Willow Smoke (Riders Up Book 3)

by Adriana Kraft

  Daisy heard. But it was as if she was there and yet not there. She couldn’t integrate what Cassie was saying. She heard the message, but it was garbled in code.

  Cassie squeezed Daisy’s shoulders. “Why don’t we take you upstairs? You look like you could use a nap. Let me give you something that will help you relax a little.”

  Daisy didn’t know how long she’d slept, but she wasn’t ready to open her eyes and join the world. In her mind she played again what Cassie had said. Was her stand-in mother right? It sounded so simple when Cassie said the words. But what would Nick do if she told him everything? She didn’t want him to chase after Reggie and get in trouble with the law. Would he find a way to pay off Reggie and get her brother-in-law off their backs? Maybe he could afford to do that, but she doubted that he would.

  Cassie was right. If she and Nick were to have a future, they had to find a way to talk about all those things that mattered—the bad as well as the good. He already knew she was a bastard. But was she really ready to tell him her mother had been a whore? Was that the kind of mother and heritage he wanted for his children? Was it pride that kept her from sharing her darkest secrets and her deepest fears—that somewhere in the recesses of her mind she was so afraid that Reggie would win, would get his hooks in her so deep that he would turn her into a whore like he had her sister? Were the daughters destined to re-live their mother’s fate?

  “Grandmother,” Daisy wailed across time, “what do you do when blood goes bad? You were right about so many things, but not about everything. I can’t do this alone. Not anymore. I have to go beyond blood for help, or I’m going to die. And I’m not ready to die. There is so much hope. I see it in his eyes when he looks at me. Why can’t I feel it now?”

  - o -

  Nick knocked on the Travers’ porch door and opened it at the same time. He rushed into the kitchen. “Where is she?” he asked Cassie, who was wiping her hands on a towel at the kitchen sink.

  “Upstairs at the end of the hall on the right. Why don’t you slow down and take a deep breath.” Cassie reached for the coffee pot. “You sure didn’t let any grass grow under your feet getting out here from the city.”

  “No. Is she okay? What’s this about her seeing a doctor?” Nick accepted the coffee cup Cassie shoved at him but refused to sit down.

  “She broke out in hives. That’s why she went to the doctor.” Cassie leaned back against the kitchen counter and brushed back a lock of hair from her forehead. “The girl’s a nervous wreck, but she’s got to explain that to you. It’s not my place to say.” Cassie frowned. “She’s vulnerable, Nick. She needs you, and I’m not certain she knows it. Daisy’s always been so fiercely independent. Go slowly with her,” she said, pointing toward the stairway leading to the second floor.

  Nick nodded, put his coffee cup on the counter, and took two stairs at a time. His heart raced and his nose twitched. At the top of the stairs, he steadied himself. Go slowly. How the hell could he go slowly if he stormed into her room like he was putting out a house fire?

  He leaned against the hallway wall and pinched his nose. Damn, he was scared. What if she was ready to walk out on him? She’d run to Cassie’s comforting arms, not to his. Was there more going on with the doctor than Cassie reported? He had to get to the bottom of what was happening or he’d self-destruct. But Cassie was right, he had to go slowly. Take a deep breath. You’re a patient man; so be patient, damn it.

  He stepped into the bedroom at the end of the hallway and saw Daisy tucked in a fetal position facing the window. Her eyes were closed and her breathing shallow. Her blond hair formed a halo against the white pillow case. One hand gripped the quilt tightly. The other lay, more relaxed, atop the covering.

  Vulnerable, Nick thought. Yes, vulnerable, but breathtakingly vulnerable.

  He moved noiselessly and knelt between the bed and the window. She must have sensed his presence, for her eyes fluttered open and closed. A tiny smile slipped across her lips. Nick rubbed the back of her hand and she flexed her fingers, welcoming his.

  “You don’t have to wake,” he whispered. “Just know that I’m here. And I’m not leaving.”

  He was rewarded with a slight nod. It pleased him that Daisy’s grip on the quilt lessened and her breathing became deeper and more rhythmic. He braced himself against the bed and waited.

  He watched the woman who had captured his heart sleep. And he made a decision. He had given Daisy a lot of room and time to deal with Reggie Lassiter. Her time was up. Nick wouldn’t bully her, but neither would he be shut out. Even if it meant losing her, Reggie had to be dealt with. The parasite would bother Daisy whether Nick remained on the scene or not. There would be no more pussyfooting around with the creep—family be damned.

  Nick maintained his vigil by Daisy’s bedside, mulling over their relationship and planning for their future. He smiled and squeezed her fingers. As long as he might live, he’d never forget the willowy woman with straw sticking out of her hair challenging his right to be near her barn. Or the waif-like blonde who stepped into his suite with an offer he never could have resisted. Or the woman who spoke to horses as if they understood. Or the woman who led him to the pinnacle of ecstasy beneath the northern lights. Or the woman who helped him see life through fresh eyes and an earthy wisdom. The woman he could not live without.

  “I brought the two of you some tea,” Cassie whispered, entering the room. “I’ll put them here on the dresser. She should be waking soon.”

  “Thanks,” Nick replied, watching Cassie tiptoe to the hallway.

  - o -

  Groggily, Daisy clutched the object in her hand to her breast. Its warmth against her body jogged her memory. She flushed, but did not open her eyes. It wasn’t Bear she held in her hand, it was Nick.

  Vaguely, she remembered him being by her bedside. She recalled his words: “I’m not leaving.” A comforting warmth spread throughout her body. Was she visibly glowing?

  He had come to her. And he was staying to comfort her, to help her. Could she let him? Would he stay if he knew everything? Could she tell him?

  Daisy squeezed her eyes tighter. She was so tired of running. From Nick, from her past, from their future.

  Slowly, she cracked an eyelid open. A smile flickered across her face when she saw that he had nodded off on his knees, slouched over the bed, firmly clasping her hand.

  “Hey, you,” she whispered.

  He jerked immediately alert.

  She basked in the warmth of his welcoming smile.

  “You’re awake,” he said. “How are you? You’ve been asleep for several hours.”

  “Really?” Daisy drew herself up from her quilted cocoon and stretched. “I had no idea. I must have been more exhausted than I realized.”

  “That doesn’t surprise. Cassie brought up some tea about five minutes ago. It should still be warm. Would you like some?”

  “Sure. I’ll get up. Don’t treat me like an invalid.” she warned.

  “Sorry. You still look pretty beat.”

  Daisy swung her legs off the bed and ran her hands through her hair snarls. “Guess I’m not ready to run a race. I’m sorry if I snapped at you. I’m glad you’re here, Nick. You didn’t have to come. I’m going to be okay.”

  “I know you are,” he said, handing her a cup. “And I did have to come. This is where I was needed.”

  Daisy nodded. “Maybe more than I ever knew.”

  “Right. So what’s happening, Daisy?” He winced. “No,” he groaned. “That’s not how I wanted to say that.” He shook his head and grazed her arm with his fingers. “I know I can be fairly demanding at times.”

  Daisy grinned. Who would’ve thought that Nicholas Underwood would admit that little fault of his?

  “What I meant to say is that I’d be willing to listen, if you would like to share some of the things that are bothering you. Aw shit,” he muttered. “That sounded like Cassie.” He narrowed his eyes. “We’re in this together, Willow. When you’re up, I’m
up, and when you’re down, I’m down. You get the hives and I itch all over. Our bodies are a team even if we haven’t quite acknowledged that. Can’t we work together to deal with whatever we have to?”

  Daisy’s eyes glistened. “I want to, but it’s not easy. I’ve been getting by on my own for so long.” She rubbed her nose. “But you’re right. I figured that out this afternoon. I either have to push you out of my life, or we have to work this thing out together.”

  She watched Nick stop breathing and his pupils dilate. “I don’t want to push you out of my life, Nicholas Underwood. Sometimes life is nearly unbearable with you, but it would be totally unbearable without you.”

  “I think that was a vote of confidence,” Nick said. “But there’s more?”

  “Oh yeah, much more. We’ve got to talk about who I am. You may want to change your mind about me; I’d fully understand.”

  “Nonsense. So what is Reggie really after? And how much protection money is he asking for?”

  Daisy felt her resolve waver. But maybe this was the easiest place to start. “Five hundred a week.”

  “Five hundred.” Nick’s eyebrows arched. “You don’t have that kind of money, do you?”

  “Not for long.”

  “Okay, we can handle that. Maybe he’d like a lump settlement.” Nick scowled. “We’ll do whatever it takes to get him off our backs.”

  “It won’t be that easy. He’ll blow it and want more. Or he’ll decide he wants to be a business partner. Maxine says Reggie wants you to be part of the family.”

  “Not because he likes my looks.”

  “No, I’m sure he hates your guts. But you have wealth, and he wants it.”

  “Good,” Nick said, rubbing his hands together. “We know what Reggie wants, and we’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t get it. According to Clint, the word on the street is that Reggie’s chest-deep in quicksand. He’s not seen as trustworthy. He’s bragging about having a new banker and that he’s preparing to move in to a higher level of drug pushing in Cicero. That will put him in direct competition with the mob.”

  “Not good,” Daisy muttered.

  “No, not good for one’s health or longevity. If the cops don’t get him, the mob will. But that squeeze may also make him more unpredictable and even more dangerous.”

  “Reggie’s always been grandiose and paranoid.”

  “So where does all of this leave you with your sister? I know she’s the only family you have.”

  Daisy shrugged. “It’s hard to love someone who is only using you or allowing herself to be used. Maxine doesn’t have enough self-respect to help herself.” Daisy paused and rubbed her eyes. “I’ve been protecting her for years. Or maybe I’ve just been fooling myself all that time, hoping that we’d be a real family that cares for one another. I guess the last experience with Maxine in the hospital and recovery showed me how far gone she is. She can’t be there for me unless she dumps Reggie. Do I believe the world is flat?”

  “It’s a matter of perspective.” Nick finished his tea and placed both their cups on the end table. “So is there anything else you want to tell me? You’re not holding back something about your health?” He paused. “The doctor visit?”

  Daisy let her eyes drift shut. “No, not that. I’m not dying. I’m not pregnant.” Her eyelids flew open. “You didn’t think that, did you?”

  Nick glanced down at his hands. “It crossed my mind. Would that be so terrible?”

  Wilting before his questioning eyes, Daisy hugged herself and plunged ahead. “Only if you don’t mind that your children’s mother is a bastard and their grandmother was a whore.” Her fingers balled into fists. She couldn’t stop the tears. Damn it, not now—how could she tell his reaction if she couldn’t see?

  And then she felt his arms close around her and pull her tight to his body. She wailed. Her body shook. Was she coming unglued? His hands stroked her back. His words were muffled in her hair. She sobbed until there were no more tears. Her body quivered little aftershocks. At last, she leaned back against his hands.

  “You look incredibly gorgeous even when you cry.” Nick bit his lip. “Have you been torturing yourself because of those things you couldn’t control? Did you think that what your father or mother did would mean that much to me?”

  Daisy shrugged, not trusting herself to speak.

  “People make choices. They play the cards they’re dealt. I don’t always believe individuals make the best choices, but I really can’t judge because I haven’t lived my life in their shoes. As for you,” he lifted her chin, “you’ve maximized the cards you were dealt. I hope our children will be as resourceful and able as their mother.”

  Daisy felt her cheeks burn and her body threaten to implode. She shook her head trying to find equilibrium. There must be something she should say, but her thoughts were a jumble. He wasn’t walking away. And he’d just said that their children should be like their mother. Good grief. She knew with every fiber in her body what was coming next, and she wasn’t going to run anywhere but into this loving man’s arms.

  “So,” Nick said, wiping tears from her cheeks. “This is not the ambiance I had in mind for this, but this is the right moment.”

  Holding her breath, Daisy watched Nick reach into his pocket and bring out a small jewelry box.

  “I’ve been carrying this around for a few weeks now, trusting there would be a right moment and that I’d be bright enough to recognize it for what it was.”

  He lifted the case top and plucked out the largest diamond ring Daisy had ever seen. He dropped to his knees beside the bed. He bent and kissed her fingers. “Daisy Ann Matthews,” he said, staring brightly into her eyes. “I very much want you to be the mother of my children.” He smiled even more broadly. “But I’m old fashioned, I guess. Would you marry me first? I love you.”

  Daisy nodded. “Yes,” she managed to whisper, and then grinned so wide it hurt. She giggled. “I guess I’m old fashioned, too, and I love you so much.”

  Nick slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her fingers one by one. She reached for him and slanted her lips across his. He responded hungrily. She deepened the kiss. Love oozed between them and through them. She’d never felt this loved before.

  The next morning she woke in Nick’s bed. In their bed, she corrected herself. She lifted her left hand and gawked. How many times had she stared at diamond rings through the plate glass windows of jewelry stores, never quite allowing herself to dream of having one of her own? It was true. He’d asked. And she’d said yes.

  She stretched and yawned and brought her knees up to her chest. Staring at the clock, Daisy laughed. It was mid-morning, but she had no place she absolutely had to be. There was no class to go to, and Sam wouldn’t want to take her back so soon. That didn’t matter. She’d agreed with Cassie and Nick that she needed to take some time for herself and kick back. No way would she allow herself to get spoiled, but this was okay.

  Checking her skin for blotches, she was relieved to see that the fiery redness had subsided and she no longer itched. She grinned. By tonight she’d be ready to love Nick like a fiancé should.

  Fiancé. Daisy gulped—she had to plan a wedding. She didn’t know the first thing about weddings. But Angie might. Maybe Cassie, but her wedding had been a tiny ceremony in Salt Lake City.

  She heard muffled footsteps in the hallway. She waited, holding in a giggle. The door cracked open and Mrs. B. stuck her head in the room. Once she saw Daisy awake, Mrs. B. opened the door wide and gave Daisy her broad gap-toothed grin.

  “Good to have you back, Miss Daisy. And for good.” She tilted her head. “Mr. Nick does have it right, don’t he? You did say yes?”

  Laughing, Daisy leaped out of bed and hugged the older woman. “Oh, that’s right. Can you believe it?”

  “Well, it’s about time. Mr. Nick couldn’t stop grinning and humming this morning. Told me he had a surprise. He just about gave me a stroke when I heard the news. I’m so happy for you, girl. This
old house is gonna have some life again. Won’t be no time and we’ll have younguns tearing around here and you for sure won’t know which end is up.”

  “Mrs. B., let’s take this a little bit at a time,” Daisy mocked, narrowing her eyes. “I don’t know about kids. And I already don’t know which end is up.”

  “That may be true, but I ain’t getting’ any younger. And I’ve not diapered a baby in so long I may have plumb forgot.”

  “If I need to know, I’m sure you’ll be able to show me. Now what do you know about weddings?”

  “Nothing that’ll help you much. I don’t know about rich folks’ weddings.” Mrs. Brown paused and then grinned. “Though I can help you with the caterer for the reception.”

  “Oh goodness,” Daisy’s hand flew to her mouth, “I may be in way over my head. I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea of how to deal with a caterer.”

  “You’ll learn.” Mrs. B. placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t expect Mr. Nick is marrying you because you’re good with caterers. He don’t need a social secretary. He need’s a wife and mother with fire in her gut.”

  Daisy laughed heartily. “Well, if that’s what he wants, I guess he found her.”

  An hour later Daisy walked down the sidewalk in front of the Kenwood house besieged by one of her favorite whirlwinds: Angie Underwood.

  “So do you have a date set for the wedding?” Angie asked, swinging her arms rhythmically in power walk mode. “I’m so thrilled for both of you. And Mom and Dad are, too.”

  Daisy matched the shorter woman easily stride for stride. Angie had come by to congratulate her and “catch up on the news,” but had to keep up with her morning workout before racing back to the theater. What a life! It made the backside at the track appear sedate.

  “We don’t have a date set. Sooner than later, I expect. Do you know anything about planning weddings?”