Chapter 9 Daisy
Sunlight streamed through my window, and I lay there for a long moment, letting the memories of last night wash over me. Knox's hands on my body. His mouth on my skin. The way he'd said my name when he came apart.
A smile tugged at my lips. Then reality crept in, cold and unwelcome.
Cal.
I had to talk to Cal.
I showered and dressed slowly, rehearsing conversations in my head. None of them went well. How did you tell the man who'd raised you, the man who'd been more of a father than your actual father, that he'd ruined your life with a choice he'd made eight years ago?
I went downstairs to find Cal already gone. A note on the counter said he had an early shift and wouldn't be back until dinner.
Relief and frustration warred in my chest. I had time to prepare, but I also had time to overthink.
Knox's truck pulled into the driveway at eight, right on schedule. I watched him climb out, toolbox in hand, and felt my stomach flip. He looked up at the window, caught me watching, and smiled.
That smile. God, that smile could undo me.
I met him at the back door. Before I could say anything, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me, slow and thorough, like we had all the time in the world.
"Good morning," he murmured against my lips.
"Good morning yourself."
He pulled back, studying my face. "You okay?"
"Cal's not here. He left early. I was going to talk to him tonight."
Knox nodded, his expression sobering. "You want me there?"
"No." I shook my head. "This is between me and him. At least at first."
"Whatever you need." He kissed my forehead. "I'll be here."
I watched him head to the deck, then grabbed my bag and left for work. The conversation with Cal would have to wait until tonight. In the meantime, I had patients to see and a life to pretend was normal.
***
The clinic was busy. Friday always was, people trying to squeeze in appointments before the weekend. I threw myself into the work, grateful for the distraction.
Lila noticed something was different. Of course she did.
"You're glowing," she said during a quiet moment between patients. "Either you won the lottery or you got laid."
I choked on my coffee. "Lila."
"I'm a doctor. I notice things." She grinned. "Also, you have a hickey on your neck that your collar isn't quite covering."
My hand flew to my neck. Sure enough, there was a tender spot just below my jaw. Knox's mouth, last night, when he'd been driving me insane.
"I'm going to kill him," I muttered.
"Him?" Lila's eyebrows rose. "So there is a him. Anyone I know?"
I hesitated, but Lila was already becoming a friend, and I needed someone to talk to who wasn't Mae, whose gossip network could spread news faster than wildfire.
"Knox Parker," I said quietly.
Lila’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline.
"Knox," she whisper shouted so the waiting room wouldn’t hear. "The Knox who used to be in trouble every other week until a few years ago. That Knox."
"We have history."
"Clearly." Lila leaned against the counter, arms crossed.
"I've been here five years, and I've never seen Knox with anyone.
Not seriously. There have been rumors, but he's always kept to himself.
People thought he was still hung up on someone from his past." She paused. "I'm guessing that someone was you."
My chest tightened. "It's complicated."
"Love usually is." Lila's voice softened. "Just be careful, okay? Not because of Knox. But because small towns talk, and Cal Taylor is a complicated man with a lot of opinions about who's good enough for his niece."
"I know." I thought about the conversation waiting for me tonight. "Trust me, I know."
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of patients and paperwork. I was counting down the hours until I could go home and face Cal when the front desk buzzed.
"Daisy? There's someone here to see you. Says he's your fiancé?"
My blood turned to ice.
No. No, no, no.
I walked to the waiting room on legs that felt like they belonged to someone else. And there he was.
Garrett Collins.
He stood near the window in a perfectly pressed suit, looking as out of place in Hollow Peak as one could get. His hair was styled, his shoes were polished, and he was holding a bouquet of red roses in front of him.
I hated roses. He never remembered that.
"Daisy." He smiled, that charming smile that used to make me feel special and now made my skin crawl. "Surprise."
I was acutely aware of everyone watching. The receptionist. The two patients in the waiting room. Lila, who had followed me out and was standing in the hallway with an assessing look.
"What are you doing here?" My voice came out flat.
"I came to see you." He stepped closer, and I stepped back. His smile flickered. "I made a mistake, Daisy. A huge mistake. I've been doing a lot of thinking since you left, and I realized I can't live without you."
"You seemed to be living fine when you were sleeping with your business partner's wife."
The receptionist gasped. One of the patients suddenly became very interested in a magazine.
Garrett's smile went tight. "Can we talk about this somewhere private?"
"No." I crossed my arms. "We can't. Because there's nothing to talk about. We're done, Garrett. We've been done for months. You need to leave."
"Daisy, please." He reached for my hand, and I jerked away. His eyes hardened, just for a second, before the charming mask slid back into place. "You're upset. I understand. But if you'd give me a chance to explain..."
"I don't need an explanation. I need you to leave."
"Five minutes." He held up the roses like a peace offering. "That's all I'm asking. Five minutes over dinner tonight."
I thought about calling Cal and having Garrett escorted out of town. Except, everyone was watching, and part of me, the part that had spent four years being carefully managed by this man, wanted to end this cleanly. I wanted closure in a way that didn't involve a public fight in my workplace.
"Fine," I said. "Dinner. Tonight. But after that, you leave. For good."
Garrett's smile widened. "That's all I ask."
He handed me the roses. I took them because it was easier than arguing. Then he left, and I stood in the middle of the waiting room feeling like I'd made a terrible mistake.
Lila appeared at my elbow. "Please tell me you're not actually having dinner with that man."
"One dinner. Then he's gone." I looked down at the roses. They were beautiful. Expensive. Everything Garrett did was calculated for maximum impact, except care about what I actually liked or wanted.
"You don't owe him anything," Lila said quietly. "Whatever he did, whatever he said, you don't owe him a single second of your time."
"I know." I tossed the roses in the trash. "But I need to end this. For me. Not for him."
Lila nodded slowly. "Just be careful. Men like that don't like being told no."
I thought about Knox. About tonight. About all the things I still needed to do before I could really move forward.
"I'll be fine," I said. "I'm not the same woman who left Denver."
I hoped that was true.
***
I texted Knox during my lunch break.
My ex showed up at the clinic. Garrett. He wants to have dinner tonight to "talk."
His response came immediately. What?
Then, seconds later: Do you want me to handle this?
I smiled despite myself.
No. I need to do this myself. End it properly. He'll be gone after tonight.
A pause. I don't like this.
I know. But I need to do it.
Timberline Tavern?
Probably. It's the only real restaurant in town.
I'll be there. Not interfering. Just there. In case.
My heart swelled. This man. This infuriating, protective, impossible man.
Thank you.
I put my phone away and went back to work, trying not to think about dinner, about Garrett, about the confrontation that was coming.
Tonight, I would end things with Garrett for good.
Tomorrow, I would deal with Cal.
And then, finally, I could start building the life I actually wanted.
With Knox.
If we could survive everything standing in our way.