Daisy barely made it home before Derrick’s big pickup pulled into her driveway. She’d headed to church earlier that morning. Sometimes she felt guilty that she couldn’t make services very often, but she had to keep the diner open every day, though she made it when she could.
The pickup’s tires crunched against the pea gravel in front of the house. Uncle Joe converted the front yard and the drive into more drought-tolerant foliage after his stroke, knowing he wouldn’t be able to tend to the yard work and lawn mowing needed to keep nature from taking over.
She waved before climbing from the front porch and headed toward the truck, noticing Ian seated in the passenger seat. Derrick climbed from the driver’s side and met her when she got to the car.
“Good morning, Daisy. You look lovely this morning.”
“Thanks. I went to church this morning.”
“I’m looking forward to getting back into church, once we’re in Shiloh Springs.”
The passenger door flew open and Ian jumped out, waving at Daisy, before scrambling around to the back seat of the extended cab. His grin was infectious, making Daisy’s lips curl up in response.
“Shall we?”
“Absolutely, I’m starving.”
Derrick helped her into the passenger side, and jogged around the front of the truck, before climbing behind the wheel. “Ian and I found this great Italian place just over the county line in Santa Lucia. We’ve eaten there a couple of times, and really like it.”
“I’m game. I haven’t had really good Italian in a while.”
“They’ve got good pizza,” Ian added from the back seat. “We eat a lot of pizza at home, but this place is way cooler.”
Daisy shot a look at Derrick, and he shrugged, giving her a halfhearted smile. “I work too much, and pizza is easy.”
“How’s the house hunt going? Find anything you like?”
“Ms. Patti showed us a few places yesterday. A couple of them have pools, which we both like. One had a huge backyard, but I think the house is a little too big for just the two of us.”
“Give her a chance, I’m sure she’ll find the perfect place for you both. She’s a real estate wizard when it comes to matching up people with the right place to live.” Daisy shifted in her seat, turning as much as the seatbelt allowed. “Can I ask why you’re considering a place in Shiloh Springs? I thought you were some bigwig in the Austin FBI office.”
Derrick chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t know about the bigwig part, but yes, my job is in Austin. Ian and I are looking for a place where we can get away for weekends and holidays, that kind of thing. Someplace away from the rat race pace of the big city where we can unwind. Since I seem to spend a lot of time in Shiloh Springs, and like the people, it seemed a good place to start looking.”
Daisy swiveled in her seat to look at Ian. “Shiloh Springs is a great place. I haven’t always lived here either, but I used to visit when I was about your age. My Uncle Joe owned the diner. It was named after the original Daisy Parker, who was my grandmother.”
Ian watched her closely, and Daisy hoped he’d talk with her because she really wanted to get to know him. She could commiserate with him. When she’d been younger, her father walked out on her and her mother, leaving them high and dry. It forced her mother to work two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads.
“It’s okay, I guess. I haven’t seen a lot of kids my age.”
“There are lots of kids around, trust me. Most of them have chores on Saturdays. Like your dad said, this isn’t the big city. Lots of places around here have gardens where they grow vegetables. Raise chickens and rabbits and cows. If they have horses, they have to deal with all the stuff like mucking out stalls and caring for the animals. Sundays usually mean church in the morning, and then the rest of the day they’re free to visit their friends and play.”
“They allow animals in town?” She knew she’d captured Ian’s curiosity when he asked the question. Now to keep him talking, get to know him a bit.
“Sure do. Small animals only, unless they have a farm or a ranch.”
“Like the Boudreaus’ ranch?”
She nodded. “Exactly like the Boudreaus’ ranch. Right now, Jamie’s the only kid, but from what I hear, that’s about to change.” At Derrick’s sideways glance, she added, “Beth’s pregnant.”
“I want a puppy, but we can’t get one. Dad says it wouldn’t be fair, because it couldn’t live in Austin; we don’t have a house there. We can’t leave it here all alone, because we don’t have anybody who’d take care of it when I wasn’t around.”
“Your dad’s right. Having a dog is a big responsibility. They need to be taken care of every day. They need to be walked. They need to be fed. They need lots of playtime because they are full of energy, especially puppies. Plus, you have to make sure they get all their shots and give them medicine to make sure they don’t get sick.”
“I could do that.” Daisy noted the rigid posture, the arms folded across his chest. She almost laughed at the stubborn set of his mouth, exactly like his father’s. He was a typical boy with all the traits of one, gaining a hold on his personality and who he’d be as he got older. Derrick better be prepared, because he’d have his hands full with this guy when he hit his teen years.
“I bet you could. But would it be fair to the dog? I know it’s fun to play with dogs, throwing frisbees and balls for them to fetch. Training them to sit and roll over, and all the other cool stuff they can learn. Except what happens if you’re only here for a weekend or two a month? He’d miss you like crazy, and probably be sad most of the time. It’s a big responsibility, having a pet. It’s why I don’t have one. I work all the time, from early in the morning before the diner opens until it closes. I would feel bad if I couldn’t go straight home and spend time with the dog.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
Derrick sat quietly through their conversation, and Daisy realized she might be stepping on somebody’s toes, tossing her opinion in there like that.
“How is your uncle doing?” Derrick glanced her way before turning his attention back to the road.
“Uncle Joe is amazing. He’s whipping around the house now that he’s got that new motorized wheelchair. Plus, he’s got a new online girlfriend, which amazes me, because six months ago the man didn’t even know how to use Google.”
“Good to hear it.”
“He’s also got buddies he plays poker with once or twice a week. I’m starting to think he’s got a better social life than me.”
Derrick glanced her way. “I know the feeling.”
They drove in silence for several minutes, the radio playing softly, with the occasional sound of Ian’s game in the background. It was nice because she rarely got driven anywhere. She did most of the heavy lifting at home. Uncle Joe did what he could, and she knew he felt guilty because there were things he couldn’t do anymore. Going out to lunch, being chauffeured by Derrick, felt like pampering.
They pulled into the parking lot of the Italian restaurant, and everybody piled out of the car. Walking through the front door, Daisy inhaled deeply, loving the scent of tomato sauce and spices wafting through the air. It wasn’t a high-end restaurant, but it wasn’t a hole-in-the-wall, either. Families and couples were scattered at tables.
One of the things she liked was the bright sunlight pouring through big picture windows. She understood a lot of places used dimmer lighting to set a mood, an ambiance of intimacy, but she preferred to be able to see her food before and while eating it.
The hostess led them to a table toward the back, but not too close to the kitchen, and Derrick held out her chair. Their waitress handed them menus and left, coming back almost immediately with ice water and a basket of hot, fresh garlic bread. Her stomach growled as she inhaled the enticing aroma. In her rush to get to church, she’d grabbed a Pop Tart on her way out the door, and now she was starving.
After a quick perusal of the menu, she turned to Ian. “You’re the expert. What do you recommend?”
He shrugged, putting his phone on the table. “They have good pizza. The lasagna’s good, too.”
“The lasagna is great.” Derrick reached over and pointed to something on the menu. “They also make a mean chicken piccata.”
Ian shook his head. “Dad liked it. I didn’t like those little green things. What were they called, Dad?”
“Capers.”
“Yeah, they were gross.”
“We have a rule. He has to try a food at least one time before he can say he doesn’t like it. I’ve got the feeling capers are going to be one and done.”
Daisy understood and approved of his rule. “I think that’s a good idea. How do you know whether you’ll like something or not unless you taste it?”
“Dad said he ate snails. Honest. He put slimy snails in his mouth and ate them.” Ian shuddered, but looked at Daisy from behind his lashes, as if waiting to see her reaction.
“That’s one of those foods that I made myself try too. I agree with Ian, yuck.”
Derrick’s laughter did funny things to her insides, and she laid a hand against her stomach. Ian laughed too, making her feel like part of the whole. She looked around the restaurant again, noticing there were many families seated among the patrons, mothers and fathers with kids. Booster seats seemed a norm in here, but for the most part, the children seemed well behaved and not overly rambunctious.
“You folks ready to order?”
Daisy smiled at the waitress, a redhead with the brightest hair she’d ever seen, outside of a box of coloring. It was offset by a pair of startling blue eyes and a white smile. Probably in her early to mid-twenties, she had a charm and vivaciousness perfect for her job.
“I’d like the lasagna.”
“We have meat or vegetarian.”
“Definitely meat. Thanks.” Daisy handed her the menu and spread her napkin across her lap.
“I’ll have the same,” Derrick added.
“I’ll have the little pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese.” Ian sat up straighter in his seat and handed her his menu. “Dad, can I have a soda?” At Derrick’s nod, he added the soft drink to his order.
The waitress leaned down to talk softly with Ian, making sure to make eye contact with Derrick at the same time, a silent request for permission. “If it’s okay with your dad, we open the game room in the back on Sundays.”
Ian’s eyes widened, and he sent a pleading look at his father. “Dad? Please?”
Derrick turned and looked toward the back of the restaurant, where several old-fashioned games lined the wall of their back room. There was a separate door sectioning it off from the rest of the restaurant, which explained why it wasn’t blaring the sounds of bells and whistles throughout the place.
“Okay, but just until your food comes.”
“Yes! Dad, you’re the best!” Ian jumped from his chair, ready to race toward the game room. Derrick held up his hand.
“Phone.”
“Oops, sorry. I forgot.” Ian grabbed his phone and shoved it in his pocket.
She watched him sprint toward the back room, his whole body seemed to vibrate with excitement. Derrick kept his eyes on his son the entire way until he’d made it through the opening.
“I know I’m being overprotective, but I’m new at this whole single parenting stuff. I make him keep his phone on him any time he’s not with me. I want him to know I’m only a call away. Plus, if anything happens, I can track his phone’s GPS.”
“Smart dad.”
Derrick took a sip of his water and set the glass down. “Educated dad. Hazard of the job, I guess.”
“Makes me glad I run a restaurant. All I have to worry about is making sure the fresh produce is delivered on time.”
He smiled at her lame joke and reached for her hand. “Daisy, I’m sorry. It seems like every time we’ve tried to get together, fate’s conspired to throw a roadblock in our path. I’m starting to think—”
“Don’t, Derrick. Some things aren’t meant to happen. I’ve resigned myself to the fact we’re not meant to be anything but friends. And I’m okay with that. In fact, it’s probably better. I don’t have the best track record with relationships.”
Squeezing her hand, he gave a bitter-sounding laugh. “Welcome to my world. The longest relationship I’ve ever had was with my ex-wife, and that only lasted a couple of years. Mind you, I’ll never regret it because it gave me Ian.”
“Which makes you a very lucky man.”
Inside, she was breaking apart, because she’d secretly hoped they might be willing to take a chance. This was probably best, though, because it wouldn’t have worked. Even though Austin wasn’t that far away in terms of miles, they’d still be living separate lives, because Derrick’s job kept him in the city, and she’d never leave Shiloh Springs. It had become her haven, her safe place, the one spot where she finally felt grounded. Her whole life she’d been rootless, searching for something, someone to give her purpose, and she’d found that at Daisy’s Diner.
“I love my son. He’s the best part of me. But his life has been turned upside down, and right now, he needs me. I can’t be selfish, no matter how much I want it to be otherwise. But I want you to know, if things were different, I’d find a way to make us work.”
“Dad, those games are so cool.” Ian slid onto his chair, practically bouncing with enthusiasm and energy.
“We’ll have to check them out later. Looks like our food’s here.” With a final squeeze, he turned her hand loose, and Daisy immediately missed his touch, the warmth which spread through her when he’d leaned in close. But she had to acknowledge he was right. Anything more than friendship between them was asking too much. Especially with her past.
Oh, but she’d had dreams. Dreams which now tasted like ashes in her mouth, leaving behind the bitter taste of defeat.
Pasting on a smile, she fought back tears and picked up her fork. Might as well enjoy their last meal together before they headed back to Austin.