Surprise Bride and Groom

by Iris Abbott

  “I thought so. Travis was a total jerk. She didn’t deserve what he did to her.”

  “No, she didn’t!”

  “It looks like we’re on the same page,” Derek confided. “I didn’t pursue Daisy after the attempted bank robbery, because things seemed to be heating up between the two of you. And by all accounts you’re a great guy, Carson. Don’t do anything to prove me wrong, or make me regret my decision.”

  “I don’t plan on doing anything that will hurt Daisy. Now we’re wasting time. I have to find her and make sure she’s all right. I can’t do that if I’m gossiping on the phone like an old woman.”

  Carson hung up and sprang out of his seat. He threw open the door and exited the office. He stopped in front of his assistant’s desk. “Renee, did Daisy come into the bank recently?”

  The very efficient fifty-something assistant glared at her boss. “You know she didn’t, Mr. Miller. Daisy has that nephew of hers to take care of after hours. Why would she come back here?” The woman admonished Carson with a frown.

  “Lucas disappeared from the daycare center,” Carson barked back. He went out of his way to be polite to everyone at the bank, especially his matronly assistant. But he didn’t believe in mincing words and he was having a hard time tampering down the fear that was gnawing at his gut. Even after a short acquaintance, he adored Lucas. And knowing that Daisy was somewhere out there suffering affected him more than he wanted to admit to anybody, even his longtime assistant.

  “Daisy, as you can imagine, is probably in shock and no one knows where she is. To make matters worse, she’s not answering her phone. Derek Barnes and I both are worried about her.” Carson was not afraid to admit that much to his assistant. Renee was the soul of discretion when it came to her boss. She wouldn’t gossip about his concern and interest, which went far beyond the professional level.

  Renee’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh no, poor Daisy, she lives for that boy. She turned her whole life upside down to take care of the little tyke after his father died. The mother disappeared long before then and without a word to anyone too. This is shameful.”

  Renee continued to fret. She was going on and on about Daisy and Lucas. “She must be heartbroken,” Carson’s assistant proclaimed.

  Carson tuned her out. He was assessing the situation, calculating the risks, and he was ready to make a move. He didn’t want to take advantage of Daisy, but she was going to need someone to help her through this very tough time. And he refused to let anyone else step in and play nice with his woman. Yes, as far as he was concerned, Daisy was his.

  “Go on home, Renee,” he casually instructed. “You’re going to have to hold down the fort here at the bank tomorrow. I’m using a very rare personal day to take care of Daisy. Reschedule what customers you can and see if Charles Jenkins has any openings in his schedule tomorrow. Most of my appointments probably won’t mind meeting with him instead.”

  Renee had been his assistant for almost a decade, ever since he’d started at the bank. They’d worked their way up through the ranks together. He knew she would take care of everything. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about the bank or his job. All his worry was reserved for Daisy.

  “You’re missing a day of work? That is highly irregular.” Renee arched a brow and gave Carson a big grin. “It’s about time you stopped twiddling your thumbs and showed Daisy how you feel about her.”

  Carson chose to ignore the personal nature of Renee’s comment. He always figured her eagle eyes saw everything. “I’ll be back in on Wednesday morning.” That was the only explanation his assistant was going to get. She’d been right about one thing. It was about time Daisy knew exactly how he felt about her.

  He gathered up his laptop and briefcase before hurrying out of the bank. Daisy might not want company, but that was too bad. She didn’t need to be alone. And he was one stubborn man. She wouldn’t be able to get rid of him just because she wanted to. He was made of sterner stuff than that.

  SIX

  Stifling another sob, Daisy ignored the ringing phone just as she’d been doing for the past couple of hours. The police had assured her they would come to her house if, or when, they had any news about Lucas. The doorbell chimed throughout the small house. She tensed before jumping up and running toward the front door.

  Her throat was raw, her eyes hurt, and overall Daisy was a mess from the hard crying she’d been doing. She didn’t want to answer the door and she most definitely didn’t want to talk to anyone. But she knew she had to do it. It might be the police. And Lucas might be with them!

  It was the dread that they might have bad news that suddenly stalled her forward progress. She stood frozen in the middle of the foyer. She was afraid to move forward, afraid to face what could be the worst news of her life.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and placed her hands over her ears in an effort to drown out the sound. The doorbell pealed twice more in quick succession. Still she didn’t make another move toward the door. Daisy couldn’t lift her feet.

  That was until the dreaded banging started. As much as Daisy didn’t want a visitor, she didn’t want a neighbor to call the police and complain about the noise either. No offense to Rancher’s Bend’s finest, but between the attempted bank robbery and Lucas’s kidnapping, Daisy had had enough of dealing with the police.

  She opened her eyes, dropped her hands, and took a step toward the door. Running a quick hand through her hair, Daisy moved with purpose now. She was almost at the door when she swayed and nearly lost her balance. Grabbing hold of a nearby table, she managed to stay on her feet.

  “All right, all right, I’m coming! Hold on,” she demanded in a shrill voice filled with tension. It was probably Mandy or another friend, anxious to see how she was doing. And while the gesture was appreciated, the last thing Daisy wanted was company.

  She swung open the door. There were no policemen and no friends. Instead Daisy was face to face with the last person she expected to see. Widened eyes and a small gasp announced her surprise at seeing Carson standing on her doorstep.

  She visibly trembled from head to toe. “How’d you know?” she whispered before taking a step back. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this right now.”

  Before Carson could utter a greeting or ask Daisy how she was doing, she quickly and quietly closed the door in his face.

  Daisy lacked the strength to make it back to the couch. Instead she braced her back against the wall next to the door. Sagging, she slowly slid to the floor. Why was Carson of all people here to see her?

  She didn’t have the strength to face him. Her emotions were all over the place when it came to him. He made her feel more than she’d ever felt before. And it was just too much for her to cope with right now. Closing her eyes, she let out a tortured sigh.

  ****

  Carson stared at the peeling paint on the closed wooden door in disbelief. He lifted a hand and lightly knocked on the offending door. He hadn’t heard retreating footsteps. Daisy was probably standing on the other side, holding her breath and waiting for him to leave.

  Well, he wasn’t going to be indulging her today. She always seemed so ethereal and fragile. Carson felt like he walked on eggshells around her all the time, but no more. He wasn’t leaving her to weather this storm alone.

  Her original greeting was proof that Daisy wasn’t handling Lucas’s disappearance very well at all. Not that there had ever been any doubt. She loved Lucas more than anything else. Even if Carson hadn’t seen that love firsthand, her broken marriage was evidence enough of just how much she’d sacrificed for her nephew.

  Carson knew she had to be in immense pain. He wasn’t the kind of guy that walked away from something like this. When the going got tough, Carson Miller dug in his heels and stuck it out. It was time Daisy learned that about him.

  Usually he admired Daisy’s stubborn streak, but right now not so much. “I know you’re in there, Daisy.” His knuckles rapped against the wood again. “I’m not going away until we’v
e talked. I’m opening the door now.” He called out the warning so that she wouldn’t be startled when he entered the house.

  Turning the doorknob, Carson was relieved to find it unlocked. Breaking open the door was a bit extreme, but he would have done it if he had to, anything to get to Daisy. He slowly pushed open the door and entered. A noise to his right alerted him to Daisy’s location.

  She was sitting on the floor, using the wall for support. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat. Her lowered head caused masses of glorious blonde hair to fall forward and hide her face, a face Carson was suddenly desperate to see.

  He knelt down in front of her and used a finger to gently tilt her chin. Daisy’s beautiful light brown irises, usually the color of whiskey, were dark, and filled with despair. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying she’d done since she left the daycare center. Misery was written all over her expressive face.

  His throat and lungs tightened and he struggled to take a breath. The anguish and vulnerability displayed by her easy-to-read eyes and face would forever be etched in his mind.

  “What are you doing here, Carson?” She barely managed to whisper the words. “I thought I made it clear that I didn’t want visitors. I would throw you out, but I don’t even have enough energy to try.”

  “Even if you did have the energy you wouldn’t succeed,” he insisted. “And as to why I’m here? Well, I would think that’s obvious. Derek called me after the officers working Lucas’s case filed their report. Everyone is worried about you, me included.” And from the looks of things they had a reason to be worried.

  Sighing, Carson tried to rein in his emotions. He was there to make things better, not worse. And from the looks of things he’d arrived just in time.

  Daisy kept her gaze pinned to a point above his shoulder. She wouldn’t look him in the eyes even when he spoke to her. She was trying her best to withdraw from him and her surroundings. Carson wasn’t okay with that, and he wasn’t going to let her get away with it. He cared too much.

  “I’m here, and I’m not leaving until you’re in a better place.”

  She gritted her teeth but at least she looked at him. “It’s nothing personal, Carson. I don’t want to visit with anyone,” she insisted.

  “And nobody can blame you for that. But you really shouldn’t be alone tonight.”

  “Why not?” she demanded to know in a harsh voice. “That’s exactly what I am now that Lucas is gone,” she insisted through another trickle of tears. She hastily brushed the tears away with a hand. “I hate crying in front of anyone,” she admitted.

  “Cry as much as you want,” Carson told her. “No one would judge or blame you for shedding a few tears, Daisy.”

  She cried harder. “Maybe they should. This whole mess is all my fault, because I forgot to give the daycare center emergency contact information for Lucas!”

  The hardened heart Carson had been guarding for years softened to the point of almost melting. Something about Daisy Carter got to him. He’d known it ever since she’d come back to Rancher’s Bend and entered the margins of his life. It was the main reason he’d gone out of his way to avoid her before the trauma of the attempted bank robbery and the accidental meeting in the dog park.

  “You’re not alone. I’m here.” The words sounded like a promise, and it was one he meant to keep, whether she liked it or not. He scooped her into his arms and stood. Ignoring the small shriek of alarm Daisy emitted, he tightened his embrace and strode over to the sofa.

  “Carson! What are you doing? Put me down right now!”

  She might not be too thrilled with him, but at least the tears had stopped. “I’ll gladly put you down anywhere but on the floor.” That being said, he carefully lowered himself onto the sofa. Carson held Daisy securely in his lap. “Now isn’t this much more comfortable than the hard floor?”

  Daisy didn’t answer. That was fine by Carson. She wasn’t struggling to get out of his arms, at least. Secure in that knowledge, Carson leaned back into the thick cushions and tried to get comfortable. Relaxing his body was hard to do while holding Daisy on his lap.

  Sparks of desire came to life when she wiggled her bottom against his rapidly growing erection. Carson worked extra hard to keep those smoldering embers from erupting into flame. A stifled groan escaped his tightly clenched mouth. It was hard to ignore his attraction to Daisy.

  Daisy buried her face into the side of his neck. “Before you arrived I just wanted to be alone. Now I’m thankful you’re here.”

  The strangled sound escaping from her lips was almost more than Carson could bear, but it did dampen his physical desire. “You need someone. And right now I’m it,” he managed to say in a calm voice. He tightened his hold in a silent show of support and comfort. “For as long as you need me, I’m here,” he promised.

  Daisy leaned into his embrace and the floodgates opened. It sounded like she was sobbing her heart out. Just when Carson didn’t think he could take the gut-wrenching sounds anymore, the crying gently tapered off and then stopped. He guessed Daisy had cried until she didn’t have any more tears left to give.

  Still he held her. After several minutes, Carson felt her go limp and knew she must be exhausted. Nonstop crying over time was bound to expend a lot of energy. And Daisy hadn’t looked like she had too much to give when he’d opened the door and barged into her home.

  Rubbing small, calming circles on her back, Carson whispered soothing words. He could hear an answering whimper from the woman in his arms, and then nothing. Daisy had finally depleted her energy supply. She was out cold.

  Carson slowly stood, still holding Daisy in his arms. “I think you’ve had all that you can handle for the day, sweetheart.” The endearment slipped out unnoticed by Daisy, who wasn’t awake to correct him.

  He thought about just leaving her on the couch but vetoed the idea instantly. She needed to sleep for as long as she could. The small, lumpy couch they’d been sitting on wasn’t an ideal spot for resting. The house was small, only two bedrooms. He was able to find her room without too much trouble.

  A faint trace of the light floral perfume Daisy always wore let him know he’d found the right room. Carson gently laid her in the middle of the queen-sized bed. He slipped her shoes off and quietly walked out of the room. He paused briefly once he was in the hallway to look back at the sleeping woman.

  She’d curled into a ball on the edge of the bed. Daisy was still asleep and as comfortable as she could be under the circumstances. Carson made his way back to the living room and settled his six-foot-two-inch frame onto the uncomfortable sofa. She might wake in an hour or she might sleep all night. Either way, Carson was there for the long haul.

  Daisy shouldn’t have to face such misery alone. Since he was already there and he didn’t want Daisy to be disturbed, it looked like he was going to be her temporary anchor in this momentary storm of life. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and used his mobile phone to contact Jackson Walker. Carson would leave it up to Jackson and Mandy to let everyone know that Daisy wasn’t alone and was faring okay, considering the circumstances.

  He made sure to stress to his friend that he’d be watching over Daisy for the rest of the night. And that she was getting much-needed sleep, so visitors would have to wait until tomorrow. He didn’t want anybody, no matter how well intended, depriving Daisy of her rest. Sleep might be her only reprieve from this living nightmare for a while.

  SEVEN

  An out of place noise caused Daisy to jerk awake. It took her a few seconds to realize she was in her bed. She felt groggy and out of sorts. Daisy never took afternoon naps unless she was sick. Another slight sound got her attention. Lucas! She never left him unattended. She needed to check on him right away.

  Daisy jumped out of bed. Everything came rushing back to her as soon as her feet touched the floor. Her nephew couldn’t be the one making the noise. He was missing, and only God knew if Daisy would ever see him again. It was hard to keep the fear and doubt bur
ning through her veins from entering her thoughts.

  Another sound jerked her away from the oppressive thoughts threatening to take over. Who was in the house with her, then? The last thing she remembered was crying her heart out to Carson Miller. Daisy vigorously rubbed her eyes with both hands. Surely Carson wasn’t still in the house waiting for her to wake up.

  He was the busiest person she knew, except for maybe Jackson and Mandy Walker. Their veterinarian practice kept them occupied all hours of the day and night. It wasn’t fathomable to Daisy that Carson would still be there. Especially after the ugly crying jag she’d subjected him to earlier.

  Grabbing the cordless phone from her bedside nightstand, Daisy quietly made her way to the door. She was almost there when Carson suddenly appeared in front of her. She let out a startled yelp. Panic caused her to drop the phone. It hit the carpet at her feet and bounced twice before coming to a stop.

  Daisy’s eyes jerked from the phone to Carson. She took two giant steps back. She needed a little more space between her and Carson.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just checking to see if you were still asleep.” He bent down to pick up the phone, and held it out to her.

  “Thanks.” She took the phone, careful not to touch Carson when she did. “I guess there hasn’t been any word on Lucas, or you would have told me already.” Her gaze briefly skirted over him before returning to a point over his shoulder. She was too embarrassed after crying all over him to look him in the eyes.

  “No. I’m sorry, Daisy. I talked to Derek Barnes about thirty minutes ago. Even though SWAT isn’t involved he’s agreed to help keep us updated, since there is a personal connection and all.”

  Daisy nodded her head. “I’m surprised you’re still here.” She sidestepped him and started walking toward the living room.

  Shrugging, Carson followed her. “You needed somebody. Since I was already here, I stayed. It’s as simple as that.”