Daisy Does It All (Clover Park, Book 2) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) (6 page)

“Of course! Coming right up!” Sally caroled. “My, aren’t we in a hurry all of a sudden.”

Sally spun her chair around to the wall of file cabinets behind her and scooted the chair toward a file drawer. Like standing up was too much work. Trav grinned at Daisy, evidently getting a big kick out of Sally.

Daisy saw nothing amusing in this day.

Sally scooted back to her desk with the form. She handed it to Daisy. “Fill it out in full and bring it back to me. I’ll hold this sweet baby so you can work on the form without any grabbing fingers.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Phillips,” Trav said with sickening sweetness.

“Oh-ho-ho, you’re quite welcome. Please call me Sally.”

Trav gave her his charming, lopsided smile. “Thanks, Sally.”

Sally tittered.

“Are you done flirting?” Daisy sniped as they walked over to a small raised shelf on the side of the office to fill out the form. She lowered her voice. “She could be your mother.”

He leaned close, his hand warm on the small of her back. “Jealous?”

His voice so low and rumbly in her ear sent an involuntary shiver through her. Trav chuckled, the darn man didn’t miss a thing, and handed her a pen to fill out the bride’s section first.

She got to work. Name, address, birthplace, date of birth, parents’ names, marriage number, and reason the last marriage ended: death, dissolution, annulment, previous civil union, or did not end.
Uh-oh
.

Daisy turned to Trav, who was intently watching her. “Can you check on Bryce?”

“Sure.”

He stepped away, and she wrote quickly. Marriage number: 3. Reason last marriage ended: death.

She winced. That sounded bad. But that
was
how marriage number two ended, unfortunately. She still missed Tom. Marriage number one hadn’t ended much better. Not that they’d asked, but…heartbreaking divorce. Stupid Max. That was probably called “dissolution” in legal talk. She crumpled the license form and tossed it into the nearby trash can.

“I messed up,” she announced. She crossed back to Sally’s desk. “Can I get another form?”

“Sure, honey. Just a minute.”

Trav raised a brow. Bryce reached for Daisy, and she took him. She cooed at her son and gave him a raspberry on his chubby cheek. He grabbed her hair and shoved it in his mouth.

A moment later, Sally wheeled back, new form in hand. “Here you go.”

They traded baby for form. Daisy turned to where Trav now stood at the shelf where she’d been filling out the form. He stared at her, his expression uncharacteristically serious. An uneasy feeling snaked through her. Trav with a serious expression was a little intimidating.

She went for casual as she reached his side and grabbed a pen. “All set.”

“Marriage number three?” he asked quietly, opening his hand to reveal the crumpled form now folded neatly in his palm.

She swallowed hard.

He raised his brows, waiting for an explanation.

“Yes, but the other two barely counted,” she whispered. “In fact, they were so short I hardly remember them. I don’t think I need to report them.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You might have mentioned them to me.”

“You never asked.”

“I’m asking now.”

She glanced back over her shoulder at the prying ears of Clover Park’s gossip central. “Can we talk later?”

He nodded. “Oh, yeah, we’re gonna talk. My place tonight for dinner. I know you get off early on Wednesdays. Ask your Mom to watch Bryce.”

It was more command than request, and she felt an unwelcome flutter of desire as Trav’s usual playful tone switched to badass. Not to mention it would be the first time they were alone together without Bryce. “Sure, no problem.”

His voice rumbled close to her ear. “And don’t lie on the form, sweetheart. It’s easy enough to check on records of marriage.”

Daisy steeled herself against the weakening in her knees and went back to filling out the form. Badass was not good. She had a long history of bad boys in her past. She
loved
bad boys. But they were no good for her, especially now that she had Bryce.

Marriage number: 3.

Sure, she’d been frustrated with Trav’s pleasant but distant personality and had wondered what ever happened to the bad boy in him, but now that he was making an appearance, she knew she was in trouble. Marrying a bad boy? That had disaster written all over it!

~ ~ ~

“It’s official,” Trav announced when he stopped by Ryan’s place later that day. His older brother had just gotten off an early shift as a police officer in nearby Fieldridge. It also happened to be the town where their father lived. His old man was sober going on three and a half years. Trav had made his peace with his father, as had his brothers, in their own ways.

“What’s official?” his younger brother, Shane, asked, coming in from the kitchen.

“You cooking for Ry now?” Trav asked.

“I was dropping off a crepe pan for Liz. She wanted to try her hand at it.”

Ry gave Trav a pointed look. “They’ve been exchanging recipes.”

Shane had graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and could easily have been a chef, but he’d focused on gourmet ice cream for his own shop in town, Shane’s Scoops.

“Lucky you,” Trav said. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the leather sectional in the living room.

“‘Have a seat,’ he says.” Ry took his time walking into the living room. “Like he owns the place.”

“Shut up. This is important.” Trav flopped down on the chaise end of the sofa and propped his feet up. He folded his hands behind his head. “I’ve got big news.”

He waited for Ry and Shane to take a seat. He felt like he was gonna burst from the news. “Daisy and I are getting married on Saturday.”

“Congratulations!” Shane said.

Ry grinned. “I knew if you hung in there, she’d come around. Congrats! Why so soon, though? Doesn’t she need time to plan? Liz has been planning for going on six months.” He shook his head. “You should see her color-coded spreadsheet. Scary.”

“It’s just gonna be a simple ceremony with a justice of the peace. We need to keep it quiet on account of we’re already supposed to be married.” He explained about the blog and the talk show appearance coming up on Friday.

Ry frowned. “So you’re getting married because of a TV show?”

Trav sat up, annoyed with his brother’s tone. “No, it’s not like that.”

“Kinda sounds like that,” Shane said.

“That’s just what got the ball rolling,” Trav said.

Ry and Shane exchanged a look.

“What?” Trav snapped.

Ry scratched the back of his neck. “Can’t you just pretend for the show? I mean…I dunno—”

“Do you love each other?” Shane asked.

Trav couldn’t honestly say he loved Daisy. Truth was, he’d never loved anyone. Except family. He didn’t even know what that would feel like. And he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was his son.

“We love Bryce,” Trav said. “This is all for him.”

“What’s the rush?” Ry asked. “Why don’t you date or something first? Get to know each other.”

Trav blew out an exasperated breath. “Suddenly you’re the relationship expert? You couldn’t even stay with anyone for more than three dates until you met Liz.”

Ry just stared at him. Trav squirmed under his brother’s scrutiny.

“I want Bryce to have a family!” Trav exclaimed. “Is that so hard to understand? Why can’t you be happy for us?”

“We are happy,” Shane soothed. “We’re just looking out for you.”

“Well, don’t!” Trav jammed a hand in his hair. “Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

Trav’s chest tightened. He couldn’t believe his brothers were giving him shit about this. They knew how much he wanted a family for Bryce. They knew what it meant to come from a seriously messed-up home. Their mom had suffered from depression and committed suicide when Trav was fifteen. After she died, their alcoholic father took off. Ryan, only two years older, had done his best to take care of them, but it was Gran who’d rescued them. If it hadn’t been for her, he was sure the three of them would’ve ended up in foster homes. He probably would’ve landed in juvie.

He was determined to do better for his son. Bryce would have a real family.

Shane held his hands up. “Okay, okay.”

Trav scowled. “I wanted you both to be my best man, but not if you’re gonna act like my marriage is a mistake.”

“I’m in,” Shane said.

“Me too,” Ry said.

The ache in Trav’s chest loosened. “Okay. I’m gonna ask Rico too.”

Ry snort-laughed. “Now you’re being ridiculous.”

Trav raised his palms. “I can’t choose.”

Ry socked him on the arm. “It’s your wedding.”

Trav smiled. “Yeah, it is.”

He could finally relax. Everything would be okay for Bryce. And once Trav was living with Daisy and helping with the baby, she’d be less exhausted and go back to her usual sunny personality. She’d keep their home bright and light. The kind of place he would’ve given anything to live in as a kid. The kind of place Bryce would be so lucky to grow up in.

And he couldn’t wait for a wedding night he could remember with Daisy.

~ ~ ~

Daisy heard a commotion coming from Garner’s kitchen as she punched in a customer’s order on the computer. Her father’s low voice and her sister Liz’s rising soprano.
News travels fast through the O’Hare brother grapevine
. Trav must have told Ryan about the wedding, who told Liz. They’d just gotten the marriage license this morning, so Daisy had little time to spread the word herself. After the license, she’d taken Bryce to his checkup at the pediatrician, fed him lunch, and went to work. She told her parents when she’d started her shift. They’d been thrilled. At least Daisy didn’t have any worries there. Her future husband on the other hand…

“I’m taking a break,” she told one of the other waitresses.

Daisy slipped into the kitchen, where her mom was now offering Liz her usual glass of ice water with lemon and coaxing her to take a seat at one of the tall swivel stools by the side counter.

“How’re ya, sis?” Daisy asked, bracing for the explosion of unrelenting concern.

Liz jumped up. “How am I? How are you?”

Liz rushed forward, studying Daisy’s face, worry etched into her delicate features. Her sister was three years younger, but acted like she was the big sis. Truth? She’d let Liz play that role for far too long. Daisy had left all the worrying about rules and responsibilities to Liz. Until Bryce. Everything in Daisy’s life changed once her son was born.

“I heard the news as soon as I got home from work,” Liz said. “I would’ve been here sooner, but Ryan said I had to mellow out first.” She blushed scarlet and took a long swallow of water.

Daisy beamed a smile at her sister’s obvious embarrassment. Ryan had the magic touch with Liz. Her sister had softened from her previous uptight self and was much easier to deal with. Not easy, just easier. “I’m fine. No worries.”

Liz blustered on. “What made you finally say yes to Trav?”

Daisy lifted one shoulder up and down. “It was time. You know? Why play hard to get? He’s Bryce’s father. We both love Bryce. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. Happy family.”

“Don’t give me that crap.” Liz grabbed Daisy’s arm and pulled her away from their eavesdropping parents and the cook staff, who were pretending to be busy so they could listen in. They went into their dad’s small office.

“Sit,” Liz commanded, taking their dad’s tall, leatherback chair for herself.

Daisy sat meekly in the plastic chair opposite her sister. She knew Liz wouldn’t let her off easy on this one. Her sister had understood perfectly Daisy’s reluctance to marry because of the baby. Now she’d want a good explanation.

“Tell me the truth,” Liz said. “Why the change of heart? You said Trav didn’t love you. That you didn’t want to marry just because it was convenient.” She paused, and a light of realization slowly dawned on her face. “Did he say he loves you? Have you been seeing each other?”

Daisy’s lips formed a straight line. “No and no.” She got up and shut the office door. “This doesn’t leave the room. Not even to Ryan.”

Liz crossed her heart and silently nodded, the gesture a solemn callback from when they were kids and confided their deepest, darkest secrets. Sadly, the deep, dark secrets had all been Daisy’s. Liz was an open book, but also a really good secret keeper.

Daisy explained about the interview and Trav playing her husband.

Liz looked relieved. “Oh, it’s a pretend marriage. Now that makes more sense.” She crinkled her nose. “But Ryan said he and Shane were going to be best men. Are you sure Trav knows it’s pretend?”

Daisy twirled a lock of her hair. “Well…Trav will only go along with it if we make it a real marriage.”

Liz stood, bright spots of color dotting her cheeks. “That’s blackmail! He can’t do that! I’m calling Ryan. He won’t let Trav do this.”

“No, I said this doesn’t leave the room,” Daisy said patiently. She went for a surefire distraction. “Besides, we don’t want any bad blood between brothers before your wedding. It’s only four months away.”

Liz sat down again, a dreamy smile on her face. “That’s really soon, isn’t it? I can hardly wait. I’ve got everything planned, though I was rethinking the flower girl’s headpiece…wait, you’re trying to distract me from the real issue. Daisy, are you sure you want to marry Trav?”

“Sure. Who knows? Maybe we’ll grow on each other. You know, learn to love each other.” Her mind flashed to tonight’s dinner, and she wondered which Trav would greet her at the door. Goofy guy or bad boy. She secretly wanted bad boy, even though she knew she shouldn’t. That wasn’t part of the new and improved Daisy’s life.

Liz waved a hand in front of Daisy’s face. “I asked you if the wedding is really
this
Saturday, as in three days away?”

“Yup.”

“I just don’t see why you have to rush. You can hardly plan anything good with so little time.”

“It doesn’t have to be a fancy wedding. We just want to get it done and move on with our lives.” All of Daisy’s weddings had been small, legal ceremonies at a town hall. Besides, she could hardly have her dream wedding on the beach in the middle of winter.