Chapter Seven

Luke rolled over in his bed and gave the pillow a half-hearted punch. Off in the distance, he heard the sound of voices. Caroline's for sure… and Daisy's softer tone.

"Can I go wake him now?" He heard Josh ask.

"I suppose so," Daisy responded. "It's nearly mid-day."

Luke bolted to an upright position. He'd never slept this late, even after a long night of work. He was about to roust himself from the bed when Josh came through the door.

"Wake up Mister Sleepy Bones," the boy teased.

"I am a sleepy bones, aren't I?"

"Why are you sleeping in here, Papa?"

"What do you mean?"

"You used to sleep upstairs in the big bedroom."

"That's Daisy's room now," he explained.

"But when I spent the night at Jake's house, his mama and papa slept together. When Miss Caroline and Mister Charlie stay the night, they sleep in the same bed. Why don't you sleep upstairs with my Mama?"

Luke wasn't prepared for such an honest question. "Well, sometimes I come in really late and don't want to wake her up."

Josh shrugged, accepting the lamest excuse Luke himself had ever heard, much less given. As if that hadn't embarrassed him enough, the distinct sound of Daisy's soft laugh came from the hallway right outside the door, telling him without question that she'd overheard the conversation.

"Miss Caroline said to tell you if you don't come to the kitchen soon, she's putting your breakfast in the slop bucket."

"Let her know I'll be right there."

By the time Luke made it to the kitchen, both Daisy and Josh were gone.

"Coffee?" Caroline asked. "Ham or bacon, or both?"

"You don't need to cook anything. I'll have some coffee and a couple of biscuits to tide me over until later."

"I hear you delivered a breech birth last night," Caroline commented. "Kept you out all night, did it?"

"It was about four when I got home."

"Joshy was telling me all about his new leg brace. Daisy offered to help him put it on, but he wanted to wait for you."

"Speaking of my son, where is he?"

"He and Daisy went out to gather eggs. I used the last from the ice box for breakfast this morning."

Luke took a long pull on his cup of coffee and then leaned back in the chair. He had a favor to ask, and he wanted to word it properly so he wouldn't face a barrage of questions from his good friend.

"Caroline, would you mind… well, you and Charlie mind… taking Josh home for the evening."

Caroline spun around, a broad grin lighting her face. "Got important plans, have you?"

"Maybe. I thought Daisy and I could go to Maggie's Café for supper."

"And?" Caroline prompted.

"We've got some talking to do," he responded cautiously.

"Talking don't get the job done, Luke."

"It doesn't?" He asked, feigning an innocence he surely didn't feel.

"You've been dragging your fancy bootheels for far too long where Daisy's concerned. In case you haven't noticed, she's crazy about Josh… and you."

"Josh adores her, that's for sure."

"What about you, Luke? How do you feel about your substitute bride?"

"I think that I made a lot of fuss for nothing. I'm man enough to admit that. We still have some getting used to between us, but there's no reason we can't begin our marriage for real while we're figuring things out."

"Yes, Charlie and I will take Joshy for the night. Maybe even two nights. He can come back home after services on Sunday."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"My offer comes with the right to give you a piece of advice," Caroline said firmly.

"Of course, it does," Luke quipped. "And just what would that advice be?"

"Don't waste a lot of time on figuring things out. Something tells me once the two of you admit you love one another, and make your marriage whole, the rest will settle itself without a hitch."

Luke set aside his cup and pushed himself to his feet. Closing the distance between himself and Caroline, he gave her a hug. "I'll keep your sage advice in mind."

Daisy wasn't sure whether to be excited or scared to death of having the next two days alone with her husband. It didn't take more than a moment's thought to realize what Luke had planned. He'd nearly suggested it the previous night.

She knew this day would come. Or, at least, she hoped it would. From the moment she'd set eyes on her husband-to-be, she'd sensed something between them… a feeling she'd never experienced before. The more she got to know Luke, the more she realized he was exactly as Tulip had said… a good man and a great father.

It hadn't taken her more than a couple of weeks to fall in love with her in-name-only husband. Yet, she'd vowed to herself to give him as much time as he needed to accept her as his wife.

Apparently, six weeks was the magic number for his change of heart.

She ran the hairbrush through her long waves and pinned her hair back on the sides with the pearl clips her grandmother had bought her when they'd visited Rome. Then, smoothing the wrinkles from her best silk dress, she made her way downstairs.

"The buggy's ready," Luke said, his attention on where he was closing the parlor windows. When he turned and saw her standing there, he let loose a shrill whistle. "My word but you're beautiful."

Daisy crossed the room and stopped in front of him, reaching up to straighten his crooked tie. "You're not so bad yourself, cowboy."

He reached for the shawl she had over her arm and placed it gently on her shoulders. "Time to go."

"Yes, I suppose it is."

His gaze widened, the dark centers of his eyes flaring with undisguised emotion. "Or, we could make sandwiches and stay in," he suggested.

"To tell the truth, I'm not that hungry."

Luke slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his chest. "Me either," he mumbled against her bare throat. "At least not for food."

Daisy rolled over in the big feather bed she'd shared with Luke the night before. Reaching for her husband, all she found was a pillow. Hugging it to her, she moaned into the smooth cotton cover.

"Oh… my… word."

Tulip's impromptu anatomy lessons prior to her departure from Saint Louis weren't nearly enough preparation. Nothing her good friend could have told her would have come close to describing the sheer emotion she was feeling.

"Good morning, Daisy," Luke said when he returned to their room, a tray filled with toast and tea balanced on his outstretched hand. "I thought you might want something to tide you over until we can go into town for a real meal."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not long. I had two early appointments this morning. One was a check up for Ian McTavish's new gelding. The other was a surprise I've got planned for Josh's birthday."

Daisy nibbled on the corner of her toast and washed it down with a mouthful of tea before asking, "What kind of a surprise?"

"He's been asking for a dog for the longest time. I kept putting him off because we already have more animals than we need. However, Mister Greely at the bank finally got around to breeding his prize-winning Bassett. She gave birth to four puppies right before you arrived. They're ready to be weaned, and I mentioned I wanted one. He'd sold all but the runt and offered him to me in exchange for future vet services."

"Josh will be so excited."

"I thought we'd invite a few of his friends over. School starts next week, so it'll be one last chance for them to play together before they have to spend their days in the classroom, and their evenings doing their chores."

Daisy reached out and stroked Luke's cheek with her hand. "You're a good father, Luke Addison."

"And you're the mother Josh has always needed, Daisy. And the wife I've always wanted."

"Are you sure?"

He captured her chin on the tips of his fingers and lifted her head up until their lips met. The kiss was warm and perfect. When he came up for air, he told her, "I love you Daisy Addison and I'm willing to wait for you to feel the same about me."

She leaned in and pressed her mouth to his, initiating another breath-stealing kiss. "Believe me, Luke Addison, there's no wait required. I love you, too. With all my heart."