By the time they’d made their way back to the B&B, the entire place was packed to the rafters with Boudreaus. Antonio, Rafe, and Heath had been on their way out the back door, ready to head into the woods. Douglas and Ms. Patti manned a command station in the kitchen, complete with walkie-talkies and Google Earth photos of the entire wooded area. Camille, Tessa, Serena, Miss Edna, and Beth were already gathering supplies: blankets, towels, and first aid kits were stacked and ready.
Derrick kept his arm around Daisy, keeping her pulled close to his side. He didn’t miss the smirks coming from his friends, but being the bigger man, chose to ignore them. For now. Ian raced ahead, allowing himself to be wrapped in a hug from Ms. Patti.
“Good to see everybody’s okay.” Rafe studied their almost drowned appearance, and Derrick’s arm tightened around Daisy. The rain had tapered off on their way back, and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds which rapidly headed east.
“It was touch and go for a bit.” Daisy greeted him with a smile. “I found Ian up a tree, pinned there by a feral hog.”
“Whoa. He looks okay.”
“That’s because Daisy chased it off with a rock.” Derrick didn’t try to hide the pride he felt for her. She’d singlehandedly saved his son from what could have been a bad injury. As far as he was concerned, she was a bona fide hero.
Serena walked toward them and wrapped a blanket around Daisy’s shoulders. Derrick reluctantly released her, and she went with Serena into the B&B.
“Dude, you’ve got it bad.” Antonio clapped him on the shoulder. “Welcome to the club.”
“What?”
“Seriously, are you going to try and tell us you’re not head over heels for her?”
His eyes followed Daisy, watching her interact with the women, who handed her a hot drink, laughing and joking. Even covered with mud and twigs, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and he didn’t care who knew how he felt.
“I’m so far gone, there’s no coming back. I just pray she feels the same.”
“Derrick, you’d have to be blind not to see the woman loves you too.” Rafe grinned and clapped him on the back. “Before you know it, you’ll be living in Shiloh Springs permanently.”
“We’ll see.”
“Seriously, dude, do you want me to call EMS to check out Ian and Daisy?”
Douglas walked over, and hearing Antonio’s question, he added, “I’ve already call Doc Stevens. I explained the situation, and he’s waiting for us at the clinic.”
Derrick grimaced, because he knew he had a fight on his hands. Ian did not like doctors. When he’d sprained his ankle a few months back, the resulting battle to get him examined had been a tug of war. One that Derrick won.
“I’ll let them know we’re on our way.” Antonio and Rafe walked back toward the B&B, leaving him alone with Douglas. He admired the man. He’d guided a family of rebellious, troubled young boys into men any father would be proud of. Men he was proud to call his friends.
“Glad everything worked out. Ian’s young and he’ll bounce back from this. He’ll look at it as an adventure when he’s a bit older. A little time and distance will morph the terror into something less scary. But you’ll remember the truth. My advice: don’t blow it out of proportion or make it bigger than it was.”
“I’m going to have nightmares for months. Knowing Ian was cornered by a feral hog? My heart may never recover.”
Douglas’ mouth curved into a smile. “It will. You have no idea how many adventures like this my boys got into over the years. I’m surprised I wasn’t stone gray by the time I was forty.”
“Thank goodness I only have one. I don’t know how you did it with eleven.”
“Don’t forget Nica. That girl gave me more heart palpitations than all the boys put together. To look at her now, you’d never know she was a regular tomboy. And a troublemaker.”
Derrick couldn’t picture the lone Boudreau daughter as anything like what Douglas described, but he knew looks could be deceiving. He looked over at Daisy, with the Boudreau women fussing over her. Knew he couldn’t—wouldn’t—give her up. Not without a fight.
“You’re perfect for her. Daisy’s had a rough life. She needs somebody willing to accept her for who she is. Somebody who can settle and give her roots. A sense of permanence that she’s craved for a long time. It won’t be easy, because she carries a world of guilt on her shoulders and doesn’t feel like she’s worthy of forgiveness.” Douglas stared at him, his expression closed off. “If you aren’t willing to commit to her, love her unconditionally, I’m asking you to walk away now before her heart gets broken.”
“If anybody but you spoke to me like that, I’d tell them to mind their own business. What’s between me and Daisy is exactly that, between us. But I know you love her and want her to be happy. I love her. Ian loves her. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but Antonio and Heath make it work commuting. I can, too.”
At his statement, because there was no question in his heart Derrick meant every word he said, Douglas nodded and headed back into the B&B, apparently satisfied he wasn’t planning on hurting Daisy. If there was one thing the Boudreaus were, it was fiercely loyal to the people they cared about, and Daisy was part of that inner circle. Maybe one day…
“Dad,” Ian came running up to him. “Antonio says I have to go see the doctor. I don’t want to. I’m not hurt.”
“You might not feel like you’re hurt, kiddo, but you were stuck in the pouring rain for a long time. We want to make sure you don’t get sick. Besides,” he leaned in and whispered in Ian’s ear, “we’re going to make Daisy go see the doctor too.”
“Really?”
“Cross my heart. Think she’s going to cause a stink?”
Ian giggled, and it sounded like music to Derrick. He loved his son so much, he couldn’t bear to think of what might have happened if Daisy hadn’t found him.
“Naw, Daisy ain’t afraid of anything.”
“Not true, Ian. I’m scared of lots of things.” She walked across the yard and ruffled his hair. “The trick is to face them head-on. Tell them I’m not afraid of you. Most things don’t seem so scary if you stand up to them or share your fears with somebody else.”
Ian took a deep breath, then told her. “I’m scared of doctors.”
Daisy knelt beside him and placed her hands on his shoulders. “I’m scared of doctors too. But I know Doc Stevens and Doc Jennings. I’ve talked to them, and I know they will never hurt me. Doc Jennings once told me it hurts him when he sees people in pain because his job is to make them feel better. No doctor will ever deliberately hurt you, not on purpose.”
“Really?”
“Pinky swear.” She held out her hand, extending her little finger, and Ian hooked his around hers. Derrick struggled to breathe at the sweetness overload. Ian seemed to take every word Daisy spoke as a pledge, a solemn promise. Didn’t seem to matter that he’d basically told Ian the same thing. Guess coming from a woman gave it a different meaning.
“Ready to go?”
“Yes, sir.” Ian gave him a jaunty salute, his crooked grin something Derrick cherished, because for the longest time his son hadn’t smiled. Not nearly enough.
“Yes, sir,” Daisy mimicked, complete with the salute. Ian grabbed her hand and began tugging her toward the B&B’s door, leaving Derrick to trail behind.
A few hours later, everyone had returned home. Ian was tucked into bed, having endured the doctor visit better than Derrick could have hoped, and been given a clean bill of health. Doc Stevens warned him to keep a close eye on him for the next couple of days, and if he started coughing or seemed to be coming down with a cold, to bring him back, or take him to see his physician in Austin.
He’d called his boss, and explained he’d need a few extra days off. It wasn’t a problem, since he had a ton of vacation and sick time accrued. Before Ian had moved in with him, he never took time off. Working long hours was easier than dealing with the loneliness of a condo without anybody to come home to.
Going to bed didn’t hold any appeal, so he pulled the covers up on Ian’s chest, and quietly left the room. He’d go downstairs, maybe grab a cup of coffee.
When his text alert signaled, he pulled out his phone and noticed it was from Daisy. She asked if she could come over and talk. He immediately texted back and she responded, saying she’d be there in a couple of minutes.
His gut clenched. He knew this was the conversation. The one he’d known was coming almost from the moment they’d met. Without a doubt, she was coming to tell him they were over. To sever things before they got too complicated to step back from. She’d already decided to cut and run because she wasn’t ready to face her feelings for him.
Too bad. He had no intention of letting her get away. Not now. Not ever.