Chapter 9

chapter

nine

Owen

First, Daisy tries a small sample bowl of rosemary limoncello frozen yogurt and makes a noise that’s much too sexy for a family establishment.

“Oh my gosh, is there booze in here?” Daisy asks my sister Summer.

She takes another spoonful, her lips wrapping around the spoon suggestively. And then, her eyes rolling back in her head, she moans.

I was not prepared for the woman of my dreams making sex noises at my sister’s frozen yogurt shop.

While I’m trying to will away the tent that I’m pitching in my jeans, my sisters and Daisy get on like a house on fire.

Summer beams with appreciation at Daisy’s enthusiasm. “Yes! Most of the time, it’ll be alcohol-free. The boozy flavors will be reserved for after-hours and special events.”

Harmony sidles up with a small cup of something chocolate. “Daisy! Try this mocha mint Irish creme next. I mean, Doc. Sorry.”

She tries the mocha and does a little dance. My sisters laugh.

“Call me Daisy,” my date says, hugging my sisters. “And by the way, I had no idea this place would have so many fun flavors! What else do you make?”

I didn’t intend for my date to get cozy with my family immediately, but I’m happy to see Daisy loosen up. I love her when she’s buttoned up and professional, but I love this relaxed, friendly version of her, too.

Just one problem: my sisters are now poaching my date for their newfound friendship.

As Daisy and I share a cup of blueberry-vodka-basil frozen yogurt, Summer and Harmony come alongside us and introduce us to their investors: tall, rich-looking hipsters named Cooper and Carter MacKenzie, whose smiles are a little too identical and bright for my comfort. I instantly find them creepy, and I don’t like that one of them, Cooper or Carter — I don’t know which one — shakes Daisy’s hand half a beat longer than they shake mine.

“Where y’all from?” I ask, perhaps laying on the redneck accent a little thick.

“Gold Hill Investments,” says Cooper. Or Carter. I can’t tell them apart.

I should have guessed where they were from.

“Did y’all run out of room to build more parking lots up there or what?” I ask.

The guys chuckle and take it in stride.

The hairs on my neck stand up because I can feel Summer and Harmony glaring at me.

I don’t know what their problem is because it was a perfectly reasonable question to ask when a set of wealthy twins from out of town is making moves on my date—hovering over Daisy, offering her a napkin, and bringing her more samples.

“Actually,” says the one whose tie is a millimeter looser than his twin’s, “we’ve been interested in investing in Fate for a while now. We see a lot of growth potential here.”

Daisy pipes up with, “That’s so interesting. That’s exactly what I saw when my friend begged me to start a medical practice here.”

And now the square-jawed twins are interested in Daisy’s medical practice. That’s all we need, for them to dangle some incentives in front of our only doctor, recruiting her away from the town that actually needs her.

Harmony pulls me aside with a request for help. “Hey, Owen. I need some heavy lifting in the back.”

I don’t know what comes over me then, but I touch Daisy’s lower back to get her attention. She turns to me with a bright smile.

“Harmony needs help with something. I’ll be right back, sweetheart.” And then I kiss her on the lips in front of Cooper and Carter for two whole seconds longer than the quick, dry kiss from the other day.

When I pull back, her gaze is shocked and heated at the same time. Daisy blushes and runs her fingers through her hair. “Don’t take too long…snookums.”

Snookums? That’s not gonna fly with me. Yeah, I think I’d better not take too long because her glassy eyes tell me she might be a little drunk on fro-yo.

“What the heck is wrong with you?” Harmony hisses.

I look around the perfectly appointed kitchen in the back of the shop and see nothing that needs my assistance. “So, you don’t need my help?”

“You are blowing it!” Harmony looks ready to murder me.

“I’m doing the best I can! I haven’t been on a date in a while. Not since I met…you know… Graham’s mom.”

I think of Graham, who’s sleeping over at our mom’s house tonight so I can go on a date. I promised Mom I could pick him up around 11, or earlier if things went sideways. But she’d insisted on a sleepover, saying it would be good for me to take a little break. “Just make sure you have condoms this time,” she’d said, making me cringe before shoving me out the door.

It seems all the women in my family are concerned about my date performance.

Harmony makes an exasperated noise that sounds like our mother when I was running late for football practice as a kid. “Not that! You’re being rude to Cooper.”

“He’s from Gold Hill. It’s kind of the rules around here.”

She crosses her arms. “And don’t you think it’s better to use Gold Hill money than our own money to fund the yogurt shop? Think about it.”

The wheels turn. “So, you’re not using your savings?”

She scoffs. “Some of it, yes. But for the bulk of the work and outfitting the kitchen? Sorry, buddy, but scrimping and saving doesn’t cut it.”

Maybe she’s right. And maybe my strategy for the garden center is entirely wrong. I never thought about using a rich connection to help me out.

But then again, is that what I want? Someone else waiting around for a return on their investment, trying to horn in on every decision?

“Hold on a minute, Harmony. How do you even know these guys? Why would you go across the river and give some out-of-towner a stake in your home-grown company? How do you know they won’t try to get you to sell it off to a big corporation?”

Harmony rolls her eyes. “You have got to get off your high horse about this rivalry. Nobody can cite a single historical fact to explain it.”

“It’s tradition,” I say, knowing how obtuse I sound.

“It’s a high school football tradition that started before football was invented. Everyone in this town needs to get over it and join us in the 21st Century,” Harmony says.

“Why are you so worried that I’ll ruin it? Did their checks not clear yet?”

I know her frustration has reached its breaking point when my sister flicks me on the chest.

“Ow!” I say, laughing, rubbing the spot.

“Are you dumb?” Harmony asks.

“Maybe.”

“You know your girl out there is originally from Gold Hill, right?”

This stops me in my tracks. On the one hand, I did not know that. On the other hand, I don’t want to look like the guy who never bothered to ask his date where she’s from.

Too late. Harmony sees that fact all over my face.

“Yeah. I thought so. So I don’t even want to hear it from you,” she says.

I splutter, “But it’s different! There’s real feelings involved when it comes to me and Daisy.”

Harmony lowers her chin and gives me that look that says, “I’m not going to say it out loud, but try to rub your two brain cells together and figure it out.”

Finally, it clicks. “Oh…oh wait… you have the hots for that guy?”

My sister’s eyes widen and she blinks at me. “It’s more than that. He could end up being your future brother-in-law.”

I scoff at first, but then I see the hurt in her eyes. I’m being a jerk.

“Whoa. So y’all are really a thing?”

She nods.

“But…but… he’s a creep!” I blurt.

And now I have truly blown it. Harmony juts out her bottom lip, her chin trembling. “And you’re being a jerk.”

Ah, shit.

She’s right.

“Look, sis. I’m protective of you and of this town and sometimes I blurt shit out before really looking at the situation,” I say.

“And you’ll ruin everything if you don’t be nice. For Summer’s sake, too.”

Summer and Carter…Harmony and Cooper…my sisters are dating their investors? From that putrid, soulless shopping mall of a town across the river?

Nice, Owen. Be nice.

And then I take a breath. I need to calm down. I am a decent guy. I don’t have a single mean bone in my body. I’ve only been acting like a jerk for the last hour because I’m out of my mind jealous at anyone paying attention to Daisy but me.

I give Harmony a quick hug and an apology. “Sorry, sis. I’ll do better.”

When we return to the party, Daisy surprises me by grabbing my arm and hooking it around her shoulders. “I was wondering where my date went.”

“How many of those have you had?” I ask.

She smiles with her glassy eyes going all crinkly and adorable. “Of the limoncello ones? Two.”

I mentally retrace my steps from the night and ask, “And how many of the blueberry basil?”

Her face lights up. “Three. Those were incredible. Oh, but my favorite was the sea salt caramel bourbon. I had four samples of those.”

“I think it’s time for some water,” I say, loud enough for my sister Summer to hear me.

“On it,” Harmony says, excusing herself, then returning with bottled water for Daisy.

“Water. Water is good for me,” Daisy slurs when I crack open the screw top lid and hand it to her.

I chuckle and kiss the top of her head.

“Let’s get you home.”