Chapter 6
SIX
Ledger
“All packed?” I ask Koa as I park out front and see him sweeping Lula’s porch.
“Yeah, I’m all set. Lula is just finishing up.”
“Yard looks good,” I compliment.
He smiles.
“Thanks. I’ve been trying to get some stuff sorted around here so that Lula doesn’t have as much to do when she gets back.”
“I’m sure she appreciates it.”
“Oh, she does,” he says, grinning.
I gag. “Gross, man. That’s my sister.”
He laughs, and I flip him off.
He puts the broom inside. “How’s your love life? How’s the roommate?”
“She’s good. We went out last night.”
“Palmer’s?”
“Yep.”
“And?”
“It was perfect. She’s it for me.”
“Good. I’m happy for you, Ledger.”
“Thanks.”
I chuckle as we sit on the front porch steps.
“It’s crazy that I was originally looking for a quiet house and roommate.
I already know that won’t happen living with Daisy and Beans.
She was up this morning at seven, the dog was barking, and she managed to set off the smoke detector while making toast.”
Koa grins. “What a way to wake up.”
“It was. But the weird thing is that I woke up smiling. I wasn’t annoyed by the noise. I just felt… I don’t know, like I was home.”
“She might not be what you thought you wanted, but maybe she’s exactly what you need,” Koa says.
I nod. “She is.”
“Are you going to get out after this enlistment?”
I look out across the yard. “I don’t know. I love the military and the structure, but I can’t imagine leaving Daisy. I want to be here with her.”
“You only have a few more years until retirement,” he reminds me.
“I know. I’ll need to think about it. I mean, I still have two and a half years left on this enlistment, so I guess I’ll have to get used to leaving her anyway.”
“It doesn’t get easier,” he says quietly.
I glance over at him, clapping him on the back. “She’s going back with you.”
“Yeah, but we’re just prolonging the goodbye.” He sighs. “Lula will be headed back here in two weeks.”
“Well, I’ll be back on base then. We’ll be miserable together.”
“Can’t wait,” he says with a grin.
The front door bangs open, and we both jump to our feet.
“Let me get that,” Koa says, taking the suitcase from Lula.
She smiles up at him, and I suddenly realize that I want Daisy to look at me that way.
It hits me then that I’m in love with her.
I didn’t expect to fall in love while looking for a roommate.
I’ve never felt this way about anyone. Never thought that love at first sight was real until I met Daisy and she knocked me on my ass.
She makes me feel whole and alive in a way no one ever has before.
She’s it for me. I can feel it in my bones.
“I’ll put it in my car,” I tell Koa, taking the suitcase from him. “You guys get the rest of your things.”
“Thanks.”
They go back inside as I carry the suitcase to my rental car and put it in the trunk.
I check my watch and calculate how long it will take to drive Koa and Lula to the airport and get back to Wolf Valley.
If traffic is good, I should be able to bring Daisy lunch to the hair salon.
Then we’ll be able to spend more time together today.
Lula and Koa come out with the last bag, fingers intertwined, smiling at each other like they’re in their own private world.
I feel it then, the certainty.
I want that with Daisy.
We pile into the car, and the drive to the airport goes fast. Koa teases Lula as she talks about Wolf Valley book club gossip.
I chime in now and then, but in the back of my mind, all I can think about is getting back to Daisy.
Back to that cozy old house, and to the dog who already acts like I belong there.
When we reach the airport, I hug Lula tightly. “Text me when you land.”
“I will. And Ledger?”
“Yeah?”
Her eyes soften. “Don’t be stubborn like a certain best friend of yours was. If you love her, don’t wait.”
I nod, throat tight. “I won’t.”
Koa hugs me too, clapping my back.
“See you soon.”
“Yeah. And hey, thanks for everything.”
He smiles. “Always.”
I watch them disappear through the sliding glass doors, then get back in the car and drive straight back to my girl.
Back in Wolf Valley, I swing by Nosh Diner and order Daisy’s favorite sandwich with a side of fries.
The server grins and asks, “For Daisy?” like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“How’d you guess?”
She smiles. “News travels fast around here.”
“Good to know.”
I grab the food and head out. Parking in front of the salon, I knock lightly before stepping in.
Daisy is mid-trim, chatting with her client, laughter dancing in her voice. She turns when she hears me, and her whole face lights up like a sunrise.
“Hey,” she says, eyes warm. “What are you doing here?”
“Thought you might be hungry.”
Her lips part slightly. “You brought me lunch?”
“Yeah.”
Her client beams. “He’s a keeper.”
Daisy blushes. “Yeah. He is.”
My chest tightens in the best way.
I set the bag on the counter and squeeze her hand gently. “See you tonight?”
She nods. “Definitely.”
I leave, giving her space to work, and drive home. Once there, I decide to clean. Which is hilarious, considering she probably thinks I already do that for fun, but today, it feels different.
I pick up the pillows scattered around the living room, fold the blankets, wipe the counters, and vacuum the hallway rug that Beans claims as his throne. I pause in the kitchen doorway, imagining Daisy sitting at the table in the morning sun, hair messy, humming while she makes coffee.
I could get used to that.
I already have.
When Daisy’s car finally pulls into the drive, I step out onto the porch. She climbs out, dark hair tumbling around her shoulders, eyes sparkling when she spots me.
“Hey,” she breathes.
“Hey.”
Beans bolts past my legs like he’s been shot from a cannon, greeting her as if she’s been gone for a week instead of eight hours.
She bends to rub his ears, looking up at me. “I’m going to shower and change real quick.”
“Take your time,” I say. “We’re not in a rush.”
“Be right back!” she calls as she ducks inside.
I take Beans for a walk, and when we get back, Daisy is coming out of her bedroom. She’s wearing jeans and a soft sweater, cheeks pink, hair falling in loose waves.
I forget how to speak for a second.
“You look…” I swallow. “Beautiful.”
She rolls her eyes, smiling. “You said that last night.”
“I’ll say it every day.”
Her breath hitches.
We drive to Salsa Supreme, and Daisy is absolutely right. The tacos are incredible. She talks animatedly through half the meal about salsa flavor profiles and why cilantro is controversial. I sit and listen like she’s the most fascinating person on earth, because she is.
One truth circles my chest the whole time—I don’t want to go back to base.
For the first time in my life, nothing there feels like home.
Home is Daisy.
I know I need to make some big decisions, but I push those thoughts aside and enjoy my time with Daisy.
When we get back to the house, the sky is full of stars. Beans races past us outside to go to the bathroom. I keep an eye on him until he leaps back onto the porch and skids past us inside.
“Thank you for dinner,” Daisy says, smiling up at me softly.
“Thank you for saying yes.”
We stand there for a second, close enough that I can feel the warmth of her body.
“Daisy,” I murmur, lifting a hand to brush a loose strand of hair from her cheek. “I need you to know something.”
Her green eyes search mine.
“I don’t do casual. And I don’t want that with you. I’m already…” I exhale slowly. “I’m already all in.”
She swallows. “So am I.”
That’s all it takes.
I lean in and kiss her. Soft at first. Then deeper, because I can’t not. Her hands slip up my chest, curling into my shirt like she needs something to hold on to.
Truth is, I do too.
I back us gently through her bedroom doorway, giving her time to stop me if she wants.
She doesn’t.
Her fingers grasp my collar, tugging me closer, and that unspoken permission wraps around my chest like a heated caress.
“Ledger,” she whispers against my lips.
I press my forehead against hers, breathing her in. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”
She shakes her head. “Please don’t.”
I kiss her again, slow, reverent, conveying everything I haven’t said with touch instead of words.
My hands map the curve of her back, the slope of her waist, memorizing her. She sighs into my mouth, fingers sliding up to cradle my face like I’m precious.
Her curves press against me, and I wonder if she knows that she’s driving me wild. My heart is racing out of control, and I’m trying to remember every romantic movie scene I’ve ever seen. I want this to be good for Daisy… but I’m not exactly sure how to do that.
I grip her hips, tugging her closer, and she gasps against my mouth. My dick jerks in my pants, and I decide to keep doing things that pull those soft little gasps from her throat.
Her fingers slide into my hair, and she moans as I grab her ass and lift her into my arms. Her legs wrap around my waist, and we both groan as she rubs against the hard length of my cock.
My jeans are strangling the monster, and I’m sure I’ll have an imprint of the zipper permanently marked in my skin if I don’t get us both naked in the next two minutes.
Moving further into the bedroom, I lay her on the mattress. I smile when I see her bed is unmade. I wouldn’t expect anything else from my Daisy.
“You’re sure?” I ask, needing to check one more time. “We can wait. We can—”
“I’m sure,” she pants.
I blink as she leans up and fumbles with my belt. Pushing her eager hands aside, I quickly unbuckle my belt, pop the button on my jeans, and pull down the zipper.
Daisy licks her lips, her darkened eyes locked on my open jeans. Seeing her like that, so horny and needy for me, almost has me coming in my pants. I grit my teeth when she reaches out and tugs my pants down. My boxers go with them, and Daisy gasps when my cock is freed.