Her Surprise Engagement (Sorensen Family)

by Ashlee Mallory

  “Girls. Hold up,” Jack said, nearly upon them.

  But a second later, the air was split by the sounds of the girls screaming, and Daisy thought her heart was about to jump from her chest.

  Any question of what had caused the screams ended a second later when the strong, unmistakable smell of skunk filled the air. Immediately, Paul and Natalie stopped short, their hands going to their noses.

  From Jenna’s and Lily’s shrieks of disgust and horror, it was too late for them. And for Ollie.

  …

  Daisy flinched as she sat back down in the chair having just handed Paul the bag of marshmallows.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Jack asked her.

  She pinned a smile on her face. “I’m fine. Just a little stiff is all.”

  He nodded toward the two older girls who were staring stonily into the fire. “How do you think they’re doing?”

  “Do you mean from the run-in with the skunk or the undeclared war they seem to have going on with each other?” There was at least humor in her tone.

  “Both.”

  “Who knows,” she said. “Maybe the experience even bonded them a little.”

  They looked at the girls again, catching them in a moment when they met the other’s eyes before glancing quickly away. He chuckled. “Let’s hope so.”

  “They’re both going to be fine,” Glenda said from Daisy’s other side.

  It was safe to say he and Daisy were immensely grateful to the woman who had quickly prepared a home mixture to de-skunkify the girls once they arrived at the house. Fortunately, the temperature had still been in the upper seventies as they stood outside while the three adults got to work scrubbing them down with the mixture that smelled strongly of hydrogen peroxide. But it seemed to do the trick of neutralizing the odor, although both girls insisted a lingering smell of skunk still clung to them.

  For everyone else, it was a big improvement.

  “Mommy,” called the younger girl with wide beautiful brown eyes like her mother’s as she came running over to them. “Can we sleep with Lily and Ollie in her room tonight?”

  The girls had been relatively easy to treat from the skunk mishap. Ollie, on the other hand, was another story altogether—the pup refused to stay still as they applied the solution to his coat. To make up for it, the younger two kids were raining love and kisses on the pooch, who seemed to be still shaken from the experience. The kids had promised to stay with Ollie all day and night, which they were evidently taking to heart.

  “Hey, I thought we were staying in the blue room together,” Jenna said.

  Uh-oh.

  Jack looked at his daughter, who looked more than pleased to be fought over for attention. “Actually, the dormer room has plenty of space for everyone, if you guys want to stay there,” he said, recalling the four full-size beds.

  “I don’t know…” Daisy said, turning around to find his daughter. “How do you feel about sharing the room, Lily?”

  In a surprise turn of events, instead of the petulant look she’d been giving all day, his daughter’s face lit up. Made brighter when Natalie and Paul started begging, each pulling on an arm as they stared earnestly up at her. “I guess it’s okay with me.”

  Which earned immediate whoops and hollers from the two. Jenna, however, appeared close to tears.

  “Jenna, honey. Why don’t you join them?” Daisy asked. “You might have fun.”

  “No thanks. I’ll be fine,” she said in a stubborn voice, her chin tilted in a way that reminded him of the girl’s mother.

  Daisy shared a look with him. He was about to say something more to try and cajole Jenna, but Daisy shook her head slightly and mouthed, “She’ll be fine.”

  “Let’s go choose our beds,” Paul called to his sister, no longer interested in marshmallows and the fire.

  Natalie held her hand out to Lily. “Can I sleep next to you?”

  Lily looked at the hand, and Jack held his breath for a minute, hoping she didn’t do anything to hurt the girl’s feelings. But under the undying adoration of her new fan club, she actually looked pleased at the prospect. “I guess.”

  “Come on, Ollie,” Paul cried, and the dog swiftly bolted after the girls.

  “Why don’t you take a moment and relax,” Glenda said to Daisy as she started to come to her feet. “I’ll see that the kids don’t get into trouble.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I want this to be a vacation for you, too,” Daisy said.

  “Nonsense,” Glenda said, not brooking any argument as she turned her light blue eyes on her niece. “I was ready to go inside to get warm anyhow—not to mention getting away from these blood-sucking mosquitos—for the past twenty minutes. Jenna, why don’t you come along? I can help you get settled in the blue room—if that’s still what you want.”

  Looking like her best friend had died, Jenna nodded and stood.

  “I’ll be in in a few minutes, hon,” Daisy said to her daughter, who moped all the way back to the house. With a grateful smile to her aunt, she sank carefully back down in her chair, no doubt already feeling the effects of today’s hike.

  Glenda patted her niece’s shoulders, and as she passed, she smiled at him in a way that gave him the impression her leaving them alone wasn’t entirely unorchestrated.

  Well, alone save for the officer dressed inconspicuously in jeans and a black jacket, walking the outer perimeter of the property. Officer Kenney was watching the family the rest of the night, with another officer who Jack had met briefly earlier, arriving in the morning to relieve him.

  Daisy sighed. “I feel like I should go up and help them, but I don’t seem to have the energy to even move.”

  “Your aunt’s right. You should take a minute to yourself.” He was certain she didn’t do it very often. “Glenda seems more than capable of keeping an eye on them.” He stuck another marshmallow on the stick, then held it out over the flames. “They’re great kids. You should be proud.”

  “Thank you. And I am. Lily’s a great kid, too. She’s been wonderful with them. I know it can’t be easy having her vacation plans interrupted by us.”

  “She’s full of surprises, I’ll tell you that. Every day I don’t quite know which Lily I’ll see. The sweet daddy’s girl I’ve known most of her life, or this moody teenager who thinks I’m the dark lord.”

  She laughed and shook her head, sending her thick dark hair like a curtain across her shoulders. It was the first time he’d seen it worn down, and it was nearly impossible to not reach out and feel the weight under his fingertips.

  Unaware of his thoughts, Daisy continued. “Can’t say I look forward to that part, necessarily. Not with two girls. I don’t even want to think about what it’s going to be like when Paul reaches puberty. Having two brothers myself, I remember my parents’ challenges.”

  His marshmallow turning a nice golden brown, he turned it around as he considered broaching the topic. But if they were supposed to be pretending to be engaged, he probably should know everything. “If you don’t mind my asking, what about their dad? Is he around much to help out?”

  “Leo? Let’s just say he’s around when it’s convenient to him. Like this week? He’d promised them at Easter he’d take them to Disneyland, and the kids have spent the past few months doing nothing but talk about the trip only to have him decide last week he and his latest girlfriend needed some”—she placed her fingers in air quotes—“alone time. In London. As if having them every other weekend and the occasional weeknight was already too time consuming.” She sighed and glanced over at him. “I’m sorry. I sound like one of those angry, bitter ex-wives. I just get tired of him always disappointing them.”

  “You’re completely entitled to your frustration.” He pulled his marshmallow from the flame, giving it a moment to cool down. “A dad should be there when he says he will. His kids should be able to depend on him—and you should be able to depend on him, divorced or not.” Jack had always known that his own dad would be there for h
im. Even as, with maturity, he’d taken countering viewpoints to his dad’s and they argued more than they agreed, he’d always known that in a pinch he could call him and he’d be there.

  “I agree. But I’m fortunate enough to have a really great family who can give them the support and attention they need.” Her eyes were soft and warm as she mentioned her family, her demeanor instantly relaxing as she sank farther under the blanket.

  “You know, other than the fact that you have a brother who recently married Payton Vaughn, I don’t know much about your family. Tell me about them.” The marshmallow was near perfect and he held it out to Daisy, who shook her head, before pulling it from the stick and into his mouth, enjoying it’s warm, sweet ooziness.

  “Do you have all night?” she joked. “My family is my rock. My parents have been happily married for almost forty years. My dad had been passing through Morelia, Mexico, a small town not far from Guadalajara, when he saw my mom. She’d only been eighteen at the time, but they both knew straightaway that they were the only person for them. A few weeks later, they were married and she moved to the States with him. And nearly forty years and four kids later, they’re still very much in love with each other.”

  “I admit, I’m a little jealous. As an only child, I always wanted to be part of a big family.” It was a sentiment he’d shared with his late wife, Lara, since they both came from a single-child household and they used to talk about the giant brood of kids they were going to have. Unfortunately, fate had other plans in store and they’d only been blessed with Lily at the time of her death. “What are your siblings like?”

  “I imagine you’ll find out soon enough,” she said slyly. “They’re going to insist on meeting you the moment we arrive back in Salt Lake. It’s only because my older brother Cruz and Payton are expecting their first baby in two months, and my other brother Dominic and his wife Kate just welcomed my new niece a month ago, that they’re not both here demanding an explanation from you.”

  “Seriously? They’re that protective?”

  She grinned. “Just wait. My younger sister, Benny, on the other hand, is actually delighted by our predicament, always said I needed a little excitement in my life. She wants me to make sure to extend an invitation to you and Lily to her wedding, which is three weeks from today. But as I explained to her, I don’t think our…arrangement is going to last that long.”

  “Oh, right,” he said, surprisingly disappointed that he wouldn’t be part of that large family dynamic. “You’re probably right. Although… It’s not like we’ve actually written up a timetable or anything for how long this engagement has to last.”

  “We haven’t,” she said quietly. “But I think it’s probably best for the kids that we end the charade as soon as possible. I don’t want them to get wrapped up in something that isn’t going to last.”

  A sentiment he could relate to. Especially since sitting here right now, in this moment, with this remarkable woman, it all felt…right. “Of course. Well, I still look forward to meeting them. At least, I think I do,” he said, grinning again.

  She studied him for a minute, her dark eyes strangely warm. “What’s your relationship with your dad? It’s just the two of you, right?” she asked, reaching down to grab her tumbler from the sand and raising it to her lips.

  Some might think it striking that people already knew his family history—notably that he, like Lily now, was raised by his dad after his mom died. But having a dad who served eight years as city mayor before making his own unsuccessful attempt at governor, Jack had grown up used to having details of his family life open to inspection.

  “Oh, he’s around. But even in retirement, he still manages to dabble in politics here and there, which can take him away some. You could say that political ambition runs in our blood.”

  “He knows, then? About the governor thing?”

  “It was his suggestion that I bring on Stuart. Now that I have the honor of serving as governor, he wants to make sure I hold onto it in the next election.”

  She smiled. “He must be pretty proud.”

  He nodded, and Daisy turned her gaze out toward the lake where, with the sun dropping below the horizon, the sky above the water was blazoned a dusty pink. But his attention was captured by the beautiful woman seated before him. Her full mouth dropped open the tiniest bit as if almost in wonderment at the sight before her.

  He didn’t know much about Daisy’s ex-husband other than he was a total shit of a father, but was also certain that the guy had to be an utter moron to have ever let Daisy go.

  A full yawn stretched the soft contours of her face and she brought her hand up to cover her mouth. “Sorry. It’s been a bit of an emotional day. And if I remember from tomorrow’s itinerary, there’s going to be lots more going on. So I’d probably better get back and help the kids into their baths.”

  “I’ll be along in a few. Just want to get this put out,” he said, nodding to the fire.

  She rose to her feet, tightening the soft gray blanket around her. “Then…good night.”

  “Good night, Daisy.”

  He watched as she made her way slowly up the path to the house, almost like some beautiful siren wandering the beach, trying to seduce men with her music even if the only song she was singing was an occasional muted cursing as she reached the steps and pulled her sore body up them.

  He smiled. As unexpected as their new engagement might be, it was definitely making the prospect of spending more time with her and her family something to look forward to.

  Chapter Six

  Unlike the previous night where Daisy was jabbed and poked from various child-size limbs, last night she’d had the entire bed to herself, which had felt decidedly decadent. Even so, instead of the sleep of the dead as she would have expected after the day she’d had, it had been anything but restful as she remembered flashes of blue eyes and a smile from a man who she now called her fiancé.

  Needless to say, when the morning sun crept into her room just after seven, instead of digging farther under the soft covers, she’d checked on the kids—all sleeping soundly—before jumping into the shower.

  Now, her hair still damp, her usual touch of makeup on to brighten her face, she headed downstairs, needing to find some release for her nervous energy. At home, when she felt like this, she usually would whip up a loaf of some sort of flavorful bread, as she found the kneading of the dough always helped her relax. She’d take a look at the supplies Payton had left for her to see what she might find, otherwise maybe she’d head to the store and—

  Damn. That’s right. Her car was still in the shop and would be—according to the guy—probably through Wednesday, the day after the holiday.

  The heady aroma of coffee filled her nose as she arrived in the kitchen.

  For a moment, her belly tightened in nervousness and excitement as she wondered whether Jack was already up and taking another run out on the beach, his damp shirt clinging to broad shoulders and a firm chest—

  Rein it in, Daisy.

  Sheesh, it was like she was losing her ever-loving mind. It’s not like she’d never seen a good-looking man before. Although, it had been a while since she’d met one whose attractiveness paled in comparison to a quick wit and equally generous heart. Someone whose conversation she found …nice.

  She considered last night’s conversation, which had been surprisingly low-key and also strangely exhilarating. And even though she had been certain they would have almost nothing to talk about, both coming from such diverse backgrounds, she’d been happily surprised by how much he genuinely wanted to know about her.

  She, on the other hand, had just been relieved she’d managed to keep her tongue in her mouth the entire night and had kept up a naturally paced conversation. Especially since she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been alone with someone of the opposite sex—at least someone who wasn’t related to her.

  Or when she’d spent almost every moment of a conversation wondering whether someone’s
mouth would taste as sweet as the marshmallows he was popping down, his tongue taking way too long to lick the corners of his mouth where some invisible marshmallow cream had gotten to.

  After grabbing a mug from the shelves, she filled it with coffee and went to the window, hoping to catch a view perhaps of her fiancé racing down the beach.

  Daisy stopped short when she spotted Aunt Glenda and Jack Harrison chatting on the deck, a plate of yesterday’s lemon curd poppy-seed muffins sitting between them.

  Good Lord. Her too chatty and prone to oversharing aunt had been left with Jack unsupervised? In alarm, Daisy raced to the door and went out to greet them.

  “There you are. Good morning,” her aunt said, her eyes twinkling in their usual mischievous way.

  “Morning,” she returned, sneaking a glance at Jack.

  In a long-sleeved navy crewneck, his usually smooth jawline peppered with the growth from the previous day, he looked more rugged than the polished image he normally portrayed. It should have been a relief to her nerves, but instead only seemed to up his sexy factor by a hundred and ten.

  His smile was easy and immediate. “Hope you slept well,” he said, almost in a tone that made her wonder if he realized just how fitful it had been.

  “I did, thanks.”

  Ollie, who’d been snoozing by Jack’s chair, came bounding over to greet her. She set her coffee on the table and bent down, looking into big brown eyes that stared back at her so adoringly. He really was cute, even if around his nose, there was a faint odor of eau de skunk. Finally, she stood and picked up her coffee before taking the seat next to Glenda.

  “You just missed Stuart’s call,” Jack said. “It seems that since the governor’s formal announcement and our brief press conference yesterday, people have been responding favorably to the news of our engagement.”

  “How on earth could he possibly know that?” Daisy asked incredulously.

  He shrugged. “There are people who do random polling as part of the campaign. It’s a little early, so we won’t know more for a few days, but at least the early indications seem to be positive.” He cast a furtive glance at her aunt, almost as if the two of them had already been discussing this. “Stuart thinks that we need to capitalize on that support immediately.”