by Kate Pearce
“Nope. I was wondering if you’d like to come out with me sometime?” He regarded her expectantly.
“Wow. Smooth.” To his surprise, she marched over to the door and held it open. “Bye, Jackson.”
“What did I say?” He followed her over, pausing at the door to look down at her. “I really would like to go out with you—in fact, the more I think about the idea, the better I like it.”
In response, she shoved gently at his chest until he was out on the sidewalk and shut the door in his face, making the bell jangle like crazy.
Jackson stared at the door for quite a while before he backed up and headed for his truck.
He was still pondering exactly what had happened when he arrived home and found his older brother Cauy drinking coffee in the kitchen. Since Jackson had come back, the two brothers had made enormous strides in cleaning up the ranch buildings and pastureland. At some point they’d have to make a start on the house itself, because nothing had changed for thirty years.
He dumped the pile of mail on the table and helped himself to coffee.
“How was your day?” his brother inquired as he sorted through the mail. “Did you finally get it on with Nancy?”
“She turned me down flat.” Jackson took a seat and added cream to his coffee. “I even took her flowers.”
Cauy snorted. “Can’t say I’m surprised. She’s way out of your league.”
“Thanks, bro.” Jackson hesitated. “Do you know Daisy at the flower shop?”
“Yeah, of course I do. She’s up at Morgan Ranch all the time when I go to see Rachel. Did you get the flowers from her?”
“She knows Nancy, and she definitely gave me the benefit of her advice,” Jackson said. “When I popped back into the shop to tell her how it had gone, she shut the door in my face.”
“Daisy did?” Cauy looked up from the letter he was reading. “Daisy Miller? What the heck did you say to her?”
“Why would you assume it was my fault?” Jackson demanded.
“Because you have a big mouth, and you usually put your foot in it. What exactly did you say to Daisy?”
“Well, while we were chatting, it occurred to me that she would make a far better girlfriend than Nancy, and that I was, in fact, quite attracted to her.”
Cauy stared at him. “Go on.”
“So, I asked her out.” When his brother just continued to stare at him, Jackson shifted on his seat. “What?”
“Wow.” Cauy sat back and shook his head. “You really are dumb, aren’t you?”
“In what way?”
“You ask Daisy to help you pick flowers for another woman and then, when that fell through, you immediately asked her out?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Jackson frowned.
“Dude, how would you feel if some woman made you her backup plan? Like she’d only chosen you because her favorite hadn’t come through?”
Jackson thought about it. “Oh. You think I should’ve waited a day or two?”
“Yeah, genius.” Cauy flicked a letter at him. “And buddy, if I can work that out, you’re really in trouble.”
* * *
“Hey, sis!”
Daisy jumped about a mile in the air and hastily scrambled to shut down her laptop before Adam, her oldest brother, came striding into her workroom.
“Hey!” She swiveled in her seat and smiled at him. She’d forgotten he had the spare key to the back door. “What brings you into town?”
“You.” He leaned against her workbench and regarded her. “You’re never home these days. We’re concerned.”
“Only because you’re worried you won’t get fed,” Daisy quipped, even though all her brothers could look after themselves perfectly well. “I had a lot of planning to do for the next wedding up at the ranch. I was checking in with my suppliers.”
“You could do that at home,” Adam pointed out. “Thanks to the Morgans, we have the best Internet you can get in the valley, and you have a designated office space.”
“I know, but sometimes I need to check on my stock, and calculate how much I can actually fit into my cold space, and . . .” Daisy waved her arms around. All the reasons she was giving Adam were perfectly true, but she still felt like she was making stuff up. That’s what having a guilty conscience did for you . . .
“And you like your own space and privacy.” He finished the sentence for her. His keen gray gaze fixed on her face. “I get it. Having five brothers breathing down your neck all the time must drive you crazy sometimes.”
“I know you love me, but sometimes all that concern does get to me,” Daisy admitted. “I’ve been back home for three years now and I’m fine.”
“You sure about that?” Adam asked. As the oldest of six kids, he took his responsibilities seriously and was both bossy and way too well-informed. “You’re not sleeping too good either. I see your light on at all hours of the night.”
Daisy tried not to squirm in her seat. She often got up at night to complete her assignments, or talk to people in her team who traveled all over the world. But she couldn’t tell Adam that because he and the rest of the family thought she’d broken off all contact with her previous life in Silicon Valley.
Adam straightened up. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you’d like to tell me?”
“Nope!” Daisy slid off her seat. That was the problem with having an honest face: you couldn’t lie about anything. “You’re right. I should be getting home. I’ll just lock up and follow you back.”
Adam looked as if he wanted to say more but instead backed off and opened the door.
“Okay. I’ll wait until I see you get in your truck and then I’ll leave.”
Daisy repressed a sigh. She’d lived in a big city for years, but her brothers still treated her like a delicate flower. She knew they meant well. When she’d returned home suffering from burnout, she’d spent about a month bursting into tears every time someone tried to speak to her. Eventually, her concerned family had persuaded her to seek help, and supported her until she felt more like herself.
Daisy picked up her keys, made sure the alarm was set, and headed out the door. She wasn’t a good liar, and sometimes keeping her double identity secret from her family was a real strain. But she couldn’t give it up yet. She’d walked away once and been lured back. This time, whatever happened, she would have to live with the consequences and see the project through to the end.
She slammed the door shut and locked it. She only had one life and was determined to do as much as she could with her talents in the time allowed to her. And if that meant deceiving her brothers and everyone else in Morgan Valley for just a little while longer, she would suck it up and deal with it.
Chapter Two
“Hey.”
Daisy turned around to see Jackson blocking the light and propping up the doorframe of her shop. He had one hand in the pocket of his well-fitting jeans and in the other hand held a pink box. She’d managed to avoid all the pointed questions about why she was never home at dinner last night and had been feeling pretty good about everything until now.
She gave Jackson her most professional smile. “Hi again. How can I help you?”
“I came to apologize.”
“For what exactly?”
He shrugged. “Putting my foot in my mouth?”
Daisy pretended to look puzzled. “When did you do that?”
He straightened up and advanced toward her. In his cowboy boots he was about a foot taller than she was. “I shouldn’t have asked you out five minutes after I asked Nancy out.”
“Correct.” Daisy held his stare even though it put a crick in her neck. “And?”
“I’d still like to go out with you,” Jackson added.
“Well, that’s very nice and all, but I don’t date.” She fiddled with the ribbon spool on the counter and then put it back in its proper place.
“Why not?”
“I don’t have time.”
He frowned. “You run a flower shop, which is shut on
Sundays and has regular opening hours that presumably you set. How can you never have any free time?”
Daisy was beginning to realize Jackson was as persistent as a dog searching out a bone.
“Maybe I was trying to be polite and I just don’t want to go out with you.”
He blinked at her. “Ah.”
“I’m so glad we’ve straightened that out.” Daisy had to wonder how long it was since two women had turned down the gorgeous Jackson Lymond in one week. “Anything else I can help you with?”
He came farther into the shop and carefully placed the pink box on the counter like an offering to a goddess.
“Yvonne said these were your favorite.”
“You’re trying to bribe me with pastries now, are you?” Daisy tried not to inhale the sweet scent of strawberry emanating from the box.
“Is it working?”
His smile was so hot, she couldn’t help but stare at his mouth. “No.”
He sighed. “Okay, it was worth a shot.” He tipped his hat to her. “Thanks for hearing me out and have a great day.”
He scooped up the pink box and went out, closing the door behind him, leaving Daisy staring openmouthed at the now empty space. Wow, he really was literal. She didn’t want his cake? He’d take it away.
For a second, Daisy contemplated chasing after Jackson and wrestling him for the strawberry tarts but reluctantly concluded she’d probably look demented, and he’d probably win. Despite herself, she started to smile at the ridiculousness of their conversation, and its conclusion. Who would’ve thought having Jackson back in Morgantown would’ve made her days so exciting? She had to admire his ability to take a negative response right on the nose and not complain about it.
She wasn’t so sure about his ability to take back his sweet gift, though . . .
Grabbing her tablet, she checked her schedule for the day. She had a wedding consultation up at Morgan Ranch late in the afternoon and two bouquets to make for local birthdays. That should keep her busy until lunchtime, when she would go along to Yvonne’s and buy her own darn strawberry tart.
* * *
“Where are you going with that box?” Rachel Morgan called out to Jackson.
Rachel, who was engaged to his brother Cauy, was still sitting where Jackson had left her outside Yvonne’s, drinking her coffee.
“Daisy said she didn’t want to go out with me.”
Rachel pointed at the seat opposite her, and Jackson sat down. “Okay, but why do you still have the tarts?”
Jackson frowned at her. “Daisy thought I was attempting to bribe her, so I removed the source of contention.”
“You took her tarts away?” Rachel breathed out hard.
“You really did that and you’re still alive?” She shook her head. “Dude, no wonder you don’t have a girlfriend.”
“I’ve had plenty of girlfriends, thanks,” Jackson retorted.
“Yes, but that was when you were in uniform. Now you look like every other cowboy in town and you’re going to have to up your game.” Rachel sipped her coffee and nodded at the box. “Can we eat them?”
Jackson cradled the box protectively against his chest. “No.”
“Big meanie.” Rachel grinned at him. “I’m telling Cauy when we get back.”
“He’ll laugh his ass off,” Jackson predicted gloomily.
“Yeah, he will.” Rachel’s smile faded. “It’s good to see him laugh.”
“Can’t argue with that, but I wish I wasn’t the one providing all the amusement right now.” Jackson stood up. “Can you hang here for a bit longer?”
“Where are you going now?” Rachel asked plaintively as he hightailed it down the street.
He approached Daisy’s shop with all the caution of a man on a mission in enemy territory. The door was propped open and there was no sign of her in the interior. He darted in through the door, replaced the box on the counter, scribbled a note on the lid, and left as fast as he could.
The more he saw of Daisy Miller, the more he wanted to get to know her. She didn’t take any shit, and he appreciated that. Hopefully, when she saw the returned cakes, she’d get in contact with him and they could laugh about it, and move forward.
* * *
Daisy parked outside the sprawling ranch house her family had called home for four generations, walked through the mudroom, and then into the kitchen. Her brother, Kaiden, was a carpenter, and he’d designed and built the country kitchen to replace the old one about three years ago. It was a beautiful open space and smelled like heaven at the moment because someone was cooking.
“Hey!” Adam called out to her. He was stirring a huge pot of chili on the six-burner range. “You’re home early and you’ve brought cake! What happened? Did the flower shop burn down?”
“God forbid. Great-Aunt Florrie would come back and haunt me if I destroyed her legacy.” Daisy hoisted herself up on one of the high stools and put the box on the countertop in front of her. “I had to go up to Morgan Ranch to consult on a wedding, so I thought I might as well come home after I was done.”
“Good thinking.” Adam tasted the chili and whistled. “Do you want a beer?”
“No, thanks.”
Adam went over to the refrigerator and took out a gallon of iced tea. “This?”
“Sure.” He found a glass, added ice and the tea, and brought it over to her. “Thanks.”
He inspected the box. “This looks too small to feed everyone. Were you hoping to sneak it in and eat everything by yourself?”
“Yes, I was.” Daisy hesitated. “Actually, someone gave them to me as a thank-you for doing some flowers.”
“Nice.” Adam opened the box. “Strawberry tarts, your favorite, and definitely not enough for everyone. Do you want me to hide them at the back of the refrigerator for you?”
“Well, you can certainly try, but Ben has a nose like a bloodhound.”
He picked up the box and then stopped and squinted at the writing on the lid—writing Daisy had totally forgotten about until that moment.
“‘Sorry I messed up again. Enjoy your tarts, Jackson,’” Adam read out the scribbled message. “‘Kiss, kiss.’”
Daisy tensed as Adam slowly looked up at her. “Weird way to say thanks, and who’s Jackson?”
She attempted a nonchalant shrug. “Jackson Lymond’s back in town.”
“The Air Force guy, right?” Adam said slowly.
“I believe so.”
“What was he apologizing for?”
Daisy gave her brother the full-on stare. “None of your business.”
Adam returned it. “I’m just—”
“Being nosy. Stop it.”
“If he’s bothering you, I’d like to know.” Adam put the box in the refrigerator and came right back to her.
“He isn’t bothering me,” Daisy repeated patiently. “He got some flowers for Nancy at the bar, and she turned him down for a date—which I’d already told him she would, so this was his lame way of saying I’d been right all along.”
“So why didn’t he say that?” Adam asked. “An apology indicates you had an argument.”
“We did—over Nancy.”
Sometimes Daisy wished her oldest brother wasn’t quite so thorough and pedantic about everything. It was incredibly hard to shake him off a trail. The timer bleeped, and Adam turned back to the stove, leaving Daisy alone for a few precious seconds to get her story straight.
“Hey.”
Ben and Kaiden appeared, drawn by the scent of cooking chili, and Daisy leaped down off her perch to help them set the table.
“Where’s Dad?” Daisy asked.
Ben grimaced. “There was something up with the tractor and, as Evan isn’t around, Dad decided to fix it himself.”
“God, no.” Daisy breathed. “Last time he did that, he almost burned the barn down. Should we stage an intervention?”
“Nah.” Kaiden, who was the most laid-back member of the family, shook his head. “He’ll work it out.”
“If Adam’s making it, that’s a great idea,” Ben agreed. He strolled over to the refrigerator and stuck his head inside. “Hey, isn’t that one of Yvonne’s boxes?”
Daisy stiffened as Ben produced the pink box of doom. Adam, who was bringing the chili over to the table, glanced at Daisy.
“Jackson Lymond bought them for Daisy.”
“Thanks for nothing, bro,” Daisy muttered.
After giving her oldest brother a death glare, Daisy turned to her other two brothers, who were now laser-focused on her.
“Jackson Lymond the air force dude?” Ben asked slowly. “Cauy’s brother?”
“Yes.” Daisy faced them down. Having five brothers, she knew there was no room for weakness. “What about him?”
“Why is he giving you things?”
She shrugged. “Because I helped him choose some flowers for Nancy.”
Kaiden chuckled. “Poor dude.”
“Exactly.” Daisy turned to the most reasonable of her brothers. “He didn’t believe me when I said flowers wouldn’t work, and he bought me the cakes when I was proved right. End of story.”
Kaiden shared a look with his two brothers. “You sure Jackson isn’t the reason why you’ve been spending so much time in town the last few weeks?”
Daisy opened her mouth to refute that suggestion when everything became dazzlingly clear . . .
“So what if I have?” she demanded. “He’s a really nice guy.”
* * *
Jackson went into the health clinic to pick up a prescription Cauy had been waiting for, and came out into the parking lot behind the building. He figured it was too soon to call on Daisy, to see how she’d responded to the return of her tarts the day before. He had nothing else he needed to do in town except visit the lumberyard.
“Hey.”
He looked up to see a vaguely familiar face coming straight for him.
“Hi.” He squinted into the sun. “Are you one of the Millers?”
“Yeah. I’m Adam. The oldest.”
