Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) (58 page)

“
Bullshit. You want something.”

“
Truce.”

“
Really? Now all of a sudden you want us to behave like men?”

Pete clucked his tongue in disgust twisting the knife even harder. Aiden had told the truth. He was trying to call a truce. He dropped his head in disgust. “You like it. Don’t you kid?”

“
Don’t call me a fucking kid. I’m a man.”

“
A kid,” Aiden snapped. “You like holding some power. Controlling peoples lives. Deciding on who should be happy and who shouldn’t. Shit is sexy to you, isn’t it, Pete? Gets your dick hard?” Aiden gave him a wicked smile. “Ask me how I know.”

“
Fuck you, man.”

“
Now, Pete, c’mon. It’s you and me. I saw what happened to your pride when I got next to your woman. How it crumbled when she let me in… yeah and she did let me in everyway I chose.”

“
Fuck you, man!” Pete shouted back.

“
Tsk, tsk, tsk, you should think hard on backing off this path you're own. I’m better at this than you. I’m trying to play it straight with you, Pete.”

“
Really?” Pete half laughed, half snarled. “You’re trying? Let me ask you this. What if I wasn’t the father and wanted to know Amy? What then? Would you let me in?”

“
Hell no,” Aiden said.

“
Exactly.”

“
But you aren’t me, Pete. Stop trying to be.”

“
Damn right I’m not. I protect the ones I love. You destroy them. You say you love Daisy. You made her into a whore.”

The thin thread of restraint that held it altogether for him snapped. Aiden lunged, grabbed Pete by his throat before he expected it, and slammed him on the bar. The bartender gasped. Two people at the end of the bar rose from their seats. Pete kicked his feet, knocking back a chair as Aiden slammed his head on the bar again, his hands closing down on his throat. Choking, Pete clawed at his hands, face turning purple. But all the rage in him couldn’t be contained. Then his eyes flipped up to the reflection of himself in the mirrored wall. In that moment, he came face to face with what he was. Who he was. And Pete’s accusations finally made sense. What he had to offer was toxic. He’d do nothing but poison Daisy and Amy. How could he ever give them what they deserved when he had so much rage in him?

“
You’re killing him! Let him go!” the bartender yelled.

Aiden released Pete and stepped back. Pete hacked and coughed, holding his throat. With his eyes red and glassy, he gave Aiden an accusatory glare. He couldn’t speak, but he pointed a finger. He didn’t have to.

Aiden nodded that he understood. Change came from a place he couldn’t visit. A place he didn’t know. He wasn't a man who could change.

“
Never… never… you… never!” Pete said between deep intakes of breath.

Aiden wiped his shaky hand down his face. He looked at the others staring at him like he was some kind of a monster. He feared that one day Daisy or even worse, Amy, would stare at him the same way. Kicking at the chair next to him, he stormed out.

****

Daisy tossed the love-seat cushion. She’d emptied her purse all over the coffee table. On the sectional sofa sat Denise and Sandra facing Janette who watched her from a chair. Amy was passed from one lap to the other as if she was two instead of five. The only person missing from the gathering was Daisy’s mother. Martha Johnson had locked herself in a room upstairs. With the storm brewing outside of her doors, the place was charged with the tension Daisy carried over Aiden.

“
Where is it?”

“
What on earth are you looking for?” Sandra asked.

“
My cell phone. I thought I left it on the coffee table. I can’t find it.”

“
Well call it then,” Sandra said, rolling her eyes.

Daisy stood upright, realizing she was right. She reached over to the cordless phone just as the lights blinked out. Amy screamed.

“
It’s okay, baby,” Denise said, taking her from Sandra.

“
Where’s your breaker box? Could be just a fuse or something,” Janette said.

“
Kitchen,” Daisy sighed. She sat down, trying to dial, her hands still shaking from the argument with her mother. In all her life she’d never said as much to Martha Johnson about her feelings. It rattled her to her core. Part of her, the little girl in her, wanted to go upstairs and ask for forgiveness. That’s how desperately she still wanted and needed her mother’s approval and love.

Amy escaped Denise’s lap to run to her mother. She climbed on Daisy without warning, forcing her mother back into the sofa cushions. Daisy shifted her daughter as she realized the phone was not working.

“
Now the phone is dead.” Daisy tossed it aside

“
You trying to call daddy?” Amy asked.

Denise and Sandra both looked over. Daisy felt their stares in the dark. She saw the look in Amy’s eyes. She wasn’t going to go there. Not now.

“
Call him, mommy. I want daddy to come. I scared of the thunder.”

Thunder boomed again, and Amy fell silent. The darkness abated temporarily by the flash of lightning followed by more thunder. Janette returned. “Daisy? Why did you put the phone in the drawer?”

“
Huh?”

Janette held the phone up for everyone to see. “I was looking for candles or something. Breaker won’t fix it. The lights are out. But I found the phone.”

Daisy reached for it. She checked and found it was switched over to ON. She turned it off and then on again and got a dial tone.

“
What’s going on?” Sandra asked.

Denise and Janette both stared at her, confused.

“
Mama did it. She did this.”

“
Did what?” Sandra repeated.

Daisy stared at both phones. “Damn it,” she muttered under her breath. “Get down, Amy.”

“
No.”

“
C’mere, auntie can get you some crackers.” Janette offered her hand.

“
I don’t like crackers,” Amy said clinging to Daisy. Daisy passed her off to her sister, ignored her wails and glared at the stairs. “I’m going to talk to mama.”

She hurried with her heart beating wildly in her chest. Daisy expected the room door to be locked. It wasn’t. When she entered the darkness, her mother sat up with a wet rag over her eyes. “Did you turn off the phones!”

Martha just gave her a blank stare.

“
Did you, mama!”

“
Yes.”

“
He called, didn’t he? He called and you hid the phone.”

“
No.”

“
Yes he did! Don’t lie to me!”

“
Look at you. How you’re behaving over that man!”

“
Did he call?”

“
No! He had the nerve to show up here.”

Daisy stilled. Stunned, she stood there with her mouth agape. Martha rose from the bed and faced off with her. “He came here when you were out on the deck with Denise and Sandra.”

“
How could you?”

“
I told him to stay away. I told him you didn’t want him. I did it for you, for Amy. You're out of control. I’m scared for you, Daisy. The things you said downstairs, and that man is evil!”

“
How could you do that? You have no idea what he means to me!”

“
You ran from him for five years! I know exactly what he means to you. What he did to you! I’m your mother! It’s my job to protect you. That doesn’t happen when you get a bag full of money. It breaks my heart to think that you don’t love yourself more than this, Daisy. That you would run from that man and then chase after him!”

“
I ran from you! From you, damn it!” Daisy threw the phones to the bed. “I want you to get out of my house. I want you to leave!” Daisy turned and left her mother stunned in the room. She raced through the house with tears streaming down her face. The storm outside matched the one raging within. She nearly stumbled down the stairs and nearly collided with Janette at the bottom step. Tears blinded her.

"What is it?”

“
Daisy! Daisy!” Martha yelled, coming after her.

“
Can you do me a favor and watch Amy?” she asked, putting her things back in her purse as her mother came off the step.

“
Where are you going?” Everyone seemed to ask at once. Amy, seated in Sandra’s lap, sucked her thumb, staring with the same tears on her face. She and her baby were miserable since this all began. Especially when her family came to town to fix her life. Damn it, she was done. She was sick of it. “I’m going to find him.”

Martha grabbed at her arm. “You will not go out there in that storm looking for
that
man.”

“
Daisy, I agree with mama. It’s storming out there,” Janette said, trying to stop her.

“
I’m going! Just watch Amy for me!”

Her cell phone rang. Everyone looked around. It was under Sandra; her sister dug it out from the sofa cushion and handed it to her.

“
Hello!” Daisy rushed, so hurried she didn’t check the caller ID.

“
Daisy, it’s Pete,” he croaked.

“
Pete I—”

“
Look, I want to talk to you. First thing tomorrow. I, um.” he choked out.

“
Pete?”

“
Aiden was here. That’s it, Daisy. Last straw. I won’t have that man around Amy.”

“
What do you mean he was there? At your hotel?”

“
He came here and attacked me. I don’t care what you two are doing, but Amy doesn’t need to be around that kind of violence. He’s dangerous. Do you hear me? Tomorrow, I want to see Amy and tell her the truth. Tell her that I’m her father.”

“
Why did Aiden attack you?”

Everyone grew silent. She ignored their stares.

“
Does it matter? He came here looking for a fight.”

Daisy sighed, putting her hand to her forehead. “Pete, I—”

“
That’s it. I want to see my daughter. Tomorrow.” He hung up.

“
Aiden and Pete are fighting?” Janette asked in a hushed tone. The lights blinked back on. Daisy caught the smug look on her mother’s face and bit back her tears.

“
Daisy, what’s going on?” Janette asked softly. She opened her eyes. Her sisters surrounded her and blocked her in. They must think her crazy with all they’ve learned and seen. And she felt ill. Things were falling apart and Aiden was behaving in the worst way possible. Why couldn’t he just believe in them? Why this? “Can you watch her for me? I have to talk to Aiden.”

“
What?” Martha gasped. “Are you crazy?”

“
Yeah, mama, I’m crazy. He’s crazy. We’re both crazy. Now leave it alone.” She turned and went to Amy. She knelt in front of her and tried to calm her voice.

“
Mama, where you going?” Amy asked.

“
I won’t be long, baby. Going to see daddy,” she smiled.

“
Daisy!” Denise said, “Don’t tell her that.”

“
I agree, Daisy. That’s just wrong,” Sandra added.

“
See what I mean. You see what I mean about her?” Martha said.

Daisy ignored them all. “I’ll tell him you said hi. Okay?”

“
And that I want him to come?"

“
I will tell him. Okay?”

“
Okay,” Amy nodded. Daisy kissed her nose. She rose and ignored the looks of disappointment, disbelief and disapproval. When she did look at her mother, she saw tears in Martha’s eyes. It cut deep, but she went for the door. She walked out into the rain with her cell phone and keys. With no cover from the downpour, she got in her car, started it and backed out of the drive. Flipping open the phone, she checked the messages.

Daisy, it’s Aiden. I need… I need to see you, sweetheart. I’m sorry for how I left. Call me.