Willow Smoke (61 page)

Needing
to
delay
no
longer,
Nick
levered
his thighs
upward,
rapidly
finding
his
own
release.
His
brain
spun
like
a
top.
He
waited
for
it
to
settle
while
hugging
Daisy’s
body
tight
against
his
own.
She
might
not
be
ready
to
talk
about
a
long
run
future,
but
there
was
no
way
he
could
ever
give
this
woman
up
to
her
demons
or
to
his
own.
They
would
make
it
work.

She
breathed
evenly
against
his
shoulder.
It
had
been
a
difficult
day
for
Daisy
and
a
tense
evening.
She
deserved
to
sleep.
Nick
closed
his
eyes
and
slid
a
palm
down
her
back.
There
was
no
need
to
shift
his
weight,
because
she
snuggled
better
than
a
down
comforter
on
a
cold
wintry
night.

- o -

“Oh
my
God!”
Daisy
flipped
her
cell
phone
off
and
with
shaking
fingers
placed
it
back
on
the
breakfast
table.
Her
wide
misty
eyes
caught
Cassie’s.
Daisy’s
hands
covered her mouth.

“What
is
it,
Daisy?
What’s
happened?”

Daisy
shook
her
head.

“Is
it
Maxine?”

Daisy
nodded
and
whimpered,
“Yes.”

Cassie
pushed
back
her
chair
to
kneel
by
Daisy
and
rub
her
arm.
From
his
chair
next
to
Daisy’s,
Nick
leaned
over
and
massaged
her
rigid
neck
muscles.

“How
bad
is
it?”
Cassie
asked
softly.

“Bad.”
Daisy
looked
at
her
friend
and
stand-in
mom
through
watery
eyes.
“She
may not make it.” Gulping for air,
Daisy
added,
“That
was
Reggie.
The
story
is
Maxine
was
mugged
last
night.
She’s
at
Cook
County
Hospital.
She
has
a
ruptured
spleen,
a
broken
arm,
a
severe
concussion.”

“Sounds
like
Reggie
did
a
number
on
her
this
time.”

Daisy
nodded,
trying
not
to
feel.
She
had
to
get
back
to
Chicago.
Reality
crushed
any
more
storybook
fantasies.
Nick
had heard
everything
and
could
easily
fill
in
the
blanks.

“I’ve
got
to
go.”
Daisy
focused
on
Cassie,
not
wanting
to
see
what
expression
might
be
on
Nick’s
face.
“Can
you
help
me
get
a
plane?”

“Of course I will. I’m
so sorry, Daisy, but there was no way you could protect her forever.”

Daisy
nodded.
Nick
withdrew
his
hand.
The
end
would
come
as
quickly
as
the
beginning.
She
closed
her
eyes
and
tried
not
to
pay
attention
to
him.
He
was
punching
numbers
into
his
cell
phone.

“Cindy?
This
is
an
emergency.
I
need
a
private
jet
at
the
Lexington
Airport
as
soon
as possible. If one is here, fine. If not,
get
one from the nearest airport.
Make the
arrangements.
There
will
be
two
passengers.”

“Make
that
four,”
Cassie
interrupted
after
catching
Clint’s
eye.

“Cindy, make that four
passengers to Chicago Midway. That’s the closest airport to Cook County. Do
whatever it takes to
clear
our
landing.
Call
me
on
the
cell
when
you
have
things
confirmed.
We’ll
be
heading
to the airport shortly. Thanks.”

Daisy
stared
at
Nick.
Her
lower
lip
trembled.
Her
body
shook.
She
allowed
him
to
gather her in his arms. Her ears did not
lie,
but
she
still
had
difficulty
believing.

He rubbed her back. “I’m
sorry, Daisy.
We’ll
get
there
as
soon
as
humanly
possible.
I
wish
I
could
say
everything
will
be
okay.
But
no
matter
what,
we’ll
be
there
with
you.”

“I’m
scared,”
Daisy
managed
to
mumble
against
his
shoulder.

“I know. You have every
right to be.”

She
pushed
back
from
him
and
ran
her
fingers
across
his
cheek.
Struggling
for
words,
she
managed,
“I
thought
you
wouldn’t
want
anything
to
do
with
me
after
learning
about
Maxine
and
Reggie.
He’s
a
real
lowlife.
And,”
she
whimpered,
“Maxine
isn’t
much
better.
But
they’re
all
I’ve
got.”

Nick
chuckled
in
her
hair.
“That’s
where
you’re
wrong.
You’ve
got
a
lot
of
people
who
love
you.
Cassie,
Clint,
Sam,
Thelma
and
Tom,
and
me.”

“But
they’ll
come
after
your
money,”
she
wailed.

“They might try, but it
won’t do them
any
good.
Remember,
we’ve
got
Thelma
in
our
corner,
and
she
can
handle
just
about
anybody.”

Daisy
snickered
at
the
image
of
Thelma taking
on
Reggie.
She’d
put
her
money
on
Thelma
in
a
fair
contest
between
the
two,
but
then
Reggie
would
never
fight
fair.

“We’d
best
be
on
our
way.
By
the
time
we
pack
and
get
to
the
airport,
Cindy
will
have
a
jet
waiting
for
us.”

“But
what
about
Hip
one-thirty-two?
You
wanted
to
bid
on
him.”

Nick
scowled
at
Daisy
and
stood
to
pull
her
chair back from the table. “Who’s
always
telling
me
there
will
be
another
horse
and
another
race?
Horses
are
important,
but not as important as family.”