was the end result of raising Kolt in such a grand old home.

“I'll be over this afternoon with final documentation, and even though we already know of a few existing trouble spots, I still recommend getting a professional inspection for possible foundation issues.”

After settling on a time to meet, Daisy tried concentrating on the few projects Barb had sent her way, as well as several more pro bono cases she'd taken, but she had a hard time concentrating when all she really wanted to do was start scraping and painting.

She called her mother to share the news, and then Wren and Josie.

Kolt would have to wait until after school.

As for the one person she most wanted to tell, Daisy knew she shouldn't call Luke. Every time she spoke to
him it was akin to ripping off a bandage a tiny bit at a time. He meant so much to her, but she wasn't entirely sure why. Yes, they'd been the quintessential high-school sweethearts and shared a child, but beyond that, they were strangers. He knew nothing of her dreams or goals and she didn't know his.

So why was it that whenever he was near—as he'd been the day they'd been out house-hunting—she was constantly checking herself to make sure she hadn't inadvertently brushed against him or too often said his name?

Exhausted from overanalyzing every little thing in her life, Daisy pushed back her chair and stood at one of the windows overlooking the town's busiest street.

All seemed normal in Weed Gulch, so why did she feel uneasy? Expectant? Maybe she shouldn't have put an offer in on the house?

There she went again, second-guessing. But why? Why couldn't she accept her lot in life and be happy?

With all of her secrets finally in the light of day, with Henry, she hoped, far, far away, at times her overall satisfaction meter felt unbearably full. Other days, the weight of what, in Luke, she hadn't lost but had practically given away, felt crushing. The trick was not dwelling on the past. She had Kolt and the rest of her family, and a dilapidated house that might as well be a second child.

Deciding fresh air might help her mood, Daisy powered down her computer, grabbed her purse and keys and locked up.

Outside, she winced at the bright sun.

The heat blasted her as if she'd stuck her head in an open five-hundred-degree oven.

She climbed into her car, only to be that much hotter.

Damn, this stupid weather. When she'd talked to Barb that morning, she'd reported it raining and seventy-five degrees. Should she back out of her house deal and just go home? Would San Francisco still feel like home?

Arching her head back, she groaned, only to have an image in the rearview mirror catch her eyes.

On the back window, someone—no doubt, Kolt—had scrawled:

 

I See You.

 

Grinning, she started the engine and backed out of the lot. All of her worries were unfounded. What she needed to do was relax and fully embrace this new chapter in her life. As for Luke… Daisy had no choice but to be satisfied without him.

 

W
EED
G
ULCH GOSSIP
had it on good authority that Daisy had gotten her house. On that evidence, Luke had stopped by Reasor's for a big bunch of flowers and was now headed up the Buckhorn Ranch main drive.

In all the years he'd known the family, he'd rarely knocked before entering and this time was no exception.

“Hello?” he called once inside.

When no one answered, he followed the sound of laughter and found the whole clan grilling hamburgers
by the pool. Just as he had when facing the prospect of Daisy moving into her new house without him, Luke felt irrationally slighted by not having been invited to the cookout.

Forcing a smile, reminding himself this was a place where he'd always been welcome even without a formal invite, Luke asked the chef, “Is it too late to get mine medium-rare?”

“Long time no see,” Dallas said, backing up when fat from the meat caused the gas flame to flare.

“Cooking burgers or your facial hair?”

“Little of both,” Josie teased, slipping her arm around Dallas's waist, “just think of it as bonus protein.”

“I'll try.”

As much as Luke enjoyed horsing around with his old friend, he searched the back porch and pool area for Daisy and his son.

“Looking for someone?” Dallas asked, a smile lighting his eyes.

Luke tossed the flowers on the table. “Nope. Just you.”

“I'm flattered. But in case you have a hankering to see my sister and nephew, they're upstairs, getting into their swimsuits. Wanna borrow trunks?”

“Sure.” Had Dallas noticed Luke's relief? Why, Luke couldn't say, but lately he'd craved Daisy and his son more than his favorite brand of ice cream sandwich. “Your mom still keep a bunch of them in the pool house?”

“You know it.”

A few minutes later, Luke ditched his jeans and
T-shirt to step onto the diving board he hadn't played on in years.

“Cannonball!” Dallas shouted from the grill.

“Don't you dare!” Daisy called from the shallow end. “I don't want wet hair.”

As a kid, Luke would've ignored Daisy's wishes, going so far as to get her as wet as possible. But as a grown man, he dove cleanly into the tepid water, surfacing with barely a splash feet from where she stood. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.”

Just looking at her, he couldn't help but smile. She'd piled her hair high in a messy bun, and still had curves in all the right places. Her black bikini didn't leave much to the imagination. “Remember the last time we went swimming?”

“Shh,” she admonished, cheeks flaming. “You promised never to speak of that again.”

“But it was fun.”

“Luke!” Kolt rocketed out of the French doors. “We're having a barbecue party 'cause we got our new old house. You wanna have hamburgers with us? I told Mom we should ask you, but she said you probably wouldn't wanna come.”

“This true?” Luke asked his son's mom.

Daisy focused on retrieving the beach ball floating nearby. “I know you're busy.”

“Never too busy for a party.”

She rolled her eyes. For his ears only, she asked, “Do you intentionally send out such mixed signals, or is toying with me your favorite game?”

“What are you talking about?” Her question genuinely confused him.

“The way one minute you're shamelessly flirting, and the next, telling me how we don't stand a chance even as friends.”

“I wasn't flirting,” he protested, slicking the water back from his hair. “Hell, I wouldn't even know how.”

“You are so full of yourself.” She whisked her hand over the water just hard enough to give him a light splash.

Jumping back, he warned, “Watch it. For a woman wanting her hair to stay dry, you're playing with fire.”

“Mom!” Kolt hollered from the diving board. “Watch me!”

Shielding her eyes from the sun, she called, “I'm watching, sweetie!”

Hopping on the end of the board, Kolt said, “Luke, you watch, too!”

“Okay, bud! Show me what you've got!”

Kolt's dive wouldn't land him in the Olympics any time soon, but Luke's chest swelled with pride all the same.

“That was great,” he said when Kolt popped up from under the water. “You're really good.”

“Thanks.” Kolt beamed.

“Sweetie,” Daisy said, “show Luke your fancy dive.”

“Okay!” While Kolt repositioned himself for another show, Luke studied Daisy—the way her whole face fairly glowed, watching their son. For each year she'd been gone, she'd grown infinitely more beautiful.

“Hold on tight for this one,” she advised. “It's a pretty awesome move.”

Kolt ran off the board, giggling and wiggling. Any reputable judge would've scored him a zero. In Luke's eyes, however, his kid had earned a solid ten.

“You're amazing,” Luke said when Kolt swam his way.

“Really think so?” Kolt asked.

“Absolutely. You'll need a pool at your new house so you can keep practicing your moves.”

Kolt's reaction to the suggestion was to give Luke a huge smile and an ambush hug. “We'll put the pool right by our tree fort. You need to help me pick where they're gonna go.”

With his son still clinging to him, for Luke, time slowed and then froze. Daisy grinned at him from where she sat on the pool steps and in that moment, Luke had never felt more complete. Yes, Daisy had screwed up royally by not immediately telling him she was pregnant, but was Luke prepared to toss away what could potentially be a great future all because of fear? If so, how was he any different from Daisy who had kept Kolt's existence from him for the very same reason?

“You two men look handsome together,” she said.

“I don't know what you think,” Luke said to Kolt, “but I'm thinking your mom is pretty gorgeous.”

Kolt made a face. “You're not gonna kiss her, are you?”

“I hope not,” Dallas said with an odd tone. “Because the burgers are done, meaning all of you slackers need to get out of the water.”

All through dinner, Luke couldn't shake the feeling that his friend didn't approve of a potential rematch between him and Daisy.

When the ladies volunteered for KP duty, Luke seized the opportunity to ask Dallas what was on his mind. “Why do I get the feeling you're not a big fan of the idea of me and your sister giving things another shot?”

“Because I'm not.” Dallas eased onto a chaise lounge, resting his arms behind his head. “Bet it's going to rain tomorrow. The knee I twisted in that ice storm a couple years back hurts like hell.”

“Nice try at avoiding the issue,” Luke said, sitting in the chair beside him, “but I would've thought you of all people would support a reunion.”

“Used to think I would,” Dallas said. “But after this business with Henry, Daisy's messed up. She'd have to be to keep you from your son.”

“Yeah,” Luke said. “I agree.”

“Which proves my point.” Dallas winced while repositioning his leg. “Seems to me you'd be better off going with someone new. So would Daisy. The two of you together?” Dallas shook his head. “Never work.”

“You're pissing me off,” Luke said, his whole body tensed. “I've known you my whole life. You know the kind of solid man I am. What makes you think for a second I couldn't make Daisy happy?”

Gazing across the glassy pool, Dallas said, “I don't for a second doubt that. What worries me is that you even have to ask. Used to be, when it came to Daisy, the two of you just did whatever you wanted. To hell with what anyone else thought. Now, you're too mechanical
about it. For the sake of your son, I think part of you wants to be with his mom, do the whole perfect family routine, but wanting isn't enough. You have to need it. In here.” He patted his chest.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Dallas the philosopher.”

“Mark my words,” his supposed friend said, “you go into a relationship for any reason but love, you're either going to get burned or light the fire. Either way, no one's getting out alive.”

“Nice.” Rising, Luke said, “Remind me next time I need a friend to look elsewhere.”

“Don't say I didn't warn you.”

After changing back into his jeans and T-shirt, Luke bypassed Dallas on his way into the house. He found Daisy putting leftover tomato and onion slices in a plastic container. Bonnie and Betsy sat at the kitchen table struggling with math homework. “Thanks for dinner,” he said, “but I've gotta go feed my horses.”

“Sure,” she said. “Rub some noses for me.”

“Will do. Where's Kolt?”

“Upstairs changing.” Putting the tub in the fridge, she added, “He's got spelling words to practice.”

Not entirely ready to leave, yet not sure what else to say, Luke nodded. “I, ah, got you flowers. They were on the table outside.”

On her way to stash leftover buns in the pantry, Georgina said, “I wondered who those were from. I already put them in water.”

“Thanks,” Daisy said. Luke couldn't tell if she'd meant the sentiment for him or her mom.

“Thought you had to feed your horses?” Bonnie glared up at him.

“I do,” Luke said. “What's with the mean look?”

“You ate the last scoop of potato salad and
everyone
knows that's my favorite.” Hands on her hips, Bonnie resembled a pint-size linebacker, itching for a fight.

“Yeah,” her twin, Betsy, chimed in. “
Everyone
knows.”

Hands up, Luke said, “Sorry. Next time I won't take a single bite.”

“Better not,” Bonnie said with an extra-fierce scowl.

“Knock it off.” Georgina gave both girls swats on their behinds in passing. “Daisy, why don't you walk our guest to his car.”

Safely in the living room, Luke asked his escort, “They this territorial about other things?”

Laughing, Daisy said, “As far as I can tell, they don't like sharing cookies or deviled eggs, either. If you have a hankering for brussel sprouts, you should be safe.”

“Good to know. Thanks for the intel.”

Outside, serenaded by the cicadas' rise-and-fall song, Luke was again struck with the notion that he didn't want the night to end. His quiet cabin didn't hold its usual appeal.

“I never asked what brought you by,” Daisy said.

“I heard through the grapevine that you got your house. Wanted to congratulate you.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Her faint smile contained layer upon layer of meaning Luke wasn't equipped to decipher. Why couldn't women be as easy to read as horses? “I was pretty jazzed.”