Chapter 10 Daisy
TEN
DAISY
SIXTEEN YEARS OLD
“Come on, you don’t have to be shy.”
Daisy sent a little scowl to Cash’s back as he hauled her along by the hand toward his house.
Don’t be shy?
Had he met her?
Okay, fine. She was still completely mortified by the way he had met her. Could she have done anything more embarrassing? Three days in town and she crashed her bike in front of someone who had to be the cutest boy she’d ever seen.
She thought she must have hit her head and died. Drifted off to heaven because when she opened her eyes, he was there.
This boy with the kindest hazel eyes and the softest, sweetest voice.
But her bashed-up body promised she definitely wasn’t in heaven, and humiliation had come racing in when she realized what had happened.
“You aren’t exactly graceful, but you are the grace I have in my heart.” Her mother’s tender voice flashed through her mind, the way she’d be in the kitchen whipping something in a mixing bowl, a gentle laugh rippling from her mouth after Daisy had injured herself again.
Sorrow washed through her. A tidal wave of it. The kind that threatened to drag her to the bottom of a toiling sea.
Break her on its rocks.
Keep her suspended in purgatory.
Most of the time that’s what it felt like.
Living in hell.
But she knew her mom would have wanted her to go on living.
Daisy tipped her head as they made it to the front stoop of Cash’s house.
Even though her eyes were averted, she could feel the weight of his grin as he turned toward her, tugging harder at her hand. “Come on, Little Wallflower, I promise my mom doesn’t bite.”
Without her responding, he tossed open the door, his personality so big and booming as he dragged her into a living room. “Hey, Mom! I’m back. I’ve got a friend, and I’m starving!”
“When aren’t you starving?” a voice hollered from what Daisy assumed was the kitchen through an arch on the opposite side of the room.
Warm laughter rolled from Cash. “How else am I supposed to have the energy to train? I’m a growing boy, remember?”
“A proper excuse for eating me out of house and home.” The woman’s voice was soft and adoring.
Cash led Daisy through the arch. She kept her head dipped a bit, though she was peeking out to take in the kitchen. A big, L-shaped counter sectioned it off, stools on this side. The cabinets were a yellowed oak and the countertops were a veined granite that matched.
A woman was on the other side of the bar. She had warm brown hair, the same color as Cash’s, and a bright smile on her face.
“And who do we have here?” she asked, welcome written all over her face as she dried her hands on a hand towel.
Shyness pulsed through Daisy, and she drew her shoulders to her ears.
Cash only tugged her forward.
“This is Daisy, my new friend I was telling you about. The one who lives with Ms. Lopez.”
Cash’s mom’s eyes softened, something like sympathy lighting in them.
The timidity inside Daisy both receded and expanded.
Most people in this town already knew she was a foster kid. She’d heard the rash of rumors that came with it. The stares and murmurings the few times she got brave enough to walk into town to buy painting supplies.
Something the counselor had encouraged her to do to help her process through the emotions she had a difficult time making sense of.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Daisy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Cunningham,” she whispered, hoping her voice didn’t crack.
“You can call me Stacy, no need for formalities around here. Goodness knows these hoodlums are about as lax as they come.”
She cast an affectionate glance at Cash, her hazel eyes playful.
Cash released Daisy’s hand and lifted both of his. “Hey, you know I’ve got nothing but respect, but that doesn’t mean I need to have a stick up my ass.”
Stacy grabbed the hand towel and whipped it over the counter at Cash. “Watch your mouth.”
Cash jumped back with a laugh then rounded the counter and pecked a kiss on her cheek. “Do we have anything to eat around here?”
She gestured with her shoulder toward the refrigerator. “We have some of that casserole from last night and there are cookies in the pantry.”
“You baked cookies?” His brows shot for the ceiling.
“Hardly. I leave that nonsense to the elves.” Stacy sent a sly smile to Daisy.
A flush rushed to her cheeks, but she smiled back.
“Well, I think I’m finished in here.” Stacy closed the dishwasher then pushed a button to start it. “I’ll leave you two to go at it.”
The flush on Daisy’s cheeks turned flaming red, but she couldn’t stop herself from peeking over at Cash, wondering what his reaction would be.
Cash choked a disbelieving sound followed by a laugh. “Mom…did you just hear yourself? You’re going to make poor Daisy here think I’m up to no good.”
Confusion traipsed across her face before her eyes went wide, and she waved both hands in front of her like she was giving the universal sign to stop, laughing, too. “Oh, no, no, I’m…that’s not what I meant. Cash knows better than to go at it in the kitchen.”
Cash cracked up. “Mom, seriously…making it worse here.”
She put a hand over her eyes. “I know. Oh my gosh, so awkward. I’m sorry. I’ll just leave you two in peace. It was so nice to meet you, Daisy.”
She gave a little squeeze to Daisy’s shoulder as she passed before she breezed out through the archway.
Daisy bit down on her bottom lip, peeking between Cash and the spot where his mom had disappeared.
Her chest felt fuzzy and full.
The void her own mom had left ached intensely, but something else wrapped her like a blanket.
“My mom’s a little over the top,” he said, though there was no embarrassment or anger to it.
“She’s so nice,” Daisy whispered.
“Yeah, she’s cool as fuck.”
He peered over at her then, like he felt the wave of grief. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
She shook her head. “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m happy for you.”
He gave her a gentle smile, and his head tipped to the side, sending a flop of his warm brown hair brushing over one eye.
Her belly toppled over in something she didn’t quite recognize.
Then his expression twisted into mischief. “Would you hate me if I told you I’m glad you crashed your bike?”
“I might not hate you, but I think I’d be concerned you might be a sadist.” Somehow, she managed her own grin.
A low chuckle rolled out of him. “Well, I’m not happy you got hurt. I’m just glad I got to save you.”
He sent her a wink as he turned and opened the pantry door.
She climbed onto a stool, her head angled down as she muttered, “I’m glad you saved me, too.”
“Ah, we are in luck. Look what I found.” Cash turned around and waved a box of Red Vines in the air, a box of cookies in the other. “Time to carb it up, Little Wallflower.”
He tossed both packages onto the counter then reached into the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of Gatorade. He set one down in front of her then came around the counter and sat next to her.
He opened both snack packages, pulled out a vine and handed it to Daisy, before he grabbed one for himself.
He flicked his against hers like he was clinking a glass during a toast, his hazel eyes easy and warm as he said, “To first friends.”
Then he lifted the vine to his mouth and bit off a big piece.
Daisy nibbled at hers as she watched him eat.
And for the first time in a year, she felt truly alive.