“You’re going to stay the night?”
“You don’t want me to?”
“No. I do.”
“I’ll be gone before she wakes up. I don’t sleep that well, but I slept well with you. And if we didn’t have to go back to work that afternoon, I would have stayed in the back of that truck and dreamed with you.”
She was speechless at those words. He was truly sweet. He didn’t even know how sweet he was and she knew her heart was in danger. She wasn’t ready to fall in love. She didn’t want to fall in love.
She still missed Danny. But she was still angry at her husband for so many things. And Clay told her he wasn’t good for her, that being home in Durant wasn’t good enough for him, but her heart was stupid and foolish and easy. She could fall in love with this man and it would be awful when it all went wrong.
But he was here now and he was sleepy and he wanted to be with her. And she would let him because her body didn’t feel right until it was with him.
She ran her fingers up his leg, touching that thick scar on his thigh. “You make me hard when you touch me there,” he said, his voice thick with arousal. “Quit it.”
“I wasn’t trying to. I was just wondering what happened to you.”
“IED. Improvised explosive device. A big one went off, killing three of my men and four kids who were playing soccer nearby. They put nails, and rocks and ball bearings in it. It can literally rip a man apart. I was lucky the nail that was lodged in my thigh only nicked my femoral artery. I could have bled out in seconds. I would have bled out if Abraham wasn’t there. He stopped me from pulling it out of my leg. I had too much adrenaline pumping through me to realize that wasn’t the only place I had been hit. I was in the hospital for weeks, but nobody knows that except the army. I made sure they didn’t notify my family.”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t want them to worry any more than they already were. Either I lived or I died. They didn’t need to know the details of the in between.”
“They sent someone to tell me,” she whispered. “I opened the door and fell to my knees, but he had only been injured then. I say only like it wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to him. His helicopter was shot down just as it was taking off. He was the only one who survived and he barely did. He had massive internal injuries, but he healed. He just hadn’t healed enough for the military to allow him to go back to active duty.”
“I heard about that.” Clayton buried his hand deep into her hair. “I saw the pictures of the wreckage. He shouldn’t have survived. There’s no way he should have survived.”
“But he did. Only to get behind the wheel of a car drunk out of his mind and crash into a pole. I’m just glad he killed himself and no one else. I’m almost glad he died that night. Because I knew he was going to keep drinking and keep putting people’s lives at risk every time he got behind the wheel.”
“Daisy. Sweetheart, don’t cry.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“I promise I’ll only cry a little this time. I’m sad. Not just for Danny. I’m sad for you. I’m sad that you almost died.” She gave him a wobbly smile. “This is your fault. There is something about you that makes me want to completely break down.” She felt safe with him, safe enough to say to him what she was too afraid to tell anyone else.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should. Kiss me. Just a little bit. Just enough so I don’t feel what I’m feeling anymore.”
His slid his hands up her cheeks and kissed her, just like she asked, just soft enough, just sweet enough, just enough to bring her comfort and make her forget the sadness that had washed over her.
He broke the kiss and pulled her closer so that their bodies were just a mass of tangled limbs and she drifted off to sleep wondering how she ever slept without him before.
*
What the hell was he doing here? Clayton looked down at Daisy who was still in his arms, huddled close to him as if she were cold. It wasn’t cold. It was almost summer and the rays from the early morning sun hit her face, lighting it as she slept. But she was still so close to him. Wrapped around him. He knew he should get up, go home before Aubrey woke up, but he couldn’t pull himself away just yet.
And that was a problem.
He kissed her cheek, brushing the hair out of the way so he could see her sleeping face more clearly. He thought he had it rough when the IED struck his unit, but her husband…
He had it much worse. His shit was darker than Clayton’s, deeper and he couldn’t pull out of it. He couldn’t pull himself together for this woman and the kid who was depending on him.
He kissed her again, hating that she had to go through that but, as he lifted his lips from her skin he felt he wasn’t alone with her and he looked up to see Aubrey standing there in her little princess printed nightgown. They had been busted.
He opened his mouth to say something to her, but couldn’t think of any words to explain this.
“You slept over?” she asked as if mildly curious.
“Yes.” He swallowed, feeling as if he were a kid explaining to an angry father why he was in his daughter’s bed. “I wanted to make sure there were no more bats.”
“Were there?”
“No. You didn’t hear your mom screaming, right?”
Aubrey grinned at him. “She screams loud.”
“You do too. I’m surprised they didn’t hear you in the next county.”
“You were kissing her.” Aubrey’s eyes traveled to Daisy. “Do you like her?”
“Yes.” He couldn’t lie to her. He did like Daisy. He liked her a troubling amount.
“Maybe you should marry her.”
Clayton looked down at Daisy who hadn’t stirred once in her sleep.
“She’s really tired. She can’t hear us. You should marry her if you like her. Mama needs a new husband. She’s a good wife.”
“Is she? How do you know?”
“She’ll love you. Mama is good at that. She’ll love you.”
His heart slammed against his ribs in that moment and the urge to flee hit him hard. The last thing he needed was some little kid dreaming up a happy ending for him and her mother. She didn’t need him in her life. One wounded ex-soldier was enough for any woman. And he had other plans anyway. None of them had involved becoming someone’s husband. “Your mom is still tired. Why don’t you let her sleep in a little longer while you get ready for school?”
*
“You’re here. In person,” Harvey Kurt said to Clayton as he sat in his office later that morning. “I’m taking that as a sign that you’re ready to talk seriously about the job offer now.”
Kurt was a former Army Ranger, turned FBI agent, turned defense contractor who had tracked Clayton down and offered him a spot on his team. “I’m ready to talk.”
“I’m wondering what took you so long. You can’t be happy making chump change and doing construction. You’re educated. You’re talented. You’re skilled.”
“And you’re blowing smoke up my ass. I’m actually running things at the construction company and I’m making good money.”
“But I know you. You’re like me. You want more. You need more action. You are one of the best snipers the army has ever seen. And you’re a leader. Tough. Fair. Level headed. You’re exactly what we need over there.”
“I’ve heard this pitch before. I’m here to talk details.”
“We provide private security in highly sensitive areas, which sometimes involves training the local police forces and some other things. We’re our own private military force. You’ll never be doing the same thing every day and there are very few people you’ll have to answer to. Unlike your time in the Rangers. Plus you’ll be making six figures. You will not regret taking this job.”
“If it’s so good, why are you sitting behind a desk instead of back there doing the job you’re offering me?”
“I’m a recruiter. I use my reconnaissance skills to track down the best e
x-military in the country and put them to work. Plus you’re just a better solider than I am. You’re exactly who we’re looking for to take over. So let’s talk about when you’re ready to leave.”
Chapter 10
Two days later Daisy was bent over in her garden pulling weeds. Aubrey was by her side. She was supposed to be weeding too, but she was sitting there twirling what they pulled between her fingers. She was more company for Daisy than help, but Daisy was glad that Aubrey had volunteered to assist her that day. School had just ended and they had a little free time before camp started. Daisy wanted to use this short vacation to spend as much time with Aubrey as possible. She still hadn’t wanted her to go to sleepaway camp, but she couldn’t think of a good reason to keep her home. Except that she would miss her. But she didn’t want to be one of those mothers who clipped her kid’s wings.
Her parents may have been inattentive and permissive, but they never denied Daisy the opportunity to try new things. They let her spend six months in Argentina when she was in high school, and take guitar, drum, and saxophone lessons. They hadn’t been close, but sometimes she really missed them. Just having parents. Someone to call mom and dad and spend holidays with. Right now it was just she and Aubrey. They had Loretta, of course, and the rest of Danny’s family, but she had felt odd at their family functions these past few times. They looked at her with sadness in their eyes. She was there. Danny wasn’t. She served as a reminder to them each time she showed up.
“Mama?”
“Yes, Cookie?”
“This is a flower, right?”
Daisy looked over to see Aubrey studying a sprig of white alyssum. “Yes, baby, it is.”
“It’s pretty. Why is it a weed? Why do some flowers get to be flowers and others weeds?”
Daisy suppressed a smile. Sweet Aubrey. So thoughtful. So sensitive. She seemed sad that they had to pull all those flowers up. That’s where she differed from Jane. Jane wasn’t as sweet. She wasn’t so sensitive or thoughtful. She had very little time to stop and appreciate the beauty around her. Daisy was glad she was raising Aubrey to see all that. Because life was much sadder without beautiful things. “Weeds are flowers you didn’t plant. We have to pull these or they’ll take over the garden.”
They didn’t have a garden at their old place with Danny. They lived in a townhouse that was landscaped once a week. Danny didn’t want her to have to worry about the upkeep of a house while he was away. She hadn’t minded, but she agreed to make him happy. She had compromised so much to make him happy. She had been thinking about him a lot lately. More than usual. She blamed Clayton. She wanted to put both men in the same category. Both injured veterans. Both with demons. Both good men in different ways.
It wasn’t fair to compare them. And she had been doing that. She felt very different about each of them. Danny was her friend. A man who it took a long time to fall in love with. No major heat. No crazy passion. More fond of each other than anything.
Then there was Clay… She didn’t want to say she was in love with him. It was too soon. He was too temporary, but she felt that rush when he came by. She felt excited to see him and eager to touch him. She wanted to be near him all the time, even when she knew it was better for her heart to stay away.
“Mama, there’s a car pulling into the driveway.”
She looked up and saw a black BWM. The car was so quiet she hadn’t heard it. She had also been so deep into her thoughts that she might not have noticed it even if the engine was roaring.
A well-dressed couple looking to be in their sixties got out of the car and started towards her. Daisy looked down at herself feeling really grubby covered in dirt and in a halter top, cutoff shorts and her gardening clogs while the couple’s clothing was pristine.
She slipped off her gloves and tucked them beneath her arm as she walked towards them. “Can I help you?”
“Yes,” the man spoke. His eyes traveled to Aubrey. Both their eyes traveled to her and immediately Daisy knew something was up. “Are you Daisy Gracen?”
“I am.” She looked at Aubrey. “Why don’t you head inside and wash up, Cookie?”
Aubrey looked up at her. There was a little wariness in her eyes, but she nodded. “Okay, Mama. Are we still going to out to the diner for dinner?”
“Of course.” She waited for Aubrey to close the door behind her before she turned her attention back to the well-dressed couple before her. “How can I help you?”
“I’m Warren Scott. This is my wife Miranda.”
“You’re the senator from Maryland?”
“You know me?”
“I grew up there. You’ve been the senator forever.”
“Yes. Thirty-four years. Is that all you know about me? About us?” He looked at his wife.
“Is there something I should know? Why are you here? I’m a little far outside of your constituency.”
“I guess there is no easy way to say this. Your sister was involved with my son who recently passed away after a long battle of cancer.”
“Oh. I’m sorry for your loss,” she said, as her heart started to race.
“And we are sorry for yours. My son told us on his deathbed that he had produced a daughter with your sister.”
“Oh,” was all she could say. She was stunned. For so long Aubrey’s father had been a complete mystery, a secret that Jane never wanted to reveal. Daisy hadn’t even known if the father knew about Aubrey, but it appeared that he had. It appeared that he had and he made no efforts to see her.
“Robert asked us to find her and take care of her.”
“Why didn’t he take care of her? Why didn’t he step forward five years ago when she was a baby and needed a parent?” She was angry she realized. Pissed actually. How could anybody walk around knowing they made a life and not acknowledge it? Not want to know the precious thing they made.
“Robert had issues. But he cared for his daughter.”
“Did he? Not one visit. Not one phone call. Not even a damn birthday card. I’m sorry but Aubrey has faced a lot of loss in her young life. It hurts me to know that there could have been one more person to love her and he didn’t even bother to try.”
“We’re here now. We will love her,” the woman, Miranda, spoke up for the first time. “He wanted us to give her everything. Private schooling, a home with people to serve her. A horse.” Her eyes filled with tears. “He wants us to buy her a horse so she can ride like he did when he was a child.”
“Those are nice things, but Aubrey doesn’t need them. I provide her with everything that she needs.”
“We beg to differ. We can provide her with a stable two parent environment.”
Daisy froze. Her knees locked. Her heart smashed against her chest. “You aren’t suggesting that she come to live with you?” She shook her head. “How do I even know you are related to her? There’s no proof. No name on the birth certificate. Besides I’m her legal guardian. I adopted her. She’s my child.”
“Only because we didn’t know about her,” Warren said. “We looked into your background. You’ve been arrested.”
“At a protest. When I was eighteen and my record was supposed to be scrubbed.”
“Nothing is ever scrubbed. I have pull. I can find out anything about a person.”
“I have nothing to hide.”
“No. It’s common knowledge that your husband suffered from PTSD and was killed in a drunk driving accident. And though he was brave, he was far from a model marine.”
“Don’t you talk about my husband! You get to sit on your ass in Washington while he was fighting for this country. Model marine or not. Drunk or not, don’t you ever disparage his service to this country. He would still be here if it weren’t for the helicopter crash that almost killed him.”
“We’re sorry.” Miranda stepped forward and touched Daisy’s arm. “I know things must have been tough for you. We don’t mean to upset you, but it is very important to us that our only grandchild have the best that life can offer her and
we think we can give her the best. And that includes a stable two parent home with a mother and father and we’re willing to fight for it. You’re single. You work full time. I can give her all the time that she deserves.”
“I’m her mother. You actually think some judge is going to take her from me and give her to two strangers whose own son wouldn’t even step forward and acknowledge her? If you would have raised him correctly he would have been man enough to step up. You think I’ll just give her up?”
“I’m a senator. I have many resources at my disposal and I’m sure things will go in our favor eventually.”
“I’m a good mother. And she’s a good kid. You don’t even know her. How could you even want to take her?”
“We want to get to know her. Please,” Miranda said. “I know this is a lot for you to digest. We would like to meet her tomorrow. We want to give you time to prepare her and soak this all in yourself.”
“We’ll come back tomorrow. Around noon,” her husband said. “We’re not doing this to hurt you. We’re doing this to help her. You have to understand, she is the only piece of our son we have left.”
They were gone after that and Daisy stayed rooted to her spot. Too upset to go inside and see Aubrey. Too afraid to move because if she did it would be too real then.
Clayton’s truck pulled up and he jumped out coming to her, his eyes full of concern. “What happened?”
Daisy started to tremble. She hated herself for doing it, but she couldn’t help it.
“What happened? Where’s Aubrey?”
“Inside,” she managed. “They want to take her. They want to take her away from me.”
“Who does?” He grabbed her shoulders. “Tell me what happened.”
“Her grandparents. They just showed up today. I’ve never met them. He’s a senator. They told me they had money. They told me they could take her. I’ll die if they take her. I’ll die.”
“Her grandparents just showed up out of the blue and threatened to take her from you? They can’t do that. You know they can’t just take her.”
A Curvy Girl for the Cadet: A Perfect Fit Novella Page 10
