Daisy parked in front of the B&B, and slid from the driver’s seat, reaching back into the car to grab a tote bag off the passenger seat. Ike had prepared a large takeout portion of pot roast to give to Miss Edna. He’d developed a soft spot for her elderly neighbor, and once or twice a week he fixed up a batch of leftovers for Daisy to drop off on her way home. It wasn’t an inconvenience, since the B&B was close enough she could walk from her place to it.
Entering the front, she called out, “Miss Edna, it’s Daisy.”
Hearing a noise to her left, she glanced toward the office behind the front desk area, and spotted Miss Edna sitting behind her desk, a mound of paperwork sitting in front of her. The older woman’s head hung down toward her chest and hearing a snuffling snore, Daisy knew she caught the other woman napping.
Not wanting to startle her, she walked into the kitchen and began unloading the food from the tote. Glancing at the amount Ike had sent, she couldn’t help shaking her head. He’d sent enough food to feed several people, or for Miss Edna to have leftovers for a few days.
Before she’d pulled the last container free, Miss Edna walked through the opening into the kitchen, yawning. Her eyes opened in surprise when she spotted Daisy.
“Afternoon, Miss Edna.”
“Daisy gal, what are you doing?” She gestured toward the takeout packages stacked on the table.
“We featured pot roast today as the special, and Ike made a little too much. He thought you might like to have a meal you didn’t have to cook and sent you some. I said I’d deliver it on my way home.”
She watched Miss Edna draw in a deep breath, her eyes welling with unshed tears. More than once she’d dropped by with meals, and although Miss Edna always protested, she knew they were appreciated.
“I appreciate the thought, but I can cook.”
“I know you can cook, but it’s nice to have somebody else do all the heavy lifting once in a while. Now, all you have to do is heat it up when you’re ready to eat.”
“Well, at least let me—”
“Miss Edna, if you even reach for your wallet, I’m gonna walk right out that front door. You know I’m not going to take your money.”
The older woman slid onto a chair and stared at the food like it was manna from heaven. It probably was for somebody who cooked breakfast and lunch for her guests, which the B&B provided for their paying guests. Not having to prepare, cook, and clean up after the dinner meal probably felt like winning the lottery.
“Thank you, Daisy, and tell Ike thanks, too.”
“You’re quite welcome.”
At the sound of the sunroom door slamming, Daisy looked up to see Ian race into the kitchen. He skidded to a stop when he spotted her and Miss Edna, a guilty expression crossing his sweaty face.
“Oh, hi, Daisy.”
“Ian. I thought you were hanging with your dad today.”
Ian made a scoffing sound. “He had to work. The sheriff called him, and he ended up heading into town to do whatever he does.”
Daisy might not know Ian all that well, but she could read enough between the lines to know he wasn’t a happy camper. Whatever Derrick was working with Rafe on, it had better be pretty darned important to leave his son alone.
“Well, I’m heading home, where I’m going to make a big bowl of popcorn, put my feet up, and watch a movie. Feel like joining me, Ian? If your dad says it’s okay, of course. I can give him a call and see if it’s okay, that is, if you want to watch something.”
Ian narrowed his eyes, contemplating her request. “What movie?”
She shrugged. “I’ve got Netflix, Hulu, and Prime. I figured I’d see what they’ve got and pick something. I’m in the mood for something with lots of guns and explosions. Action and adventure. Maybe something from Marvel.”
At the look of relief in his eyes, she almost laughed out loud. Almost, because she knew he’d be embarrassed if she did. What did he think, that she’d force him to watch some chick flick? A romantic comedy with lots of kissing?
“Would you mind, Miss Edna, if I went with Daisy?”
Daisy was impressed at his show of manners in asking her permission. Most kids his age wouldn’t think to ask. Now all she had to do was get his father to agree.
“As long as your father says it’s okay, it’s fine with me.” She nodded at Daisy, and she felt warmth spread through her. It was nice to know she’d made the right choice, and Miss Edna’s approval meant a lot.
Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed Derrick’s number. It rang several times before he answered.
“Daisy? What’s wrong?”
“Now why would you automatically assume something’s wrong?”
“Maybe because you don’t normally call me?”
She bit back a grin at his words, hearing the underlying teasing in his voice. “True. Nothing’s wrong. I stopped by Miss Edna’s to drop off some food and found out you’re working with Rafe this afternoon. I wondered if you’d mind Ian coming to my place while you’re working. I’ve got cable and streaming channels, and thought we could make a batch of popcorn and watch movies until you finish up at the sheriff’s office.”
“Daisy, you’re a lifesaver. It would be great, if you don’t mind. I know he’s probably going stir crazy, but there’s a situation I’m helping Rafe deal with, and—”
“I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to do it. Ian and I will have a junk food marathon to go with the movie. You’re the one missing out because I happen to make great popcorn.”
Derrick chuckled, and the deep rumbling sound did funny things to her insides. It made her feel all girly and giggly like a teenager. If she wasn’t careful, she’d be mooning over a picture of him taped to the ceiling of her bedroom so she could stare at him every night.
Good grief, girl, get a grip.
“I’ll call you as soon as I’ve got a handle on how long I’ll be here. If the movie ends before I’m done, have Ian go back to the B&B and I’ll see him when I get back.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
After hanging up, she gave Ian a thumb’s up. At his answering grin, she knew she’d made the right decision. Plus, she’d get to spend a couple hours getting to know Derrick’s son a little better.
“Miss Edna, if you need anything, you’ve got my number. Ian and I will be plopped in front of the TV, gorging ourselves on junk food.”
“Y’all have fun. Thank you again for the pot roast. You’re such a good girl.”
Daisy almost snorted at being called a girl. She’d passed thirty years old a few years ago, and some days she felt twice that, especially after a particularly harrowing day at work.
Ian climbed in the front seat of the car, and they drove the short distance to Daisy’s house. She grabbed the second package of food from the back seat, and they headed into the house.
“Uncle Joe, I’m home, and I brought company.”
Her uncle wheeled down the hall into the living room, and she saw his eyes widen when he spotted Ian.
“Who’s your young friend, Daisy?”
“Uncle Joe, this is Ian Williamson, Derrick’s son. His dad’s working this afternoon, so Ian and I are going to watch some movies.” Holding up the tray of food, she added, “Brought you some pot roast.”
“Excellent.” He rubbed his hands together and wiggled his brows. “I’m starving.”
“Surprise, surprise. You’re always starving.” She turned to Ian, “Let’s go into the kitchen and we can see what snacks we’ve got. That’ll give me time to heat this up for my uncle, and we can decide what we want to watch.”
“Cool.”
Uncle Joe wheeled himself into the kitchen, straight to the table. Daisy hoped he’d join them for the movie watching after he ate. She always felt guilty about leaving him here alone for a good chunk of the day, though she knew he understood, having run the diner for more years than she could count. His stroke had put an end to that, and other health issues caused added complications. For an active and outgoing man, she knew it had to be driving him crazy, being stuck in a wheelchair. Though friends stopped by often to visit, it wasn’t the same as being in the heart of things.
“Let’s see. Ian, how do you like your popcorn? Plain butter, or do you want everything but the kitchen sink?”
She watched his eyes light up as she took things from the overhead cabinet. Today, she felt like adding a whole host of goodies to the big bowl. She also took down an unopened package of double-stuffed Oreos. Doing a quick check of the freezer, she smiled at seeing several pints of ice cream on the shelf. It was her secret vice. Didn’t matter what flavor, it was her kryptonite.
“I’ve never had kitchen sink popcorn. What’s that?”
“Oh, Ian, you are in for a treat. Daisy makes the best kitchen sink popcorn.” Uncle Joe raised a forkful of pot roast and popped it into his mouth, chewing.
“Kitchen sink popcorn means you throw in everything but the kitchen sink. First, you start with the popcorn. Then you add whatever sounds good. Today I’ve got chocolate-covered raisins. Salted cashews. Glazed pecans. Some caramel syrup. Hmm, what else do we have? Marshmallows, the tiny colored ones like you get in cereal. Don’t tell anybody, but I order whole bags of them because I’m just a big kid who likes junk food. Can you think of anything else we can toss in there?”
Ian’s eyes widened with each item she placed on the countertop. She watched as he fought a smile, and knew she’d got him. There wasn’t a kid alive who didn’t want to eat as much junk as their little heart desired. He deserved a little spoiling. Oh, it wasn’t that she thought Derrick neglected him. Every word and action shouted how much he loved his son. But sometimes a child needed somebody else to treat them like they were special. Important.
“I can’t think of anything you haven’t said. Can I help?”
Grabbing two bags of microwave popcorn, she pointed to a cabinet. “Grab the big bowl from the middle shelf.”
Within a few minutes, both bags had been popped, and Daisy dumped them onto a large baking sheet. On top of the popped kernels, she added all the things she’d mentioned to Ian, mixing them together, and pouring her kitchen sink special into the bowl.
“What would you like to drink? I’m going to have a Dr Pepper.”
“Can I have the same?” Ian asked.
“Sure.”
“Hand me one of those, too, Daisy.” Uncle Joe looked up from his nearly cleared plate, and she handed him a cold bottle.
“Feel free to join us for the movie when you’re done, Uncle.”
“Can’t. Chuck’s coming by to pick me up. We’re going to Willie’s house to play cards.”
Chuck was one of her uncle’s best friends. He dropped by a couple times a week to visit, and a few months earlier, he’d finally convinced her uncle to get out of the house to visit his friends. Chuck owned a van, and he was strong enough to lift Joe in and out of the van. She was eternally grateful to Chuck because he gave her uncle a sense of independence he’d lost after he’d ended up in the wheelchair.
“Have a good time. Give me a call if anything comes up.”
Handing the sodas to Ian, she picked up the giant bowl of popcorn and the bag of Oreos and headed for the living room. Sitting their haul on the coffee table, she picked up the remote and clicked on the TV.
“Let’s see. Any idea what you want to watch?”
He shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
“Come on, Ian. Isn’t there something you’ve been wanting to see that you haven’t had a chance to watch? Nothing R-rated, though. I don’t want your dad arresting me.”
Ian snorted a laugh, trying to smother the sound. “He wouldn’t arrest you, Daisy. He likes you.”
Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach at his innocent words. Had Derrick talked to Ian about her? About his feelings? She quickly quashed down the emotions, doing her best to remember she couldn’t afford to get involved with anybody—no matter how much she wanted to.
Deciding it was better to ignore his statement, she pulled up the menu of movies available. “Have you seen Guardians of the Galaxy?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve seen it a couple of times. I haven’t seen the second one, though.”
“Well, let’s see if they have it; yep, they do. Want to watch it?”
“Sure.”
Ah, finally a little bit of enthusiasm. Looks like the way to Ian’s heart is through his stomach with a side of Marvel movies.
“I love it. I’ve seen it a bunch of times. Here we go.”
With the click of a button, she started the movie, watching the funny opening scene. She loved the soundtrack for the movie, the old classic songs recognizable, invoking a sense of nostalgia.
When Chuck knocked on the door, Uncle Joe simply waved a hand toward her and opened the front door, wheeling himself onto the porch. While the movie played, Ian lost himself in the film, and she lost herself in her daydreams about a certain tall, dark, and dangerous FBI agent.