Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
Rafferty
Can you get Nonna’s ring out of safe deposit?
Dad
It’s that time already?
Rafferty
When you know, you know, right? I waited for her for years, Dad, I don’t want to waste anymore time.
Dad
Does she know that?
Rafferty
I think so. Even if I don’t ask her right away, I just want to have it on hand.
Dad
Sure you’re not rushing this?
Rafferty
Dad…
Dad
Look kid, I want this for you. I want ONLY the best for you and I get that you’ve been in love with her for years and you’re taking this as a sign, but stop and think about what she’s been through before you jump into anything.
Rafferty
It’s crazy that all this time you knew everything and never once told me.
Trust me, I know about her ex and the divorce. I know the important stuff and I still love her. I’ve always loved her. Heck, Cal loves her.
Dad
You’re doing this for the right reasons?
Rafferty
The only reason is that I want to spend the rest of my life with her.
Dad
And you’ll be good to her?
Rafferty
Have I ever not been good to Daisy?
Dad
Okay. I’m assuming I need to keep this a secret from Daniel?
Rafferty
Yes. You two are worse than the gossips on the internet. And don’t even think about it until WE call you.
Dad
That’s going to be impossible, but I’ll do my best. I’ll get it polished and ready for you.
Rafferty
Thanks, old man. I appreciate you.
Dad
Love you too, kid.
I f he was being honest with himself, the moment she leaped into his arms in the rain that day, Rafferty knew he was going to marry her. He’d certainly had dreams about a future with her when they were younger, but it was clearer now.
It might seem like they were rushing, but they’d known each other most of their lives. Granted, the years apart put a little bit of a dampener on that whole ‘sharing history’ thing, but some things didn’t change. Like how when she said I love you in the bathtub a week ago, the first three words that popped into his head were let’s get married . Even when they lived in different cities and phone calls were all they had to connect them, he had often thought about how when he graduated from college, he would go to Greenville and ask Daisy to go anywhere in the world with him.
Little did he know how things would change for them back then.
They had a proper shot now, so he wasn’t going to waste any time. Like he told his father, he wasn’t going to rush her. Having the ring didn’t mean that he was going to propose tomorrow. It was knowing that he could if he wanted to.
In the week since meeting her best friend and husband, and watching her struggle through a migraine, their relationship had blossomed. They were still busy, but they made it a point to have at least one meal together every day. If she had dinner and stayed over, she’d join him and Cal for breakfast. Other times, he’d swing by her shop with lunch and they’d eat in her office together. He even liked falling asleep with her in his arms, because there was something so special about knowing she was right there with him.
The most crucial thing about the evolution of their relationship was that Cal was happy. Whenever Daisy was at the Ames house, he would insist that she read with him every night. Cal hadn’t read a ‘children’s book’ in years, but he had discovered the magic of Percy Jackson and would read a chapter or two with her. Rafferty knew his son well enough to know that that was a sign of approval.
If that wasn’t enough, when he announced that they had been invited to a gala hosted by the Delaware Fire Department, Cal’s only response was: “As a family?” He asked if she’d help him choose an outfit for the evening. When Rafferty turned to Daisy and saw her teary eyes, he knew that officially making her a part of the family was the right thing to do.
The event was to raise money for a local organization that helped those who had lost their homes due to fires that were out of their control. Given the number of arson cases every department handled every year, the families affected kept growing as well. So the fire houses across the state came together to donate items to a silent auction that would make enough money to provide for those who needed it. Daisy suggested they donate something and decided to offer planning and designing a garden together. It didn’t matter that neither of them had the time or the space to add anymore work onto their schedule, but the idea of working with her on something they both were passionate about was an easy sell.
The evening of the gala, he stood in front of his full-length mirror and smoothed down his black shirt. Daisy’s dress was covered in the bag hanging off his wardrobe while she got Cal ready. Every attempt to get her to show him what she’d bought went ignored, so he knew that whatever it was, it would kill him. For her, I’d die happily too. He dragged his comb through his hair, following instructions she’d left him and pulled it into a tight knot. She’d also insisted he trim and groom his beard and he didn’t argue with the love of his life.
Footsteps drew his attention to the open bedroom door and he grinned when his son stepped through in a beige suit. The jacket and pants were the same color and instead of a stuffy shirt, he was wearing a plain white T-shirt that was tucked into the waistband.
“Do I look as handsome as you, Daddy?” Cal asked, adjusting his jacket as he joined him at the mirror.
“You look even better than me. Snazzy,” he said and his son puffed out his chest, trying out different poses. Smiling, he smoothed Cal’s hair as Daisy appeared behind them. Even in cut-offs and one of his old Ames Landscaping tees, she took his breath away. She blew him a kiss and walked into the bathroom.
“Daisy said we should wait outside so she can surprise us.”
Arching an eyebrow, he glanced towards where she’d gone. “She said that, huh?”
“Yes. May I have a cookie before we go?”
“Sure. Tuck a napkin into your shirt and use a plate!” he called out as his son raced out of the bedroom. Shaking his head, he looked at himself once more and adjusted his cuffs. As he picked up his black jacket, Daisy appeared, arms crossed over her chest.
“You gotta go, hotshot.”
“Come on, let me watch.”
She shook her head and with her hands on his chest, guided him out of the room. “I promise it’ll be worth it.”
“I have no doubt.” He smiled at her clear face and shook his head. “Lucky to love you, Hero.”
“Lucky to be loved by you. Now, go ,” she said, laughing softly and blew him a kiss before closing the door in his face.
Sighing happily, he walked into the kitchen where his son had not only followed instructions, but had also hung his jacket over the back of his chair. Rafferty set his jacket down as well and put out Boots’s dinner, scratching the top of his dog’s head as he came over. Once he had his phone in hand, he joined his son at the counter and went through texts from Mack and a few of the guys from an old fantasy football league in New York. He ignored the work emails, because he had no intention of getting sucked into anything right now.
“Wow. You look like a princess,” Cal said
He looked up from his phone and almost dropped it when he laid eyes on said princess. More like the queen of my heart and soul .
“Good, because I wouldn’t want to show up underdressed next to two princes.”
Ethereal was the only word he could use to describe her at that moment. His eyes swept over her slowly, taking in the mustard yellow dress that was gold against her brown skin. It made her collection of necklaces glow even more than usual. The strapless ensemble hugged the top half of her body, pushing her breasts up and flowed around her waist and all the way to the floor. When she shifted on her feet, a high slit exposed almost all of her left leg, including a glimpse of her tattoo, and it was a miracle he didn’t slide off his stool. Fuck me .
“You look…divine,” he told her, some part of his brain registering that it was a good word to define her.
“Had to up my game to keep up with you.”
“Fuck no. You’re way out of my league, sweetheart. And I don’t even care.”
She laughed as Cal cleared his throat. He didn’t take his eyes off her as he handed his son his wallet. Her hair was loose and thick, pulled back on one side and as he moved closer to her, he saw the shimmering makeup.
“You are breathtaking, Daisy. I am in awe of your beauty every single day, but tonight? I don’t think I’m going to survive.”
With a shake of her head, she set her hands on his chest and smiled. “You’ll be fine. Keep your eyes on me at all times.”
“That’s not going to be a problem. Taking my eyes off you will be difficult.”
With a laugh, she took his phone and handed it to Cal. “Honey, could you take a picture of your dad and me, please?”
Rafferty slid one arm around her waist, pulling her closer as her arms circled his neck. Her smile was glorious and he heard the click of the camera, but like he said, he couldn’t look away. Setting one hand on her ass, he smirked when her eyes flared with heat.
“I love you,” he said softly. I can’t wait to marry you.
“I also want pictures!” Cal shouted and they laughed before she extracted herself from his arms. “And with Daddy too.”
“How about we take a picture of all three of us?” She looked over at him, mischief in her eyes as she said, “Come on, Daddy, we need pictures.”
He chuckled and tugged his jacket on before helping Cal into his. He had accepted that she would call him Daddy every chance she got, but that didn’t mean he could handle it every time. She fiddled with the phone and set it on the counter, and returned to where he was standing with his son. He watched her the whole time, mesmerized by the way she moved, the flow of her dress and the sparkle of her skin. Like the stars they used to stare at together, she radiated beauty.
“Breathe, Raff,” she reminded him as she slid into his side, one arm coming around his waist. He exhaled loudly and looked at her as the shutter sound echoed, and he knew that picture captured his look of complete awe. Squeezing him gently, she smiled and said, “I love you too.”
“I love you three!” Cal added and broke the spell Rafferty was under.
Huffing out a laugh, he rubbed his face and released her so she could help his son set up the phone for more pictures. Watching them together, he was certain that asking his father for Nonna’s ring was the right move, because this was exactly the kind of life he envisioned for himself. Daisy Heroux included.
They were four hours into the evening and Cal was bored, slumped in his chair at their table. He’d grabbed handfuls of appetizers as they made the rounds and even drank two tall glasses of Coke. When they got there, his son had come along as they did the rounds, meeting all his fellow firefighters and Captain Parish. They got to check out the rest of the auction items and play a few games set up at one end. After a point, his son had enough. Daisy had let Cal download a game onto her phone while she joined him to meet more firefighters and families. He could tell that it was all too much for her too, but the fact that she stayed by his side was a big deal.
When they returned to the table, he checked on his son who had sunk even lower into his chair. Daisy asked him to show her how to play and the two of them sat with their heads bent while giggling quietly. Rafferty didn’t think his heart could swell any more or feel so much, but it was the little things that she did that made him love her even more.
He was checking the names of the other people at their table when she kissed his cheek. “I’m going to get Cal some dinner. Looks like he might pass out any minute.”
He nodded, glancing at his son briefly before turning to her. “Would you like something to drink?”
“I wouldn’t say no to wine.”
He nodded and smiled as she took Cal’s hand and headed towards the buffet. Even though it was a pretty fancy event, the department had opted not to make people pay per plate. The last time he’d attended one of these things in New York, it had been so expensive and not worth it. He would have shelled out money for that evening, though. Just to see his two favorite people connect that way.
“When do I get to meet the woman that has you looking like that?” Gladys said as she came up beside him at the bar.
He smiled at the older woman and kissed her cheek. “I didn’t know you were going to be here tonight.”
“Decided at the last minute to show up. So, who is she?”
Glancing at Daisy, he said, “My first love.”
“I think she might be your son’s first love too.”
“That’s a good sign, right?”
Gladys patted his arm. “That’s the only sign that matters. Kids are perceptive and if he loves her that much, you’re on the right track.”
“I was afraid that he might not, but I’m pretty sure he thinks she’s cooler than me.”
Gladys laughed, shaking her head. “That’s the power of a good woman. Now, hand me my drink.”
Chuckling, he gave the older woman her glass of red wine before she walked off to join a group of firefighters. He grabbed his beer and the wine as Daisy returned from the buffet with a loaded plate of food. His son looked wide awake now and Rafferty shook his head at the expression on his face.
“Eyes too big for his stomach, huh?” he said as he joined them, setting the wine in front of her.
“Honestly. I made a deal, though. He has to eat half of everything and only then were we allowed to put it on our plate. Right?”
“Yes,” his son said with a mouth full of mashed potatoes.
She crossed one leg over the other and shifted in her chair so she was angled towards him. He clinked their drinks and took a sip of his beer as he watched her. Her eyes moved over the room, taking in all the people around them, before she smiled at him.
“Did you do this a lot in New York?”
“I attended one and left before they served dinner.”
“Why?”
“I was bored. Didn’t have a beautiful date either.”
She smiled and leaned into him. “Well, we’re glad you invited us tonight. He might not say it to you, but Cal was so excited that he got to dress up and go out with his dad.”
His heart clenched at the sincerity in those words and he glanced at his son. Cal was his whole world and had been his only focus for the last nine years. Everything he did, he’d thought of his son first. Including bringing Daisy into their lives.
“Back then I was worried I’d lose him in a place this big.”
“He’s a smart kid. He’d have found his way back to you.”
“I know. But I’m a worrier by nature.”
She laughed. “Oh, I remember.”
“I wasn’t that bad,” he countered and she laughed harder. “Give me one instance.”
“Just one, hotshot? I’ve got tons.”
“I just want one.”
Shifting so that she was facing him fully, she said, “There was a party that summer before I left and you didn’t like or trust the people hosting it. You kept trying to convince me to change my mind, but I refused. I wanted to go because it was the first party I was invited to. And you showed up as my bodyguard the whole night.”
He grunted at the memory, remembering what the assholes were saying, how they were looking to see which one of them could ‘pop her cherry’. He never understood why she wanted to go to that party when everyone there constantly picked on her. Thankfully, by then his classmates had graduated and left, but the ones who remained weren’t any better. As her bodyguard, he’d heard them whisper about her, saying horrible things that he was sure would undo all the work she’d done to deal with her eating disorder.
Protecting her was the one job he was good at and he wasn’t going to fail. Except I did.
“I would do that again in a heartbeat,” he said, smiling when she did. “Even back then, I hated it when you weren’t with me.”
“You could have told me.”
“And face rejection, no thanks.”
She rolled her eyes. “I would have thrown myself at you. Much like I did the night before we left.”
“I do wish I’d said or done something more that night.”
“I think we didn’t because it wasn’t our time,” she admitted with a sigh.
“ This , Daze, is absolutely our time. Okay?”
She flashed him a beautiful smile and nodded. He leaned in to kiss her as the sound of scraping chairs echoed around them. Pulling back, he nodded at the other firefighters and their partners at their table. As the speeches started he adjusted his chair so that he was facing forward, but made sure to keep her close by draping one arm over her lap. His fingers brushed against her calf and she put her hand over his, guiding it below the soft material of her dress.
Eventually, the conversation at their table resumed. They tried to include Cal, but it was clear his son was focused on his food and doing justice to the pile. Daisy, on the other hand, engaged when she could and told everyone about her flower shop. He listened the whole time, proud of how much she’d achieved and what she’d been able to do with her life. At one point, Cal said he was too full and before he could get up, Daisy was on her feet suggesting a walk.
When his family returned, he could see that his son was fading. So he left the two of them there as he went to get food. When he came back, Cal was lying across two chairs, his head in Daisy’s lap.
“Switch with me, so you can eat.”
“It’s fine, I can eat like this,” she insisted, holding the plate with one hand as she ate with the other. Before he could protest, she was drawn into a conversation with one of the Allenwood wives. He took a picture of the moment and sent it to his father, then dug into his own dinner.
“Didn’t know you had so many friends, hotshot,” she teased.
He looked around the table and shrugged. “They’re…coworkers more than anything else. And I try not to bring work home with me too often.”
“You might need to invest in a different soap if that’s the case.”
He laughed and set his empty plate down, draping an arm over the back of her chair. “I’m sorry this evening is never-ending.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m glad to be here with you.”
“I’m not sure what I did to deserve you, but I’m so grateful that you’re mine,” he told her and she smiled.
“How about we get out of here, so you can really show me how grateful you are.”
He couldn’t even stop the growl that slipped out of him, but he nodded and straightened out his clothes. After a quick round of letting people know he was leaving, he scooped his son into his arms and they headed out.
Sure, he had been turned on all night. But that wasn’t the only reason he was rushing them out, not that it mattered anyway.