Willow Smoke (82 page)

Authors: Adriana Kraft

BOOK: Willow Smoke

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“I’ve
got
to
sit
on
something
soft.”
By
way
of
explanation,
she
added,
“It’s
been
a day of being on my feet most of the
time.”

They
carried
the
glasses
into
the
living
room.
Daisy
sat
on
the
loveseat.
Nick
remained
standing.

Daisy
sipped
from
her
glass.
“So
why
are you
really
here?
You
don’t
have
your
romantic face on.”

Nick
sat
down
in
the
wing
chair
and
exhaled.
“Damn,
why
is it so important for you
to
keep
me
in
the
dark?”

“What?”

Nick
tilted
forward.
His
eyes
flashed
sparks.
“I
understand
you
were
involved
in
a
bit
of commotion out at the track today.”

Daisy
refused
to
look
away.
Her
mind
raced.
How
had
he
found
out?
How
much
did
he
know?
Did
he
know
about
the
blackmail?
Did
he
know
she’d
agreed
to
Reggie’s
demands?
“Oh,
you
mean
Reggie?”

“Was
there
more?
What
did
he
want?
Did
he
hurt
you?
Did
he
threaten
you?”

Daisy
feared
that
Nick
would
break
the
wine
glass
clenched
in
his
hand.
“No,
he
didn’t
hurt
me,”
she
said,
maybe
too
quickly.
“He
wanted
me
to
know
that
he
was
back.”

“And?”

Lurching
to
her
feet,
Daisy
glared
at
Nick
and
then
turned
her
back
on
him.
She
stared
at
the
small
gas
fireplace.
“Why
do
you
have
to
know
everything
that
happens
in
my
life?”
she
demanded.
“You
have
no
right.”

“I
love
you.”
Nick
rose
and
wrapped
his
arms
around
her,
drawing
her
back
into
his
chest.
“I don’t want you to get hurt,” he whispered. “I don’t think I could stand
that.”

Daisy
closed
her
eyes
and
all
her
senses
turned
to
mush.
Why
did
love
have
to
be
so
complicated?
She
shuddered
against
his
strength.
“I know,” she managed to
say, “but I’m okay. No one is going to
hurt me.”

“What
about
Reggie?”

Turning
in
his
arms
to
face
him,
Daisy
said,
“I
don’t
think
Reggie
is
interested
in
physically
hurting
me.”
She
smiled
thinly.
“If
I
were
hurt,
his
wife
wouldn’t
be
able
to bum off me.”

“He
wanted
more
money?”

Daisy
shrugged
and
walked
toward
the
kitchen.
“He
always
wants
more
money.”

“What
drives
me
up
the
wall
as
much
as
anything,”
said
Nick,
his
voice
rising,
“is
your
damn
evasiveness.
Are
we
in this
together, or not?”

Leaning
against
the
sink,
Daisy
responded
sharply,
“Not
entirely.
No.
You
don’t run
my
life
like
you
do
some
corporation.
You see
danger where I don’t. If I want to
give
money to my sister, that’s my business, not yours.”

Nick
stood
in
the
corner
of
the
kitchen, apparently
searching
for
words.
She
had
never
seen
him
look
so
helpless.
Wanting
to say something, to do something that
would
comfort
him,
she
took
what
she
believed
was
the
wiser
course:
she
said
and
did
nothing.

Throwing
up
his
hands,
Nick
said
quietly,
“So
I’m
not
supposed
to
concern
myself
with
Reggie
Lassiter.
I’m
not
supposed
to
concern
myself
with
your
safety.”

She
nodded,
hoping
she
looked
more
defiant
than
she
felt.

“So,
I’m
supposed
to
sit
on
my
hands
and
wait
to
see
if
you
can
ever
come
up
with
enough
money
to
satisfy
your
sister
and
brother-in-law
or
until
Reggie
crosses
the
wrong
guy
and
either
winds
up
in
jail
or
in
a
casket.”

Daisy’s
eyes
rounded.
She
remained
silent.

“That may be what you
want, but I can promise if the bastard goes after anything that’s mine, I’ll
strike back
harder
than
he’s
ever
known.”

“I’d
expect
you
to
protect
your
own,”
Daisy
protested.

“Just as I’d do.”

She pursed
her lips at his smug smile. “Oh no, you
don’t. I’m not yours. Our relationship doesn’t give you any right to protect
me.”

“Right.”
He
stepped
forward
and
lifted
her
chin
with
an
index
finger.

Electricity
snapped
through
her
body.
He
was
going
to
trap
her
somehow.
He
had
that look of victory on his face.

“So,
my
young
lady
friend,
what
in
the
hell
are
you
attempting
to
do
on
my
behalf
by
keeping
secrets
if
not
protecting
me?
Protecting
me
from
knowing
more
about
your family. Protecting my financial
assets from Reggie. Maybe even my property. I
wouldn’t
be
shocked
if
the
bastard
didn’t
threaten
our
horses
or
the
canoe
factory.”