Chapter 12
A couple of days later Daisy stood in the kitchen looking nervously at the piles of home made toaster pastries she’d made.
They were perfect. Perfectly golden brown, crispy on the outside, fruit filled centers, and more than enough vanilla frosting on the tops of them.
But she still wasn’t convinced they were good enough.
“Are you sure this’ll be okay?” Daisy asked.
“Honey, why are you so nervous about bringing a dessert? Getting together with your cousins is nothing new,” Janie said. “And yes, the homemade toaster pastries are fine. Three choices of flavors and lots of frosting — what could be better?”
“You should have made something,” Daisy grumbled.
“Why?”
“Because I want to be sure it’s good,” Daisy said.
“They are good. I ate three, one of each flavor.”
“Hope everybody else agrees,” Daisy mumbled as she packed up all her pop-tarts.
“You do realize you’re cooking for your cousins. Some of them ate dirt as kids! I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Janie said.
Daisy couldn’t help but chuckle, but quickly squelched it. “I just want them to think they’re good.”
“They will. And seriously, why the worry? You usually just show up, add your contribution to the table, and not think about it.”
Daisy sighed, spun on her heel and faced her mother with her hands on her hips. “Because I haven’t shown up in a while! And Charlie’s coming, and I want him to think I can cook!”
“Ohhh. I understand. Well, you can cook.”
“Not like you.”
“Not a lot of people can cook like me, except Avaleigh, and nobody cooks like her. But we all have our specialties. I grew up cooking. You didn’t. But what you do cook, is always very tasty,” Janie said.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. If you want to learn to cook a wider variety, start cooking more at home. I’ll help you.”
“I’ll have to find time for that. I really have to up my game,” Daisy said.
“Up your game? I didn’t know you had game.”
“I don’t, apparently. Which is why I need to up it.”
“Well, then you let me know when you have time and we will up your game. Honestly, though, I don’t think Charlie cares too much about your cooking skills. He’s more interested in the woman, not the skills.”
“I hope so. I really let my guard down with him, and I’m regretting it already.”
“Don’t. He’s a good man, and he adores you, and Carson adores you.”
“Carson adores Dad,” Daisy said with a laugh.
“Oh, my God, he adores your Dad so much!”
“It’s sweet,” Daisy said.
“It really is. Especially because your dad loves him, too,” Janie added.
Daisy tucked a sheet of wax paper over the last layer of her home-made toaster pastries just like she’d placed between each of the layers stacked inside the picnic basket she’d loaded them into, and closed the lid.
“Alright, I guess that’s it,” she said, looking around to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.
“Is everybody coming?” Janie asked, as she followed Daisy to the front door.
“I don’t know. Havoc called yesterday and said, and I quote, ‘Barbecue at my house tomorrow afternoon after work, be there or be square. Charlie’s coming with Carson. Bye.’”
“He just hung up after?” Janie asked.
“Yep.”
“I guess I’m not surprised. I’d hoped that Analise would smooth his hard edges, but it looks kind of hopeless now.”
Daisy laughed. “He’s one of the smartest, most thoughtful, intentionally irritating males I’ve ever met. And he has changed so very much. He just still likes to poke at the rest of us every chance he gets.”
“Analise is the one we should be admiring. She not only mated him, she married him,” Janie said.
Daisy laughed.
“Love is blind,” Janie said as she walked out on the porch to see her daughter off.
Daisy’s steps stumbled to a stop. She turned slowly to look at her mother. “Is it? Is that why I’m trusting Charlie? What if he’s secretly a horrible person? I can’t read him, Mom. I can’t read him like I can read everybody else. Why can’t I read him?”
“Daisy, honey, calm down. It’s okay. Your dad already told you that he’s a good man, remember?”
“Yes, but why can’t I see that? I can see everybody but those I’m interested in. I couldn’t see…” Daisy stopped talking, clamming up when she realized she was about to say too much.
“You couldn’t see who?” Janie asked.
“Doesn’t matter. I just can’t seem to read anyone when it affects me, but I can see everybody else and their mates.”
“I don’t know. But I remember that there was an issue with Bam and Everly.
Bam could tell when everyone else met their mates, but when he looked at Everly, he saw nothing, so he thought they weren’t really mates and avoided her because it hurt him so much to be around her and know that he couldn’t have her. Maybe it’s something like that.”
Daisy thought about it. “Yeah, maybe,” she echoed.
“You should ask your Uncle Bam the next time you see him,” Janie suggested. “I know they figured it out eventually. Obviously.”
Daisy nodded. “Yes, you’re right. That’s what I’ll do.”
“Good. Now, go have fun. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon, and evening for that matter.”
“I will, Mom. Thanks,” Daisy said.
“For what?”
“For always knowing exactly what to say.”
“I love you,” Janie said, quickly kissing her daughter’s cheek. “Be careful crossing the road. People speed up and down that thing like it’s a racetrack.”
Daisy waved at her mom as she backed out, and headed off toward Havoc’s house.
As she pulled up the first thing she noticed was Harley and Carson sitting across from each other in the side yard with Gerald. Carson was holding a long green bean while Gerald took bites of it and chewed lazily.
Havoc was standing at the grill checking whatever he was grilling, and Charlie stood the moment she pulled into the driveway, grinning as he watched her put her jeep in park and turn off the engine.
Before she even had her door opened fully, he was standing there.
“Hey! You have a lot to get? Let me help you carry it.”
“Hi!” she said. “I just have my keys and the picnic basket. I’m leaving my purse in the jeep.”
“Give me the basket,” Charlie said, the excitement he felt at seeing her impossible to hide.
“I got it, it’s not that heavy,” Daisy said, as she got out and tucked her keys in her pocket, her phone in the other, and slipped the handles of the basket over her arm.
“Give me the basket!” Charlie insisted, gently removing it from her arm.
“If you insist,” she said with a laugh, allowing him to lead her toward the patio where they were congregating.
Havoc closed the lid on his car-sized grill and made a show of making his way over to her with exaggerated steps until he finally reached her and gave her a bear hug, planting kisses all over her face.
Daisy laughed, trying to push him away, but he only let her go when he was ready.
“About time you got here! We been out here cooking for at least twenty minutes.”
“Twenty minutes doesn’t seem that long,” Daisy said.
“Considering I could walk to your house in ten minutes, it’s twice as long as it should have been, and like, five times as long as it should have been since you were driving.”
“I’m profoundly sorry,” Daisy said.
Charlie chuckled at the banter between them.
“Daisy! Look at the iguana!” Carson exclaimed.
Daisy looked over to where Carson and Harley sat with her iguana. “I see him. He’s pretty special isn’t he?”
“He is. I like that he’s orange. Orange is a happy color,” Carson said as he looked at the iguana. Then he focused on Daisy again. “Is Mr. Bane coming, too?”
“No, baby. He’s with his friends today.”
“Oh. Okay. I thought I might show him Harley’s iguana.”
“He’s met Gerald,” Harley said.
“Has he?” Carson asked.
“Yeah. He laughed when I told him that he’s better than a dog. Then he tried to get him to sit, but Gerald only sits when Gerald wants to sit,” Harley said.
Carson nodded thoughtfully. Then without getting up he twisted his little body to face Daisy fully. “This is my friend, Daisy. Her name is Harley.”
Daisy smiled at him. “Harley is my niece.”
“Is she?” Carson asked. He took a few moments to think about it, then nodded his head at whatever had occurred to him. “I should have known. She’s nice like you are.”
“Aww, thank you, Carson.”
About that time Gerald lifted one of his clawed feet and tapped at Carson’s hand to remind him that he was still eating.
“Oh, I have to finish feeding Gerald,” Carson said.
“Do I hear my favorite cousin?” Analise asked, as she came down the stairs leading from her raised front porch to the ground level.
Daisy looked up and waited for her to reach them. When she did, Daisy took one of the platters Analise was holding.
“Could you hand that one to Havoc?” Analise asked.
“Sure,” Daisy said, doing exactly what Analise had asked.
“It’s baked potatoes, well, partially baked.
I cooked them halfway in the microwave, then slathered butter and kosher salt on the outside and wrapped them in foil to go on the grill with the steaks,” Analise explained.
“They’re gonna get some of that smoky flavor and the skin will get a little crispy.
And when we have them, we’ll load them up with all this!
” she said, placing a tray of bowls on the outdoor table.
It held sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, butter, crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, a bowl of sauteed sweet yellow onion, and even a small bowl of chili.
“We have a baked potato bar?” Charlie asked.
“Yes, we do!” Analise said.
“What’s for dessert?” Havoc asked.
“I brought home made toaster pastries.”
His eyes narrowed as he looked at Daisy. “You brought me pop tarts?” he asked.
“Yes. I did. I made blueberry, lemon, and apple. Take your choice.”
His eyes remained narrowed. “You put frosting on them?”
“Lots of frosting. Too much frosting,” Daisy answered.
“Give me one,” he said, holding out one hand as he prodded the coals with the long grill fork he held in his other hand.
“Which one?” she asked.
“Apple,” Havoc said. “Wait, hold on, how many you bring?”
“About forty.”