Derrick pulled up and parked in front of Daisy’s house and cut the engine. Running a hand through his hair, he stared at the front door, wondering how he was going to explain to Ian that he had to go back to help with the missing girl. They’d spent hours looking for her, interviewing the family, and talking to the few friends Jennifer had in Shiloh Springs.
His gut told him she’d run off. Maybe alone or maybe with a guy. Her aunt and uncle seemed to be genuinely concerned, worried about her, and wanting her to come back. Her friends were hiding something. Whether they knew where she was or suspected something, they weren’t saying. But the bottom line was a teenage girl was missing and needed to be found, hopefully safe and unharmed.
Climbing from the car, he crossed to the front porch and knocked softly on the front door. The porch light shone, illuminating the space. White wicker chairs stood side-by-side, with blue and white pillows on the seats. A small table painted a matching white sat between them, a flowering plant with red flowers blooming on top. He had no idea what it was. Gardening skills weren’t high on his list of hobbies, but either Daisy or her uncle had a green thumb.
The front door opened quietly, and Daisy stood silhouetted in the golden glow from the porch light. The platinum blonde with the navy highlights framed her beautiful face, giving her an almost ethereal appearance. There was something about the woman that made his heart race every time he saw her, and now was no exception. He couldn’t explain what it was about Daisy that made him think about things he hadn’t considered in a long time. Why her? He’d seen women more beautiful than Daisy. Had even dated a few. Yet, whenever he was in her presence, and a lot of times when he wasn’t, he couldn’t think of anybody who sent his pulse pounding or made him contemplate things he’d sworn he’d never do again. Shaking his head, he pushed thoughts of the impossible from his mind. No, now wasn’t the time to be thinking about whether he could seriously consider anything more than friendship. He had to think about making a home for his son. Ian had to come first and foremost. His son had never had the kind of home life he should, always coming in second place and Derrick was determined to change that.
“Hi, Derrick.” Her voice held a husky quality, and his whole body stiffened at the sound. “Come on in.”
He followed her into the house, his gaze taking in where she lived. The pale aqua walls and light hardwood floors gave her home a beachy feel, which somehow suited Daisy. He knew she shared the house with her uncle, but he didn’t notice a lot of masculine touches. Bright prints decorated the walls, vivid sunsets, and tropical scenes, reinforcing the feeling of being on vacation. Definitely not something he’d expected to find in the center of small-town Texas.
Following in her wake, they ended in the kitchen. He’d spotted Ian on the sofa, his head resting on a pillow. A movie played quietly on the television, but his son slept through the explosions and fireworks rocketing across the screen.
“Looks like he’s crashed. Hope he hasn’t been too much trouble.”
Daisy smiled. “We’ve had a blast. Ate tons of junk food, drank sodas, and watched Marvel movies. Fortunately, we bypassed the sugar rush and he fell into a food coma about twenty minutes ago. I’m not sure where he puts all that food, though. Must have a hollow leg.”
“I’ll take him off your hands and get him settled back at the B&B. I’m going to have to head back to the sheriff’s office afterwards. We’ve got a missing kid, and the search is ongoing.”
“That’s awful. Can I ask who it is?”
Derrick ran a hand through his dark hair and rotated his neck, trying to work out the kinks before answering.
“A teenager named Jennifer Boatwright. She’s the niece of a couple who live in Shiloh Springs.”
“Oh, no! I know them. That’s awful. Poor Eliza, she must be frantic.”
“Rafe’s got everybody on high alert, looking for her.”
Daisy patted his forearm. “You must be exhausted. Have you eaten?” When he shook his head, she pointed to the chair beside the table. “Sit. You can take five minutes to eat. The least I can do is make you a sandwich.”
He hadn’t realized he was hungry until she mentioned food, and suddenly he was ravenous. He felt like Pavlov’s dog, salivating at the thought of eating.
“If it’s not too much trouble. Thank you.”
“It won’t take a minute. Roast beef okay?”
“Perfect.”
He sat at the kitchen table and watched Daisy pull things from the refrigerator. Roast beef, lettuce, tomato, and spicy mustard. Reaching into an old-fashioned breadbox sitting on the counter, she pulled out a loaf of homemade bread and sliced two thick pieces. In less than two minutes, she laid a plate in front of him piled high with roast beef.
“This looks delicious.”
“Eat, you must be starving. Oh, I’ve got soda, sweet tea, or water. What can I get you?”
“Water. I don’t need any more caffeine right now. I’m already bouncing off the walls from all the coffee I’ve had.” He sank his teeth into the sandwich and couldn’t believe how good it tasted. This was great. He’d resigned himself to grabbing some fast food on the way back to the sheriff’s office, but this beat a stale, overprocessed hamburger.
“You’ve all been working on this case all day?”
He nodded. “Pretty much.”
“I should probably get some food together to take over. I bet everybody’s starving.” When she went to stand, he placed his hand over hers and she froze.
“Tessa and Beth brought food by. I slipped out to pick up Ian. Told them I’d be back in about an hour. I doubt they noticed, anyway. When I left, Rafe was face first in a bag of tacos.”
Daisy grinned because she knew that look. Rafe did love Mexican food. He might singlehandedly be keeping Juanita’s in business.
“You are a lifesaver, Daisy. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. You are an amazing woman.”
When she remained silent, he looked up from his plate and caught a look of surprise and something else cross her face. She quickly shut it down and pasted on a smile, but he’d noted it and wondered what he’d said that caused that expression. While he was generally good at reading people, some days Daisy was an enigma.
“I’m not. Sometimes I wish I could go back and change things.”
“Like what?”
She braced her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. “Being young and stupid. Making mistakes because I let my emotions overrule my sense.”
There was an underlying emotion lacing her words. She’d never opened herself up like this before, and he wanted to know more. Know everything about her. Find out what made her tick, shaped, and molded her into the woman she’d become.
“We all make stupid mistakes when we’re young, sweetheart.”
He watched her body start at his words. What had he said wrong?
“You called me sweetheart.”
I did, didn’t I? And it feels right.
“Does that upset you?”
“Um, no?”
He chuckled at the questioning sound of her answer. “You don’t sound very sure.”
“It’s just…I’ve never heard you use an endearment for anyone before.”
He thought about that for a second, realizing it was true. “It feels right, Daisy. You’re right, I don’t usually show my feelings. I grew up in a household where we kept our emotions under rigid control. There weren’t a lot of hugs and kisses. I knew my parents loved me, but they were not demonstrative people. I swore when I grew up, I’d be different. But it’s a hard habit to break when it’s all you’ve ever known.”
“You seem to be doing a good job with Ian. He knows he’s loved, and that’s one of the most important things a child needs. You’re making a home for him, both in Austin and here. Love him, be there for him, and it will all work out.”
Without pausing to think it through, he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss against the skin. Her indrawn breath revealed she’d felt something when his lips touched her, which was good because he’d felt something, too. Such a simple touch, yet it ricocheted deep within him, startling him, because it felt right.
“Daisy, I—”
“Don’t.” She got up and took several steps further into the kitchen. He stood, closing the distance between them, and rested his hands on her shoulders, leaning in close, whispering in her ear.
“Are you going to deny there’s something between us? Because if you do, I’ll call you a liar. You feel the same pull, the same attraction I feel for you.”
She drew in a shaky breath and turned to face him. “I feel it too.”
“Are you willing to do something about it? See where it leads? Because I am. I haven’t felt like this in a long time. It’s more than a simple attraction to a beautiful woman.” Lifting his hand, he played with a lock of her hair, shifting his fingers through the navy blue highlights. “And you are a very beautiful woman, Daisy.”
“Derrick—”
“Before you answer, I want to put all the cards on the table. It won’t be easy, but then the best things never are. My job’s in Austin. Yours in here, with your diner and your uncle. I would never ask you to give that up. Just like I can’t toss my job aside and come to work in Shiloh Springs. And I’m a package deal. You get me, you also get my son.”
A myriad of emotions crossed her face, and he read every one. The hesitation, the doubt, and the same yearning he felt. He knew they’d be good together, physically, emotionally, and everything in between. He also realized what he was asking wasn’t fair. But he didn’t care. Having Daisy in his life made him feel complete, and he didn’t want to let go of that feeling.
The smile she gifted him shot straight to his soul. It was tender and sweet, and fully accepting of him, warts and all. She didn’t know all the ugliness of his life, his job. Even his ex.
“I already love your son, Derrick. And I’m halfway in love with you. This is crazy. Insanity of the first order. Yet it’s true.”
Lifting his hands, he cupped her face gently, his thumbs gently caressing the softest skin he’d ever felt. Her eyes drifted closed, and he leaned close, focused on her lips. This would be their first kiss, and he wanted it to be unforgettable.
“Dad?”
Derrick jerked back at the sound of his son’s voice. Ian stood barefoot in the doorway to the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. It was obvious he’d just awakened, hair standing on end and his T-shirt scrunched up on the bottom.
“Hey, bud. You were conked out when I got here.”
“I guess I fell asleep watching Captain America.”
“You ready to head back?”
“I guess.” Ian faced Daisy, and a shy smile crossed his face. Taking a couple of steps into the kitchen, he walked up to her and gave her a big hug. “Thanks, Daisy. This was fun.”
Daisy smoothed down his hair with a gentle hand, giving Ian a soft smile. “You are quite welcome. Any time you want to watch TV, just let me know.”
“Go put your shoes on, kiddo. I need to talk to Daisy for a second, okay?”
Ian nodded and left the kitchen. Derrick pulled her close, liking the feel of her in his arms. “We’re not finished, my sweet Daisy. We can make this work.” Leaning forward, he dropped a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“I’m ready, Dad.”
Derrick put an arm around Ian’s shoulders and led him to the front door. Pulling it open, he paused for a second, turning to look at Daisy. She stood in the same spot, watching them both, an unguarded expression of such yearning on her face, he almost went back to her. He promised himself he’d find out what put that expression on her beautiful face. Whatever she wanted, whatever she needed, he’d find a way to make it happen.
“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
She shook her head, obviously remembering their earlier conversation, but a tiny smirk quirked up her lips. With one last look, he pulled the door shut behind him, and drove to the B&B.
Now he had to face the wrath of one Ian Williamson when he told his son he had to go back to work. It wasn’t going to be pretty.