Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Daisy
I feathered my fingers around my collar. I had just moved out on the guy. A six-year relationship and he’d been asking me to marry him the whole time. Now I had to tell him about my change of plans.
I had boxes lined up and ready to haul. Alder said the movers would be here at eleven.
Movers. I told him I couldn’t afford movers, and he’d ordered them like he was buying a pack of gum. Not only that, he’d been able to schedule them on short notice, both at my place and his.
When we’d moved into our first apartment after we’d gotten married, we had paid his siblings in pizza and root beer floats. Basically pennies for a moving job back then.
Jason knocked, and I blew out a hard breath. My stomach was going to crawl out of my throat and launch itself across the room, but I yelled, “Come in!”
Laila skidded out of her bedroom. “Daddy!”
“Hey, hey, there’s my girl.” He crouched, and she flew into his arms. Seeing him so involved in her life even after we separated healed a hurt little girl inside of me. That girl wasn’t so little anymore. A neglectful dad wasn’t less hurtful as an adult. If anything, I could better see how little he wanted to participate in my life or in that of his only grandkid. I was his only living kid, but some days, I was just a name to clean up his affairs after he was gone.
“I’m almost done packing.” Laila grinned.
I rubbed between my brows. “You know what, Laila. Why don’t you go get the last of your things packed? I need to talk to Dad.”
“Okay!” She buzzed away, singing a song that had been playing on the kids’ station earlier.
Jason shoved his hands in his pockets and eyed the boxes. “So you found a place?”
“Yeah.” That should be a good segue, but my mouth dried up. I’d managed some distance from the plans that had been set in motion, but speaking it all out loud? I pressed my hand to my stomach. “About all that… I wanted to talk to you first.” Interest lit his eyes, maybe a little hope. “Remember Alder from Reservoir Barrel?”
The light died in his gaze. He cleared his throat. “Yeah. Your ex-husband.”
I nodded. This was going to hurt him.
“You were talking to him in his pickup for a while.” The betrayal in his voice shouldn’t bother me, but the guilt inside me burned hotter. He must’ve seen us when he’d gone home for the night. Alder’s pickup stood out even in a lot full of trucks.
“We were catching up. It was the first time since…” I blew out a long breath. “Look, there’s no easy way to say this but you need to hear it.”
“You’re back with him?” His voice pitched up. Any higher, and it’d bring Laila running. I’d barely been able to conceal our plans from her. I’d wanted to tell Jason first lest she spill any details before I was ready.
“No.” I was shaking my head, but stopped. “I mean, not like you think.” He opened his mouth again, but I stuck a hand up. My own personal stop sign. He snapped his mouth shut. “He has a house.” Only some of the tension eased from Jason’s body. That might not last long. “I could live there, but I can’t afford the rent. He can’t live there or even get ownership of the house unless he’s been married for a minimum of a year.” I cringed and waited for his reaction.
Confusion swirled in his eyes, then a slow, dawning, disbelieving comprehension took its place. “You’re getting married?”
“Yes,” I squeaked. “But it’s not a love union. I mean, we tried that and epically failed.”
“You’re marrying your ex-husband?”
I dipped my head. “Yes.”
“But you wouldn’t marry me?”
“This isn’t about love.”
“And not getting married was about love with me?” He exhaled roughly and looked away.
“Jason.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I almost didn’t do this because I don’t want to hurt you more than I have. I’m really sorry. But this house is big. He won’t charge me rent, and I can use that money to tackle my debt.” That damn debt. The reason why my price range was so low.
The corners of Jason’s jaw flexed when I mentioned debt. I had used it as an excuse to delay my acceptance of his many proposals.
“I told you I’d help with that,” he said.
He had, but it’d been my lesson to learn, not his. And now, he couldn’t promise his help wouldn’t come with strings. He wouldn’t mean to, but he was a loyal man, and moving on wasn’t in his bones.
The marriage to Alder might help. The thought made me feel marginally better. Jason deserved happiness and paying my debt wasn’t it. “When the year is up, we’ll divorce, and I can rent the house from Alder or find somewhere else.”
“You’ll divorce?” he asked flatly.
“Yes.” I held up a finger and peeked in on Laila. She had gotten distracted looking through a board book. I returned to where I’d been standing. “I haven’t talked to Laila yet. I thought you should be the first to know.”
His rigid stance softened, but the beaten-dog look remained. “Your ex-husband is going to be her stepdad.”
My heart thumped. Stepdad sounded way too serious. Felt just as momentous as digging out the wedding ring that had wrecked me to take off. But stepdad? Technically, yes, but I couldn’t get Laila to understand that many specifics. “We’ll be more like roommates. We won’t use that terminology. I don’t want to confuse her more than all this will.”
“At least you won’t have to change your last name.” His bitterness was undeniable.
Daisy Duke wasn’t an ideal name to have. I was nothing like The Dukes of Hazzard ’s Daisy Duke. No booty shorts for me and I couldn’t tan worth a shit. But I hadn’t possessed the will to change it after the divorce. I had lost enough.
“It’s only for a year. I don’t know if word will get out, but we have to be as real as possible while sleeping in separate rooms. His aunt and dad have to sign off after a year, and he won’t get the house if they think we’re lying about being a couple. His grandma was apparently quite a romantic.” I sucked in a big breath. I was taking a gamble on this. Jason wasn’t a vindictive person, but telling him was a risk. Yet my conscience couldn’t live with lying to him. I’d have to use a few white lies for Laila just so she didn’t announce at daycare or in the grocery store that I was just pretending to be married.
“Who else will know?”
“Mom knows. Maybe Dad, if he calls. You. Possibly Alder’s siblings.” I wasn’t telling him that each Duke sibling had a trust. Alder’s was taking up too much mental power as it was.
“Jesus, Daisy.” He yanked his ball cap off and pushed a hand through his short hair. “Thanks for telling me, I guess.”
“You’re welcome.”
He huffed out a quick breath. “That guy from Reservoir Barrel didn’t look like a slacker who stayed out all night and couldn’t be bothered to wash dishes or pick up his socks.”
No kidding. “That guy” was nothing like the ex-husband I’d told Jason about. Alder could’ve claimed a wife by now if he’d wanted to, and she’d wonder what I’d been thinking ditching him. “Alder appears to socialize less these days,” I agreed. “I don’t know about the dishes or the socks. Like I said, we’ll be in different rooms.”
He gave me a steady look. “Unless his aunt or his parents visit.”
A knot formed in my chest. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. My sanity had hung on separate rooms. I couldn’t do this if I thought I’d be sleeping inches from him again. Not enough time had passed for me to forget what being pressed against Alder’s hard body felt like. “I doubt they’d stay over.”
His expression challenged me in a quiet way that was unusual for him. Jason pestered. He poked. He nagged. He didn’t give me space to gather my thoughts.
But he was a decent guy. He’d find a good partner who would like to hunt and fish, and even if she didn’t, she could fake it.
The faking had worn on me. In and out of bed.
I wanted all that for him. Not for me. “We’ll have to deal with that if the time comes.”
He didn’t meet my gaze. “I’ll have Laila back on Tuesday.” I didn’t tell him Monday would be the day I was remarrying Alder. “I’m sure she’ll want to call you tonight.”
“Call any time,” I assured him, in case he feared I’d test Alder on his ability to give me four orgasms in a night.
Those days were over.
My body tingled. But what if they weren’t?
Jason scratched the back of his neck. “I know I’m just a dumb pump operator.” I hated when he did that. I’d never denigrated his intelligence, but I got tired of telling him to stop doing it. “But if you’re going to pay off as much of your debt as you can before you get divorced, won’t some of that be his when you two divorce?”
Shit. I would have to talk to Alder about a prenup.
Alder
I frowned at the document Daisy presented to me in the entry of the courthouse. There was a metal detector waiting for us to walk through and a bored deputy watching our exchange. “A prenup?”
She nervously fluttered the sheets in her hands. “I’m sure a standard form will work.”
“I’m not worried about you taking my money.” Daisy was the type to split the bill down to the penny without being asked. Plus, I had a hard time summoning one fuck to give if she got my wealth. I wasn’t using it.
“I am.” She shoved the papers toward me.
Frowning, I skimmed through them. It appeared to be a standard, boilerplate contract. “Shouldn’t we have lawyers go through this?”
“If you want. Then the year countdown would have to wait.” Her gaze strayed toward the deputy still quietly watching us, her hands hooked in her thick vest.
I was not waiting one more day for this woman. Yes, I wanted the house, but Daisy was almost mine again. A second chance was minutes from my grasp. I glanced at the table we were supposed to put our belongings on. A stray pen rested by some empty forms. I took the contract to the table and scrawled my name on it. “There.”
Relief passed through her gaze, and she nodded. “Thank you, but we probably need a notary.” She patted her square tote bag. “I have another copy.”
Whatever the reason for the prenup, it wasn’t wealth and she wasn’t copping to it. I had no clue how binding this was, but I wouldn’t pursue it. “Whatever you need, Daisy. We can also do a postnup and take our time. We have a year.”
“We’ll get this to work. Do you, um, have a ring?” Her gaze darted around.
“Yeah. I found my old one.” I made it sound nonchalant, as if I’d happened upon it when I was packing.
I’d never forgotten where I had put that ring. A simple gold band, as pristine as when we’d bought it. I’d never been able to wear it to work in the oil fields for safety reasons, and I hadn’t appreciated its symbolism enough when I did have it on.
“Okay. Good. Uh, I’ve got mine.” She left it at that and put her tote in a bin to go on the conveyor belt.
Bolstered that she had likely kept hers in a special jewelry box too, I followed her through the metal detector. I was in the same sweater she’d seen me in last weekend, but I had worn slacks today instead. Seemed more fitting for a wedding. For my second wedding. During the first, I had worn black jeans, a crisp white shirt, a sport coat, and a cowboy hat. I’d even shined my boots. From there, my effort had dwindled.
That wouldn’t be happening this time.
Just as we finished our short trek through the metal detector, my youngest sibling, Lily, walked in with Eliot. All of my siblings had been surprised but understanding. I hadn’t missed the hopeful notes in their voices when I’d talked to them. My parents were a different story. They were thrilled. Ecstatic. I’d had to talk them down and keep them from rushing to Coal Haven to see Daisy again. They’d agreed to give us time to adjust. How long would remain to be seen.
Lily’s smile widened when she spotted Daisy. “Hi!”
She didn’t give Daisy a hug, and I appreciated that my sister remembered Daisy’s discomfort with random hugs.
Daisy had been comfortable enough around me. Once upon a time. I shook Eliot’s hand. “Bring back memories?” I asked.
He grinned. “Good ones.”
Lily practically swooned. I tried not to roll my eyes, but controlling my envy took too much effort. “Just remember that when I get to kiss the bride, that doesn’t mean you two can let loose.”
They laughed, but my gaze caught on a poleaxed Daisy. She hadn’t realized we’d be kissing at least once as husband and wife.
My grin had to be wolfish. I wanted to make her comfortable with this arrangement, but I couldn’t resist getting under her skin. Seemed only fair since she’d been under mine for fifteen years.
Her gaze skated away, and I held in my chuckle.
When we reached the office, a young woman clapped when she saw us. The nameplate on her desk said Ella. “Oh, I love starting the week with a wedding. Who are the bride and groom?”
“I am.” I stepped forward. “And Daisy.”
My ex-wife took longer to step toward the desk, and we were inundated with paperwork.
“Oh.” Ella glanced from my ID to Daisy’s. “Same last name?”
“I kept it from the first time we were married,” Daisy mumbled.
Ella’s brows lifted. “ Oh .” She smiled brightly. “Well, it’s efficient.”
After we proved our identity and copies of everything were made, I signed in a few places, then Daisy did the same.
“Okay.” Ella rose. “You both can come with me. The witnesses as well. You can hang your coats on the rack outside of Johanna’s office.”
I put a hand on the small of Daisy’s back. Electricity tingled under my fingers. Did she feel it too? Her spine was ramrod straight. When she shrugged out of her winter coat, I took it from her and hung it up. Then I took my coat off, a blue L.L. Bean parka and not my wool coat. I’d been tempted to dress up more, but I was glad I hadn’t. With her jeans, she wore a fluffy yellow sweater. Had she been afraid to put too much significance into today? Not enough?
Nothing would erase the memory of her in a fitted wedding dress, which had highlighted her slight curves, or the way her hair had been pulled back. Her big, blue eyes had held my future that day. They still did.
The corner of my mouth curved up. Yellow was her favorite color, and she’d pinned her hair back. The style was likely functional, but unless she said otherwise, I’d pretend she’d done it for me.
The justice of the peace introduced herself. “Good morning. I’m Johanna. I married your siblings. Both of them.”
“There are three more after us,” I joked.
“Good luck getting Jasper in here,” Lily muttered.
Fair, but I had thought I’d never be saying vows again. I didn’t like to repeat activities I had failed at, and I hadn’t let someone down as often as I had Daisy.
“I’ll have you two stand here.” Johanna gestured to a spot in front of her desk, and she stood between us.
I took Daisy’s hands in mine. Her brows pinched together. I ran a thumb lightly over her knuckles, and her grip stiffened. So damn familiar. Her skin. The vows. Daisy stared at my collarbone as she recited hers. When I said mine, she wouldn’t hold my gaze. A line of pink crested her cheeks. Her fingers went limp, but I held on, supporting her in this moment. A silent promise I’d continue to do so this time.
All those years ago, she’d clung to me and had grinned while doing so, her eyes dancing. Today, apprehension filled her gaze.
She worried her lower lip as I finished. “’Til death do us part.”
Her eyes drifted shut, and she sucked in a breath. From the corner of my eye, I could see Lily and Eliot standing quietly. My sister’s expression was solemn. She could read the room. Part of the reason why I had asked her to be a witness wasn’t just because Violet was the other closest sibling and too pregnant to make standing this long comfortable. No, Lily had been in high school when Daisy and I had divorced. By then, my family had lived in Billings for years, and Lily was likely to recall what things had been like between me and Daisy as teens. How inseparable we’d been. The way she’d laughed, her head back. How seamlessly she’d fit into our family, flower name and all. Lily hadn’t been around to see how I’d let Daisy down in the most basic of ways.
“You may kiss the bride.” Johanna beamed.
This kiss only needed to be a chaste touching of lips. A symbol, like our rings. But a starving man couldn’t be plunked down in front of the best meal he’d ever had and be told only to sniff it.
I curved an arm around Daisy’s waist, and her eyes went wide.
“What are you—” She looked around. Lily’s eyes were saucers, and Eliot had judiciously dropped his gaze to the floor. Only the justice was watching us, indulgent smile on her face. We were supposed to be real.
Daisy’s gaze collided with mine. I silently asked permission. Holding her like this was reward enough. If she needed me to give her only a peck, I would.
She gave me a little nod.
Fuck, yes. I lowered my mouth to hers. Her warm lips were everything I had dreamed of. Everything might’ve changed between us. I was no longer a rebellious slacker who thought life owed him. I worked out regularly and wore nice clothes. I’d be the CEO of one of the biggest employers in the state. Daisy had a daughter. She’d lived a whole life since our divorce.
But this kiss? Just as sweet as I remembered. She met me with the perfect amount of pressure. I didn’t bear down on her, and I didn’t nudge my tongue against her lips to sweep inside. We had an audience, and I had a fuck-ton of trust to build between us.
I added just a little more pressure, desperate for more, then I pulled back. I could control my desires now. I was no longer an entitled kid.
Her eyelids fluttered open and heat simmered in their blue depths. She’d responded to my touch. And now she was my wife. Again.
Daisy
I was in the bathroom of the courthouse, in front of the sink, staring at the ring on my finger. My ring. It’d seemed practical at the time. Why buy a new ring when I had this old thing lying around?
My vision grew blurry. A hot tear rolled down my cheek. I swiped at it and checked the mirror. My eyes would get bloodshot if I started crying. Everyone would know that I wasn’t the unbothered queen of an arranged marriage with my ex-husband.
He was no longer an ex.
Alder Duke was my husband. Fifteen years later, I was Daisy Duke because I was married to him, not because I had been married to him. My life had gone full circle, and I had gone nowhere.
Another tear tracked down my cheek. I hastily wiped it off and sniffled.
The door opened, and I spun to wash my hands that weren’t dirty. I hadn’t used the toilet, I had just needed the quiet. The sensor on the faucet was touchy and the water wouldn’t turn on. Damn.
Lily lingered by the door. The two stall doors were open if she needed to pee, but she ignored them. “How are you doing?”
The concern in her voice nearly made more tears well up. My mind was a mess. I should be happy, like any other bride on her wedding day. But confusion lingered because I had been that happy bride on my wedding day—when I was nineteen. I had a place to live in a gorgeous house that needed a little work. Renovations Alder said he’d do. Part of me was too scared to rely on him for anything. Life wasn’t just about me. I had Laila to take care of.
I had in-laws I adored, but we were lying to most of them. How did I face West and Magnolia after I left their son once? What happened when I did it again?
“I don’t know how I’m doing,” I answered honestly. Some days, I couldn’t just toss out a “fine” and move on. I gave up on the water. “It’s…weird.”
She moved closer, leaning against the wall by the hand dryer. “I can’t imagine. I was thinking that it must be nice to have a history with your temporary husband, but I guess when your history is, in fact, being married and divorced, then it’s gotta be a trippy déjà vu.”
“You’re telling me.” I mulled over her words. “You didn’t have a history with Eliot?”
She smiled pure bliss. “I had met him twice. Three times if you count the day he overheard me tell Aunt Linda we were getting married. Otherwise, nope. No history. He was just a nice guy who thought I was a cute mess and needed a temporary husband.”
Surprise crowded out some of my angst. “He married you when he didn’t know you?”
She nodded and crossed her arms. “It was meant to be.”
Good for them. She got the house and the love of her life. My astonishment dimmed. “Alder and I proved already that we aren’t.”
She shrugged. “You’re married again. Never would’ve seen that coming.” Her expression turned sheepish. “Can I say that I wished for it? I missed you, but then you two lived in different towns, never spoke, and I never would’ve imagined”—she gestured around us—“this.”
“You were so young. I didn’t think you remembered me a whole lot.”
“You didn’t brush me off like my sisters, and you talked about real things. It’s not superficial. Not like all his other—” Distress filled her eyes, and she bit the inside of her cheeks.
“His other girlfriends?” Superficial or not, it had ended for all of us with Alder.
She pulled a face. “If you can call them that.” She cut a hand through the air. “Fake marriage or not, I’m not talking about his dating history.”
Yet here I was, hanging on every word, waiting to hear how they were so wrong for him. “I can discuss mine if that makes you feel better.” I’d feel like shit, but my curiosity was strong.
She chuckled. “The only thing I’m interested in is meeting Laila. She sounds delightful.”
“You’ve heard about her?”
Lily nodded. “Alder said she likes afternoon drives and treating him like he’s invisible.”
That got a smile out of me. “She’s a ride or die for her dad.”
“Good.” Lily’s grin was mischievous. “Alder can learn to work for a girl’s affection.”
I laughed despite the heaviness of the day. The good humor didn’t last long, and I let out a sigh. “There’s no way to fast-forward an entire year, is there?”
She laughed. “No, but I can tell you, the next year might be eye-opening in a way you never would’ve expected.”
Her convenient marriage had worked out, and I was grateful for that little precocious sister who often had gotten lost in the shuffle of all her siblings. But we were all adults now. I needed routine and predictability. There was nothing routine about getting married on a Monday or predictable about moving in with the ex-husband I had only reconnected with a week ago.
But if there was one thing I could do, it was toss away my old life and move on. One of these times, it’d actually be a good decision.