A Week Till the Wedding (10 page)

Like she was going to go for that.

They were different people than they’d been seven years ago. They’d grown, matured, moved on. But he was discovering that neither of them had moved on entirely. A spark was still there. They weren’t finished, not yet.

He wanted to get to know the new Daisy, the woman. He wanted her to get to know him. For that, he was going to need time, and dammit he didn’t have much time left. Two weeks, and a large part of those weeks would be devoted to family. No choice there. But he’d make time for Daisy, he’d find a way. The odds were, they’d spend some time together and find out there was nothing left but that unexpected spark which was nothing more than an echo of the past. They’d have nothing in common, most likely. Normally Jacob knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it, but since coming home life had become more complicated.
The odds, most likely
...qualifiers that were not a normal part of his thinking process.

There was only one way to proceed. He was going to court Daisy and see what happened. Did he even remember how to do that?

Would she allow him to court her? When was the last time he’d even considered “courting” a woman? These days there was the hookup, the blind date, the one-night stand. Courting indicated something else entirely. Something more.

Another email came in, another minor emergency. Jacob read the email and then, he answered.

I’m on vacation. See you in two weeks and two days.
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and turned it off then he stored both the laptop and the cell on the top shelf of his closet, right above the acoustic guitar he’d left behind years ago. Would he have taken that guitar with him if he’d been any good? He’d always loved music, and really wanted to play, but he’d never gotten the hang of it. Had he given up too soon?

He slammed the closet door on the guitar, the cell phone and the computer.

It felt good. It felt really good.

He couldn’t truthfully say that he had no second thoughts. There was the perfectly reasonable concept that if the company could do without him for two weeks they could do without him forever. He might not have a job to go back to. He didn’t think that would be the case, but in the corporate world anything was possible.

In the end he decided he didn’t care. Maybe he’d change his mind in a few days, maybe he’d panic over the possibility that his company would find out he wasn’t indispensable. Maybe once he and Daisy were alone for an extended period of time, the echoes of the past would fade away and they’d be left with nothing.

At the moment what he wanted more than anything was to concentrate on Daisy without distractions. Hudson-Dahlgren paid him an excellent salary and incredible bonuses. He enjoyed his work.

But for the next two weeks, his project of choice was Daisy Bell.

Chapter Six

D
aisy glanced in the rearview mirror. It wasn’t that she thought Mari might get lost, no. She just felt a little surge of much-needed comfort as she was reminded with a glance that she wasn’t alone.

She drove Jacob’s rental car, and Mari followed in her own small pickup truck. Not only did Daisy have a way to get home without Jacob, once Sunday dinner was done, she felt as if she were going into battle with a staunch ally at her side. Until now she’d been on her own, one Bell against six Taskers. Those weren’t good odds for any Bell. There were only two of them today; they were still horribly outnumbered, but Daisy felt empowered. Mari might be slight and deceptively cute, but she was also blessed with determination and loyalty. She wouldn’t let her big sister down.

Their weapons of choice for this particular battle were Mississippi Mud Cake and Cajun Shrimp Pasta Salad. Mari was a great baker; Daisy had made the pasta salad, which was tasty but simple to prepare. When it came to cooking, Daisy was a big fan of simple. She’d put the pasta salad together early that morning and then stuck it in the fridge to chill.

They parked in front of the house, Daisy purposely choosing the parking space to the right, where there was a place for Mari to park directly beside her. She recognized Ben’s car, which had been pulled in slightly crooked as if he always took up two spaces with his flashy little car. The others were likely out back, parked in the separate garage. Today would be another small family gathering of familiar faces. Only this time, Daisy wasn’t alone. She had backup.

For Sunday dinner Daisy had opted for long pants and a lightweight long-sleeve shirt, leaving as little skin as possible exposed. She wasn’t worried about what the Taskers thought about the way she dressed, wasn’t trying to make up for Lily’s scandalous little dress by covering up every inch of skin. She was just making sure there was nothing exposed for Jacob to touch.

Even if she wanted that touch, she knew it was a bad idea. No matter how out of control they were, her hormones would not rule her. She was master of her own desires. Captain of a long-neglected body. She was in charge of her own hoohoo. It was not in charge of her.

A thought that lasted until Jacob stepped onto the porch. No suit today, she noted. Jeans. A pullover shirt that clung to those muscles she wasn’t quite used to. His hair was a little mussed.

This was the Jacob she remembered. Her heart lurched and thumped against her chest; for a moment she couldn’t breathe. How dare he? Where was the blasted suit that reminded Daisy that Jacob wasn’t hers anymore?

Mari, huge Mississippi Mud Cake in hand, walked briskly up the steps and placed herself directly in front of Jacob. “Long time no see,” she said, smiling sweetly. And then she kicked him in the shin.

He flinched, not because it was a particular violent attack, but because Mari had taken him by surprise. “What the hell was that for?”

“As if you don’t know,” Mari said softly. She was smiling when she continued. “Hurt my sister again and I’ll gut you.”

Jacob looked past Mari’s shoulder and caught Daisy’s eye as she came up the steps, the large bowl of pasta salad in her hands. “I think she means it.”

“I do,” Mari said. Five foot two and not much more than a hundred pounds, she was surprisingly fierce. Lily might be the sister people thought could take a biker in a bar fight if necessary—she was tall and dark-haired (by choice, if not by birth) and sharp-tongued and had a low threshold for bull, and there had been a short period of time when she’d worn nothing but black—but it was Mari they should’ve been afraid of. She might
look
harmless, but beneath the Barbie-doll exterior she was tough as nails.

Susan came to the door, and Mari scooted around Jacob to greet her and hand over the cake. Susan wasn’t surprised to see Mari. Naturally Daisy had called to ask if it was all right if her visiting sister tagged along. The two women exchanged hellos and smiles. The screen door squealed and then snapped shut behind them, as they stepped into the house.

And there was no longer anyone between Daisy and Jacob. All that remained between them was a large bowl of pasta salad and her determination to remain in control. Daisy clung to both for dear life.

“Y’all didn’t have to bring food,” Jacob said. “We have more than enough.”

Daisy didn’t respond that he should’ve known they wouldn’t show up to Sunday dinner without bringing something. She stepped toward the house, toward him, steeling herself for the day ahead. “So, in spite of your insistence that the accent is gone, San Francisco hasn’t cured you of your ‘y’all.’”

Jacob smiled. “I wasn’t home long before it came back.” When she reached him he took the bowl from her hands. Their fingers brushed, and lightning shot through Daisy’s body. She dipped her head, looked down at the boards beneath her feet so he couldn’t read the emotions on her face.

The truth wasn’t easy to accept. In fact, it was damn hard. Standing there with her heart in her throat, Daisy accepted the ugly truth. In spite of all her affirmations and determination, when it came to Jacob she wasn’t in control of anything.

* * *

To Jacob’s relief, there was no talk of weddings or wedding gowns over the dining room table. Maybe Grandma Eunice was distracted because Mari was there, and goodness knows this could not possibly be the same very young girl she remembered. Maybe Grandma Eunice was still sharp enough to realize that there was a reason Daisy hadn’t been to the house for a couple of days, and she’d wisely decided not to push—for once. She likely wouldn’t guess that Jacob had scared Daisy off with a hand up her very short dress, but she might assume there was trouble in the fictional paradise she’d created.

Strangely enough, it was Mari and Maddy who dominated the conversation. They didn’t talk about the reunion or Tasker family business or the wedding. Instead they talked about people they both knew. Maddy was a couple of years older than Mari, but they had several acquaintances in common. And then they started talking about football. Yes, even in June college football was an acceptable topic of conversation at the dinner table. The others soon joined in the discussion, and everyone had an opinion. They talked about coaches and players and the fall schedule. Ben and Susan both made predictions about win-loss records. They were both
very
optimistic. It was nice; nothing was forced or false and there was lots of laughter around the table. Jacob was able to relax. After a while, so did Daisy. It was good to see her genuine smile, to watch her unwind, to hear her laugh.

When dinner was over, Jacob pushed his chair back and offered Daisy a hand. He wasn’t sure she’d take it, but she did. Tentatively, and after a pause the space of a heartbeat, but she wasn’t afraid to touch him.

“Walk with me?” he said, imagining a stroll around the property. Alone. He wanted to have Daisy to himself, even if it was just for a few minutes. The courting process had to begin somewhere....

“I can’t.” She slipped her hand from his, slowly, and then hid it behind her back as if he wouldn’t dare to reach for her if he couldn’t see that hand. “Mari is heading back to school this afternoon, and she needs to get packed and on the road.”

“She can’t pack without you?”

“I told her I’d help. Besides, she’s my ride home.”

“I’ll be your ride.” It was an offer touched with command. Not a question, but a very polite order.

“No, thank you.” Her response was delivered in a calm voice, so sweet and unmistakably insistent.

He should’ve remembered that Daisy had always hated being told what to do. She could dig in her heels with the best of them. How the hell was he supposed to court her if she wouldn’t spend even a few minutes alone with him?

Mari glared at him and mouthed,
Remember what I said
. Then, for effect, she drove an imaginary knife into her own stomach and stuck her tongue out in a brief, expressive demonstration of his upcoming, violent demise. The entire warning, if you could call it that, took less than five seconds, and if anyone else saw her they didn’t let it show.

Of course, Grandma Eunice was the only one who needed to be fooled, and she was being wheeled out of the dining room. She always took an afternoon nap, and today she appeared to be fading fast.

“We really should go,” Mari said as she rounded the table to collect her sister. “Remember, we need to call the critter man this afternoon.”

“The critter man?” Jacob asked.

“Sammy Jenkins?” Mari said, as if he was an idiot for not knowing who the critter man was.

“I have squirrels in my attic,” Daisy explained. “Mari and I both heard them last night, scurrying above our heads.” She shuddered, a little. “Sammy doesn’t work on Sundays, but he will take calls in the afternoon and set up appointments for next week.”

“I didn’t realize critter men were in such demand,” Jacob said.

“You wake up to the sound of little paws dancing a jig overhead and you’ll understand why,” Daisy said.

Maybe this could be his way in. “There’s no need to wait. I’d be happy to take care of your squirrels.”

Mari laughed. So did Maddy.

“What’s so funny?” Jacob snapped.

“Jacob Tasker, critter man trainee?” Mari said. “Yeah, like you’d get your hands dirty crawling into the attic.”

How hard could it be? “I’d be happy to help, and I
do
work on Sundays.”

“No, thanks,” Daisy said, without her sister’s venom or humor.

“But I could...”

Daisy glanced around the room and then lowered her voice. “Eunice isn’t here, Jacob. We don’t have to pretend for anyone else.”

Those who remained in the room—Ben, Maddy and Mari—went still and quiet. Maybe they’d forgotten that this was all pretend. Maybe they could hear the pain in Daisy’s voice the way he did. It was enough to put a man on his ass.

How could he convince her he was no longer certain he was pretending?

Not here, not now.

“Oh, your dishes,” Maddy said. “Let’s wash them up real quick...”

“I’ll get them later,” Daisy said. She backed away, obviously anxious to leave. No, not to leave, to escape.

To escape him.

“Gotta go!” Mari took Daisy’s arm and they left the dining room together, their steps quick as if they really were escaping. And he supposed they were. It was Mari who glanced back, once, to stick out her tongue and flash a particular finger in his direction.

Jacob couldn’t help but wonder exactly what time Mari would be headed back to school.

* * *

Finally they were gone! Eunice had pretended to be asleep, but her daughter-in-law had hung around for a few minutes, sitting in the chair by the bed, sighing now and then.

Perhaps she should feel guilty for putting the family through all this drama. Maybe one day, after Jacob and Daisy were married and had a child or two, she’d confess and they’d all have a good laugh.

Eunice rolled up and reached for her bedside phone. She dialed the number she’d memorized. A man answered.

“Is everything in place?” she asked, her voice lowered in case anyone was in the hallway outside her door.

“Yes, but Ms. Tasker, are you sure...”

“If I wasn’t sure would I be calling you?” She put a command she’d worked years to master into her voice. If you looked up Steel Magnolia in the dictionary, you might find her picture there.