by Marie Force
Devastated by the sweet, gentle kiss, Daisy tightened her grip on his hands. Just as she was settling into the kiss, he pulled back. “Why did you stop?”
“I didn’t want to get carried away.”
“Please don’t worry about doing the wrong thing. I was fine with everything until…you know…”
“Okay, I hear you.” He kissed her again—quickly. “The next time I kiss you, I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
“Will you promise me one other thing?”
“Sure.”
“Will you promise you’ll be honest if you get tired of waiting for me to get over my phobias?”
“I won’t get tired of waiting.”
“Still… Do you promise?”
He put his arms around her and hugged her to his chest. “I promise, but I don’t expect to have to make good on that one.”
Daisy held on to him for a long time, breathing in the familiar, comforting scent of his cologne. “And you’ll come to Blaine and Tiffany’s wedding with me even though the party involves your ex-fiancée’s family?”
“And I’ll go to Blaine and Tiffany’s wedding with you. Gladly.”
“Thank you,” she said, smiling up at him. “Ready for that picnic?”
“I need to stop at home to change first.”
“That’s fine. We’re not in any rush. Are we?”
“Not that I know of, but I’m always on call, which will get in our way sometimes.”
“We’ll work around it.” She started to walk away, but his hand slid down her arm to capture her fingers. “What?”
“I like how you said that. We’ll work around it. That makes me feel like you’re planning to stick around for a while, too.”
She went back to him and looped her arms around his neck. “Where else would I go when all I can think about is the next time I get to be with you?”
“That’s all you think about?”
Daisy worried for a moment that she might’ve said too much. It wasn’t like her to expose herself emotionally to a man. She’d learned the hard way to keep her thoughts and feelings to herself. But something about David and the closeness they’d shared for weeks now made her want to be honest with him, even if it meant risking her fragile heart. “Pretty much.”
“How do you get anything else done if all you’re thinking about is me?”
Smiling at his playful reply, she kissed his neck. “It’s not easy.” Daisy pulled away from him long enough to gather up the picnic basket and blanket. On the way to his house, they chatted about his day at the clinic and the family of ten that had checked loudly into the hotel earlier in the day.
She waited for him in the car while he ran into his house to get changed, which was how she caught a glimpse of his elusive landlord when he emerged from the big house, looking as if he’d been on a multi-day bender. Despite the scruff on his chin, the red eyes and the dark blond hair standing on end, Daisy could see that he was an exceptionally good-looking man.
David came down the stairs from his place and seemed surprised to see Jared on the deck. They exchanged a few words before David got in the car.
“Wow, he looks like hell,” David said.
“What did he say?”
“Nothing much. Just hello and how’s it going, but he’s usually so polished and put together. It’s weird to see him disheveled.”
“Ask him to come with us.”
David looked over at her. “To our picnic at the beach?”
“We’ve got plenty of food, and he looks like he could use a friend or two.”
“You’re serious.”
“Unless you don’t want to.”
“I was feeling kind of bad about leaving him when there’s clearly something wrong.”
“Then what do you say we eat here with him and figure out what’s going on. Then we can go for a walk on the beach by ourselves.”
He leaned across the center console to kiss her. “I say you’re an exceptionally good person, Daisy Babson, and I quite like you.”
Delighted by the kiss and the compliments, Daisy smiled at him. “I quite like you, too.”
They got out of the car and walked around to the back of the house, where Jared was staring off into space on the back deck, which was outfitted with gorgeous outdoor furniture that looked like it had never been used. Giant flowerpots full of colorful blooms sat at each corner of the spacious deck.
Daisy wondered if Jared had even noticed the obvious trouble someone had gone to on his behalf. Working at the hotel had taught her that rich people often failed to notice the little things that mattered so greatly to her.
“I thought you left,” Jared said to David.
“This is my girlfriend, Daisy.” David put his arm around her as she absorbed the simple pleasure of hearing him introduce her as his girlfriend. “You seem upset or something, and we thought you might like some company.” He placed the basket on the table. “Are you hungry?”
Jared shrugged as if he had no idea how to answer that simplest of questions.
“I don’t know what I was thinking when I packed so much food for two of us,” Daisy said cheerfully, earning a grateful smile from David. “You’d be doing us a favor if you ate some of it.”
“Um, sure, okay. Thanks.” Jared gestured to the chairs. “Have a seat. Do we need silverware or anything?”
“It’s all in the basket,” Daisy said. “My friend Maddie gave me the whole setup for my birthday last year because she knows how much I love picnics. This is the first time I’ve gotten to use it.” Daisy knew she was babbling, but she couldn’t stand the sense of desolation that radiated from him. She recognized the desolation because she’d felt it herself. Recently, in fact.
Daisy unpacked the fried chicken, potato salad and tossed salad she had put together for her and David to share. She wasn’t lying when she’d said there was plenty. Knowing how often David’s work forced him to skip meals, she had made extra in case he was famished.
“This looks great, Daisy,” David said, diving in with his usual zest for home cooking.
“Help yourself, Jared,” Daisy said.
“Thank you.”
Between bites of chicken, David uncorked the wine she’d included and poured some for each of them.
“Thank you.” Daisy took a sip of her wine. The tart, dry flavor made her taste buds explode with sensation. “Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you Jared? I know we just met, but sometimes a stranger can be better to unload on than a friend.”
Jared put down his red plastic fork and wiped his face on the red-and-white-checkered napkin. “A couple of days ago, I asked my girlfriend to marry me,” he said flatly, staring straight ahead as he spoke. “She said no.”
“Wow,” Daisy said in a whisper. “Did she say why?”
Jared bent his head and ran his fingers through his hair repeatedly, which he’d probably been doing for quite some time judging from the way it stood on end. “She can’t do life in the fishbowl. She said she loves me, but she doesn’t love my life. The media is relentless, the rumors, the gold diggers, the lavishness. It’s not for her.”
“I’m so sorry, man,” David said. “That sucks.”
“Big-time. I couldn’t stay in the city after that, knowing it was over between us. I had to get out of there.”
“You did the right thing coming here,” Daisy said. “It’ll be good to get some space and some perspective.” She looked to David to help her out, because she had no idea what to say.
“Daisy’s right. You love it here, and it’s peaceful and quiet.”
“You know what I’ve been thinking about since I got here?”
“What’s that?” David asked.
“How I could go about getting rid of the money. Maybe if I didn’t have the money anymore, I could give her the normal life she wants.”
“But is that what you want?” Daisy asked and immediately felt like she was being overly forward with someone she’d just met.
“I want her. I want us. I’ve never been in love with anyone the way I am with her. I don’t get why she couldn’t see past all the reasons it wouldn’t work and see all the ways it works perfectly. We’re so damned good together.”
When Jared’s eyes filled with tears, Daisy looked away. She felt as if she was intruding on an intensely private moment.
“I’m sorry, guys,” Jared said. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I’m not very good company tonight.”
“That’s okay,” David said. “We’ve both been there, so we get it.”
“This happened to you, too?” Jared asked.
David glanced at Daisy, seeming to seek her approval to tell Jared what he’d been through.
Under the table, she curled her hand around his. When their eyes met, she nodded and smiled.
David squeezed her hand. “I was engaged to my girlfriend of thirteen years and managed to completely screw it up a year before the wedding. I definitely understand how you’re feeling right now, and it does get better. With time.”
“How much time?”
“It’ll hurt like hell for quite a while,” David said. “And then one day you’ll meet someone new, someone who makes you feel hopeful again.” He looked at Daisy. “It won’t be the same as it was before, but it’s possible it’ll be even better.”
He wore the expression of a man who’d traveled a long and difficult path and had come out on the other side better for the journey. The warm, loving look he directed her way along with his words made Daisy feel about ten feet tall because she’d done that for him.
“It was really good of you guys to hang with me,” Jared said. “I won’t keep you from your evening.”
“Jared,” David said before the other man could make his escape. “Do yourself a favor and don’t make any big decisions right away. Don’t give all your money to charity or anything like that. You may regret it in a week or two when the fog clears.”
Jared nodded and disappeared into the house.
“Poor guy,” Daisy said.
“Poorest rich guy you’ve ever met.”
“Money can’t buy happiness.”
“No, it can’t. Thanks for the picnic and for talking to Jared.”
“I like him, and I feel so sorry for him.”
“He’ll bounce back. He’s usually bursting with confidence and bravado. I barely recognized him tonight.”
“He’s heartbroken,” Daisy said with a sigh. “He has everything money can buy, but what good is it without the woman he loves?”
David put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “What do you say we stash the rest of the food at my place and go for that walk on the beach I promised you?”
“That sounds great.”
They left his place a short time later, driving past the darkened house where Jared had gone back into hiding.
“Don’t worry,” David said. “I’ll check on him tomorrow.”
“Oh good.”
He took her hand and held it all the way to the parking lot at Carpenter’s Beach on the island’s east side. Daisy wanted to tell him about the house and what Maddie had done for her, but decided to wait for their walk. They arrived at the beach where the sun had tucked in close to the land, ablaze in brilliant oranges and reds that fired the sky.
“Perfect timing,” David said as they took the stairs down to the beach, which was deserted except for a group of seagulls dive-bombing the surf in search of fish. Still holding hands, they kicked off their shoes at the bottom of the stairs and walked to the water’s edge, where waves rolled gently to the shore. The glow of the sun on the water and the skirmishing, squawking birds made for a delightful view.
“What a pretty night,” Daisy said.
“Very much so.” He put his arm around her. “Let’s walk.”
“I have to warn you that I’m a crazy beachcomber.” She pulled a plastic shopping bag from the pocket of her shorts and held it up.
“What’re we looking for?”
“I’ll know when I see it, but mostly cool shells, sea glass and driftwood. I love driftwood.”
“I’m on it.”
They scoured the beach for the next half hour, filling the bag with a variety of treasures. Daisy appreciated his enthusiasm for her project and praised every shell he found as better than the one before, which made him laugh.
It was fun to be lighthearted and a little silly with a man. It was freeing to be able to share one of her simple pleasures with him and feel his genuine appreciation for what they were doing.
“Check this out,” he said, holding up a starfish.
“Is it still alive?”
“Might be.”
“Toss it back into the water. Maybe it still has a chance.”
Rather than toss it, David walked it to the water’s edge and placed it in the surf.
“Another life saved, Dr. Lawrence,” she said with a laugh.
“I’ll add it to my tally.”
“How many lives have you actually saved?”
“I don’t know,” he said, seeming embarrassed by the question. “A few.”
“I’d think you’d remember every one of them.”
“I wish I did, but things move pretty fast and furious in an inner city ER, so it’s impossible to keep track. That was my wildest rotation.”
“Which one was your favorite?”
His smile faded a bit. “Oncology.”
“How come?”
“I really liked the doctors I worked with. I learned a lot from them, and the patients were very special people, so upbeat and positive, even when faced with terrible odds. I tried to remember their example when I was going through treatment.”
“How’d you do?”
“My depression had far more to do with how miserably I’d screwed up my personal life than it did with the illness. I tried to stay positive, but it was hard to be upbeat about anything after I lost Janey. I can really relate to how Jared feels right now. I hope I never feel like that again. Ever.”
“I hope not either,” Daisy said softly, realizing in that moment she had the power to hurt him and vice versa. She hoped they’d both learned from their past mistakes and would tread gently with each other’s hearts. Leaning into him, she looped her arm around his waist and loved the feel of his arm heavy across her shoulders. “Something happened today that I really want to tell you about.”
“I was just about to say the same thing.”
“You first.”
“Absolutely not. Ladies first. Always.”
Daisy stopped walking and turned to face him. “You know the land Mrs. Chesterfield left to the town?”
“What about it?”
“The town council voted to use the land for affordable housing for people like me who work in the service industry. I found out today that Maddie put my name in for one of the houses, and I was approved.” She blinked back tears. “I’m getting my very own house, David.”
He scooped her up and swung her around. “That’s amazing, Daisy! Congratulations.”
She held on tight to him. “I’m so glad I can stay here. I was dreading having to leave after the season, but my rent is going up, and there’s no way I can swing it. I can barely swing what I’m paying now, even with the raise I got when I took the manager’s job.”
“Now you don’t have to leave.”
“Now I don’t have to.”
He put her down but kept his arms around her when he leaned in to kiss her. “I’m so happy for you to have that worry off your shoulders.”
“So am I. I’ve never felt so at home anywhere as I do here, and the thought of leaving was killing me.”
“I’m really happy for you.”
“Then why do you look so bummed?”
He dropped his arms from around her shoulders, bent to pick up a flat rock and sent it skipping over the surface of the water. “I was offered a job in Boston today.”
“Oh.”
“I know. Ironic right? The same
day you get a chance at a secure future here.”
Daisy crossed her arms and stared out at the horizon, trying to absorb it all. “What kind of job?”
“The opportunity to specialize in oncology and work with the doctors who guided me through my rotation in that department—and my own treatment.”
“That was your favorite one.”
“Yes, and I liked the other doctors in that practice a lot. I learned an incredible amount from them and, of course, I went right to them when I was diagnosed.”
“So it’s a job you want.”
“If I was looking to make a big change, I suppose it would be what I want.”
“Are you not happy running the clinic?”
“I love running the clinic, and being the island’s only doctor. Makes me feel needed, you know?”
“I’m sure it does.”
“Earlier today when I got the call about the offer, you know what my first thought was?”
“What?”
“I wonder if Daisy might like to move to Boston.”
“That was your first thought.”
“One of them.”
“Boston. Wow. I’ve never thought about going back there since I left.”
“I love it there. It’s a great place to live.”
“I liked it while I was there, but I like it here better.”
“For the most part, I do, too, but I don’t know… It might be time for a change.”
Daisy had no idea what to say to that, and a staggering array of thoughts went through her mind as she followed him to an area between two dunes and helped him spread the blanket.
He stretched out on the blanket and held out his arm, inviting her to join him.
Settled against his chest, Daisy wanted to ask a thousand questions. Was he going to take the job? What if she didn’t go with him? What did it mean for them? Why did they keep butting up against so many obstacles?
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’d rather know what you’re thinking. Are you going to take the job?”
“If they had asked me a couple of months ago, I probably would’ve jumped on the opportunity. But now…”
“What about now?”
“Everything is different now, and it’s not just about me.”
