by Lori Wilde
attention, and the clock on the wall ticked loudly as if
counting down her fate.
“Sit down, son.” Daisy indicated the chair with a nod.
“Did I do something wrong?” Travis fretted.
Unfortunately the child took after her. She wished he
wasn’t such a worry wart.
“No, honey, I just need to talk to you.”
“Is it about money?”
Daisy heaved a deep breath. “Sweetheart, you don’t
have to be concerned about money. I’ll take care of that.”
Travis said nothing, just eased into the chair and stared
down at his hands.
Clearing her throat, Daisy wondered how to begin. “I’m
keeping you out of school tomorrow,” she said at last.
The boy’s head came up. “How come?”
“I’m taking you to the doctor in Corpus.”
Travis’ face blanched pale. “What’s the matter?”
“You need to have some blood work done.”
“I’m not sick.”
Panic shone in her son’s eyes, and Daisy knew she’d
taken the wrong track. Travis was too smart to be easily
assuaged, but he was too young to be told the whole truth.
“No, you’re not sick.” She quickly backpedaled. “This
is a different kind of test.”
Travis frowned. “Do I have to?”
Daisy swallowed. Damn you, Kael Carmody, she silently
swore. Her only goal in life was to take care of Travis.
Putting him through this misery in order to satisfy Kael’s
curiosity was not right.
“I think it would be a good idea.”
“But why?”
“Well,” Daisy hedged, postulating the excuse she’d de-
vised over the past few days. “Your teacher has been a
little worried about you.” This was true enough. On more
than one occasion Travis’s teacher had expressed concern
over the boy’s quiet disposition.
His brows drew down in a frown. “Worried about me?
How come?”
“You’ve been so sad lately, and you hardly ever play
with the other kids. I thought it might be a good idea to
see the doctor to make sure something isn’t wrong with
you.”
Travis studied his feet. “Wanna know why I’m sad?”
Her heart caught in her chest as his words rent a whole
through her. “Yes, sweetie. I want to know everything
about how you’re feeling.’’
“I’m sad ’cause I don’t have a daddy like everyone else.
Even kids whose parents are divorced got daddies, but not
_ >>
me.
“Oh, baby, come here.” Daisy gathered him to her
breast.
His despair cleaved her right in two. How long had this
issue been bothering Travis? Poor kid. The lack of a father
had really been preying on his mind. Perhaps it wouldn’t
be such a horrible thing if Kael turned out to be his father,
after all.
“Maybe you will have a daddy someday.”
Travis face brightened. “You think so?”
“Who knows, maybe I’ll get married someday.”
“Really?”
Daisy smiled. “Stranger things have happened. In the
meantime, I still think we need to have you checked out
by a doctor to make sure this isn’t a medical problem.
Okay?”
“Okay.” Travis nodded.
“Come on,” she said, “time for bed.”
She ushered him through the kitchen, her mind whirling
with the implications of what Travis had just revealed to
her. The boy deserved to know his father. But Daisy
dreaded what Kael might do if he discovered that Travis
was indeed his progeny. He was a wealthy man accustomed
to getting his way. Would he try and take control of the
boy’s upbringing? Or worse, would he attempt to wrest
custody from her entirely? Daisy clenched her fists at the
idea. Anxiety, dark and cloying, took hold of her and re-
fused to let loose.
Surely Kael wasn’t capable of such underhanded activity.
Then again, she once would not have thought him capable
of betraying her trust by sleeping with her sister. She’d
been wrong about that, too. She hadn’t seen the man for
seven years. Who knew what he might do?
Travis slipped his small hand in hers, and Daisy clutched
it tightly. They ascended the stairs together. Mother and
son. Alone. As they had been for seven years. And until
recently they’d gotten along just fine. Or perhaps she had
just wanted to think they were doing fine. She’d had no
idea Travis was pining so severely for a father. Daisy bit
her lip. Had she been wrong all this time, keeping Travis
from Kael?
What about Kael? a voice in the back of her head asked.
How does he fit into this picture?
Indeed, what about him? Their relationship had ended a
long time ago. The man couldn’t still harbor feelings for
her. He’d never once tried to contact her.
Why not? You still harbor feelings for him.
I do not! Daisy denied hotly. But despite her internal
protests to the contrary, the center of her chest grew warm
and soft with suppressed emotions. Even if she did have
the faintest of feelings for the man, she could never forgive
him. His sins, against her, Rose and Travis, had been too
great to ignore.
So why, when Kael kissed her on Friday afternoon in
the bee field, had Daisy been transported back in time?
What was it about his lips that drove all common sense and
decency from her mind? Why did the man possess the abil-
ity to turn her mind to instant oatmeal with a mere glance?
For that brief moment when he kissed her, she’d been
nineteen years old again and on the verge of falling deeply
in love.
Her reaction to Kael’s kiss had reminded her what a fool
she’d been to lose her head over a footloose male with a
roving eye. It was only her prideful nature that had pre-
vented her from declaring her love in order to keep him
from leaving town seven years ago. Now she was so glad
she hadn’t. This way Kael would never know for sure how
she felt about him. And that’s exactly where she wanted
him, squarely off balance.
Because if Travis was his son, then the man had her over
a barrel. She’d have to let him see the boy. Much as she
hated to admit it, he needed a paternal influence. And once
Kael was back in her life, would she be stupid enough to
fall in love with him again?
No! She could not allow herself to descend into that
tender trap twice. Once around with that man was more
than enough.
Damn. She was tom, conflicted. She wanted Travis to
know his father and yet she really didn’t want to share the
child with anyone. Especially someone as pushy and opin-
ionated as Kael Carmody.
Running Travis’s bath water while he shucked off his
T-shirt and blue jeans, Daisy tested the temperature with
her elbow before dumping in the bubble bath. The fresh
smell of soap teased her nose, and bubbles floated gaily
/> above the tub.
At this point there was only one thing left to do. Pray
furiously that Kael Carmody was not the father of her boy.
Chapter Five
.For once Kael’s infamous cool failed him. He could strad-
dle a wild bull without a second thought, but the idea of
becoming a ready-made father had him shaking in his
boots. In the matter of a few hours the course of his life
might be irrevocably changed forever, altered in ways he
couldn’t begin to imagine.
Early-morning dew still clung to the grass blades when
Kael pulled into Daisy’s driveway. His stomach was wad-
ded in such knots he’d been unable to eat breakfast, and
he felt oddly tongue-tied. How much had Daisy told the
boy about the trip into Corpus Christi?
Daisy and Travis waited for him on the front porch. With
their solemn faces and formal dress, they looked as if they
were headed for a funeral.
Travis wore starched blue jeans and a crisp white shirt,
and Daisy had on a knee-length, black dress that showed
off her shapely legs. Her vibrant hair was upswept in a
severe bun, and her feet were shod in sensible flats. Kael
caught his breath at the sight. Even in such plain garb,
Daisy Hightower was a beauty.
He opened the door and climbed out at the same time
they walked over to meet him.
“Morning,” Kael said awkwardly.
“Good morning,” Daisy replied primly.
Travis mumbled something.
They all three pretended to study their feet.
“Thanks for taking us to the doctor’s office,” Daisy said.
“We really appreciate you giving us a ride, Mr. Carmody,
since the green monster is out of commission.”
Kael angled her a look. Mr. Carmody? Was this a clue
as to how to behave around Travis? What had she told him
about this visit to the doctor? “No problem.”
Travis squinted against the sun edging up the horizon
and peered at Kael. “I gotta have a blood test,” he said.
“I heard.” Kael nodded. He searched Daisy’s face for
clues, but she carefully avoided his gaze.
“It’s to make sure I’m not sick or anything.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Nervously Kael clasped
his hands together, the magnitude of the situation register-
ing in his conscience for the first time. He was about to
discover if he had a seven-year-old son.
“You guys ready to hit the road?” he asked.
Without waiting for an answer, he opened the passenger
door and ushered them inside. Lordy, the thirty-mile jaunt
into Corpus Christi was beginning to look like a three-
hundred-thousand-mile trek. He got in and started the
pickup, desperately racking his brain for small talk.
Daisy stared straight ahead. She sat pressed against the
passenger door as if ready to use it as an escape hatch. Her
left arm rested securely across Travis’s shoulder. Her body
language declaring very loudly “touch me not.”
Then again what else did he expect from her? Kael fig-
ured she’d only agreed to this blood test out of a sense of
fairness to Travis and because he’d threatened her with a
lawsuit. Kael winced. This couldn’t be any easier for her
than it was for him.
Guilt crawled through him at a slow, tortuous pace.
Daisy’s whole world had come crashing in around her ears,
and it was all his fault. He’d burned her bees, and now he
was making her face something she wanted to deny. No
wonder she possessed an attitude.
Travis nestled against Daisy’s side, and before they’d
driven far, he’d fallen fast asleep.
“Kid’s tuckered out,” Kael commented.
“I’m glad he’s asleep. This is going to be rough enough
on him.”
“It’s got to be done, Daisy.”
“Why? To satisfy your curiosity?”
“We both have a right to know the truth,” he said.
“What good is knowing going to do?” Daisy asked.
“Based on your past performance, you won’t be here for
him, anyway.”
Kael bit back a hot retort. No point antagonizing her
further. He paused a minute to check his temper before
responding quietly, “I’ve changed, Daisy.”
She turned her head and snorted indelicately. “Since
when?”
Kael stroked his jaw, stared out across the pickup’s hood.
“I suppose since my accident. There’s nothing like having
your kneecap shattered to give you a whole new perspective
on life.”
‘ ‘And catching the alfalfa field on fire was the action of
a mature man?”
“That wasn’t intentional.”
“Like you didn’t intentionally take Rose into the bam
that night?’ ’
“Daisy,” he warned, his simmering anger threatening to
burst into a full-blown blaze. “Leave well enough alone.”
“What do you expect from me, Kael Carmody?” she
retorted. “I’m not rolling out the welcome mat for your
sorry hide, and I’m not sure I’m going to let you into my
son’s life. I don’t hear one word from you in seven years,
now suddenly you want me to make room for daddy?”
Ire that matched his own sparked in her eyes. How many
times had she stood her ground and challenged him like
that? And how many times had her spicy nature roused his
desire for her? Kael’s groin tightened in response. Dammit,
but Daisy Hightower didn’t even realize the power she
wielded over him.
“You told me you never wanted to see me again. Re-
member?” He spoke softly as the pain of their parting
flooded through him. Yes, seven years ago he’d been selfish
and immature. His mind had been firmly set on riding bulls
and proving to himself he was worthy of his father’s name.
Plus, he’d wanted to satisfy his wanderlust before settling
down and having a family. But he’d always known Daisy
was the woman he wanted to marry—the girl he hoped
would become his wife and bear his children. He’d never
wanted Rose, not even when he had her.
“What was I supposed to do?”
Daisy shrugged. Her jaw trembled slightly. Was she
about to cry? Tough-as-nails Daisy?
“Are you okay?” He started to reach out for her, but
she flinched and he withdrew his hand.
“I know this has got to be hard for you.”
“Don’t patronize me.”
Kael sighed. He couldn’t win with her. “I promise I’m
not going to try and take Travis away from you, if that’s
what you’re worried about. I just want to know my son.”
“Let’s save this discussion until we know something for
sure.”
He nodded. She was right. He applied the brakes and
slowed the pickup as they entered Corpus Christi city lim-
its. In the distance he saw the ocean shimmering blue-green
in the sunlight.
“Remember that time we went skinny-dipping on the
North Beach?” Kael grinned.
“No,” Daisy replied c
urtly.
“Sure you do. It was after—”
“I prefer not to recall the past,” she interrupted. “It’s
too full of painful memories, and there’s nothing I can do
to change that.”
“Daisy, I’m sorry for all the ways I’ve wronged you.”
“Apologies are easy for you, Kael. It’s the consequences
you seem to have a hard time dealing with.” She glanced
pointedly at her adoptive son.
Kael studied the child. His hair was darker than his
mother’s, rusty instead of flame colored. A dusting of freck-
les dotted his cheeks and nose, just like Daisy’s own. And
like hers, the sweep of his eyelashes were long and pale.
Travis breathed quietly, his slender chest rising and falling
as he slept. He seemed so small, so fragile, cradled in the
curve of Daisy’s protective arm, the sight tugged at Kael.
“I can’t believe you kept your suspicions about Travis
from me for so long.” The bitterness Kael had been feeling
against her since she’d told him the boy could be his,
welled fresh.
“Shh,” she cautioned, laying an index finger against her
lips as Travis stirred.
Kael clamped his mouth shut. In the back of his mind
he’d been entertaining thoughts of rekindling his relation-
ship with Daisy. He hadn’t wanted to admit it, not even to
himself, but from the moment he’d returned to Rascal the
memories had nipped at his heels.
Then when he had seen her again and discovered her son
might be his child, he had been fighting some pretty crazy
notions. Visions of them as a family. He and Daisy and
Travis. Living together, running the honey farm, loving
each other the way it was meant to be.
What about your rodeo career? something in the back of
his mind prodded. Where does that fit into your cozy family
life?
Hell, he was twenty-eight, plenty old enough to grow up
and surrender his childish dreams. He’d risen to the top of
the PRC. He’d conquered the best bulls. What else was
there left to accomplish?
Two questions remained unanswered. The answer to the
first question would lead him down one path, the solution
to the other pointed in the opposite direction. Would his
knee ever heal? And was Travis Hightower really his son?
Two days passed. Each moment seemed like an eternity
