5. Daisy

5

DAISY

I can’t stop smiling. I’m sure everyone I pass thinks I’m a lunatic, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop. He wants me. Cash Wyatt, the man I’ve dreamed about for the last five years, says he wants me. I had to walk away. It was either that or ask him to take me right there in the room full of people. No, I’m going to go splash some water on my face, cool myself down, and then try to make it through the rest of the night without throwing myself at the handsome cowboy.

I use the bathroom, wash my hands, and am just walking out when a woman stops in front of me. “Hello. You’re Daisy, right?”

The woman has grabbed my hand and is holding it between us in a tight grasp. “Yeah, I’m Daisy.”

She’s beautiful and polished-looking and I feel inadequate standing in front of her. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

She laughs, but it doesn’t sound as if it’s a friendly laugh. “Oh no, I’m sorry. I’m Wanda Johnson. Of the Johnson Ranch.”

At the confused look on my face, she goes on. “The big sprawling ranch next to this one.”

I nod my head and try to hide the displeased look. I’ve heard about her from Lucy. “Right, right. I’m sorry. Well, it was nice to meet you, Wanda, but I really must get back.”

“Actually, I wanted to meet you because I’m a friend of Cash’s.”

The way she says friend tells me what kind of friend she is with Cash. “Anyway, he told me that he had to entertain his little sister’s friend, so I thought I better say hello while I could. I’m sure he’ll be whisking me away after the party for a nightcap.”

The smile she’s giving me is trained and calculating. She’s staking her claim, and the thought makes me sick to my stomach. “Oh yeah, well, I’ll be sure to send him your way when I’m done with him, if you know what I mean.” I pull my hand from hers. “Now I’d better get back before he comes looking for me.”

I walk away without waiting for her response. I get to the door that leads back inside, but already the tears are threatening to spill over. At the last minute, I turn and go out the other door, the one that leads outside. I slowly walk, nodding at people as I pass them. When I get to an opening, I am running to the house, all the way up the stairs, and to the safety of my bedroom. Damn him. Damn me for falling for it. I should have known this was all a joke. He probably thought it would be fun to see how far I’d go with him.

I throw myself on the bed and let the tears fall. I don’t think much time has passed, but I jerk up when I hear the slamming of the front door and then Cash bellowing my name. “Daisy!”

I stand up from the bed and look around the room like I’m a caged animal. I can’t face him right now. I can’t.

I lock the bedroom door and then sit on the bed, wrapping my arms around my pulled-up legs.

He tries the handle, and when he finds it locked, he knocks. “Daisy. Are you in there?”

I don’t say anything. Hell, I’m holding my breath to not give myself up .

“I know you’re in there. Someone said they saw you come this way. Open the door.”

“No,” I say softly.

I can hear the gasp on the other side, and I want to laugh because I’m sure not many people tell Cash Wyatt no. But I’m not done with him. “No, I won’t open the door. What was this, Cash? You wanted to see how much I liked you? You want to laugh at me when you break my heart… again!”

“What the fuck are you talking about, woman? Open this door. If we’re going to have an argument, I’m going to do it while holding you in my arms. You may be mad at me, but you can do it while I hold you.”

I can’t take it anymore. I can’t believe his audacity. I unlock the door and yank it open. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

He takes a step toward me and stops. His face is filled with anger. “You’ve been crying.”

I turn away from him, completely forgetting about my earlier tears. I know my face is red, eyes puffy and lips swollen. I’m sure I look like a hot mess, but I don’t care. “Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. I have been crying. Good call.”

He moves closer but doesn’t touch me. He’s practically vibrating with anger. “Who hurt you? ”

I laugh and roll my eyes, but he asks me again. “Who? Hurt? You?” he asks, enunciating each word.

I shove at his chest, and he grabs my hand. “You did. You hurt me… again. It’s nothing new, Cash. You always hurt me.”

His mouth drops, and anguish fills his face. “I did this? How?”

I try to pull my hand back, but he won’t release me. “I met your friend, Wanda. She told me about your little nightcap you had planned. I mean really, Cash, why do you want to hurt me? What did I ever do to you?”

The tears start to roll again, and they fall even harder when Cash puts one arm behind my back and one behind my legs and picks me up against his chest. He kicks the door shut and then goes over to the corner of the room and sits down in the big chair next to the tree. I should fight him, but I don’t. I just lay my head against his chest and let it all out.

He’s kissing the top of my head, and his words are soothing even though I can’t make them out. I try to get myself together, and I tell myself I’m going to get up, but like a fool, I stay where I’m at as if I’m a glutton for punishment. “Please stop crying, baby. I can’t handle it when you cry.”

“Don’t call me baby,” I tell him.

He tightens his arms around me. “Are you ready to listen to me now?”

I don’t answer him, and I feel his chest expand and then slowly, he says the words I’ve longed to hear forever. “I love you, Daisy.”

I lift my head and look at him. “What do you mean you love me? You can’t love me.”

He chuckles. “I do love you. I’ve loved you since the day my sister brought you home.”

“Wanda said…”

He shakes his head. “I don’t care what Wanda said. Of course, her father has tried to fix us up because he wants to join our land, but that’s never going to happen.”

My forehead is creased as I’m looking at him. I have so many questions. “So you and Wanda have never…”

When my voice trails off, he leans in. “In the last five years, since the day I met you, I have not looked at another woman, touched another woman, or slept with another woman. I couldn’t. Not when I knew that you would eventually be my wife and the mother of my children.” He shakes his head. “I couldn’t live with myself if I touched someone else, Daisy. You’re the only woman I want.”

The lights from the Christmas tree are flickering all around us, and I’m cocooned in his big body. “But… but you haven’t even kissed me, Cash.”

He leans in so close I’m sure he’s going to do it now, but he stops. I can feel his breath on my cheek. “I’ve kissed you a thousand times in my dreams, but I’d give anything to kiss you now.”

I slide my hands up his chest. “Kiss me.”

He doesn’t even hesitate. He devours me with his lips, and when he tilts my head to the side, he deepens our kiss. My heart is racing, and emotion wells inside me. I knew it would be good, but I had no idea it could be like that. When I pull back, I’m panting and looking at him wide-eyed. “Wow… I didn’t know…”

He kisses me again with just a nip of his lips, groans, and pulls away. “I knew… I knew it would be like that.”

He puts a hand on each side of my face. “I know all this seems so sudden, but I’ve been planning it forever. Please move here to Whiskey Run and do your student teaching here. We can take it as slowly as you want. I just need you here, under my roof. I’m going to prove that we’re meant to be together. I’m going to make all your dreams come true.”

I thread my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “I’d like to stay in Whiskey Run. I’d like to stay here with you.”

“Yes,” he whispers before kissing me again.

I sit here and let him kiss me until we’re both so frenzied we look almost dazed. I push my way out of his arms and stand up, holding my hand out to him.

He looks at me reluctantly but stands up and follows me. “I don’t want to go to the party. I want to stay up here with you, Daisy.”

I just smile at him over my shoulder. I lead him through the bedroom and out into the hall. But I surprise him when I walk across to his bedroom door and push it open. “Daisy, don’t fuck with me right now.”

I release his hand and move farther into the bedroom. I sit down on the bench at the end of the bed and start to remove my shoes while he stares at me with his mouth hanging open. “I’m not messing with you. You said you wanted to make all my dreams come true, and I thought we’d start with this one.”

I stand up and move to the side of the bed. I unzip the zipper on the side of the dress and then let the material fall from my shoulders to the floor. “I always wanted to be in this bed with you. I want you to be my first, Cash.”

He’s in front of me in an instant. “I’m going to be your first… and your last, Daisy. Are you sure you want that? Because that’s all I’m offering.”

I shove his jacket off his big broad shoulders. “So let me get this straight. You’re offering me forever?”

He nods and tips my chin up. “Damn right I am.”

I start to undo the buttons of his shirt. “Okay. That’s what I want. I’ll take forever with you.”

I barely get the words out and he’s on me.