Chapter 38
A lot had happened since Kyle had broken things off with Winter. The most important had been that he’d finally gotten his head back on straight.
First, he’d called home and talked to his parents and Sarah. His parents had been supportive of his decision, but Sarah had been delighted.
“Winter sounded so boring, Kyle,” she said. “I didn’t care for her one bit.”
“I’m not sure if she was boring or not, but she wasn’t the right woman for me.” After a pause, he added, “It turns out that she wasn’t a lot of people’s favorite person.”
“I like Daisy a lot.”
Kyle had grinned when he read Sarah’s response. He’d almost wished that he could see those words on his phone every day. It would make him happy to remember just what an impact Daisy had made on his sister after just one talk.
After he’d gotten his family’s advice, he’d begun going over to the Lapps’ barn whenever he had a spare moment. Daisy needed tons of help making Bird Benches, filling orders, and folding boxes. One hour there would fade into two and sometimes three hours.
Her mother would make snacks for everyone. At least once a week, Ruthie would come over with a pair of pies or a box of cookies for all of the workers.
But it was always the highlight of his day.
First, because there were always a lot of people there.
Sometimes it was just Daisy and her brothers.
Other times, Lila and Brandt were over. Or a couple of other folks from town.
One time Jonny Schrock and his wife, Treva, came over with their entire family and helped make Bird Benches for four hours.
Jonny had said it was the least he could do since it was one of his bikes that had set off the Bird Bench chain of events for Daisy.
So, there was no better place for him than at the Lapps’. He enjoyed himself. He was making friends. He was making a difference for Daisy.
But even if he wasn’t helping to get her new business off the ground, Kyle knew he’d be there for one very important reason, and that was because that was where Daisy was.
He belonged with her. He knew in his heart that she was the one for him.
That evening was no different.
“I’m so tired, I’m tempted to crawl into Velvet’s stall and fall asleep,” Daisy said after everyone finished for the day.
Sitting down in one of the many folding chairs that now decorated the barn floor, she smiled up at him. “Did I remember to thank you for coming over tonight?”
He pulled over a chair and sat down beside her. “Nope.”
“I’m sorry. Thank you for helping tonight.” She wrinkled her nose. “What did you work on? I forgot.”
“I did your least favorite task. I drilled holes in benches.”
“Oh yeah! Yay!”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Yep. Yay.” He squeezed her shoulder. “And please stop thanking me. I wouldn’t be over here if I didn’t want to be.”
“Okay.” She leaned against him with a sigh. “I suppose I’ll just have to show you my appreciation by falling asleep on your shoulder.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you did that,” he whispered.
She pulled away to check his expression. “Hey,” she said, all wide eyes and wonder. “You sound like you’re serious.”
“That’s because I am. I like being with you, Daisy. I also like taking care of you.”
“I guess you do,” she said with a soft smile. “After all, you’re the one who first helped when I had my accident.”
“It’s more than that. When we’re not together, I can’t seem to stop thinking of you. I’ve begun to realize that I need a daily dose of Daisy.”
She pulled away. Bit her lip. Attempted to laugh. “Sorry, I’m uh …”
“Speechless?” he teased.
“I guess so. You’ve taken me by surprise. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I just thought … well, I thought it was about time I told you how I felt.”
Those blue eyes he loved so much grew wide. “So, you’re serious? I mean … you mean it?”
He nodded. “I mean it.”
She blinked at him in wonder. Blinked again. And then. Just like that, she burst into tears.
Kyle turned, pulled her into his arms. “Shh. It’s okay. If you don’t feel the same way, I can back off.”
“Nee! That’s not it. I just can’t believe it.”
When the tears started up again, he handed her a soft red bandana that had been half sticking out of his pocket. “Here. Use this, at the very least. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
She dabbed her cheeks. Held up the cloth to look at it. “I didn’t know you carried a handkerchief.”
“I reckon that you don’t know a lot of things about me. But you’re learning, right?”
“Jah. We’re both learning a lot about each other.”
“Come on. Let’s get out of this barn.” He noticed that her family was inside but the gas-lit front porch lights were on. “Let’s go sit on the front porch steps.”
“Will you keep holding my hand?”
“Jah, Daisy. I won’t let it go.”
She held his hand. It was so much larger than hers. Rough and warm. So capable. She imagined she could put every dream, hope, and fear in his hands and he’d take care of them.
He was so good to her.
Kyle sat down next to her on the front steps. It was now almost September. Labor Day was coming up, and then fall would be here. All of the harvest preparations would be over. Kyle, Lukas, and most every other farmer in their community would be thinking about the upcoming winter.
It was the nature of a farmer’s life. Cyclical. Steady.
Continuing. She wished she would’ve taken that into consideration when she’d pushed and schemed and planned for the future. For some reason she’d been so sure that if she hadn’t been on top of everything, she would lose all her dreams.
But the harder she’d tried to control everything, from the Burkholders’ sale, the Millers’ purchase, her broken leg, Kyle’s companionship—even Velvet’s depression—she’d for gotten that the Lord had already planned for everything to happen in His perfect timing.
When she’d finally stopped attempting to be in charge, everything in her life had seemed to come back into sync.
Now, she had a thriving business, found her confidence, and had fallen in love with the best man she knew.
Everything was going to not only be okay, it was going to be wonderful.
“You know what?” Kyle asked, pulling her out of her reverie. “I just remembered that I learned something this summer that I kept meaning to talk to you about.”
“What is that?”
A secret smile played on his lips. “It’s something I learned about daisies.”
“Are you making some joke at my expense?”
“Nee. Of course not. I’m talking about the flower. Mainly Shasta daisies, if you want me to be specific. But what I learned can be applied to most any type of daisy.”
“You sound so proud of yourself, I suppose I should hear about this. What, exactly, did you learn?”
“That daisies need six to eight hours of sunlight a day.” He kicked his legs out. “Isn’t that something?”
Was it? She wasn’t sure. “I suppose,” she said diplomatically. “But all plants need sun, ain’t so?”
“Jah. Sure. But some, like impatiens or, say, bleeding hearts. Those flowers don’t hardly like pure, hot sun at all. If they get too hot or too whatever, they won’t thrive. A farmer could kill them in a matter of weeks.”
“That makes sense.”
“Sure it does. But to my surprise, I never had thought that much about daisies. When you look at the front yard, with everything blooming like it is? Well, you think that they are near to being indestructible. As if they’re so hardy and steadfast that nothing can wear them down.”
Kyle lowered his voice. “But that’s not true at all. They can get plagued by mites or pests, or suffer from lack of water.”
He turned to her. “But the most important thing I learned is that a lot of people take them for granted. They forget that the delicate petals need just as much care and feeding as a fancy rose bush. And most of all, those need a warm, sunny environment to do their best.”
“I … I didn’t know any of that. It’s, ah, interesting.”
“Do you think so?” He leaned closer. “Because I do. Especially since I realized, just when I was discovering so much about those flowers, is that a certain beautiful daisy I know needs much of the same thing.” He smiled.
“I suppose I do need a good amount of care and feeding,” she joked.
He reached for her hand. Placed it in between the both of his. Then, to her surprise, he brought it up to his lips and he kissed it.
Right on her knuckles.
Then he turned her hands over. Found her palms. And kissed them, too.
“You need sunlight, Daisy. You need someone to notice you. To care for you, yes. But just as importantly, you need me to make sure that you get to shine.”
Looking at her intently, he whispered, “I’ll make sure you get that light. I’ll make sure you’re not forgotten. That you’re never neglected. I will never put you in the dark. I’ll make sure you are never taken for granted.”
All his words! They were outlandish. Sweet. Surprising. Beautiful.
They made her giddy and hopeful.
And maybe wish that she could say some of those same things back to him. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say that you’ll let me take care of you, Daisy Lapp. Say that you’ll let me love you.”
Kyle loved her. He didn’t want her to change. He loved the woman she was. Fighting off tears again, she nodded. “Of course I will. I’ll let you love me, Kyle, because I love you, too. You probably knew that, though.”
As sudden worry crossed her mind. “But, Kyle, what if my love isn’t enough for you?” She waved a hand. “I mean, did you happen to read anything about the proper care and feeding of Kyles?”
He laughed. “I already know what they need. All I need is you, Daisy. If I have you, you’re going to make my life bright. It’s going to smell good. It’s going to look good.”
“Kyle.”
“No, listen. Daisy, with you by my side, my life is going to feel festive. Jaunty. Colorful. I’m going to have laughter. It’s going to be perfect.”
“You are making me sound like a miracle worker,” she teased.
“Nope. We already have a miracle worker in our life. I’m making you sound like the person you are to me. Everything.” He bent down. Kissed her softly. Then pulled her close and kissed her again.
All this time. All those faint touches, tiny looks. Secret hopes. None of it could compare to the reality of being in his arms, feeling his warmth, enjoying his kisses. Feeling desire and hope and love.
Feeling everything she was starting to think was going to pass her by … because she was just Daisy Lapp.
“Marry me?”
She looked into his eyes. Saw everything she needed to see. “Yes.”
Kyle’s brown eyes were soft. The arm that he wrapped around her shoulders felt secure and warm. She leaned closer. He kissed her again. And again. Those kisses were warm and passionate and vibrant. Wonderful.
Daisy held on to him so he wouldn’t let her go.
And then she realized that he’d already been holding her tight without her even being aware.
He’d been taking care of her all along.
“We’re going to have a good life together, Kyle. I can feel it,” she said when she finally came up for air.
He gazed into her eyes. “Good,” he said.
She smiled.
Because that was enough.