19. Daisy
CHAPTER 19
daisy
“Landry … your face,” I whisper and nudge him in the shoulder, and his expression softens a second later. But I can almost hear him grinding his teeth as he watches his sister pose for a group picture around a baptismal font with her soon-to-be in-laws. Blake holds baby Jake up proudly, and JD pulls Charley’s bonnet back to kiss the top of her head, then he turns and does the same to Penny from her spot in Tenley’s arms.
Landry clears his throat. “He shouldn’t be kissing the babies like that. Who knows what he could be passing on to the girls, especially with their preemie immune systems?”
“Oh, come on. They’ve been exposed to tons of new people in the past few days alone, and it won’t be any better by the wedding next weekend. JD’s probably doing them a favor right now by helping them build new immunities,” I offer reassuringly.
“Right, in addition to all the bacteria that’s been growing in that stagnant water Father Conrad just poured over their heads,” he mutters.
I huff out a laugh. “It’s Holy water, silly.”
“Let me guess, the priest’s blessings give it antimicrobial properties?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow at me.
“Nah, that kind of miracle’s reserved for the consecrated hosts,” I retort. He shoots me another skeptical glare, making me laugh again. “It’s not like they’re drinking the water or getting kissed on the face, Landry. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
He frowns but doesn’t say anything else until a hand appears on his shoulder, and he jolts to attention.
“Hey, there, Landry,” we hear Dr. Broussard’s soft voice call from behind us. I’m slightly flattered when he tips his head in a smile and adds, “Hello, Miss Daisy.” I didn’t think he’d remember my name after only meeting me once.
“Hey, Doc,” Landry turns and reaches back for a reluctant handshake, and we both trade greetings with Mrs. Broussard as she slides into the pew beside her husband.
“We didn’t want to impose, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hang around after Mass and get a peek at those beautiful nieces and that adorable nephew of yours,” Mrs. Broussard explains.
I stifle a smirk when Landry’s nostrils flare at the mention of JD and Tenley’s baby as his nephew.
“I know you’re enjoying having those baby girls so close,” Dr. Broussard directs at Landry before turning to me. “Dr. Reed’s been scooping up all the brand-new patients before I can get to them. If I didn’t know any better, I’d tell you to watch out. He might be coming down with a case of baby fever.”
My cheeks heat. “Oh, well, um … we’re not …” I purposefully leave the statement unfinished, hoping they form their own conclusions. I’m sure Landry wouldn’t appreciate letting the Broussards go on thinking we’re making babies together, but I also don’t want to back myself into a corner and be forced to choose between lying in church or divulging the details of our secret marriage of convenience.
Dr. Broussard’s eyebrows draw in together, though he’s still smiling. “But I thought …”
“Like I said before, we’re roommates,” Landry clarifies, his voice flat.
“My brother and Landry lived together in college,” I volunteer awkwardly. “And now we live together, here. In Camellia. Well, not together , obviously, but in the same house.”
“I suppose your brother can rest assured you’re in good hands, then,” Dr. Broussard replies, his smile looking less genuine now.
We make small talk for another minute before they excuse themselves, and Landry goes back to supervising while the rest of his family takes turns posing for photos with the girls in their frilly white dresses.
“Go ahead, I’ll take your picture,” I urge him forward after a while. He drags his feet for a second before he steps in to take Charley from Lilley’s arms, and Loren smiles tentatively at him before she turns for me to get a few photos of them together.
Loren waves me over then, and Blake hands Penny to me before I realize what’s going on. “Give me your phone,” she demands.
“Oh, you don’t have to?—”
“I want a picture of the girls with their N’oncle Lan and their honorary Tante Daisy.”
She smirks, seemingly pleased with herself as she takes a few steps back and lines up the shot. I peek at Landry from the corner of my eye. He’s pressing his lips into a hard line and looking mighty uncomfortable again.
“Smile, Landry,” Loren orders, and he lets out a quiet groan before he forces a softer expression.
I turn to him after Loren lowers my phone, his frown already returning. “Thanks for sharing this with me,” I whisper quietly.
“You’re already here,” he mumbles, and my smile falters for a second. But I lift the corners of my mouth again, because I don’t want to pile more guilt onto his shoulders. I’m sure he’s only been including me in everything because he feels obligated to keep me around, even though I genuinely enjoy spending time with him and his family.
But he surprises me by reaching out to stop me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.” He pauses and shakes his head. “I know how much you love the girls and wouldn’t have wanted to miss their baptism.”
“It’s okay. I’m sure you’re getting tired of having me tag along all the time.”
He shrugs. “You help keep me in line.”
The butterflies in my stomach get a kick out of that one, and I barely manage to stop myself from breaking out into a full grin as we walk back toward the pews.
“All right, we’re heading over to Mom’s,” I hear Tenley say as we approach, and everyone begins gathering their things.
“Thank God. I’m starving,” Blake whines.
“Because you’re hungover as hell,” Landry blurts out, and I prepare myself for the worst.
But Blake only cringes and rubs his head with a smile on his face. “I’m definitely that. Why’d you let me drink so much, anyway?” he asks Landry when he takes Charley to strap her into her car seat.
I watch as Landry’s expression shifts to something dark, and Blake flinches once he realizes what he’s said. “Ah, sorry, man. I was just kidding,” he leans in and tells Landry quietly.
“What?” Loren turns and asks once she senses the tension between them.
“They were just saying that some of us had a little too much fun last night,” I volunteer as I take a step closer to Landry, and he visibly relaxes. “Thanks for braiding my hair for me after I passed out on your couch, by the way,” I continue, directing my comment at Loren. “I imagine it would have been a mess this morning if I’d have slept with it down.”
Loren looks confused. “I didn’t braid your hair, Rapunzel.”
“Oh,” I reply thoughtfully. “Then … I wonder who did?”
“Yeah, I wonder,” Loren echoes, smirking at her brother.
Blake raises an eyebrow, and I instinctively follow his lead to check Landry’s reaction.
“I … I just thought …” Landry begins, and I could swear his ears are turning red. “You usually braid it before bed,” he sputters, then he shrugs and drops his eyes to the ground.
“Score one for Tipsy Daisy,” Loren mumbles, but I barely hear her.
I blink up at Landry in disbelief, because no matter how hard I try, I can’t wrap my mind around the image of him braiding my hair.
I woke up this morning with a foggy recollection of him carrying me to bed. But the only parts I remember are the way his arms felt cradling me while my hand rested on the back of his neck. It was already an unbelievably tender and sweet act on his part, and not at all surprising for the Landry I know. But stopping to tend to my hair?
“You know how to braid?” I ask without thinking.
He coughs and crosses his arms over his chest. “Lilley taught me before she moved away for college. For Lo.”
I’m still gaping at him when Blake chimes in. “Does that mean you would have held my hair back for me last night if I’d gotten sick, Lando?” he poses with a grin.
Landry growls, but Tenley’s mom saves us by interrupting to remind Blake and Loren that she has lunch waiting for everyone back at her house.
“Landry, Daisy, y’all come on,” she adds.
“Oh, we can’t impose,” I reply, thinking of Landry’s comment from a few minutes ago.
“ Mais cher , you’re not imposing if you get an invitation. And you never need one around here, anyway.” Mrs. T winks and squeezes my arm affectionately.
“Thank you,” I tell her. “A good meal doesn’t sound so bad, right, Landry?”
“Of course, he’s coming,” Mrs. T says, patting his shoulder next. Landry forces a smile and nods, and we’re all ushered out to the parking lot.
“We don’t have to go to lunch with everyone if you don’t want to. I mean, I figure you might want some downtime after last night, especially since you’ll be seeing everyone for the wedding festivities all this week and into next weekend,” I begin rambling before he can crank the Jeep.
“Do you want to go?” he asks me.
“Well, yes. And not only because Tenley’s mom is a good cook.” I chuckle when I say it.
“Okay,” he says. “We’ll go. On one condition.”
“What’s that?” I ask curiously.
He sighs. “You forget the hair-braiding thing ever happened.”
I bite my lip to hide my smile. “I’m not sure I can forget it, but I can pretend I didn’t know it was you.”
His lips twitch, but he keeps his face blank. “Good enough.”