Chapter 35 #2
Elliot patted him on the arm. ‘Yeah, okay, buddy, good luck with that! I’ll see you tomorrow!
’ He chuckled to himself as he made his way through the parking lot to his car, leaving Caleb scowling on the porch.
It was nice to be on this side of his mother’s concerns.
Let Caleb deal with her worries for a bit.
A text vibrated the phone in his pocket. Daisy.
Ice cream?! I’m melting!
Elliot smiled, his heart picking up speed just thinking about seeing his Daisy again.
Sure. Meet you there.
It didn’t take long before they were sharing a brownie sundae in the Apple Pie Ice Cream Parlor with several dozen of their neighbors.
The place was packed, but Elliot wasn’t really seeing anyone else but Daisy.
The humidity had curled the hair at her temples, and her cheeks were rosy.
She was wearing a dark gray T-shirt dress today that hugged all her curves.
Their legs were tangled under the small table, their heads tipped over their shared sundae. Daisy’s spoon disappeared between her lips, and Elliot was distracted by her mouth, by the thoughts of what he wanted to do with it later.
He wasn’t sure if he’d been this happy with Leigh at any point in the past, but he knew for a fact his libido had never done this before. He couldn’t get enough of Daisy. He wanted her all. The. Damn. Time. She made him insatiable.
She smirked around her spoon like she knew exactly what he was thinking about.
‘What do you want to do after this?’ she asked.
‘I have a few ideas.’
‘Do any of them involve keeping my clothes on?’
Elliot grinned. ‘Nope.’
Daisy laughed, husky and sweet, and he was ready to ditch the last of their ice cream and drag her out of here when Jack and Gabe appeared at their table.
‘Mind if we join you?’ Jack asked. ‘There’s no more tables.’
Elliot looked up, noticing the crowd for the first time.
‘Of course,’ Daisy answered. ‘We’ll share.’ She moved over and perched herself on Elliot’s lap. He wrapped an arm around her waist, certainly not going to argue with this seating arrangement.
‘Great,’ Gabe said, sitting and pulling Jack into his own lap. ‘We’ll share, too.’
Jack’s eyes went wide as he sat, and Elliot gave him a big smile. It was too hot for a vest, but Jack made up for it with a sunny button-down shirt. Gabe was in his usual grass-stained T-shirt and jeans. They were so different, but they looked like they fit together, like they just made sense.
‘You guys are very cute together,’ Daisy said, and Gabe grinned.
‘Thanks. I had a crush on Jack for so long.’
Jack nearly choked on his milkshake. ‘You didn’t tell me that.’
Gabe kissed his cheek and Jack looked like he might melt into a puddle on the floor. ‘Of course I didn’t tell you. I was nervous.’
‘You?’
‘Yeah.’
‘You were nervous?’
‘Of course. Why does that surprise you?’
Jack sputtered. Apparently in all their sneaking away to make out they’d never actually discussed anything about their feelings for each other or when they had started.
‘Because you’re you. And you’re beautiful.’
Gabe’s smile grew. ‘So are you, babe.’
Daisy clapped. ‘Adorable. I guess you guys are official.’
‘Sitting on a man’s lap in the middle of the ice-cream shop usually does the trick,’ Jack said, still looking a little dazed.
‘So, I can call you my boyfriend now?’ Gabe asked.
Before Jack could choke out a response, which wasn’t really needed since the answer was clearly yes, Hazel and Noah appeared at their table. Elliot didn’t think they could pile any more people on these two chairs, but Noah had managed to grab a couple and drag them over.
‘Can we join you?’ Hazel asked.
‘Of course!’ Daisy said, and Elliot gave her a little squeeze.
‘How’s everyone doing?’ Noah asked as they sat. He gestured to Jack and Gabe with his chin. ‘You two are a thing now?’
‘He’s my boyfriend,’ Gabe said, smiling around the straw of his milkshake. Jack just sighed, dreamily.
‘Congrats,’ Noah said with a grin.
‘And you two look cozy,’ Hazel said, directing her attention to Daisy and Elliot.
‘We are very cozy,’ Daisy said, ‘So if you could spread the word that the curse is broken, I’d really appreciate it. Maybe your dad could make some sort of announcement.’
Hazel laughed. ‘How do you know it’s broken?’ she asked, digging into her ice cream.
‘Well…’ Daisy launched into the story of her great-aunt’s diary and the similarities between them, while Elliot just enjoyed holding her.
Her ass in his lap was quite distracting…
They hadn’t had sex in this position yet, in a chair …
that might be something they should try, sooner rather than later…
By the time he had tuned back in, Daisy was passing around her phone to show everyone how much she looked like her great-aunt and Elliot was trying to reposition her, so it wasn’t too obvious what he had been daydreaming about.
‘This is crazy!’ Jack was saying. ‘Elliot, this man looks just like you!’
‘It’s wild, right? That’s Elliot’s distant cousin or something,’ Daisy said. ‘It’s like we had to break this generational curse. Our ancestors couldn’t figure out how to be together, but we did!’ God, she was cute when she was talking about historical love curses that somehow brought them together.
Elliot didn’t think he believed in fate but maybe…
Jack passed the phone back. ‘Well, I’m glad you two found each other.’
‘Me, too,’ Daisy said with a smile. ‘And I’m sure the next wedding I do flowers for will lead to a long and happy marriage.’ She looked pointedly around the table.
Noah laughed. ‘Don’t look at us. We’re already happily married.’
Daisy rolled her eyes. ‘But you never had a reception. Don’t you want a big party?’
‘Not particularly,’ Hazel said, and Noah dropped a kiss to her head.
‘That’s my little introvert.’
‘Well, if you ever decide to let all your friends and loved ones celebrate with you, come to me for all your floral needs,’ Daisy said, not letting them get away with avoiding a party that easily.
Gabe laughed. ‘I like your style.’
‘Don’t think you’re off the hook,’ she said, wagging a finger at him. ‘When you decide to be husband and husband, the same applies.’
‘Jesus, Daisy! We just said boyfriend for the first time,’ Jack said, appalled.
Daisy shrugged. ‘Just putting it out there.’
Elliot chuckled and Daisy smiled at him.
‘I love you,’ he whispered against her ear as the others started talking about Gabe possibly volunteering for the fire department. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
Daisy grabbed his hand. ‘Your place or mine?’
‘Yours is closer.’
Daisy laughed as they waved goodbye and hurried out the door.