Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
JUNE
N either of them were truly free that week. Not that they didn’t see each other, but it was in small bursts between him running from Wildes to Allenwood and video conferences with New York. He was certain he’d never been that busy when he lived in the city, because he was spending close to six hours answering emails and redrawing plans every single day. He still loved the work, but when it was keeping him from taking Daisy out or sharing more than a quick kiss, he hated everything.
Then there were the training hours he had to keep showing up for. While he was glad that there weren’t any serious fires, being in Allenwood when he could be at home was grating on his last nerve. However, the firehouse was preparing for the start of summer. With school and colleges letting out, they knew that chaos would ensue. Plans were put into place, schedules were reworked and it became very clear he wasn’t going to see her as much as he would have liked.
It was an absolute boon when the community center upped their hours and added more activities to their summer roster. It kept Cal busy for most of the day. Rafferty was glad his son was finally settling into Wildes, because the first few weeks were worrisome. Thanks to making a new friend—sorry, best friend —Cal seemed to be enjoying himself. Sure, he still had a few moments where he didn’t feel confident, but he was getting there.
Cal was at home that day because of fumigation at the center, so Rafferty was working from his home office. So far, it had been a quiet day with zero calls from Allenwood, but he’d also let Gladys know that he might not be able to respond either way. While his son ran around in the backyard with Boots, he answered emails. The work with the Upper East Side lady was going off without a hitch, the other garden project was hitting every snag imaginable. Which added to his frustrations and was a huge part of why he was working more hours than usual.
Leaning back in his chair, he looked out the big window of his office and smiled when he saw Cal lying on his back pointing up at the sky. Boots was on his side, licking his son’s face. He’d always known that a pet could change someone’s life, but he’d never considered it until they got to Wildes. More than that, his son was happy. He wore his colorful clothes more often and on days they were out and about, he wore his tutu. He’d also noticed Daisy and Cal’s matching nail polish.
He knew that she wasn’t going to love and leave them, that this relationship was one for the long haul. The years after his divorce were spent worrying about what kind of woman he’d meet next and how they’d fit into his life. With Daisy, he didn’t even consider that she wouldn’t become a part of his family. It’s where she belonged, after all.
His phone buzzed at the same time Cal let out a squeal. He checked on his son and found him playfully wrestling with the dog. They were covered in grass and dirt, which was definitely going to be fun to wash off later. He grabbed his phone and smiled when he saw texts from the woman filling all his thoughts.
Hero
Great news! I’m free tonight. And I REALLY hope you are too.
Rafferty
I think I can clear up my schedule for you.
Hero
Good boy. Now, please note that I do not want flowers. I know that’s the standard first date thing or whatever. I have enough flowers.
He could hear her saying that to him and he chuckled. He opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out the box he’d put there a few days ago.
Rafferty
Don’t worry. I’ve got the perfect gift for you already. You’re gonna love it.
Hero
And what if I don’t? I was taught never to lie.
Rafferty
Damn, you’re a hard one to please.
Hero
Not if you do it right.
Rafferty
It’s too early for this, darlin’. I need to get through my work day before you can torture and destroy me.
Hero
How does that one term sound good even in text? Maybe because I can hear you say it. God, I miss you.
Rafferty
You miss god or you miss me?
Hero
Smartass.
Rafferty
You won’t have to miss me too much. I’ll swing by at 6 to pick you up.
Hero
He went through his emoji list to find the perfect one for a reply when Cal’s voice echoed through the house.
“We’re dirty!”
Groaning, he tossed his phone on the table and padded out to where his son and dog were standing in the kitchen drinking water from their respective containers. A thick line of dirt started at their feet all the way to the back door. Hands on his hips, he shook his head at the two of them.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” he told his son, who grinned wide and set his glass down.“Back outside with the two of you.”
Cautiously, like they hadn’t already made a total mess of the house, they walked outside. Cal stripped down to his underwear as Rafferty grabbed the garden hose and turned it on. Directing the water at them, he smiled as the excitement went up a notch. His son might not know how to modulate his voice when indoors, but the sound of him laughing always hit Rafferty in the chest. Once they were as clean as possible, he wrapped Cal in a towel and sent him upstairs for a proper bath, then dried Boots down.
When his son was starting to walk, Nonna often joked about how they were in for a treat. She’d told him enough stories about what Rafferty was like as a toddler and that was terrifying in and of itself. They had an open space in the back of the brownstone, but it was mostly cemented with a patch that his grandmother used to plant flowers. Public parks—which were everywhere in New York—were the only times that Cal got to run amok. He was a well-behaved kid though. It was rare for him to roll around in the grass or play with dirt. Moving to Wildes completely changed the game.
Cal ran down the hallway with his hair combed and clean clothes on, as Rafferty wiped up the mess. His son didn’t look even a little guilty for dragging all of that in with him, if anything, he had moved on.
“Can I watch TV?”
“You may .”
He tilted his head in confusion. “I don’t get it.”
“When you’re asking permission, you always say may . If you’re able to do something, you say can ,” he explained and his son frowned. “If you want to do something, you’d say may I watch TV , otherwise you’d say I can help you clean up the dirt. ”
It took him a minute, but Cal nodded and then said, “May I watch TV?”
He realized that while his son had learned the lesson, he’d missed the obvious additional message. Nodding, he sent him off and finished mopping the floor. Once he was done, he returned to his office and grabbed his phone with the intention of finding a place for that evening. Even though he’d driven around Wildes and explored what the town had to offer, he hardly went out for meals. If he did, it was always picking up a sandwich at the coffee shop or dessert from the bakery. Googling would give him a few options, but he went with another method.
Rafferty
I need recommendations for good date night spots.
His phone rang instantly and he chuckled as he swiped to answer. “You’re supposed to reply to my text.”
“Do you not want to hear my voice?” the deep rumble responded.
“Not really.”
“Wow, and here I thought we were becoming friends.”
He snorted and leaned back in his chair. After that first awkward, but helpful conversation in the MacArthur kitchen, the two of them had been catching up regularly. Whenever they crossed paths, they’d have coffee together and talk about the kids, how they were doing with their respective jobs and of course, how their romantic lives were turning out. He’d never had too many friends, men or women, in New York. Most of the people he spent time with had been folks at the firehouse or people at Ames Landscaping. With Mack, the friendship was surprisingly easy. They were single dads figuring things out one day at a time, didn’t get excited about sports and drank once in a while. They took their coffee the same way and liked similar movies.
“I’m guessing this is for everyone’s favorite florist.”
“There isn’t anyone else,” he shot back and Mack chuckled.
“All right, keep your pants on. Clementine told me about this bistro place that she likes. Kinda low-key, unless you want something fancy.”
“Low-key is good.”
“It’s No Truffles,” Mack said. “At the end of Cinnamon Avenue, I believe.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll have a look.”
“If it’s worth it, maybe I’ll take Jesse there one day.”
Rafferty grinned. “How’s that going, by the way?”
“Slow and steady. I don’t want to rush her and I’m not sure I’m ready for her to meet Dig yet.”
“I get that. But hey, she might be the one.”
Mack growled unhappily. “Don’t fucking jinx me.”
“Too late, buddy. Fingers crossed for you.”
After more grumbling, teasing and making sure it was okay to drop Cal off for the evening, he hung up and looked up the bistro online. He made a reservation, then went to check on his son. He was on the couch with Boots stretched out, head on his lap, as Bluey played on the TV.
“Cal, I need to talk to you about something.”
“Am I going to Indigo’s house?”
The joy on his son’s face made him chuckle. “Yes. But that’s because I’m taking Daisy to dinner.”
While they hadn’t said ‘we’re dating’, his son was smart enough to know what was happening. After all, she’d had another sleepover and they’d spent the day together. He was also sure that Cal had seen them kiss that day in the park.
“Is she your girlfriend? Do you love her? Because you’re always happy and Indigo says that when someone is in love, that’s what they do.”
“How does Indigo know?”
“I dunno. But Miss Daisy loves you too.”
He turned back to the TV, ending the conversation. The simple way his son said it made him believe the statement. He did love her and he knew she did feel something for him. Enough that her face lit up every time they saw each other.
After dropping Cal and Boots off at the MacArthur house, overnight bag in tow just in case, he drove to Daisy’s. While the bistro didn’t have a dress code, he put some effort into his outfit—dark jeans, light blue shirt and a sports jacket. Mack made sure to tease him about how fancy he looked, especially since he’d pulled his hair up into a tight knot. He’d even trimmed and groomed his beard.
He wasn’t going out with just anybody, he was going on a date with the woman . The one that got away, his first real love and all those other cliché things people said. It was all true, though. She’d left her mark on him twenty years ago and the fact that he got a chance to be with her now meant that he was going to do everything perfectly.
When he pulled up in front of her gorgeous green home, he turned off the car and stared at the flowering vines. Was it crazy to know that he wanted to marry her one day? They’d only been back in each other’s lives for a few months and he was already thinking about the distant future. Of building a home with her, that included a bigger greenhouse and enough space for her tiny home in case she ever needed time away from him. He hadn’t voiced any of this to his therapist, because he already knew what she might say— are you worried that if you don’t put a ring on her someone else will? Do you think she’s going to get bored of you suddenly? Does this relationship not feel real to you? Everything felt real and good to him, but wasn’t the worry normal?
Before his thoughts could go down a darker path, the front door opened and she stepped out with an arched eyebrow. His hand flew to his chest as his jaw came unhinged at the sight of her. She is truly the most unreal woman I’ve ever seen . Pocketing his gift, he hopped out of the car and walked towards her. She flipped her hair over a shoulder and disappeared into the house, giving him a few minutes to catch his breath. Once he had the door closed, he leaned against it and stared at her.
She was most certainly trying to send him to an early grave.
Held up by thin straps, black fabric hugged her torso, putting her delicious cleavage on display. The top was tucked into billowing pants that flared around her legs, but cinched at the waist. Her collection of necklaces glowed against her brown skin.
“I changed my mind, let’s stay in. I’ll cook,” he said. His eyes swept over her slowly, memorizing every dip and curve of her body. It didn’t even matter that he’d seen her half-naked, she was sensational right then.
“I did not put in all this effort to stay at home.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to behave in public.”
She chuckled and stepped into his space. “You’re going to have to try. Because I want to show you off.”
“I want to keep you for myself more.”
Lavender and sunshine wrapped him in a hug as she said, “Was it not clear that I’m yours?”
“It is very clear.”
“Then you know that no matter how many people are in the room, all I see is you.”
“Daisy…” he said, shaking his head as his heart gave out completely. I don’t need it anyway, it’s hers for the rest of my life.
“You look very handsome tonight,” she said, hands gripping the lapels of his jacket.
“You are…breathtaking.” He held the jewelry box out, smiling as her eyes lit up. “I got you something.”
“I wasn’t being serious, Raff.”
“I know, but I thought you’d like this.”
She opened the box and gasped softly. Nestled against the velvet was a thin gold chain with wildflowers engraved on a medallion pendant. It was small, but the detail was beautiful.
“I love it,” she said, voice tinged in awe.
“Yeah?”
“Yes. The reason I don’t wear a lot of pendants is because I believe they need to mean something,” she explained, one hand touching the necklaces she was wearing. “The tourmaline is from my stepmother, for protection and peace. The moon and star, well…you know what it’s for.”
His eyes widened. “For us?”
“The first time you said sit under the stars with me was a special night.”
There was a part of him that couldn’t quite comprehend that he had such an impact on her back then. “So now you have two things for us.”
“Technically, I have a lot of things that remind me of us. Put it on?” she asked and gave him the box as she turned around.
She gathered her hair to the side as he took the necklace out and carefully wrapped it around her throat. He pressed soft kisses to her exposed neck, smiling at her whimpers, and closed the clasp. He hadn’t considered the length and if it would overlap with her other necklaces. So when she spun around, he could see that it fit perfectly. The words were right there, at the tip of his tongue, and he was still thinking about how she said all I see is you .
“Raff, are you okay?”
He nodded, cupping her face in one hand as he stared at her. Okay was a relative term at this point, he was going to do his best to get through the evening and be present. Dragging his thumb under her delicious red mouth, he released a shaky breath.
“Will I mess everything up if I kiss you?” he asked softly, his eyes fixed on her lips.
“I can reapply the lip?—”
He didn’t give her a chance to finish before his mouth covered hers. The contact made him sigh as he slid his hand from her jaw to cradle her head. She shuddered against him, hands pushing under his jacket to rest on his back. Their heads tilted and lips parted, tongues touching and stroking as they kissed. It was a slow, seductive devouring. One that he’d been attempting to do for days, but usually when he got his hands on Daisy, it was impossible to slow it down. Teeth scraped over tongues before she sucked on his, his low moan echoing between them. His fingers tightened in her hair and she moaned as the kiss turned almost feral. This was more like them, the desperate way they grabbed and tasted each other. He didn’t even know what it would be like once they got each other naked.
“ Hotshot .”
The whimper broke him from his trance and with a gentle nip at her bottom lip, he pulled back. She blinked her eyes open, pupils blown, caramel hot and swirling with desire. He was sure he looked just as ravaged.
“You’ve got lipstick everywhere,” she whispered, fingers rubbing against his mouth.
Now he was imagining what it would be like to have that around his dick, but the thought was quickly shaken off when she tugged him to the bathroom. She handed him a wet wipe as they stood in front of the mirror above the sink. He cleaned his face as she touched up her lipstick, skin flushed and eyes burning into his.
“Yeah?” she asked, smiling as she turned to face him.
“Am I imagining you pinned against that counter? Yeah.”
She laughed. “A few kisses and you’ve turned into an animal.”
“Those were not kisses. Those were…something else,” he said, shaking his head. Kisses were pecks of lips and gentle presses of mouths. What they’d been doing since their second first kiss was entirely different. And he loved every minute of it.
“We should go, so we’re not late for our reservation.”
He nodded and glanced at himself in the mirror one more time.
I am so totally fucked.