Forever Love at Wildflower Lock (The Wildflower Lock #4)

Chapter 54

54

The boat was spotless. Claire and Bex both knew what a stickler Theo was for keeping things clean and tidy, and they had obviously tried their hardest to ensure that not a thing was out of place. The cushions were plumped up on the sofa, the coasters straight on the coffee table and even the floor had been mopped, although the minute Johnny raced inside, he left a trail of dust and leaves before flopping down on his bed.

‘I feel you, Johnny,’ Daisy said, taking off her shoes before dropping onto the sofa. ‘That was definitely a weekend I won’t forget.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Theo said, sitting down next to Daisy and shifting her around so that her legs lay across his lap. ‘It wasn’t exactly the weekend I’d planned.’

A pang of guilt struck in Daisy’s chest. She hadn’t meant to sound so negative.

‘I meant the good things,’ Daisy said, leaning across so that she could kiss him. ‘I got to see where you grew up. And visit the Lake District and stay in the most beautiful hotel I’ve ever been in.’

‘It was just the meeting my family, the used engagement ring, the ex-girlfriend, and the massive row that weren’t so positive, right?’

Daisy let out a sad laugh. ‘I think every couple has a row now and then. It’s how you get past it that matters.’

She expected Theo to agree with her comment, but he simply looked at her and shook his head ever so slightly.

‘You know that’s why I love you, right? Because you see the best in everything, in everyone.’

‘I don’t think I saw the best in your family,’ Daisy said honestly, and yet Theo leaned forward and cupped her cheeks in his hands.

‘Big wedding, small wedding – I don’t care. I could marry you in a castle or a barn, and I would still be the happiest man on earth,’ Theo said.

‘You say that like barns are a cheap alternative,’ Daisy said. ‘I’ve done my research, remember? Even a barn costs?—’

‘Be quiet and kiss me,’ Theo said.

A minute or two later, when they broke away, Daisy could feel a familiar tightness in her face from the smile that continued to stretch her cheeks, though as her eyes met Theo’s, she remembered something, and the feeling of bliss faded by a fraction.

‘I guess I should go and check on Mum,’ she said.

‘You don’t have to. She’s a grown woman, and from what you said about growing up, it’s not the first time she’s reacted like this.’

It was true. It felt like every other month of Daisy’s teen years, her mum was going through some dastardly breakup or another. But she had been with Nick a long time. This wasn’t like that.

‘I should go,’ Daisy repeated.

‘Okay, just remember that you’re her child, right?’

Daisy tilted her head to the side. ‘What’s that meant to mean?’

‘It means that your weekend wasn’t as easy as we’d hoped it would be. And you’ve just got engaged. You have things that you probably want and need to talk to her about too, and I don’t want your mum to overshadow that.’

Daisy couldn’t explain why his words made her feel so tense. Something about the way Theo was speaking reminded her of the night before. Like he was trying to put words into her mouth. Or at least thoughts into her head.

‘She’s obviously upset, Theo. Neither of us has any idea what happened between her and Nick. Why are you assuming that she’s to blame?’

‘I wasn’t saying she was, I was just… It doesn’t matter.’

‘It obviously does, or you wouldn’t have brought it up.’ Daisy could feel the edge to her voice, but she wasn’t prepared to leave the boat with things hanging half-said between them. ‘What is it you wanted to say?’

Theo’s lips twitched and his Adam’s apple bobbed visibly up and down as he swallowed. ‘Daisy, I think the world of your mum, you know I do, but she tends to make things about her. She doesn’t always see when you need her fully.’

‘That’s not true.’

‘Well, maybe it just looks like that to me, but when you inherited the boat and you found out she’d been lying to you, it became all about her, right? About how she couldn’t cope with you being upset with her. She turned up at your work. That’s what you told me.’

Daisy could feel her temperature rising, the anger within her starting to bubble. ‘She had a lot of issues when I was born?—’

‘I’m not saying she didn’t. But even when you got everything sorted, she refused to come on the September Rose for months and months.’

‘And then she came on a massive trip with me, so that I could come and see you,’ Daisy reminded him.

‘I know. You’re right. But she also used that moment to give you all the paintings from your dad.’

‘Because I’d lost the ones from Yvonne. She knew I was upset.’

‘But you wouldn’t have been so upset had your mother not kept those others from you for your entire life. Do you not see that?’ Theo paused and drew in a long breath, which he let out as a trembling sigh. ‘Forget it. I shouldn’t have said anything.’

Silence began to form, but as easy as it sounded, simply forgetting wasn’t something Daisy could do at that moment.

‘I’m all she’s got. Maybe she leans on me more than other people’s parents do, but it’s always been just us. That’s it. She’s not had anyone else she can talk to the same way.’

Daisy had thought that point alone would be enough for Theo to drop the matter, but instead, he seemed even more incensed.

‘But don’t you see that’s what I’m saying? You’re her daughter. You shouldn’t have to be dealing with her breakup issue now, and you certainly shouldn’t have been dealing with them when you were growing up. That was wrong of her to put you through that.’

‘You’re really questioning my mother’s parenting skills after the way your mum treated me?’

‘I’m not questioning her parenting,’ Theo tried, but Daisy wasn’t having any of it.

‘Yes. Yes, you are. That’s exactly what you’re doing.’

It was there again. That tension in her jaw. That tremble in her legs as they prepared for a fight or flight response, and once again, she knew exactly which it was going to be.

Daisy swivelled on her heel.

‘Come on, Johnny,’ she said. ‘You can sleep on my boat tonight.’

‘Daisy?’ Theo tried, but Daisy was already out of the boat, the collie trotting fast behind her.