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

by Theresa Paolo

  “Practice my lines in front of the mirror like you told me to.”

  “Good boy. Remember to enunciate your words, and are you practicing the vocal exercise I gave you?” It was the same one she’d learned after her first failed audition. It was a way to help exaggerate pronunciation so people who had nosebleed seats could still hear.

  “Yup!”

  “Let me hear it.”

  “A proper copper coffee pot,” he said, perfectly enunciating every word.

  “That’s sounds awesome. You’re going to knock them dead.”

  “Why would I want someone to die?” he asked.

  “That’s not what it means.” Daisy laughed. “It means you’re going to perform so well that you’re going to impress everyone. You’ll be the talk of the night.”

  “Awesome,” he exclaimed.

  “I got to go, bud. But at Sunday dinner let’s practice in front of Dylan one more time. What do you say?”

  “Yes!”

  “All right go practice.”

  “Bye, Aunt Daisy! You’re the best.”

  A warmth filled her heart until it felt like it might burst. “You’re pretty great yourself.” She hung up the phone and hugged it against her chest. “Now if that wasn’t the sweetest damn thing.”

  She tossed her phone onto the passenger seat and headed to her grandparent’s house where she got caught up in her research. She wrote down a few more ideas then changed out of her Five Leaf Brewery t-shirt and into something a little more Saturday night appropriate. Not that many people dressed up for a night out at Calhoun’s, but she wanted to celebrate.

  Mason liked her ideas, and the more research she did the giddier she got. She loved the idea of adding entertainment, but what she loved even more was the opportunity to give locals a chance to showcase their talent.

  Growing up, she’d never had that, and maybe a brewery wasn’t a place for a high school kid, but at least they knew when they got older they would have a venue where they could perform. It might not be a big stage, but sometimes size really didn’t matter. All that mattered was having an outlet to share your talent.

  Maybe she would even grab a mic and sing a few songs. It would be nice not to have the pressure of a casting director staring her down.

  With one more final touch up of her makeup, she grabbed her bag and headed out, excited for all the new possibilities to come.

  Chapter 17

  Daisy walked into Calhoun’s and immediately spotted Brooke and Louise on stools at the center of the bar. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that a single apology and one night out at the bar would fix all the damage she caused when she left, but it was a step in the right direction.

  Louise turned toward the door, glass in hand, straw in mouth. Her eyes widened with excitement as she pulled the drink away from her lips and waved to Daisy. Brooke’s attention followed, and Daisy was still unsure where they stood, but when she smiled and motioned her over, any remaining tension eased.

  Brooke was in a pair of jeans that hugged her slim frame, and a pair of black boots that stopped at her knees. Her shirt was black and sheer that buttoned at the wrists and had tiny white polka dots on it. Louise was more casual in a pair of skinny jeans that covered her long legs and led to a pair of Converse sneakers. A red, light-weight scarf draped across her neck and down her white long sleeve t-shirt.

  “What are you drinking?” Brooke asked.

  Daisy was about to say a beer; after working at the brewery, she’d acquired a taste for it, but before she could respond Brooke cut her off, turning to Billy the bartender. “Billy, three shots of tequila and a Manhattan for the city girl.”

  “Oh! Tequila!” Louise exclaimed.

  “I was just going to get a beer,” Daisy said.

  “We are here to have a good time, not watch a football game,” Brooke said. “Besides, we have to toast to our girl coming home for however long that might be.”

  Daisy smiled; her typical response of, not long, didn’t fly out as usual. If anything, the words clung to the back of her throat, refusing to be uttered.

  “Enough about that,” Louise said. “There is no deadline on tonight so let’s drink.” She turned to the bar, thanked Billy, and passed out the three shots.

  Daisy took it, remembering the last time she had tequila at seventeen, and the night had ended with Nick carrying her home and sneaking her into the house so she wouldn’t get in trouble.

  But if tequila was the way to clean up the mess she made, then she was going to suck it up. “Cheers,” she said, held her breath, and threw the shot back.

  The liquid left a fiery path down her throat. Brooke handed her the Manhattan to chase it. Maybe not the best idea, but she was desperate for any sort of relief. She took a big gulp before realizing it was more whiskey than Manhattan.

  “Welcome back,” Brooke draped her arm over her shoulder and held her shot glass up. “Billy one more round.”

  An hour later, any reservations Daisy had were completely lost. She and Louise made their own dance floor and were in the middle of breaking out some epic moves when Brooke came up behind her, turning their duo into a trio.

  “So,” Brooke said, “you never did tell us about what’s going on with Nick.”

  Daisy felt the calm, cool vibes running through her veins come to a screeching halt. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about Nick. She had no idea what was going on with them, and if she talked about it she would have to admit to herself that she never stopped loving him.

  That was just too much to deal with tonight when she was supposed to be letting loose.

  “It’s complicated,” Daisy said, going in for a spin with Louise.

  Brooke grabbed her and whispered in her ear. “Then it’s about to get more complicated.” She spun Daisy around toward the door as Tyler and Nick walked in.

  Butterflies didn’t just flutter in her stomach—they swarmed. Her eyes took in his flannel button up, perfectly fitting jeans and hot prickly heat erupted across her body. She had gotten so used to seeing him in his casual business attire, but now with his hair a little messy from the outside, she could barely breathe.

  Daisy stumbled, but Brooke caught her before she went down and made a scene. “We can sneak out the back if you want,” Brooke suggested.

  “No,” Daisy said. The truth was, the minute her eyes landed on him she came to life in a way that no amount of alcohol could manage. “I’m here to have a good time with my friends. We stay.”

  Tyler walked by and nodded to them. “Girls.” He turned to Brooke and smirked. “Hearts.”

  “I didn’t realize it was ‘bring your trash to the bar’ day,” Brooke said in rebuttal.

  Daisy felt the weight of Nick’s gaze on her. His jaw ticked and his shoulders went rigid—not exactly the reaction she was expecting, especially after all the time they had spent together since she’d been back.

  She thought they’d had a good time. She did at least. It was like it used to be. Easy conversation and good laughs that made her smile thinking about them. Maybe she’d said something that made him upset? Or maybe he realized that she was a bad bet because in the end he would lose her.

  Whatever. She wasn’t here to analyze Nick. She was here to have fun.

  She grabbed Brooke and Louise’s hands and pulled them into a new round of dancing.

  Sweat beaded across Daisy’s forehead and spine as she continued to move her body to the music. She glanced over at the bar—Nick and Tyler had their backs propped against it, a beer in hand.

  Visions of Nick coming up behind her, pulling her tight against his chest as he slow danced with her wouldn’t leave her mind, yet he never once left the bar.

  She was tempted to grab him by the collar and give him no choice, but she didn’t want to give the town gossip-mill fodder.

  If he wanted to stand there and stare then she would make it worth his while.

  ***

  Nick swallowed a groan as Daisy swayed those sexy hips, he
ad back, mess of curls trailing behind her. The movement caused her chest to heave forward, giving him an eyeful to what lay beneath the dip in her shirt.

  After they’d had dinner together he couldn’t get her off his damn mind. Everywhere he turned he was reminded of her, bringing him down a torturous memory lane. Walking into Calhoun’s he wanted to throw back a few beers with his best bud and forget about the girl he couldn’t shake. The last thing he expected was to see her dancing like a damn goddess in an outfit that hugged every perfect curve.

  Jesus, they were just tight as hell black skinny jeans, but the way they sculpted her ass and clung to her thighs made parts of him spark to life making for a very uncomfortable situation. He shifted, hoping to release a little tension, but it only made it worse.

  “Daisy looks good,” Tyler said. “Who knew she could move like that?”

  “Shut up.”

  Tyler laughed, raising his hands in defense. “Sorry.”

  Daisy spun around, holding her drink in the air, and Nick couldn’t help but follow her every move. If he wasn’t such a chickenshit, he would grab her by the waist and drag her up against him, show her what she was doing to him, but he wasn’t sure he could handle another rejection.

  While he was getting used to losing people he loved, he wasn’t sure his heart was on the same page, still feeling a little vulnerable, so he stood to the side, watching her little show and being tortured.

  Brooke came over to the bar and squeezed in between Nick and Tyler. Tyler made some snarky comment that Nick didn’t quite hear, but by Brooke’s face and Tyler’s smug look he was sure she did. Brooke ordered three shots of tequila, and Nick looked back to Daisy who already looked like she’d had her fair share of drinks.

  “It looks like Daisy’s had enough,” Nick said.

  Brooke pinned him with her dark gray eyes. “I’m sorry. Are you her keeper?”

  “No, but I know what tequila does to her.”

  She patted his chest like he said the most amusing thing. “Correction. You used to know.”

  The veins in Nick’s neck tightened, and Tyler laughed. He made a note to himself to kick his ass later. Brooke got the three shots from Billy who told her that would be the last round, and as she walked by, she stopped and turned back to Nick.

  “By the way, I’m doing you a favor.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Three shots of tequila and two Manhattans. Guess who’s going to need a ride home tonight?”

  “I’m not driving your drunk asses home,” Tyler said.

  Brooke’s lip curled in repulse. “I’d rather walk barefooted in the snow, thank you. My brother is picking me and Louise up for your information. Daisy is going to need someone to drive her car back to her place. So don’t say I’ve never done anything for you.” She winked at him then brought the shots over to the girls.

  Daisy took it from Brooke’s hand and met his eyes across the bar. With a determined set in her shoulders, she downed the liquid, threw her arms in the air, and went right back to dancing.

  By the end of the night Nick was uncomfortably hard, pissed that he felt it was his responsibility to make sure she got home okay and annoyed that she kept right on dancing like he didn’t exist.

  “I’ve had enough,” he growled.

  Tyler arched an eyebrow in his direction as he pushed off his spot at the bar and went over to Daisy. He grabbed her by the waist, her shirt damp, sending a jolt of desire coursing through him to give her just as good a workout.

  “It’s time to go,” he said.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed into him. “Dance with me,” she said. A blonde curl stuck to her cheek and damn it, he couldn’t leave it there. He tucked it behind her ear, and she nuzzled against his hand with a moan.

  This woman was going to be the death of him.

  “I’m not in the mood to dance.”

  She stopped swaying——thank god— and looked up at him with that innocent gaze she’d perfected over the years. Long lashes fluttered over her big blue eyes. “Why are you mad at me?”

  The accusation in her tone practically brought him to his knees. “I’m not mad at you.”

  Her hand cascaded down his chest, and he stiffened as everything below his waist became heavy. “Then why are you so rigid around me right now?”

  Didn’t she realize the affect she had on him? That a single touch from her set the blood in his veins to boil, and he felt like he would erupt at any second? Did she not understand that all he could think about was finding the nearest place for them to slip away so he could see what lay beneath that lowcut shirt and tight jeans?

  He swallowed down the desire to hoist her up and soothe his ache, finding the strength deep inside him to gain control.

  “We should go.”

  She stood her ground. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Daisy, you can’t drive. I’ll drive you home.”

  She let out a breath and shook her head. “Typical Nick, saving the day.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You always swoop in and save me from myself. You’ve been doing it since we were kids.” She let go of him, unsteady on her feet, and swayed to the left. An instinctive hand grabbed her waist to steady her. “See? Can’t even let me stumble a bit.” She held her hand up, pointing at him. “I’m not perfect and that’s okay.” Her words slurred and her eyelids drooped.

  “Let’s go.”

  “No,” she said. “You need to hear this.”

  She patted his chest and he braced himself for whatever drunk words of wisdom she was about to impart on him. He shoved his hands in his pocket, knowing if he held her any longer the sliver of control he had left would snap.

  “You put me on this pedestal all those years ago, but I didn’t belong there.”

  If loving her unconditionally despite her flaws meant that he put her on a pedestal than he wasn’t going to be sorry for it.

  “Are you done?” he asked.

  “Are you?”

  “I’ve been done.”

  Her gaze dropped for a moment then lifted back to his. “With the bar or with me?”

  He wanted to tell her that he was done with her the minute she’d walked out on him, but staring into those big eyes he couldn’t bring himself to lie. “I’ll never be done with you.”

  A flicker of hope passed through her irises. “We should go then.”

  Brooke walked over, holding up Daisy’s bag and keys. “You’ll need these.”

  Nick swiped the keys from her hand. “Thanks.”

  The wicked smile on her face said enough, but she still added, “You’re welcome.”

  Daisy hugged Brooke, told her she was sorry a million times before doing the same to Louise. Finally, after some finagling he got her outside. Nick tossed his keys to Tyler.

  “Follow us.” Tyler nodded. “You got it.”

  Nick helped Daisy into the Jeep, making sure nothing was hanging out of the door before closing it. He took a deep breath, finding the strength to get through the rest of the night.

  The first five minutes of their drive Daisy stared out the window, not saying much of anything. It was hot as hell in the confined space, and her sweet scent enveloped him and smelled so damn good. He focused on the road, trying to ignore the adorable creature beside him. But when he glanced over at her to make sure she was okay, his eyes caught hers. She smiled a big intoxicating smile.

  She reminded him of a happier time back when their worlds revolved around each other and a simple glimpse at each other could make everything better.

  “I had a picture of us with me in New York,” she said out of nowhere. “My roommate Penny found it once then grilled me about it. She thought you were super hot.”

  He laughed. “Can’t argue with her.”

  Daisy snorted. “Nope. Definitely not.”

  “So why’d you have the picture? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me then.”

  Her eyes sparkle
d up at him, and he felt it in every inch of his body.

  “When I’d be having a really bad day, I’d take it out.” She took a deep breath and shrugged, her hands falling loudly in her lap. “To remind myself of what I sacrificed to be there.” She turned her head against the head rest then flopped it back in his direction. “That’s why I can’t come home.” Her words were barely a whisper. “I have things to prove.”

  “Daze, you have nothing to prove.”

  He waited for her to say something, anything, but she didn’t. He cut another glance in her direction, and her head slumped against the window, eyes closed. She was out like a light.

  All along he knew there was more to the story, but she was so good at keeping up a façade that he didn’t know if he was imagining it, or trying to give himself hope in an otherwise hopeless situation. Now he knew that he wasn’t losing his mind. He wished he knew more, wished that she didn’t need to be three sheets to the wind to finally open up to him.

  Daisy used to be an open book, and it was hard for him to accept she hid things from him. . Still he wanted to know her deepest and darkest secrets. He wanted to hold her after a bad day and make her laugh when she thought the world was out to get her.

  What exactly did she have to prove?

  He pulled into her driveway, put the truck in park, and turned to her. He took in the soft relaxed curves of her face, the way her lip twitched when she exhaled, and burned it to his memory.

  “Daze,” he said, gently shaking her shoulder, “we’re here.”

  She shot up and looked around. “I’m awake,” she announced, and if that wasn’t the cutest damn thing. He laughed at her attempt at being alert.

  It took her a moment to get her bearings together, but by the time he got to the passenger door she was sliding out. He handed her the keys and helped her get up the porch.

  Tyler pulled in behind them and Daisy waved to him. Nick held his finger up signaling he’d be a minute.

  Daisy looked at her keys, held them up, her eyebrows knitted together.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “My house key is missing.”

  “What?” He took her keys from her and fanned them out. There was the Jeep key, a key for a padlock, a PO box key, and that was it. “None of these are the house key?”