Chapter Twenty
West
The next morning at breakfast is as infuriating as last night’s dinner. I’ve barely even hung my hat and entered the kitchen, when Lemon starts in on me. “Did you drop by Daisy’s last night?”
“Good morning, Mama,” I kiss her cheek and head for the coffee pot, ignoring my sister’s question. “Lemon.”
“Well?”
“She has a newborn,” I remind her.
“Which is exactly why she shouldn’t be left alone right now. West, when I dropped her off yesterday, she had no damn food in her fridge. The milk was sour, she hadn’t done her weekly shop before she went into labor, and she claimed she was too exhausted to eat.”
“And I’m sure you helped her out with that little problem. We all know how much you love to shop.”
She twists her lips in a pout, the way she used to when she was little. “That’s beside the point. You are the only man in her life. The only one who hasn’t left her high and dry, until now.”
“Well, maybe Daisy-Mae needs to find herself a husband. Tell me, Lemon, why am I getting read the riot act when I’m not the one who impregnated her? Why don’t you call fucking Eddie Buchannan and tell him all of this bullshit?”
“Because you’re ten times the man ‘Fast Eddie’ will ever be.
Or at least I thought you were.” She shakes her head, her disappointment falling over me like a weighted blanket, and I won’t lie.
It stings. “I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but I’ve never been ashamed of you my entire life . .. until now.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Mama says, and I know I’ve done it now.
I turn and face the most important woman in my life—next to Daisy and my sister, of course. “Mama—”
Mama raises her hand. I close my mouth right quick.
“No one is asking you to marry her, but you get your behind in that truck. Then, you’re going to pick up some flowers from the Piggly Wiggly, a box of those expensive chocolates from the fancy new shop on Main, and some groceries—because she’s been too busy having a baby to make sure there’s fresh milk in her refrigerator.
You tuck your tail between your legs, and apologize to that woman. ”
I open my mouth to protest, but Mama’s glare obliterates the words on the tip of my tongue. “So help me God, West William Winchester. I raised you right, now you go make it right, or you don’t set foot in this house again.”
“Mama!”
“I mean it. That woman has been good to this family, and she deserves better than to be left outside the damn hospital with her newborn waiting on an asshat like you.”
“Aww, hell,” I mutter, thoroughly chagrinned.
When I glance at Lemon, she’s smirking like we’re kids again and I just earned myself a hiding from Daddy’s belt for messing with her.
“West, those groceries are not gonna shop themselves,” Mama warns.
“I’m goin’, Mama. Jesus.”
“Don’t be surprised if she leaves your dumb ass out on the front porch,” my sister taunts.
“Quit it, Lemon,” I grumble as I stalk past my sister and out into the yard. I climb into my truck and speed down the unsealed driveway, wondering when these damn women in my life are going to give me a break.
Forty minutes later, I stand at the entrance to the Piggly Wiggly, my hands clenched tight around the handles of the shopping basket, and I grit my teeth. I have no idea what to buy, or where to start.
“Hey, West. How you doin’, darlin’?”
I glance up. Zadie’s standing in front of me, clutching a full basket of her own.
“I, er ... Mama sent me here to get groceries for Daisy-Mae and the baby, and I don’t have any idea what I’m doing.”
She chuckles and takes the basket from my hands, replacing it instead with a buggy. “You cowboys are so clueless. Come on. We’ll need more than a tiny basket to restock her pantry.”
***
I stare at her pink door, too much of a damn coward to knock in case I wake her.
My arms are loaded with groceries, flowers, candy, and coffee.
I even bought diapers in two different sizes and a cute little teddy bear for Waylon.
I contemplate leaving everything here on the porch, but that wouldn’t give me the opportunity to apologize.
So I raise my hand, but Daisy opens the door before I can knock.
Waylon is cradled in a baby sling, dark circles have taken up residence under her eyes, and her hair is limp and messy like she just crawled out of bed, though she don’t look like she’s had a wink of sleep since the hospital.
“Howdy, ma’am. Got time for a personal apology from the village idiot?”
She bursts into tears. “My baby hates me.”
I drop the groceries and pull her and Waylon to me in a one-sided hug, mindful of the cardboard tray of hot coffee in my hand. “Dais, it’s not possible for anyone to hate you.” I press a kiss to her hair and look down at the baby snuggled against her breast.
“He won’t stop crying.” As she says this, his little arms flail and he lets out a startled cry. “He never stops.”
“Come on inside. I can take him and you can drink your coffee.”
At the mention of coffee, Daisy’s lip quivers. “I can’t even drink coffee. I’m breast feeding.”
“I got you a decaf, Dais. Come on, now. You need to put your feet up.”
“Waylon doesn’t like my feet up. I spent last night wearing the floorboards through just to get him to settle.”
I set the cardboard tray on the entry table, haul the groceries in one by one, and close the door. When I turn around, Daisy punches me in the arm.
“Ow!”
“You left me.”
“I know. I’m a shit. I’m sorry.”
“You’re worse than a shit, you’re a festering shit.”
“A festering shit?” I laugh, but it’s clear she’s not happy with me. “I flipped out.”
“Why?” she demands, taking her coffee cup from the tray and sipping it slowly.
“I—I don’t know.” What do I say to her that makes what I did okay?
I can’t tell her somewhere between helping her by the side of the road and delivering her baby on that same stretch of blacktop, I realized I was head over heels for her.
Could I? No. I wouldn’t put her in a position where she had to choose between a romantic relationship with me or our friendship.
She didn’t need that kind of pressure. Especially if she didn’t feel the same.
“West.”
“I just ... I thought I was gonna lose you.”
Her brow arches, and I know I’ve said the wrong thing again. “To my son? You knew I was pregnant when we became friends.”
“No. Not to Waylon. Jesus. How selfish do you think I am?” I grab my coffee.
Mostly so I have something to do with my hands because I can’t ever remember being this awkward around a woman as I am when Daisy-Mae needles me with her gaze.
“He’s everything. He should be your everything.
I panicked—at the hospital—I just panicked.
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to intrude on your time with him. ”
“Intrude? You’d just delivered him.”
“I know. I’m not saying it makes sense, and I’m sorry.
I’m here now. I’m here, no matter what. You need me, you call.
” She walks across the room and sets her coffee on the table, and then carefully sits down with Waylon in his carrier.
In a matter of minutes, she has him unfastened and cradled in one arm and is undoing the buttons on her top as he fusses.
I avert my gaze as she gets the baby latched.
I don’t wanna come off as a creeper, but I can’t stop watching her in her element.
Messy hair, undereye circles, and all. She gave life to this little person, and she’s fucking incredible—every inch of her.
I’ve never loved a single living thing or person more than I love her.
Daisy’s eyes meet mine. I dart my gaze away and focus on my coffee cup.
“It’s just boobs, cowboy.”
I clear my throat. “I don’t wanna make it weird.”
“It’s not weird. It’s the most natural thing in the world. Besides, you watched him coming out of me, it doesn’t get more awkward than you up in my cookie right when a baby was shooting out of it.”
I stare at her, slack-jawed, mouth gaping and then I guffaw so loud it startles Waylon, who’s nosily enjoying his breakfast. Daisy’s laughing hard too, and for a second she can’t control herself. Waylon slips off the breast with an irate cry.
“Shh, shh, shh,” Daisy’s laughing too hard to stop shaking.
My stomach hurts. I can’t remember the last time I laughed like this.
Everything with her is always so natural, so comforting.
She finally gets Waylon latched again and pats his little baby butt as he feeds.
“I know, mama is terrible, isn’t she? Simply the worst.”
“You’re fucking incredible,” I blurt out.
Daisy’s smile falters as she looks up at me. “I’m barely hanging on by a thread. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“You’re not giving yourself enough credit.”
She shakes her head. “I’m a mess, West. I haven’t showered since I came home from the hospital.”
“Then finish feeding him and go take a shower. I’ll watch him.”
She shakes her head. “No. It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll have time when he sleeps.”
“You do know I have three siblings, right? I’ve been babysitting since I was four years old.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Yeah, I do. Trust me, at this point, I’m doing us both a favor,” I say with a grin and then wrinkle my nose.
Daisy’s mouth drops open and she chuckles quietly. “You bastard.”
I take it one step further and hold my nose, feigning disgust—because I’d do anything to see her stress melt away and to make her smile just once more.
When her laughter dies away, Daisy has tears in her eyes. “Don’t leave me again, West.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. You’ve got me. I swear.”
“Good. Because I don’t know how to do any of this without my friend by my side. I mean, who else is going to tell me I stink and not be afraid to hurt my feelings?”
“That’s me. Red River Canyon’s asshole extraordinaire and resident stink eradicator.”
“You forgot cake thief.”
“Oh, I never forget cake, and now, thanks to this conversation, I’m never going to look at cookies the same way again.”