Chapter 23 #2
We pack up the calendars and Dustin trails behind Captain, lugging the two boxes to the office.
The shift plods on with no major events.
We’re called out when Sarah Rollins locks her keys and her toddler inside her minivan.
Later we take a call for a small fuel spill at the gas station needing cleanup.
Toward the end of the shift, Greyson and I take the medic truck out to Sycamore Assisted Living to respond to a fall.
We’re all filing out of the station after shift change, each of us heading to our own vehicle.
“Who’s coming out to Fork and Fiddle tomorrow night?” Dustin shouts.
He’s performing live in a special performance for the dinner crowd.
“I’ll be there,” I say.
“Count me in,” Cody says.
Greyson nods, which I assume means he’ll be there.
“Emberleigh and her friends will be there!” Dustin shouts. “I’ll have them save a table for you up front!”
Emberleigh and her friends—that means Daisy will be there.
After a short nap, I spend most of my day off at my sister’s, playing with my nieces and helping her with some minor repairs around the house.
I didn’t want to be at home. Am I avoiding another run-in?
Maybe. Okay, I’m a chicken. In reality, I’m too confused and torn to face Daisy.
A million things bubble up whenever I’m near her—words I want to say.
But I can’t. Not while my dad and she are on opposite sides of this development, and I’m torn between loyalty to my family, my unspoken feelings for Daisy, and my own attachment to Moss and Maple.
I arrive after the rest of my crew to Fork and Fiddle. The hostess points me to two tables right at the foot of the stage.
“Saved you a seat,” Cody says when I approach.
I stare at the empty chair on the side of the table next to the girls’ table. And, as luck would have it, Daisy’s seat is less than a foot away from mine.
Our eyes catch and I say, “Hello.”
She looks like she’s going to consider not even addressing me, but she manages to say, “Patrick.”
Even angry, the sound of my name passing over her lips tugs at me. A curtain was lifted and I can’t pull it down.
I slip into my seat, overly aware of her perfume, and her hair, which falls in styled waves down her back and around her face.
She’s wearing more makeup than usual. That lipstick might be the death of me.
She catches me staring and closes her eyes before pivoting slightly toward the table and turning her head to focus on her friends.
We all order our food and Dustin takes to the stage, singing songs we’ve all come to know and love.
The house lights dim and he starts singing a song he wrote for Emberleigh when they were newly dating.
Daisy’s all I can think about. I feel her nearness as if she’s touching me.
Of course, if she did touch me, it would probably be to slap me across the face or slit my throat.
Dustin finishes his set and comes down to join us.
Instead of grabbing the open chair at the guys’ table with the rest of our crew, he makes a beeline to Emberleigh and gives her a kiss.
Then he pulls an empty chair from an adjacent table and sets it next to his girlfriend, slings an arm around her shoulder and joins in on the conversation between the girls like he belongs there.
Greyson signals for the waitress and asks for our checks.
“Gotta be at work tomorrow morning, boys,” he says.
“True,” Cody agrees.
We pay and stand to leave, which triggers Emberleigh and her friends to close out their tab. We’re all out in the parking lot heading to our cars. I don’t know why I’m lingering. I should just walk to my car.
Daisy avoids my eye contact and brushes past me. The heel of her shoe catches on a crack in the concrete, she gasps and stumbles forward. Her arms flail in an attempt to regain balance. Instinctively, I stick my hand out and grasp her elbow to keep her from face-planting.
“Thank …” her gratitude dies on her lips before she’s even finished saying the word.
She flinches, pulling her arm out of my hand. I feel the chill immediately. Then she takes a few steps backward as if avoiding contamination.
I don’t blame her. My dad just dealt her a major blow.
I clear the way, giving her a wide berth to walk past me.
She regains her composure, hugging each of her friends warmly. Then she strides to her car without another word to me.
I miss our banter. At least when we were sparring she’d give me the time of day. Now she’s ignoring me, like erasing me is as easy as looking the other way time after time.
On the drive home, I have a thought. Maybe our two businesses can cohabitate.
Sure, Home Mart will sell books at a discount, but people will still want to experience the cozy atmosphere and sense of belonging at Moss & Maple.
The more I try to imagine a symbiosis between O’Connell Development and Daisy’s bookshop, the flimsier the thought becomes.
A minnow won’t last with a shark. My dad will swallow Daisy’s shop whole and continue his hunt without glancing back.
Daisy’s car pulls up as I’m approaching the porch. Instead of lingering, I double my stride and take the porch steps two at a time, slipping my key in the lock and shutting my door before she’s even set foot on our walkway.
Bawk! Bawk bawk bawk!
My laptop catches my eye. An instantaneous sense of calm floods me when I consider messaging M&M.
I shuck my shoes and pick up my computer.
I never know if I’ll catch her online, but I’m hoping tonight is one of those nights.
It doesn’t escape me the way she’s becoming someone I lean on and look forward to.