It took everything Nick had not to go to Daisy. He hated how they’d left things, but he said everything he had to say and she still left. So why should he be the one going after her? For once he wanted her to come to him.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t avoid each other at the brewery, but he was sure as hell going to try. He opened the door and let himself in, expecting to see familiar blonde curls behind the bar, blue eyes following him as he walked by, purposely ignoring her, but she wasn’t there.
Cassie stood behind the bar, setting up for the day and Mason was helping her. They were supposed to be leaving for the competition. Mason hadn’t taken a day off since he started this place, and Cassie had convinced him one day wouldn’t kill him, so why the hell were they here?
“What’s going on?” Nick asked, slipping out of his coat. Why are you guys here? Where’s Daisy?”
Both eyes landed on him and his stomach knotted.
Cassie went to speak then stopped like she couldn’t figure out the right words. She didn’t have to because Mason took the lead. “She left,” he said.
“What do you mean she left? Is she sick?” The news had been talking about an outbreak of the flu. He could take over here, send Mason and Cassie on their way. Put whatever happened with him and Daisy aside and bring her some chicken soup from The Happy Apple. She always loved soup when she was sick.
Mason closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them Nick knew it was worse than the flu. “She went back to New York,” Mason said.
New York? No. It wasn’t even forty-eight hours since she was in his bed, cuddled up next to him. There was no way she was gone. She wouldn’t leave like that. Not again. She told him she didn’t want to hurt him. She wouldn’t leave without a goodbye. She wouldn’t disappear out of his life like she did before.
Nick ran his hand through his hair, trying to make sense of everything. “How do you know that?” Daisy was a runner; that’s what she did—taking off and refusing to look back. But for some stupid reason he thought this time was different. He thought she’d finally realized what they had was worth standing still for. He was so sure of it, he let her go. He watched as she ran out of his house positive she’d be back.
Mason filled a tasting glass and pushed it toward Nick. Nick didn’t hesitate. He needed to numb his brain and forget that he ever knew the name Daisy Hayes.
Nick downed the contents in one gulp. He placed the glass on the bar and without a word Mason refilled it. This time Nick sipped the golden liquid while Mason continued telling him exactly what he didn’t want to hear.
“She called Cooper. She was supposed to go see Tommy practice for his play today, and she said something about a dream audition that she couldn’t pass up.”
“Her and her fucking dreams,” Nick mumbled.
He loved that Daisy wanted things, that she did dream, but that didn’t mean she had to shit on everybody in the process. Why’d she even come home and stay for as long as she did? Why didn’t she just make one of her usual blue moon appearances and slip out of town before anyone knew she was home? Why’d she have to come back into his life, tie him around her dainty little finger, and drag his heart through the damn mud?
Nick put the glass down and stood. “I have work to do.”
“Nick…” Cassie said.
He held his hands up to stop her from trying to impart words of wisdom on him. The last thing he needed was someone to try and make him feel better. He wanted to wallow in his anger so he could remember exactly this feeling in case Daisy ever decided to try and walk back into his life. Fool him once, fool him twice, there was no way in hell she’d fool him a third time. As far as he was concerned, Daisy Hayes was dead.
The minutes turned into hours and eventually the anger dissipated, and he was left with nothing more than his disappointment and misery. He leaned back in his chair and thought about the last forty-eight hours. Wondered if he should have gone after her when she ran.
She kept running and he always let her. Maybe she was waiting for him to go after her. Or maybe she didn’t want to be caught at all. If she did, she wouldn’t travel three hundred and fifty miles away. Running after her would be a waste of his time.
Cassie came into his office and sat down across from him. Her auburn hair was tossed up in a messy bun, her hazel eyes looking at him with concern. The one thing he loved about Cassie was she didn’t do pity… probably because she got enough of it in her own life over the years. Right now, it was much appreciated. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to feel sorry for him. But she was concerned, and he couldn’t be mad at her for that. It was nice that someone cared about him.
“Want to talk about it?” she asked.
“Not much to talk about. She left again. End of story.”
“I honestly don’t think she knows what she wants.”
“She wants what I can’t give her, and it’s time I accept that. I can’t keep hanging onto someone who doesn’t want me. It’s time I move on like I should have done years ago.”
“Is that what you want?” Cassie asked, and the vise grip on his heart squeezed impossibly tight practically suffocating him.
“It doesn’t really matter what I want? I can’t compete with a dream audition, and I shouldn’t have to. I’m just… I’m pissed at myself for thinking this could’ve been more than what it was. Lesson learned. Again.”
“Why don’t you stop working and come have a beer with me?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather drown myself in paperwork. Rain check?”
“Sure. And for the record, I know she’s my soon to be sister-in-law, and I do really love her, but she’s an idiot. You’re a great guy, Nick.”
“If only that were enough.”
“Maybe it is. You should look at this.” Cassie placed a binder on his desk. “Harold found this at the house. Apparently, she talked to Mason about expanding the entertainment we provide here at the brewery. Mason told her we were short staffed and didn’t have the time or manpower to do it, but if she stayed he’d let her manage the whole thing.”
He couldn’t believe that Daisy never mentioned any of this to him. “Why are you telling me this?”
“When Mason suggested it, she didn’t think she was capable. Said she wasn’t a manager. Looking through this binder, I can tell you that’s bullshit.”
“I could’ve told you that without looking through this.” He tapped the binder. “I still don’t get what that has to do with us.”
“First off, after looking through this, Mason wants to incorporate some of her ideas. He wants your opinion and to see if you’d be willing to help a little as far as getting local businesses on board. There’s a lot of amazing ideas in there, and the fact that Daisy didn’t think she could manage what she’s already come up with is ridiculous, which leads me to my theory. Want to hear it?”
“Why the hell not.”
“The girl is beautiful, talented, and can make a person fall in love with her with just a smile, yet she hasn’t landed a starring role yet. Why do you think that is?”
“She said—”
Cassie cut him off. “I don’t care what she’s said. Mason looks into all the plays she’s talked about, and her name was only mentioned once.”
“She lied?”
Cassie nodded.
“But why? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It’s easier to pretend to be successful than to actually be successful. She’s scared to succeed because she doesn’t think she’s capable.”
Nick thought about Cassie’s theory for a second, and it suddenly all made sense. The reason she never stuck with anything for too long, the reason she gave up on everything, the flute, gymnastics, karate, sailing, skiing and painting… the reason she thought Dylan was better off in the care of Hadley…
It wasn’t that she was bored; it was that she didn’t think she was capable. It was like solving a mystery at the end of a book, how everything seemed to come together and make perfect sense.
“So,” Cassie said. “I don’t think it’s you. She’s probably terrified she won’t be everything you want her to be. And if she doesn’t even know who she is…” Cassie shrugged. “It’s not your fault.”
“Thanks,” he said. He didn’t want to speak to anyone, but Cassie made some really good points. It might not have fixed the black hole that Daisy kicked deep into his heart but at least now he wasn’t left wondering what he’d done wrong. She needed to figure things out on her own and there was nothing he could do.
“We’re here until five then we’re heading out. I’ll have a beer waiting for you for when you’re ready.”
“I’ll be out soon to toast you guys off.”
Cassie smiled. “Mason doesn’t want to get his hopes up, but I can’t help it, I think we’re going to win.”
That’s why Mason and Cassie worked so well—they balanced each other out. Nick thought back to dinner with Daisy, how they’d clinked their glasses together and the words that she’d said.
He thought about it long after Cassie left his office, and he kept coming back to one question.
If Daisy wanted him to find his balance then why the hell did she keep throwing his world off its axis?