Dreaming of Daisy (A Red Maple Falls Novel, #6)

by Theresa Paolo

  “You studied? You do realize it’s not Jeopardy right? There’s no cash prize at the end.” Just free beer for the night. It’s not like Tyler couldn’t afford the beer; his family was loaded. And in a year when he turned twenty-five, he would be even more wealthy, thanks to a hefty trust fund his dad had set up for him.

  Tyler shrugged. “I like to win.”

  Nick wasn’t buying it. “Or you just like to beat Brooke.”

  Tyler dropped back in the chair, his hands landing on his knees. “She acts like she knows everything, and she’s so smug about it. Someone has to knock her off her high horse.”

  Nick mentally patted himself on the back for getting the truth out of Tyler. “And you nominated yourself for the task.”

  “A dose of reality has never hurt anyone before.”

  Nick pinned him with a look. “As long as you don’t get crazy like last time.”

  “That was not my fault. She pushed my buttons.”

  “You know she does it on purpose, right?” Nick asked, knowing Tyler wasn’t that naïve. Yet he always stepped into Brooke’s traps.

  “Because she’s the devil incarnate.”

  Nick laughed. “Just try to keep your cool tonight.”

  “I make no promises.”

  “I guess that’s as good as I can expect. I’ll catch you later.”

  Tyler grabbed his coat and went to walk out then paused. “Do me a favor?”

  Nick nodded for him to continue.

  “When you’re thinking about the house, don’t think about the past, think about the future. Close your eyes and focus on your end goal. What do you see and are you still living in the same house or starting somewhere fresh and making it your own?”

  “I’ll do my best,” Nick said and Tyler laughed.

  “Using my own words against me. Nice.” Tyler left, and Nick leaned back in his chair, resting his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes like Tyler suggested and tried to focus on his future and what he wanted most.

  He didn’t see a house.

  The only thing he saw was blonde curls, big blue eyes, and a smile that brought him to his knees.

  Chapter 14

  The sounds of conversation mixed with the scraping of chairs against the refurbished wood floors as trivia night got ready to begin at Five Leaf Brewery. Daisy tended bar, taking orders and filling glasses. She liked when people asked her opinion because she was able to showcase what she had learned from Nick.

  Cassie had overheard her speaking with a customer at one point, and nudged her with a smile. It was a silly little gesture, but it made Daisy feel like she was getting something right. She had been failing for so long back in New York that the tiniest sliver of accomplishment was pure satisfaction.

  “What can I get you?” Daisy asked without looking up. She had figured out a system and was kicking ass at multi-tasking. She stacked a few glasses and glanced up when the person didn’t respond. Unmistakable dark grey eyes met hers, and Daisy’s hand stilled on the glass she was about to grab. “Brooke?”

  “So you do remember me,” Brooke said her long brown hair was pulled out of her face and pinned in the back with a few stray pieces falling forward. Her face had thinned out, losing the soft undefined lines but the same streak of freckles was still evident on her nose.

  Daisy smiled. “Of course I remember you. We’ve only been friends since kindergarten.”

  “Funny. I thought friends told each other things, called every once in a while, but silly me.”

  “Brooke…”

  Brooke held her hand up. “It’s fine. I’ll take a Hippity Hop.”

  There was so much she wanted to say, but Brooke had already checked out. There was no use trying to talk to her when she got like that. Brooke had always had a one-track mind and once that mind was made up there was little to be done.

  Daisy had always been scared to face Nick again, but she never thought about her friends, if she could even call them that anymore. Like Brooke said, friends called or at least made an effort to stay in your life. The minute Daisy left for New York she cut ties to everyone.

  She grabbed a glass and filled it, pushing it across the bar. “On the house,” she said, knowing that it wouldn’t fix six years of silence, but hoping it would be a start.

  Brooke’s lip curled, and with her chin held in defiance she slapped a few bills on the bar before walking away.

  “Ouch,” Nick said, coming up behind her and wrapping her in his mouth-watering scent. He rested his hand on her hip, his body pressing ever so slightly against hers as he moved around her to grab a glass.

  She could feel his heat mixing with her own, feel his breath against the sensitive skin of her ear. Visions of their lips pressed against each other’s, her hands roaming across his chest and rediscovering each curve and discovering new ones.

  Heat shot to her core, fueling a desire that she’d been fighting ever since their kiss. She’d been able to ignore the undeniable tether that drew them together when she’d focused all her attention on Betty. But now with Betty in recovery, Daisy had nothing to hide behind.

  As someone who lived for the big moments, Daisy was beginning to yearn for the tiny ones. Every accidental brush of Nick’s hand against her and every momentary catch of his eyes was like an excited jolt to her system. It fed her deprived soul and gave her something to look forward to.

  “She seems a bit pissed,” Nick said, his voice like kindling to the inferno burning inside her.

  Daisy laughed. “To say she’s pissed at me would be an understatement.” She turned to face him, the movement causing his hand to drag along her hip. A million sparks erupted in her body each one igniting a new thrilling explosion that had her grabbing the bar behind her to keep from melting to the floor.

  “She’ll get over it,” he said, a sexy smirk on his lips. Lips that she couldn’t stop thinking about no matter how hard she tried.

  He looked down at her all six plus feet of him and all she could do was stare. He’d always been substantially taller than her, but it was never intimidating because he’d looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

  The gold flecks in his eyes all but sparkled as they softened. He lifted his hand then paused like he was debating on crossing an invisible line when finally, he reached toward her. His finger pushed a rogue curl off her forehead and lingered for a second before his hands fell away, leaving her desperate for another touch.

  Daisy laughed, doing her best to focus on the conversation and not the way her skin continued to smolder from his touch.

  “Have you met her?” she asked, throwing a glance toward Brooke because if she didn’t break the strong hold Nick had on her, there was no accounting for what she would do next. “She held a grudge against Chris Peterson from kindergarten until senior year because he once cut her in line. She holds the title for longest held grudge. Actually, I’m pretty sure she holds the top five spots.”

  “Point taken.” Nick took a step back, leaning against the old antique tub that sat below the taps. He crossed his arms over his chest and Daisy couldn’t help but notice the way the material of his shirt stretched around his bicep. “She’s hated Tyler forever, and that is still going strong,” he said.

  “See! I bet she doesn’t even know why she hates him anymore, but she can’t stop now.”

  He reached passed her, grabbing a rag, his body brushing against hers. Even if the touch was an accident she still closed her eyes and savored the moment. His scent invaded her senses and she swallowed down the desire to lean in for a taste.

  Disappointment settled over her as he pulled back, but then he rested his hands on either side of the bar, boxing her in. She sucked in a startled breath and blinked up to meet his eyes. For a few blissful seconds they didn’t speak. She stared into the two pools of brown silk, admiring every gold fleck.

  He lowered his head to her ear and she swallowed at the desire clawing up her throat.

  “Sometimes, it’s easier to ha
te someone than to admit what’s right in front of you. I think we both could agree on that.” He pulled back, eyes clashing with hers in an intense battle.

  “Is this your way of telling me you don’t hate me?” she asked.

  His head fell and his shoulders rose as he took a deep breath before looking back at her. The intensity in his eyes became painfully raw. “I couldn’t hate you even when I tried.”

  “How hard did you try?”

  The top of his lip lifted, the tiniest of smiles brightening his entire face. “You don’t want to know.”

  She could kiss him right now, make him forget every reason why he should hate her, but doing so would only cover those thoughts temporarily. When the kiss was over, they’d have to face reality. The reality where she left him again and she refused to give him any more reason to hate her.

  It was an impossible situation. If she followed her hearts desires she would either have to give up on her dreams or give up on a second chance with Nick. There was no easy solution, no matter what, she had to make a sacrifice and hadn’t she sacrificed enough already?

  It was all too much to handle, so Daisy grabbed the rag out of his hands, needing to distance herself from the undeniable yearning in his eyes because the longer she looked into them the clearer a future with him became.

  She slipped out of his path and made herself busy by wiping down the bar and getting back to work, taking orders.

  A woman waved her over and she took a quick order for a flight. Nick came up behind her, and she braced herself for another touch, for the warmth of his breath against her skin, but he kept his hands to himself. It was what she wanted, the distance, but now that she had it, she wasn’t so sure.

  He helped her by filling up two out of the five glasses and placing them on the serving board.

  “Thanks for your help,” Daisy said and unable to look at him she glanced over at Brooke.

  “You going to go over there?” Nick asked.

  “I feel like I have to.” Running away from her problems only seemed to create more. It was time she faced her old friend. “Any advice?” she asked.

  “An apology never hurt, but with Brooke…?” He scrunched his nose, and god, he looked unbelievably adorable. “She’s a harder nut to crack. If she doesn’t throw a beer in your face, there’s definitely hope.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Daisy said.

  Cassie stood on a bench and waved to get everyone’s attention. Mason stood beside her on the ground, arms crossed over his chest.

  “Hi everybody,” Cassie started. “Thanks for joining us for another trivia night. We’re going to get started in ten minutes, so grab your beers, hit the bathroom, and get ready to battle it out. I Thought This Was Speed Dating won last time, beating out My Drinking Team Has a Trivia Problem.”

  Brooke cheered along with the other members of her team. Daisy recognized Louise, Brooke’s best friend and a once good friend of Daisy’s. Louise was the protective plastic for all of Brooke’s sharp edges. She was sweet and kind, a naturally bubbly person with a great sense of humor. No matter what time of day, month, year, Daisy always had a good time with Louise.

  Ivy, another classmate of Daisy’s sat next to Louise. Last Daisy heard, Ivy was doing well and owned the only tuxedo and dress shop in three towns.

  Also at the table was Brooke’s sister, Layla, who raised Brooke and her brother Chase with the help of their other brother Jax after their mother died.

  “Will they keep the coveted champion mugs, created by our very own Kate James?” Cassie asked the crowd.

  Kate stood up and curtsied, and Daisy—along with the rest of the tasting room—clapped for her.

  Kate sat back down next to Caleb, and he put an arm around her, pressing a kiss to her temple. Old Man Simpson, Terry, and Walt shared a table with them. Daisy could only imagine what it would be like to be on a team with Terry.

  “Or!” Cassie said as the clapping quieted down. “Will there be a new champion tonight? We’ll find out soon!”

  Mason helped Cassie get down from the bench, and they stopped and talked to a few people in the crowd. Contentment radiated off of the both of them, and Daisy was genuinely happy for them, if not a little jealous. In this big messy thing called life they had each other to help carry a conversation, to rest a loving hand on their backs, and to disappear into a corner and share a kiss.

  Daisy glanced over to Nick whose smile was like an electric shock to her system. All she wanted to do was drag him to his office and finish that kiss they had beneath the tree house. That kiss had sparked parts of her alive that had been dormant for years. Nick wasn’t the only person she’d ever kissed, but he was the only person who could light her body ablaze with a simple glance.

  For so long, she pretended it was exaggerated because she was young and he was her first love, but when they’d kissed again it was as real as it got. There was no pretending, no denying that whatever was between them was pure fire.

  She turned away from Nick and walked over to Brooke’s table.

  Ivy had gotten up and made her way to the bathroom, and now it was just Brooke, Layla, and Louise at the table. It was now or never.

  She couldn’t keep running. At some point she had to face the past, because no matter how far she ran it would still be there waiting for her to make amends.

  She approached the table, and three pairs of eyes looked up at her. Brooke, however, kept her head angled away, shoulders back and rigid.

  “Hi,” Daisy said, giving an awkward wave.

  Layla was the first to acknowledge her. “Hi, Daisy. It’s good to see you.”

  “I’m sure some people at this table would beg to differ,” Daisy said, throwing a glance in Brooke’s direction.

  Brooke pursed her lips together. “She was always a smart girl.”

  “Hi Daisy,” Louise said. “Don’t mind Brooke; she’s cranky.”

  “Am not!” Brooke exclaimed.

  “Then why did you tell Tyler to bug off?” Louise had a smile that lit up her entire face, shining rays of happiness around her. Even Brooke wasn’t immune to it, though she pretended to be, biting down on her lip to conceal a smile.

  “Because he was talking smack and getting on my nerves. He can’t accept that he was beat by a team of girls.”

  Layla shook her head like she’d heard this story a million times before. She turned her attention to Daisy. “How’s your grandma? I heard the surgery went well.”

  Layla had been a nurse at the nursing home since before Daisy had left. Daisy almost didn’t recognize her out of her signature scrubs. She had worked so many hours back then, trying to keep the family afloat. Daisy hoped things were better now, then hated herself a little for not knowing if they were.

  Daisy smiled. “She’s doing good. Excited to get things moving.”

  “I bet she is,” Layla said. “We’ll take good care of her and get her back to new.”

  “That’s great to hear. Thank you.”

  “What do you want?” Brooke asked.

  Layla cut a glance to Brooke. “Don’t be rude.”

  Brooke held her chin in defiance. “I’m just asking a question.”

  “I think I’m going to get a refill before we get started,” Layla said, grabbing her half-filled pint glass. Brooke gave her a questioning look, but Layla ignored her and walked away, giving Daisy the exact audience she needed.

  Brooke and Louise… the ones who deserved an apology.

  Daisy pointed to the spot Layla just vacated. “Can I sit?”

  “It’s a free country,” Brooke said.

  “Please,” Louise said, motioning to the spot.

  Daisy slid onto the wood bench across from Brooke. “You’re obviously mad at me.”

  “Mad requires me to care, and I don’t,” Brooke stated.

  Louise inhaled and let out a loud breath. “What Brooke means is you didn’t just leave behind Nick when you left. You left us all behind. No note, no phone call… It hurt. We thought we were be
tter friends than that.”

  Daisy couldn’t believe that it took her this long to realize any of this. Of course they were hurt. When she wasn’t spending all her time with Nick she was with them. They had sleepovers, afternoons at the ice cream shop, and weekends taking trips to the Outlets to buy a new outfit.

  “We were and I’m sorry,” she said, but the words didn’t make her feel any better like she thought they would. If anything, she felt worse. “If I could go back and do things differently, trust me I would. I made so many mistakes and because of them I hurt the people who I truly cared about and who cared about me, too. I know I can’t apologize and expect to fix everything.”

  Brooke snorted, and Louise elbowed her in the side.

  “But it’s a step, right?” Daisy asked.

  Louise reached out and squeezed her hand. “Definitely, and I forgive you. We’ve all made mistakes.”

  Brooke turned her nose up and rolled her eyes.

  “I hope in time you’ll find, in your blackened heart, Brooke, to forgive me, too,” Daisy said with dramatic flair, and Brooke actually cracked a smile.

  “Just tell me one thing,” Brook said, flicking her glare to Daisy.

  “What’s that?” Daisy asked.

  “Is this an act?”

  “No,” Daisy said without hesitation. “This is me, one hundred percent real, telling you I messed up and I’m sorry.”

  Brooke held her pointer finger up. “One more question.”

  “Sure,” Daisy said.

  “Are you going back to New York?”

  A week ago, Daisy would have said yes without a seconds pause, but now she wasn’t so sure. There was nothing for her in New York, not anymore. Her apartment was gone, her roommates had moved on with their lives, and she didn’t even have a job to help her survive. But more than that, her heart was split in two; part of it here and the other part there.

  “That’s the plan,” she said. “But I’m not sure when. I want to stay awhile to help my grandma and grandpa while my grandma recovers. But even if I do go back I plan on staying in touch. I’m not going to disappear again.”