Drunk In Love (Love #1)

by Kitty Parker

  When she was in high school, it was all so different, obviously. She and Jimmy started dating their freshman year when one of his friends told one of her friends that Jimmy liked her and that day, at lunch, they sat down next to each other and that was kind of it. After that, they were together – until Matty came along and Jimmy made the decision – a decision Daisy fully supported because maybe, deep down, she knew even then that Jimmy wouldn't be much of a help to her. Maybe she already knew that Jimmy didn't want to be a father.

  Daisy doesn't have that much experience as an adult in a relationship. Spencer had been the first boyfriend she had had since the birth of Matty but even then, she knows that's not how relationships are supposed to be. She spent most of her time with Spencer, feeling as if she wasn't good enough for him. And now there's Jack and she just has no idea where they stand with one another.

  So that's why she hasn't told Jack about some of the football team events coming up. He comes to the games and that's more than enough because he doesn't even have to do that. She doesn't want to pressure him into anything that would only cause him to just completely disappear as he had in the past.

  It all comes down to trust because if he leaves, it will devastate her but she's an adult. She'll get over a broken heart eventually. But Matty… Jack's promised he won't leave Matty and she knows that she has to trust him that he won't but she doesn't know if she can.

  "If the boys win today, there's a barbecue at T's house tomorrow. They're playing the Bulldogs next week and T wants to show the boys some footage of that team's games," Michonne explains.

  Daisy can't help but sigh. "It's just football."

  She can't believe that Coach Douglas has people that go to opposing team's games and tape them so they can study the footage. This isn't the Super Bowl.

  "You're lucky it's just me around to hear you say that," Michonne teases her with a smile. She then looks to Jack. "The game next week is very serious. The Bulldogs are the best team in the league," she explains to him.

  "Gators are five and o. Wouldn' think that makes 'em the worst," Jack grunts and Daisy almost smiles because for a man who says he's not into football, he certainly seems to be into it now.

  Michonne shakes her head. "It's not just that. The Bulldogs and Gators have always been rivals in the league. The way the county is cut up, the Bulldogs have always been made up of the richest kids and the Gators… not so much."

  From the corner of her eye, Daisy can see Jack visibly tense. "We ain't poor," he says and he seems to sound angry just at the insinuation that anyone who lives in this neighborhood is.

  Daisy understands his reaction because she had had pretty much the same type of reaction when some of the other parents told her about it at practice. She isn't rich – not by any means. But she lives in a nice apartment and she's able to provide for her son. The parents on the Bulldogs are nothing but snobs if they think the Gators are poor just because they don't have three car garages and that somehow makes them lower class citizens.

  "Here," Daisy says and hands Michonne and Jack both plates of pancakes.

  Jack goes and sits down at the table beside Matty, who hands him the bottle of syrup. "After breakfast, before your game, we're gonna go and call your Uncle Shawn and we're gonna practice. You need to show those Bulldogs that you're better than all of 'em."

  And Matty and Tavon are too young to understand social classes and the things of the like so when Jack makes his suggestion, Matty grins widely because he gets to play football with Jack. To Matty, this is all just a game and that's exactly how Daisy wants him to keep thinking. But she looks at Jack and she realizes that this is something that has just become something very personal for him.

  …

  They spend the rest of their morning at the farm where Shawn is more than happy to help his nephew prepare for his game. Daisy and Annette sit on the front porch and watch as Johnathan hikes Shawn the football, Jack tries to grab Matty and Matty tears off across the yard, able to catch more of Shawn's throws to him than what he drops.

  "Is this all for the game today?" Annette asks, smiling as Matty throws the ball down in celebration and Shawn tosses him into the air, over his shoulder, the boy's peals of laughter echoing throughout the air.

  Daisy shakes her head, smiling herself, watching as the four get themselves in position again to run the same play. "We're playing the Eagles today but no one's worried about that game. This is for the game next week," she says and when Annette looks at her, she laughs a little and shakes her head. "The Bulldogs think they are better than us because they have money and the Gators don't."

  "Ah," Annette said knowingly with a nod of her head. "I'm surprised Jack is caring this much about it," she then notes, watching the man as he successfully intercepts the ball before Matty can catch it.

  Daisy nods, watching him, too. He's definitely taking it personal and she doesn't know and she doesn't want to assume but maybe Jack Belton has heard more than once in his life that he's just some poor boy who's not good enough for anything. He had told her once – when she was upset from Spencer's party – that she's too great for someone like him but still doesn't understand what he meant when he said that. Daisy thinks he is pretty great.

  "What's going on with you two?" Annette then asks. "Any progress?"

  Daisy feels her cheeks warm a bit at the question. It's no secret to her family that she has had feelings on her neighbor for a while now. Of course, she hasn't tried to keep it a secret. When Maybelle and mama asked her about it head-on, Daisy hadn't denied it.

  "He kissed me," Daisy answers. "And I told him that I have feelings for him."

  Annette doesn't say anything and when Daisy looks at her, she sees her mama just looking at her, clearly waiting for more. If only there is more to tell her.

  Daisy then shrugs. "I don't know," she then furthers. "Nothing's happening. Maybe he doesn't want it to. I don't know," she says again and she feels like rubbing her forehead as if she's got a headache coming on.

  She may have a son and she's a good mother and she may be making her own way in this world but she still feels as if she has no idea how to be an adult.

  "Jack definitely seems like the kind of man who doesn't talk a lot," Annette notes.

  Daisy almost snorts. Now, that's an understatement.

  "So maybe you have to watch that man's actions more than anything," Annette continues and looks one more time at the scrimmage in front of them before turning her head to Daisy and looking at her straight in the eye. "I don't see that man knocking on anyone else's door and I don't see Matty's real daddy out here with him."

  …

  Daisy unlocks the front door and then leads Jack to Matty's bedroom. She pulls the covers down and Jack gently lays the sleeping boy down on the bed. He stands back as Daisy takes off his shoes and his sweatshirt and leaves his jeans and tee-shirt on for the moment. She'll change him into his pajamas once Jack leaves for the night.

  "Thanks for carrying him back," Daisy whispers as they leave the bedroom. She makes sure the nightlight is on the room before closing the door behind them, leaving it open a crack.

  "Thanks for invitin' me to the barbecue," he says as they leave the hallway and step back into the living room.

  She doesn't realize that he's walking towards the front door until she follows him and they stand in the small entry hall. And just like they had been in his apartment, they're standing so close together, their chests nearly touch and she tilts her chin up to look at him and his eyes are dark, penetrating into hers.

  This man gives her shivers and butterflies all at the same time and she's never felt anything like this and what her mama said to her yesterday is still playing in her head. I don't see that man knocking on anyone else's door. And he knows she's falling or fallen and she knows he doesn't love her but what does he feel for her? Does he feel anything? Why is the man she has these intense feelings for impossible to read?

  "Why haven't you kissed me again?" She hears herself a
sk him, unable to keep herself quiet any longer on the matter.

  Jack stares at her for a moment, never taking his eyes from hers. "Wasn' sure you wanted me kissin' you again," he then admits with the slightest shakes of his head.

  Daisy exhales a huff of air that sounds like laughter. "Jack, of course I want you to kiss me again," she says.

  And no sooner have the words left her mouth that Jack surges forward, dropping his mouth to hers. His hands are on her head and he pushes her back a step until her back collides with the wall behind her and Daisy happily puts her arms around his neck as they stand there in her hallway and Jack kisses the air from her lungs.

  …

  "Do you think this is the right move to make?" Daisy asks, looking to Maybelle as they sit on the bench in the courthouse hallway.

  Maybelle takes a moment and then shrugs. "It's up to you, Daisy. My opinion doesn't matter."

  "It matters to me," Daisy points out to her.

  Maybelle sighs. "Daisyy, I was the one to tell you to put the baby up for adoption. And now, I can't imagine any of our lives without Matty in it. My opinion is rarely the best one to listen to. Just think of what Annette or daddy said."

  Daisy is quiet.

  "Is this what you want to do?" Maybelle asks.

  Daisy immediately nods. "I thinks it's the best thing to do."

  "Then no one knows better than you on what you should do for you and Matty," Maybelle says and wraps her arm around her younger sister's shoulders. "You're an amazing mom. None of us have been surprised with that. You always do what's best for that little boy."

  Daisy nods and her mind is made up but her stomach still feels tight. "I just wanted him to have a dad in his life. It's important for boys to have a male figure in their lives and I thought… I hoped that his actual dad would want to be in his life, too."

  Maybelle rubs a hand up and down Daisy's back in a comforting movement. "Matty has daddy and Shawn and Nathaniel. And Jack," she then adds and Daisy is aware that she's watching her closely for a reaction but Daisy doesn't do or say anything to that.

  That's a lot of pressure to put on man when she has no idea how Jack sees himself in either hers or Matty's lives.

  Both Daisy and Maybelle turn their heads at the sound of high heels tapping on the floor, rapidly approaching, and they both get to their feet at the sight of Daisy's lawyer, Andrea. Andrea smiles at them both and then settles her kind eyes on Daisy. Daisy knows that once they're in that courtroom, those kind eyes will be as hard as steel.

  "You ready?" She asks. "Jimmy and his lawyer are right behind me."

  Daisy nods, doing her best to swallow down the lump in her throat.

  "You sure about this?" Andrea asks and again, Daisy nods. Andrea smiles one more time and puts a hand on Daisy's arm in a gentle squeeze. "Let's get this going then."

  …

  "You did what?" Jack asks once they have finished dinner and Matty has gone to his room to get his practice gear and Jack is helping Daisy to clean up the kitchen.

  For some reason, Daisy finds herself unable to look at him. She busies herself with loading the dishwasher. "I had Jimmy wave his rights away. He won't have to pay me support anymore and he no longer has custody. Matty is essentially no longer his son."

  She's aware that Jack is just standing there, staring at her, and she's not sure why she should feel so nervous. Matty is her son and this was a decision she made after weeks of thinking it over. She hasn't rushed into anything and doing this, she thinks it's for the best.

  "Why the hell would you do somethin' like that?" Jack asks and he sounds angry. That finally makes Daisy lift her head and look at him. His face isn't blank anymore. He's definitely angry and Daisy has no idea why. "You're just lettin' him off the hook."

  "That's exactly why I did it," Daisy can't help but frown at him in return. "Matty is a human being. His son and Jimmy has always looked at him as some sort of obligation and financial burden. That is something Matty doesn't need to have in his life and he deserves to have someone in his life who actually wants to be in Matty's life."

  She crosses her arms over her chest and straightens her spine and she wonders if she's somehow just said way too much to him; wonders if he'll read too much into it.

  "I've been taking care of Matty for his entire life and I think I've been doing a pretty good job. I don't have a lot of money but I have enough and I can take care of my son," she says and she's not sure why she feels tears beginning to form in her eyes. She's not upset but she's not really angry either. There's no reason to want to start crying.

  "And Jimmy had no problem with just bein' cut completely from his son's life?" Jack asks.

  Daisy doesn't answer. She just shakes her head. No, Jimmy didn't put up a fight. In fact, when Andrea presented the motion in court, Daisy swears that Jimmy almost looked relieved. And his wife, sitting behind him, looked downright pleased.

  Maybe that's why she wants to cry. She knows she and Jimmy never had some grand love story but throughout college, he was supportive and tried to spend as much time as he could with their son. It was only after he got married that he started to pull away and wanting less and less to do with Matty. It's hard for her to imagine the boy she grew up – the boy she loved and has a child with – allows his wife to have complete control of his life.

  But her silence is really the only answer Jack needs.

  He sighs heavily. "So, what are you gonna do now?" He asks.

  "I'm going to take Matty to practice and then I'm going to come home and start baking tomorrow's cupcakes for the diner order," she answers. She exhales her own deep breath and settles her eyes on him. "I'm not looking to be taken care of, Jack."

  He just stares at her in return and doesn't say anything for a moment. "And what if there's someone who's lookin' to take care of you?"

  …

  Daisy doesn't mean to be a blubbering mess. She's being stupid and ridiculous and she's very aware of that. But she hugs Matty and can't seem to let him go.

  "Mama," he sighs, sounding very exasperated for a six-year-old.

  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Daisy says and straightens herself up, giving Matty one more kiss on the head. "Be sure you're on your best behavior and you thank Mr. and Mrs. Anthony for everything. I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow morning."

  "Bye, mama!" Matty smiles at her.

  "I wanna show you my room!" Tavon exclaims excitedly and the two boys run into the house and Daisy watches him go, reminding herself that her son is six, almost seven, and he's not a baby and having his first sleepover is a rite of passage for kids.

  "Don't worry, Daisy," Michonne smiles at her. "I went through it with Tavon, too."

  Daisy laughs and shakes her head at herself and waves to Michonne as she turns and walks away from apartment door the Anthony family lives in and heads down the stairs.

  …

  Approaching her own apartment building, she sees a familiar shape sitting on the front steps, smoking a cigarette. Without a word, she goes to Jack and sits down next to him. He turns his head away, exhaling a stream of smoke and then he looks at her.

  He smirks a little and she smiles. "I need a drink," she informs him.

  "I figured," he says. He flicks the cigarette towards the street and then stands up. "Well, come on then. Lemme take you out."

  He holds his hand out for her to take and with a smile, Daisy immediately takes it and she laughs as he easily pulls her to her feet. And then, without a thought or waiting for her permission, he leans in and presses a light kiss to her cheek, his facial hair scratching at her and making her lean into him as if her legs have turned to jelly beneath her.

  He is getting very good at that.

  …

  She's never been on his motorcycle before and she hopes it's not the last time that she is.

  She sits behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist and she doesn't feel afraid as he zooms through their town. She feels the wind whip around them and she's never felt as fr
ee as she does in those minutes. She feels as if she's flying.

  She doesn't drink so she certainly doesn't know any of the bars in town and he pulls into a gravel lot outside of a place with Joe's written in a neon sign hanging above the door.

  "Is this your usual place?" She asks as he takes her hand and leads her across the lot.

  He gives a nod. "'s fine in there but all the same, don't be goin' anywhere without me," he says and she quickly nods her head.

  "Are you looking to take care of me in there, Jack Belton?" She asks with a playful tease.

  Jack looks back and her and gives her a little smirk and shake of his head at her teasing.

  They haven't talked about what he said to her and she knows that it's a conversation they definitely have to have with one another. It's only given her a million additional questions on top of the million questions she already has for him but tonight's not the time to talk about it. Tonight, her son is away at his first sleepover and she's going to a bar with her boyfriend. Is he actually her boyfriend?

  "Can I call you my boyfriend?" She asks him suddenly just as he reaches out to pull the door open and his hand rests on the handle as he looks back at her.

  She feels shy now and her smile is small as she looks up at him.

  "Never been a boyfriend before," he murmurs, more to himself than to her.

  "I can be your girlfriend, if you want," she offers to him with the same small smile.

  Jack looks at her and she really wishes she ever knew what he is thinking. "Yeah," he says and she has a feeling he's referring to both him being her boyfriend and calling her his girlfriend and her smile grows wider. "Come on," he then says as he opens the door and lets her walk into the bar first.

  It's a small room with the bar along one wall and a few round tables and chairs scattered about, a jukebox and a couple of pool tables. Neon signs of different beers and liquor brands are hanging on the walls.