Jack was nervous as he entered the Rusty Nail on Saturday night. After chatting live with Daisy as TJ all week, things felt a little different. A little more real. And this was the first time he’d been with her since they’d talked in her car Sunday.
The restaurant buzzed with energy, and the smell of smoked ribs made his stomach growl. “All My Friends Say” was blaring through the speakers, and Last Chance was up front getting ready to go on.
His eyes landed on Rawley’s tall, lean frame as the lead singer strapped on his guitar while flirting with two women who’d approached him side stage. Jack felt a moment’s envy at the easy way Rawley had with the ladies. On the other hand, it wasn’t Daisy the singer was flirting with this time, so maybe Jack should just count his blessings.
He worked his way through the crowd, saying hello to those he knew as he went. He found his regular group in the back corner, the round tables pulled together to form a caterpillar chain. There were a few empty chairs, including one across from Daisy.
“Jack!” Daisy called. “Over here!”
His heart gave a heavy thump at the way her face lit up at the sight of him. Her blond hair was pulled back at the sides tonight, calling attention to those moss-green eyes.
He greeted her with a smile as she pushed out his chair with her foot. Next he greeted Noah and Josephine, Cruz and Zoe, and Brady. He spotted Hope buzzing around in her apron, a washcloth in one hand and a bus tray in the other.
“Your wife looks busy tonight,” Jack said to Brady.
Brady set his toddler, Sam, into the high chair next to him. “Two of her staff called in sick. It’s going to be nuts tonight.”
Jack caught up with the group, the topic swinging from work to town gossip to politics as quick as lightning. When the subject turned to cars—Brady and Cruz’s topic of interest—the group began dividing up into more private conversations.
Feeling heady that Daisy had motioned him over when he arrived, Jack took the opportunity to engage her in conversation. “How’d the wedding go this morning? Any complications?”
She leaned forward on her elbows. “No major glitches, and the bride seemed pleased with the flowers.”
The wedding had taken place at a sister church in Ellijay.
“I’m not surprised. You’re very gifted, Daisy.”
The color that rose to her cheeks was charming. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
He gave her a long, pointed look.
Her eyes danced as she caught on. “I mean, thank you very much, Jack. That’s awfully kind of you to say.”
He gave her a nod of approval.
“But in all honesty, I just listen to what the bride wants and try to please her. It helps when they show me pictures of what they like.”
“Pictures or no, I couldn’t arrange a bouquet if my life depended on it.”
She laughed, her eyes lighting up. “Thankfully, it doesn’t.”
“Maybe not, but our occupations really aren’t so different, you know.”
She raised a skeptical brow. “How so?”
He lifted a shoulder. “We both minister to people. We step into their lives when times are especially hard or particularly joyful. We attempt to bring hope and beauty during times of hardship and celebration.”
She blinked at him. “That’s so insightful. That happens to be one of the things I like best about my job, but I never thought about having that in common with you.”
“We both care about people and count it a privilege to come alongside them during these moments.”
“I guess we have something in common then.”
“I guess we do.” Their eyes caught and held for a long, poignant moment.
The server stepped up to the table to get drink orders, and by the time she left the moment had passed.
Jack leaned in closer to Daisy, being careful that no one else could overhear. “So how are the concert plans progressing?”
“The contract is in the works now, and as soon as the ink’s dry there’ll be a big announcement. Harper will get the media lined up, and hopefully the tickets will go fast.”
He was impressed. “You’re a godsend, Daisy.”
“Thanks, Jack. That’s sweet of you to say. I sure couldn’t do it without Grainger and the festival committee, not to mention you and Julia.”
“Don’t be so modest. I really didn’t know how we were going to raise that much money.”
“Neither did I! But God heard our prayers. What a blessing that Julia knew Kade Patrick, huh?” Her eyes lifted to something over his head, and her mouth widened in a big smile as she waved. “Mary Beth! Over here.”
Jack turned to see a pretty brunette wending her way through the tables. He’d seen her around town but had never actually met her. She was dressed casually in jeans and a blouse that hung a little loose on her lean frame.
The women hugged, and Mary Beth took the chair beside Daisy.
Last Chance greeted the audience and began their first tune, an upbeat Keith Urban song that had people scrambling for the dance floor.
Daisy had to almost yell to be heard over the music. “Mary Beth, this is Jack McReady. Jack, my good friend and customer, Mary Beth Maynor.”
He shook the woman’s hand, feeling a little put-upon at having his private conversation interrupted. He chided himself for being so selfish and dredged up a smile.
“Nice to meet you. Your father runs an orchard up in the hills, doesn’t he?”
“Maynor Orchards.” An easy smile complemented Mary Beth’s girl-next-door looks as she shrugged modestly. “He wanted me to take an interest, but I’m a horse girl through and through. I’m an instructor at Sweetbriar Ranch.”
“Ah, Noah’s old place. He’s mentioned you.” He remembered now—it was Mary Beth who had rescued Noah and Josephine when they’d become stranded in the mountains a while back.
“Don’t let her fool you,” Daisy said. “She has a master’s degree from one of the best equine programs in the country.”
“Colorado State,” Mary Beth said, punching a fist. “Go Rams.”
“That’s . . . that’s great.” Jack wondered why this was suddenly feeling like a sales pitch. “You must be very passionate about horses.”
Mary Beth opened her mouth to respond, but Daisy beat her to the punch.
“Oh, she is. Just ask Noah. And she’s so good with the kids. She loves kids, don’t you, Mary Beth?”
The look the woman gave Daisy was a little uneasy. “Um . . . sure. What’s not to like?”
Jack gave a polite smile and straightened his silverware. It was becoming obvious what was going on here. Mary Beth looked as awkward as he felt, and he wondered if she’d known she was being set up before she arrived.
He sure hadn’t. So much for that heady feeling he’d had at Daisy’s initial enthusiasm. She’d only waved him over so she could introduce him to Mary Beth when she arrived. He was such an idiot. When was he going to learn?
“She likes to rock-climb too,” Daisy said.
“Is that a fact?” Jack squirmed in his chair, irritation pricking hard. Way to go, Jack. The love of your life is trying to set you up with someone else. This must be some kind of new low.
“Well, I haven’t gone in years,” Mary Beth said. “But I used to love it.”
“Jack’s a very experienced climber,” Daisy interjected. “He introduced me to it, but I’m sure he was bored to death on my bunny cliff. Haha. Bunny cliff, like bunny hill . . . in skiing . . . ?”
He gave Daisy a direct look. “I wasn’t bored.”
“Um, I think I’ll go grab a drink from the bar,” Mary Beth said as she pushed away from the table. “Service is kind of slow tonight. You guys want anything?”
They declined, and Jack half expected Daisy to suggest Jack accompany Mary Beth. Maybe pay for her drink and invite her onto the dance floor.
This night had sure deteriorated in a hurry. Not only was the woman he loved trying to foist him off on someone else, but he had Mary Beth to consider. She seemed like a very nice woman, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but his heart was already spoken for.
The whole thing made him want to grind his teeth—something his dentist had broken him of. The fast song came to an end, and as the audience clapped, the band started a slower, quieter ballad. Couples swarmed the dance floor, most of their table included. Jack had to address this with Daisy before Mary Beth returned.
He leaned forward, catching Daisy’s eyes and holding them for a full three seconds before he’d collected himself. “I don’t need you setting me up, Daisy.”
Her face went slack, a shadow coming over her eyes. “You’re upset with me.”
He took a few deep breaths, trying to hide his frustration. But it really rankled that she thought he was so pathetic that he needed her help finding a woman. He didn’t need her help. He had women at church tripping over themselves to be his wife.
Just not the one he wanted. No, the woman he wanted was too busy pushing him off on someone else. And chatting online with another man.
Except . . . not exactly another man.
She set her hand over his. “Jack, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“Forget it.” His tone was sharper than he would’ve liked.
He pulled his hand away before his heart could mistake her gesture for something more. He’d already done a lot of that, apparently. Starting with that little flicker in her eyes that he’d mistaken for interest. And the way she’d flung her arms around him when they were rock-climbing. And the way she’d come so easily into his embrace when he’d comforted her on Sunday.
At least she still liked TJ.
He shook his head. He was a joke. A big fat joke.
He pushed back from the table. “I shouldn’t have come tonight. I have more work to do on tomorrow’s sermon, and I have to be up early.”
“Jack . . . ,” Daisy began as he stood.
Her head was tilted in that apologetic way of hers, and her guilty eyes sucked him right in. Made him feel like a heel. But he wasn’t fit for company anymore, and he sure didn’t want to stick around for Mary Beth’s return.
“It’s fine, Daisy.” He tried for a genuine smile, though he couldn’t seem to maintain eye contact. “I know you meant well. Please make my excuses to Mary Beth, and I’ll just see you tomorrow, all right?”
Daisy watched Jack go, a boulder sitting square in the middle of her chest. Jack was a virtual paragon of patience, and he’d never gotten upset with her before. She did not like it. At all.
When Mary Beth returned to the table, Daisy explained Jack’s sudden departure. Mary Beth took it well, giving Daisy a little good-natured grief about her lame setup attempt.
They listened to the band, and Daisy made small talk with the group, but her heart ached just remembering the look on Jack’s face. The unfamiliar tightness around his eyes and the grim set of his mouth.
The night dragged on. Daisy wasn’t in the mood to dance, so she looked after baby Sam when Hope went on break and Brady claimed his wife for a dance. Daisy watched Nicolas and Gracie too. She’d become the babysitter of the evening, but that was okay. She liked being an honorary auntie to her friends’ kids.
She wished Julia were here. She’d wanted to invite her tonight, introduce her around, but she figured she’d best wait for her mom to cool off. Everyone would want to know the story—Hope was the only one she’d confided in—and her mom might feel humiliated if the news spread around town.
By ten o’clock Daisy found herself looking for an excuse to leave. Once home she could see if TJ was available to chat, and then the night wouldn’t be a total waste. And maybe she’d be able to get Jack off her mind. Speaking of which . . . This guilt was killing her.
She pulled out her phone, opened her last text to him. It was too loud for voice-to-text so she started typing, careful of her spelling.
I’m sorry about tonight. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.
She read it through, checking for errors, then sent the text.
“Whatcha doing?” Daisy jumped as Hope slid into the chair next to her.
Sam was sleeping soundly on her friend’s shoulder, a pacifier dangling from his mouth.
Daisy pocketed her phone. “I was just texting Jack.”
Hope waggled her eyebrows. “Hmm. Sounds promising. I thought he was here earlier.” She looked around the restaurant.
“He was. I chased him off.”
Hope set a hand on Sam’s back and began rubbing. “Why’d you do that?”
“It wasn’t on purpose. I was just being nice—trying to set him up with Mary Beth Maynor, and he got all cross with me and made some excuse about having to go.”
Hope chuckled, looking at Daisy like she was crazy. “Are you dense, woman?”
Daisy bristled at the words. She knew Hope didn’t mean it in an unkind way, but that kind of wording struck at her deepest wound. “No, I am not.”
“He likes you, Daisy—”
“Oh, he does not.”
“And you’re trying to set him up with someone else. No wonder he scooted out of here so fast.”
“I have no reason to believe that.”
Even as her mouth formed the words, her heart tapped out an objection. Her mind suddenly provided vivid imagery. A picture of Jack beaming at her after she’d climbed that first cliff. A picture of his wide smile, blooming across his face when he’d seen her tonight. A picture of the compassion in his eyes right before he’d pulled her into his arms last Sunday.
The images were accompanied with sensory detail. The familiar waft of his woodsy cologne, the delicious depth of his chuckle, the gentleness of his fingers on her chin.
“I don’t know how to tell you this, girl,” Hope said, “but you’re in some serious denial.”
Daisy blinked at her friend. Was she right? It was true, there’d been moments she’d thought she had seen interest in those brown eyes. But it was always gone so quickly she felt as if she’d only imagined it.
“If he were interested, he’s had plenty of time to let me know.”
“Haven’t you noticed how shy he is?”
Daisy gaped. “Shy? He gets up in front of a whole church every Sunday and delivers a sermon. I could never do that. In fact, I’ve never met a more competent man.”
Hope gave her a look. “I mean with women. He seems a little insecure about his masculine appeal, don’t you think?”
Daisy gave a sharp laugh. “Have you seen Jack? He’s like an Armani model. Only more approachable and humble.”
“I know, right? And yet sometimes our perception of ourselves can be far from accurate.”
The notion hit a bull’s-eye square in the center of her heart. Wasn’t that exactly what TJ had tried to tell her about her intelligence? She should’ve known better than to get into this with a woman who was pursuing a psychology degree.
Hope nudged her arm. “Why do you think he was so upset with you tonight, hmm? Could it be he didn’t like you trying to pass him off to someone else?”
Daisy winced. That sounded terrible. And she wasn’t passing him off. She was trying to set him up with someone worthy of him. Deep down she knew her own feelings toward Jack were changing, and she just couldn’t let that happen. She was all wrong for him.
Maybe she’d done this partly to soothe her own guilty conscience. There was no maybe about it. Oh, she was so selfish.
She didn’t want to think about this anymore. She gave Hope a cheery smile. “So . . . you know that guy I’m talking to on Flutter? Things are progressing well with him. We’ve been chatting live all week, in fact, and I really like him.”
Hope gave her a curious look at the change in topic. “Well, that’s good, I guess.”
Daisy’s phone buzzed, and she pulled it out and checked the screen.
It’s okay, Daisy. I’m sorry about my attitude. I was just in a mood I guess.
“Aha,” Daisy said, turning the phone so Hope could read the message. “He was just in a mood.”
Hope rolled her eyes. “Well, what did you think he was going to say? ‘Sorry I got annoyed when you pushed me off on your friend and broke my heart’?”
Daisy snatched her phone back and gave Hope a withering look.
Hope held up a hand. “Hey, don’t listen to me. I’m just the objective observer here.”
Daisy was relieved a moment later when a kitchen emergency called Hope away from the table. She took the sleeping toddler and, as soon as Brady returned to the table, she handed over Sammy and made her excuses to the group. She was going home where she could put the whole evening out of her mind.