Surprise Bride and Groom

by Iris Abbott

  “Let’s go check out the new dog park. But I vote we get ice cream first. What do you say about that?”

  Cheers erupted in the backseat. And just like that, all was well in Daisy’s world.

  ****

  Daisy licked the scoop of melting rocky road ice cream to keep it from dripping everywhere. She followed along behind a running Lucas at a much more sedate pace. Her nephew had already scarfed down his chocolate ice cream cone. And he was in a hurry to visit the dog park.

  Daisy knew the exercise would be good for both of them. She picked up her pace to a very fast walk. She didn’t want to lose sight of him. Also, maybe if she expended enough energy she might be able to close her eyes tonight and actually get some sleep.

  They neared the outer edges of the new dog park, which had been incorporated into the southern end of the large town park. Lucas was several feet ahead of Daisy but well within her range of sight.

  Suddenly before Daisy even knew what was happening, a Golden Retriever with wavy cream and gold fur bounded straight toward Lucas at top speed. The dog jumped about on his hind legs and placed both its front paws on Lucas’s shoulder. The dog weighed almost as much as Lucas and they both toppled to the ground.

  Daisy took off at a run. She was so focused on getting to her nephew that the ice cream cone was all but forgotten. It fell to the ground ignored by a terrified Daisy.

  The dog was loudly barking and she could hear noises coming from Lucas too. At first she thought he might be calling for help. As she neared the tussling dog and child, she realized that Lucas was laughing. He and the dog were happily playing together.

  Daisy reached the wrestling pair about the same time as the dog’s owner. She whirled toward the man with a few harsh words on the tip of her tongue. The angry words died away as quickly as they formed. She was standing toe to toe with her boss, the man partly responsible for saving her life just hours before.

  Her hand fluttered to her throat. It felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. “Well that’s two horrible frights in one day,” she settled on saying instead.

  Carson had the nerve to give Daisy a sheepish grin. “I’m sorry if Rosie scared you. She’s the friendliest animal I know. She’d never hurt your nephew.”

  “I can see that now,” Daisy replied. But she’d been plenty scared for Lucas when he first went down to the ground.

  Lucas was back on his feet now. He was vigorously scratching Rosie behind the ears with both of his little hands. Rosie’s tail was wagging so hard, Daisy thought it might be in danger of falling off. Which of course Daisy knew wasn’t possible.

  “Well it’s kind of like this,” Carson explained. “Most people have children that want dogs. I have a dog that wants a child. And it’s not like I can find one for sale at the local animal shelter.”

  Daisy couldn’t help it. The laughter came quick and loud. She had no idea that Carson was such a comedian. This was a side to him she’d never seen before and she quite enjoyed it.

  Carson gave her a deadpan look. “Ah, you think I’m joking. The sad thing is that I’m telling the one hundred percent unvarnished truth. Rosie loves children. But she had the bad luck to be rescued by a single man with no existing children and none to come in the foreseeable future, I’m afraid.”

  That comment sounded almost like something Daisy’s ex-husband would have said. She sobered up immediately. And she quickly steered the topic of conversation off of children and back onto the dog.

  “I didn’t even know you had a dog.” That was a harmless enough statement, she thought.

  Carson shrugged. “How would you. It’s not as if I bring Rosie to work with me every day, or ever.”

  “What about today?” Daisy was glad the innocent dog hadn’t been inside the bank. If she’d charged one of the bank robbers, they’d have probably shot her. And that would have been a horrible end for such a loving creature.

  “Today, as you know, was anything but a typical day. I dropped Rosie off this morning with Jackson and Mandy Walker.”

  Daisy scrunched her brows together. “I thought they specialized in large animals.”

  “That’s right. They usually treat cattle and horses. But Mandy found Rosie on the side of the road abandoned and half-starved.”

  “I’m surprised Mandy didn’t insist on keeping the dog herself. She never met an animal she didn’t like, and Rosie is precious.”

  “Well, I think she did want to keep Rosie, but it just didn’t work out.”

  Daisy couldn’t imagine why. She frowned. “It couldn’t have been Jackson’s idea to get rid of the dog either. He loves animals just as much as Mandy and above all else he loves Mandy. If she wanted the dog, I can’t see Jackson saying no.”

  Carson laughed. “You’ve got Jackson pegged. Rosie didn’t mind the cat, but Mandy’s cat couldn’t stand Rosie.”

  Daisy snorted. “I should have thought of that. That spoiled fur-ball rules the Walker house, I do believe.”

  “Indeed, so I did them a favor by taking the dog in. In return they take care of Rosie’s annual vaccinations for me. Apparently Jackson heard about the attempted bank robbery. Since he had to come into town anyway to pick up supplies, he brought Rosie to me, so I wouldn’t have to drive all the way out to his ranch.”

  “That was mighty nice of him,” Daisy replied.

  “I agree. I only received a few bruises from my tussle with the gunman, but I am emotionally drained. I’m definitely relieved I don’t have to drive all the way out to the Walker’s ranch. It’s too nice of a day to spend it cooped up in the car.”

  Daisy agreed with him about the weather. She glanced at the playing little boy and dog. “I feel exhausted too. But I wasn’t ready to be surrounded by four walls and a roof. When Lucas suggested the park, I jumped at the suggestion.”

  “I’m glad you did,” Carson admitted with a big smile. “Most children we come across in the park beg to pet Rosie, but they don’t actually play with her the way Lucas is doing.”

  Daisy gave him a guilty look. “That’s probably because Lucas has been begging me for a dog forever.”

  “You should consider it, Daisy. Golden Retrievers like Daisy make wonderful family pets. And it might not hurt for a woman and young child living alone to have a dog for security reasons. Dogs can be very protective of their families.”

  “It’s a nice thought. I wish I could, especially after seeing him play so well with Rosie. But we live in a rental.” Daisy used her fingers to make quotation marks in the air, “No pets allowed,” she mimicked her landlord’s shrill voice.

  “That’s too bad. Lucas looks like he would adore having a dog. And unfortunately there are plenty of dogs like Rosie out there that people have thrown away like yesterday’s garbage.”

  Daisy was slightly taken aback by the vehemence she heard in Carson’s voice. She always thought of him as a decent guy. And she would never doubt that, not after his selfless actions of today. But it had never occurred to her that he would be so impassioned by the plight of abused and or neglected animals.

  “Rosie is one lucky dog to have you in her corner. She looks very happy and I know you must take really great care of her.”

  “I do my best,” he agreed. “I have a large fenced-in backyard. Rosie has a nice doghouse with a cedar-stuffed pillow that keeps her cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and dry when it’s raining. I take her for a thirty-minute walk every morning before work and every evening after dinner. And since it opened I bring her here to the dog park at least once a week.”

  “Both of you are certainly staying active. No wonder you eat most of the desserts people bring into the bank without gaining even one pound,” Daisy exclaimed. She felt like she gained weight if she even looked at chocolate. And that wasn’t good, because she loved to bake.

  “Been paying close attention to my body, have you?” Carson teased.

  Daisy’s flushed face turned bright red. Her heartbeat raced when she realized that Carson h
ad the power to affect her with just a few well-placed words. She felt like she was walking on shaky ground and could tumble to her demise any second.

  Suddenly feeling smothered by Carson’s nearness, Daisy took a quick step back. “I… well, I liked it better when we were discussing Rosie,” she finally managed to stammer.

  Upon hearing her name the Golden Retriever moved next to Daisy. The dog’s wet nose nudged against her hand. Rosie was begging for a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ear.

  Daisy bent down until she was eye level with the dog. It made ignoring Carson much easier. “Hello there, Rosie.” She rubbed the dog’s nose and then scratched her behind the ears. “Aren’t you just the prettiest dog I’ve ever seen? Yes, you are,” she cooed to the adorable dog that was eating up her attention.

  Lucas slipped between Daisy and Rosie. “I wish I had a dog just like her,” he solemnly informed his aunt.

  “I know you do, Lucas. But we’ve already been over this today and several times besides.” She felt like her heart was going to break. It was such a simple request, and she really hated that she couldn’t make it happen.

  Lucas gave Daisy a forlorn look. He didn’t argue. In fact he didn’t say anything at all.

  Carson inserted himself into the conversation. He got down on his haunches so that he was eye level with Lucas. “Hi, I’m Carson Miller. And it just so happens that your Aunt Daisy and I know each other. So you can play with Rosie anytime you want.”

  Lucas perked up. He flashed both of the adults a really big grin. “I can?” He looked to his aunt for the final say.

  “Well, Mr. Miller and I do work together at the bank. He’s a very busy man, however, and we don’t want to impose on him or Rosie, do we?”

  The little boy’s smile faded until it almost disappeared.

  Daisy felt her nephew’s sadness all the way down to her bones. Just because she was having a really bad day didn’t mean Lucas had to have one too. She put her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll see, buddy. Who knows? Maybe you and Rosie will run into each other again sometime soon.”

  Daisy silently congratulated herself. She thought that was the perfect answer. She didn’t flat-out refuse Carson’s offer. So it gave Lucas something to look forward to and, above all, it gave the little boy hope.

  “It’s really not an imposition,” Carson insisted. “We’re all here right now.” He dug a tennis ball out of his pocket and handed it to Lucas. “Why don’t you and Rosie play ball together,” he suggested.

  “Oh boy! Thanks, Mr. Miller!” Lucas ran off with a happily barking Rosie nipping at his heels.

  “Don’t go too far,” Daisy yelled after her quickly retreating nephew. She felt a light grip on her elbow. She glanced down and saw Carson’s tanned fingers touching her arm.

  “There’s a bench right over there.” Carson nodded his head in the general direction of a wooden bench sitting in the shade of a large magnolia tree. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a sit-down. Lucas and Rosie can wear themselves out while we take a load off.”

  “Fine,” she reluctantly agreed. Without Lucas and Rosie to provide a friendly barrier between her and Carson she was back to being awkward in his overwhelming presence. She started walking toward the deserted bench.

  “I hope you know what you’ve let us in for,” she felt the need to warn him. “Lucas can play for hours and hours. The energy of a child that young is almost limitless. And Rosie looks like she can match him in the energy department.”

  They’d reached the bench and Carson sat down. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and lounged against the high wooden back. “We’ve had quite a day, haven’t we? I don’t think it’ll be forgotten anytime soon, I’m afraid.”

  “You’re right about that.” She was quick to agree.

  “How are you holding up? I mean, now that it’s over and everything turned out all right for everyone in the bank, except the robbers of course.”

  Daisy took a deep breath. She needed a few extra seconds to gather her chaotic thoughts. “To be honest, I don’t really know, Carson. I was still in a daze when I arrived at the daycare center to pick up Lucas.” She shrugged. “In a way it doesn’t feel real, you know.”

  “That’s understandable,” Carson agreed. “I think I was in a sort of daze myself when I left the bank. It was one of the reasons I decided to treat Rosie to some extra time at the dog park.”

  “I’m glad you did. I didn’t want my haywire emotions to have a negative impact on Lucas. Thanks to Rosie, he’s having one of the best afternoons of his life. I really appreciate you being generous enough to share her with Lucas.”

  “I meant what I said before, you know. Anytime you want to set up a play date between Rosie and Lucas, just let me know. I wasn’t kidding. That dog loves children. She and Lucas seem taken with each other. It would be a shame to deprive them of each other’s company.”

  “You’re right, of course. I just hate feeling like a bother.”

  “It’s not a bother at all, Daisy. We’ve known each other a long time. It’s not like we’re complete strangers, and you’re begging me for favors.”

  Sometimes it certainly felt like they were strangers, Daisy thought. Neither one of them had gone out of their way to get to know the other one. But that was her fault just as much as his. “I’m sure Lucas will be constantly asking me about Rosie after today. So I just might have to take you up on that offer,” she reluctantly agreed.

  He flashed her a smile that was full of charm. “You’re welcome, Daisy. I’m pretty flexible on the weekends. Just let me know a couple of days beforehand the next time Lucas wants to play with Rosie and we’ll arrange something.”

  With that matter settled Daisy moved on to the next topic of conversation. She wanted to put the terrifying experience at the bank behind her, but there were a couple of questions she really needed to know the answers to. No one would be a better source than Carson. And since he was sitting there beside her, she might as well go ahead and ask.

  “You probably don’t want to talk about what happened this afternoon any more than I do. But I want to ask you about Derek.”

  Carson stiffened at the mention of the other man’s name but he didn’t interrupt her.

  “He isn’t going to get into any trouble, is he? I mean who knows what might have happened if he hadn’t been in the wrong place at the right time.”

  “As it turned out, Derek was unofficially doing his job.”

  “Oh.” Daisy looked a little perplexed. She remembered the dispatcher inferring as much, but the woman hadn’t given Daisy any specifics. “Did he join the Rancher’s Bend Police Department then?”

  “You could say that. Actually he’s the new captain of the SWAT team.”

  “Well good for him, and great for us,” she finally said after a few seconds of awkward silence. “I guess that means he’s back in town for good.”

  “Is that important to you, Daisy?”

  “Not really, but you can’t blame a girl for being curious.”

  “I was just wondering if you were interested in the newest hometown hero.”

  She shrugged. “No, not really. And do I need to remind you that he wasn’t the only hero inside the bank today.”

  Carson brushed aside the compliment. “Thanks, but I’m the president of the bank. It was my job to help protect everyone else. I really don’t consider myself a hero. And as far as Derek, he’s closer to your age. I didn’t know if the two of you had a history or anything.”

  Daisy glanced away from Carson. She pretended to be checking on Lucas, but Daisy didn’t want him to see the sadness in her eyes when she mentioned her ex-husband. “Not directly, no. Derek and Travis were best buddies in high school. I’m going to try real hard not to hold that against Derek, especially since he had a major hand in saving us today.”

  “Maybe you should,” Carson volunteered. He was eager to exploit any rift between Daisy and the man he considered to be the main competition for her att
ention.

  Daisy gave him a funny look. “Really? I never expected you to give awful advice like that, Carson. Derek is no more responsible for Travis’s crappy behavior than I am.” She narrowed her eyes and stiffened her back until it was ramrod straight. “That is, unless you think it’s my fault Travis divorced me when I refused to let Lucas languish in foster care for the remainder of his childhood.”

  “I never once thought that about you, Daisy. I was just questioning your sudden interest in Derek. That’s all I was doing.”

  “I’m not interested in Derek. I just want to properly thank him. He was a hero today. And even if it is part of his job, he should be rewarded.”

  Carson got quiet for a few seconds. Daisy had no idea what he was thinking about.

  “And just how do you plan to thank him?” Carson finally asked.

  “With a pan of my homemade peanut butter fudge brownies of course.” She noted the comical look on Carson’s face. She laughed and gave him a few friendly pats on the arm. “Don’t worry. Remember you’re a hero in my book, also. And I do know how much you love sweets. I plan to make a big pan for you too. I’ll bring it to work with me on Monday morning.”

  “That’s a relief,” he joked. “Because I tasted your brownies at the bank’s Christmas party. They were rich, creamy, chocolaty, and a dessert lover’s dream.”

  Carson suddenly saw an opportunity and he pounced on it. “I don’t think I can wait that long. It’s over two days away,” he good-naturedly complained.

  “They’re brownies, Carson, not manna from heaven. I think you can wait.”

  “Maybe, but I know I definitely don’t want to have to share with everyone else at the bank.” He gave her his best puppy dog look.

  He was so appealing, and impossible for Daisy to resist. It confirmed what she’d always known about Carson. He was big trouble wrapped in a most tempting package. Daisy had always been afraid that if she took the time to get to know him, she would want more. This was shaky ground for sure. She’d shied away from any romantic relationships since her divorce, for obvious reasons.