Ry grinned.
“Yeah, I don’t have to round up for that, my friend.” Rico turned to Ry. “You guys have a hot shower at your place?”
“We did, until about the third crew guy. Then it ran out. Luckily, Liz and I went first.”
“Ah, some shower action,” Rico commented. “Nice.”
Ry said nothing. Trav glanced over. His brother had a smug, satisfied look on his face.
“Your grandma’s place had like one minute of hot water,” Rico said, “then it was ice.”
“Why don’t you move in to my place?” Trav asked. “You, Gran, and Jorge.”
Ry chuckled.
“I’m afraid I’ll see something I can’t unsee,” Rico said.
“You should be afraid,” Ry said.
~ ~ ~
Daisy headed across the street with Bryce to visit Maggie and Jorge. Shane had left earlier to get fresh clothes from his apartment and check on his shop, and Daisy couldn’t bear to spend the day cooped up with Jessica and Max.
She rang the bell at Trav’s place. Maggie answered wearing one of Trav’s long-sleeved Elegant Land Design shirts as a nightgown with thick wool socks pulled up to her knees. “Hello! Come on up!”
Daisy followed behind with Bryce. She’d thought they would be up and dressed by now. It was ten thirty last she checked the time on her cell.
“Just make yourself comfy,” Maggie said. “Jorge will need a few minutes.” She headed back to the bedroom and shut the door behind her.
Daisy sat on the sofa with Bryce and stared at the white walls. Trav’s place was far from homey. If they did get married, she’d have a blank slate to work with. That could be fun. She’d only rented places before and had never been able to go all-out with the decorating.
She heard Maggie giggling.
“Stop!” Maggie said, with no real force behind it. “It’s Daisy and Bryce. Now get dressed!”
A low murmur.
A high-pitched laugh.
Oh, Lord. Daisy stood and moved to the kitchen. An empty wine bottle sat on the counter next to a bag of potato chips, the unhealthy kind with tons of grease and salt. Her mouth watered, and she took one. She crunched and looked around. The kitchen was surprisingly clean. No dishes in the sink. No crumbs on the floor. She hoped that was a result of Maggie and Jorge’s efforts and not Trav’s. She couldn’t live with a neat freak. He’d end up hating her after two weeks.
Maggie and Jorge appeared from the bedroom.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Maggie asked.
“Good morning,” Jorge said. “Hello, bebé.” He kissed Bryce’s cheek. Bryce bounced in excitement.
“Good morning, and no, thank you on the drink,” Daisy said. “How’re you guys doing over here? Have everything you need?”
Maggie poured herself a glass of water from the faucet. “I wouldn’t mind some fresh clothes. You still got the TV guys over there?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I’ll sneak some of your stuff out and bring it by.”
“Okay, I want my purple velour jogging suit,” Maggie said. “It’s perfect for this kind of weather.”
“Got it,” Daisy said.
“And send over Jorge’s black pants with the blue striped sweater I knitted him.”
“Maybe just one of my white shirts,” Jorge put in.
Maggie narrowed her eyes. “You don’t like the sweater.”
“No, I love it. Please do bring it, Daisy.”
Maggie looked pleased and opened the refrigerator.
Jorge whispered behind his hand, “Bring the white shirt too. That sweater is itchy.”
Daisy smiled and nodded.
“I found grapes and cheese for breakfast,” Maggie announced. “Jorge, grab the chips.”
They settled into the living room. Jorge and Maggie took the sofa. Daisy sat on the floor with Bryce, who was starting to sit up by himself. Occasionally, he’d tip to the side, and she’d right him before he hit the floor.
“This place could use a woman’s touch,” Maggie said. “Maybe I should knit an afghan to throw over the sofa. What do you think, Daisy? Would you like that as a wedding present?”
“Oh, well, hmmm. I’m not sure about the colors yet. I’d have to think about it.” If she actually did marry Trav, move in here, and decorate.
Maggie gestured to the fireplace. “The only decorations he has are that picture on the mantel and the one on his nightstand. That’s a great shot that Jorge took. You guys look adorable in your matching Santa hats.”
He has my picture on his nightstand?
At Daisy’s puzzled look, Maggie went on. “You remember, the picture Jorge took on Christmas Eve when everyone stopped by my house.”
Daisy hadn’t seen the picture. “Excuse me.”
She walked back to the bedroom she’d never seen. Well, she had been there that one night, but it had been dark, and she’d been focused on naked. She took in a queen-size bed with a black and white comforter on top, a black dresser, and two black nightstands. One nightstand was empty; the other had a lamp and a silver framed picture. She picked up the frame.
Yup, they were wearing Santa hats. Daisy was holding Bryce and smiling into the camera. Trav had his arms around them both, with a huge smile on his face. They looked like a happy family.
This was what Trav looked at every night. This was what he wanted for them.
She instantly felt guilty. She didn’t have a single picture of Trav. Just a million pictures of Bryce.
All this time he had been thinking family, and she had been thinking Bryce. No wonder they were butting heads. But was she really ready for the commitment of family? What if she screwed it up?
~ ~ ~
Trav had to take three detours to avoid downed trees and wires, but they finally made it to the high school. Ry tried the door. It was already open. Chief Bailey must have gotten there first. They walked down the hallway and to the far left to the gym. Memories of high school flashed through Trav’s brain—smoking weed under the bleachers, cutting classes, the principal’s office.
The time he’d almost burned down the school.
Good times. He prayed his son took after Daisy.
Chief Bailey and his fresh-from-the-academy deputy Will were wheeling out cots.
“Ryan!” Chief Bailey called. He hustled over to them. “So glad you made it, and you brought help. How’re you guys making out in this storm?”
“We’re good,” Ry answered. “I got a generator going, so does Trav. Rico and Shane are with Trav.”
“How’s Maggie?”
“She’s doing well,” Ry said. “She’s got a generator too.”
“And this guy,” Chief Bailey pointed to Trav. “How’s your boy? You keeping him on the straight and narrow?”
“He’s six months old,” Trav said. “He’s not getting in any trouble. He’s good.”
Chief Bailey turned to Rico. “Did he ever tell you about the time I hauled him in for vandalism?”
Rico grinned. “Which time?”
Rico missed the worst of Trav’s crimes. When Trav hit Clover Park as a teen, Rico was still back home, playing varsity ball, in a band, staying out of trouble.
Chief laughed. Trav would never live down all these stories. The town had a long memory.
“This was the time he turned all the street corner signs so Catoonah was Elm, Elm was Park, Park was High Ridge. He did every single sign on that side of town. Must have taken hours!” He shook his head, remembering. “No one noticed at first. Everyone around here knows their way like the back of their hand. Until the governor stopped in town to award us a historic registry plaque for the old mansion. They couldn’t find the place! This huge mansion, the only one in town, and Trav had them all turned around.”
Rico laughed. Ry bit back a smile. Trav stifled a groan and considered moving out of town before his son heard all these stories and got some ideas of trying stuff out himself.
Chief finished up with a shake of his finger. “You
keep an eye on that boy of yours. You’re not the only one who took a ride in my cruiser. Daisy was in there a bunch of times.”
This was news to him.
“What’d she do?” Trav asked.
Chief laughed heartily. “She never told you? Well, the worst crime was driving without a license. Fifteen and she’s speeding around town in the car she stole from under her parents’ noses. I must have hauled her in five, six times for that. Thank God she finally got her license.”
Trav frowned. That was before he moved to town. His hopes for Bryce took a dive. The kid was doomed with their genes.
Ry spoke up. “Let’s get to work.”
“Sure, sure,” Chief said. “Right this way.”
They helped roll out cots and set out folding chairs and a few folding tables. Rico and Trav went to the supply closet several times to haul out bottled water, boxes of granola bars, and fruit cups while Ry, Chief Bailey, and Will set out small Ziploc bags of toiletries, towels, blankets, and pillows. The showers in the gym were working, though only cold water. They had a few outlets available as charging stations for cell phones for when the tower started working again. Usually, cell service came back first. No Wi-Fi, unfortunately, the cable and Internet lines went down with the power.
“I think we’re good here,” Chief said. “Thanks for your help. I’ll get the word out that we’re open for business.”
“We’ll take a ride and check in on the seniors,” Ry said, “see if they need a lift over here.”
“Great, we’ll do the same,” Chief said. “Hey, send over Shane too. See what he can make of the food in the cafeteria. Granola bars and fruit cups aren’t much of a meal.”
“Will do,” Ry said.
It was a long day of driving through the still snowed-in town, helping seniors, helping people at the shelter. More plowing and shoveling. They couldn’t clear the tree branches until the utility company came through and told them which wires were still live. It was a mess. Trav was running out of steam after his night of little sleep. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of getting back to Daisy.
~ ~ ~
“How’d it go?” Daisy asked Trav later that night when he returned from helping with the emergency shelter. He’d stopped by at lunch to check on the generator. Jessica and Max had driven the crew’s van to Ryan’s place to pick up the crew. She really hoped they’d made it back to the city.
Trav took off his wool hat, jacket, and gloves, hanging them on the coat rack by the door. “Good. The shelter’s well stocked. We rounded up some of the seniors without heat and drove them over there. I’ll check back again tomorrow.”
“Good.” She paused. “Did everyone make it back to the city okay?”
“Well, they tried,” Trav said.
Her stomach took a dive.
“But there’s some huge trees down on the access road to the highway in both directions. I’m talking hundred-year-old trees. It’s brutal out there.”
“Trains?” she asked hopefully.
He sat beside her on the loveseat and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. “They’re running, but not this far north.”
He’d been working hard this entire blackout. And what had Max done? Nothing. He could’ve offered to help.
She was almost afraid to ask her next question. “Where is everybody?”
“Liz warmed meat lasagna and garlic bread on the grill. Rico, Max, and Jessica stayed with her for dinner.”
Leave it to Liz to have an ample supply of prepared meals in the freezer. Her own freezer had three things, all labeled Ben & Jerry: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cherry Garcia, and Chocolate Therapy. At least Shane was back from the shelter. Now he was cooking something on the grill for their dinner.
Trav opened his eyes and peered over at her. “Chief Bailey told me an interesting story about you.”
Which one? The chief had been more patient with her than she deserved. She could see why he’d asked Ryan to take over as chief when he retired. Ryan would do the same for the next crop of troublemakers.
She stared straight ahead. “I take it he wasn’t telling you about the time I made the National Honor Society.”
At his silence, she turned. “Don’t look so shocked. I did get into NYU.”
“Wow. I’m learning something new about you every day. First I hear how you got hauled in for driving without a license; then I hear you were an honor student.”
She crossed her arms. “You can be smart and still make stupid decisions.”
He laughed. “Geez, Daze, all this time I was hoping Bryce would take more after you, and now I’m thinking he’s screwed either way.”
“He is not!” She immediately defended her baby, but then she thought about it. Her own troubles; Trav’s brushes with the law. She blew out a breath. “We should drop him off at Liz and Ryan’s house and never look back.”
They cracked up.
“So Bryce is napping?” Trav asked when they calmed down again.
“The quiet gave it away, huh?”
“Yup. Ry’s dropping off Max and Jessica for another night here after dinner. Rico too, but I didn’t think you needed a warning about him.”
Another night with Jessica. Every extra minute with that woman made for an extra minute where Daisy could screw up her carefully constructed lie. Not to mention Max making lovesick puppy eyes at her. She wished she could wave a magic wand and all the roads would be clear, all the downed trees gone, and the power back on. She wanted desperately to get back to her normal life. She never thought she’d miss the humdrum routine of a single mom holding down a waitress job.
A short while later, they had a delicious dinner of grilled chicken and baked potato, but Daisy didn’t get to relax too long after dinner before the front door opened and she heard Jessica’s shrill laugh. A few minutes later, they all settled into the living room.
“So the vodka’s gone, and Liz and Ryan’s place was dry,” Jessica said. “Anything else to drink?”
“Nope,” Trav said.
Jessica tapped her fingers and took them all in. “How about strip poker?”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “There is a baby here.”
Bryce sat in the backpack carrier on Trav’s back. His favorite spot to get a new perspective.
“Like a baby would even notice,” Jessica snapped. She glanced at Shane, then Rico, completely bypassing Max; then her eyes lingered on Trav. “I wouldn’t mind getting a look at—”
The front door sprang open, leaving Daisy to wonder how far Jessica would go. Really? Making a play for Trav?
Maggie stepped inside with Jorge. “Who’s up for Scrabble?” Maggie asked.
Shane looked up from where he’d been reading one of Maggie’s old People magazines. “Me.”
“How’re you holding up over here?” Jorge asked.
“We’re fine,” Trav said. “You guys all set? I refueled the generator an hour ago.”
“We’re cozy as two bedbugs in a city hotel,” Jorge said. “No complaints.”
Jessica snorted. “Not at a good hotel.”
Maggie kissed Jorge. “No complaints, love,” she purred. She turned to the group. “Now let’s get snacks.”
There was a flurry of activity as Maggie fetched a bowl of Doritos and a platter full of Milano cookies for their Scrabble game around the living room coffee table. Shane grumbled about cookies with preservatives while he helped Daisy fetch the water.
“Let’s play teams,” Maggie said as she settled on the floral loveseat next to Jorge. “Girls versus boys. Jessica, Daisy, come sit over here.”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “Four teams work better, don’t you think? I’ll take Max.” Jessica indicated the floor at her feet for Max to sit. He did.
Must be nice to command men to sit at your feet.
“I’ll be with you, love,” Jorge said, putting his hand on Maggie’s knee.
Maggie pouted, but still squeezed Jorge’s hand affectionately. “I just thought it’d be fun t
o shake things up a bit with the teams. Jessica, you seem very uptight again. Did Rico not satisfy you?”
Rico spewed his water. Trav snickered.
“That’s none of your business,” Jessica said frostily.
Maggie shook her head. “Oh, dear. And I’m all out of vodka too.”
Daisy choked on a laugh.
“Moving on,” Jessica said between her teeth.
“Sweetheart, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want,” Maggie said.
Jessica turned bright red. “I’m not—can we just play here?”
Trav grinned. “It does work better with four teams. You’re stuck with me, Daisy.”
This was always true. Though she was starting to think it wasn’t such a bad thing. He lifted Bryce from the carrier and settled him on his lap.
“I’ll take Shane,” Rico said.
“Last pick,” Shane said. “I’m getting flashbacks to middle school gym.”
“Aww, Shane, not everyone is talented with a ball,” Maggie said. “You have culinary talents. That’s why you’re my favorite.”
Shane beamed.
“Hey!” Trav protested. “I thought I was your favorite.”
“Oh, you are,” Maggie said, winking at Shane.
“Hmph,” Trav muttered. He looked at Daisy perched on the arm of the chair. “Here, you can take the chair.” He slid to the floor with Bryce.
Oh, look, I can have men sitting at my feet too.
“Thanks,” Daisy said. “Wait, I’ll get his blankie so he can have tummy time.” She fetched it from the diaper bag nearby and set Bryce down on it.
“We’ll go first,” Jessica said. She laid out the tiles with a smirk and looked right at Daisy: FOOL.
An uneasy feeling rolled around in Daisy’s stomach. What did Jessica think she knew?
“Our turn!” Maggie sang. “We’ve got the perfect letters.” She placed her tiles next to the L. LICK. She snapped her fingers at Rico. “Pay attention. For next time.”
“Dios mío,” Rico muttered.
“There was no first time!” Jessica exclaimed.
“Gran, can we keep it rated G?” Trav asked. “I’m begging you.”
“What?” Maggie asked indignantly. “It’s a perfectly valid word. And some men might not think to return the favor.”
Daisy Does It All (Clover Park, Book 2) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) Page 16
