1. Daisy
CHAPTER 1
daisy
Plop .
The pat of butter I didn’t have time to spread slides over the edge of my toast and down the front of my lavender linen dress, leaving a greasy streak down the bodice.
“ Mais la ,” I groan and shove down the last couple bites before I attempt to peel my dress up and over my head. I’ve almost gotten it off safely when one of the tiny buttons I love so much snags in my hair. I yank harder and yelp as soon as I realize that tactic’s not going to work if I want to keep my long locks intact.
I barely hear the doorknob jiggling before the front door flies open to reveal a ruggedly handsome man carrying a stack of plastic totes. He freezes in place as soon as he crosses the threshold. A jolt of panic induces me to reach for the nearest weapon, which happens to be the cast iron skillet sitting on the stove, but my arms are still tangled up in my dress. Luckily, I recognize the intruder’s dark hair and lovely cheekbones, and I sigh with relief.
And then I’m back to despairing as soon as I remember that my dress is currently hovering above my head. My visitor’s brow shoots up as his eyes skirt over my body, and I can already feel the blush creeping up my neck.
I hunch over and attempt to cover my bits with my elbows. “Um, hi?”
My older brother’s best friend blinks a few times, his chin resting atop the boxes he’s carrying. “Daisy?” he asks incredulously.
“Who else did you expect to find when you barged into my house without knocking?”
He clears his throat and finally turns his gaze away. “Last I checked, this is my sister’s house. What are you doing here?”
“I just told you. I live here.”
“But …” He sets the totes on the ground and holds up one hand, making the light glint off a metallic surface. “Blake said I could move in. And I already have a key.”
“A key doesn’t give you the right to impose on paying tenants, Landry Reed, especially when you walk in unannounced,” I retort. “Neither does being my landlord’s brother.”
“No one told me you were staying here. And I’ve already made a deal with Blake,” he repeats, his eyes moving up to my face again.
I sigh. “Yeah. I heard you the first time. But it doesn’t change the fact that I already moved in. Also, do you mind looking anywhere else but at me for now?”
“Sorry,” he says, ducking his head. “When did this happen?”
“About a week ago.” I grunt as I struggle to untangle the stubborn strand of hair twisted around that button again.
“ How did this happen?”
“Loren mentioned to Rowan that she still needed someone to take her place while she was on maternity leave, and he recommended me. Then she helped me get set up at Camellia High.”
“Yeah, I’d heard about that part from your brother, too. I meant how did you end up living here .”
“She offered to rent her house out to me since she’s apparently going to be staying with Blake for the indefinite future,” I explain. But I still can’t untangle my hair. “Fudge sticks up a fudge tree!” I growl, and Landry snorts.
“What kind of curse is that?”
“The LaFleur kind,” I grumble before letting out a defeated sigh. “I think you’d be used to them by now. I hate to ask, but since you’re here, think you could help me out?”
He swallows hard, his eyes still locked on his feet. “With what?”
“I spilled on my dress, and when I went to take it off to clean it, the buttons got caught in my hair. Then your surprise intrusion caused me to panic and make things worse, I’m afraid.”
He coughs uncomfortably. “I can’t help you without looking at you.”
“Well, you’ve already witnessed me in all my glory.” I glance down at my bra and panties. Thankfully, they’re decent looking, even if they don’t match. “And you’re a doctor. I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of humans in their underwear before today.”
“It’s not quite the same, since the majority of my patients wear diapers or Bluey undies, but I can be a mature adult, despite what Rowan might say about me,” he replies with a smirk before his head pops up. He casually strides through the small living area to meet me in the kitchen. “Besides, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen most of the LaFleurs in their drawers at some point,” he adds with a light laugh. “You guys might be modest, but you aren’t exactly shy.”
I frown as he comes to stand in front of me. “I’d like to think I’ve been keeping myself fully clothed in front of visitors since the age of twelve or thirteen.”
“Were you even that old when I first started coming around the homestead?” he asks, slipping his large hands into the fabric and digging around.
“Mm-hmm,” I say quietly. Then I hook my pinky around his finger and guide him to the hair-covered button, and his brow furrows as he tries unsuccessfully to free it. He growls in frustration, his eyes never venturing away from my face. And it’s not that I’d believe Dr. Landry Reed might ever be interested in me, but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed when he doesn’t even bother to check me out. I may not be unusually curvy, but I am a mostly naked, fully grown woman standing right in front of him, after all, and Landry’s certainly a red-blooded male. There’s no questioning his masculinity, not with that sharply chiseled and five-o’clock-shadow-covered jawline hovering mere inches away from me.
I sigh, then I force myself to hold my breath once I accidentally catch a whiff of him. He’s wearing a dark green button down and slacks in addition to that delicious cologne, and his thick, black hair falls into his face as he works. I lower my eyes after a while, trying not to seem so obvious in my ogling of him.
I don’t get out much, okay?
“I, um, I’m sorry about the house thing. If I’d have known you were planning to move in, I wouldn’t have taken Loren up on the offer,” I say softly. I also have a habit of filling awkward silences with awkward words.
He shrugs again, but he still looks angry. “I guess it’s not your fault. I should have known better than to trust Blake. And Loren should have said something, especially when I mentioned I was moving in this morning. In fact, she was so quick to get off the phone with me earlier that she didn’t even listen to my advice about not having a big baby shower in the first place. She just cut me off and told me—” He stops abruptly and shakes his head. “Never mind.”
I bite my lip at the way his face falls. “I’m sure she’s just tense with everything on her plate right now,” I offer quietly. But he doesn’t take it as a consolation, if his broody expression is any indication.
After a while, he removes his hands and takes a step back. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can get it without ruining either the dress or your hair.”
I stick out my bottom lip in a pout. “That grease stain has probably set by now, anyway.”
He nods and reaches in, this time grasping the bodice of the dress in both hands and yanking roughly. I flinch when I hear the delicate linen ripping as the dress splits into two, but my arms are finally free. He continues tearing until only a small square of material hangs from my hair. Then he places the remnants on the counter before he averts his eyes again.
“Thanks,” I tell him, his manly scent still hanging in the air between us.
“No worries. Sorry again about barging in. I’ve never been good at sensing when I’m not wanted,” he returns sarcastically.
I cringe. “So, where are you going to stay?”
“I’ll crash at my dad’s for now, I guess. Until I find something else or he gets sick of me, whichever comes first.”
“Oh, okay. Um, would you like some toast before you go? Coffee?”
He clears his throat and looks up at the ceiling. “I’m good. Don’t you need to get dressed?”
“Well, yes, but I was trying to be polite. The least I could do is offer you some breakfast since I’m sort of the reason you’re homeless now.”
His head barely moves in a nod, and his eyes run over me one more time before he turns around to face the front door. “Daisy, don’t take this the wrong way, but, uh … could you please put some clothes on?”
“Yeah, of course, be right back,” I chirp as a satisfied smile creeps across my face. Maybe my bare body did manage to bother him, after all.
I practically skip into my room where I pick out another dress of a similar style, this time in mint green. Then I remember I still have a small scrap of the old dress stuck to my head, but it only takes a second in front of the mirror to successfully free my hair. I pull on my clothes, run my fingers through my wavy, blonde locks, and dart back into the kitchen, hoping Landry’s still there.
“Thanks again for your help,” I venture, pleased to find him in the same place I left him. “Oh, you can turn around now.”
He obliges and rotates to face me. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
I shrug as a few flutters overtake my stomach. Gah-lee , he’s attractive. I guess I’ve always thought Landry was good looking, but I’m having a hard time not letting my imagination run away from me right now, especially when he’s posing open-ended questions and stepping in so close to me …
“Have you always had that freckle on your neck?” He reaches out to touch my left shoulder.
I hold my breath again as I tilt my head to the side so he can inspect it. “I have a lot of freckles,” I manage to squeak out.
“I’m talking about this one here. Has it changed lately? You know, shape, color, size?”
I swallow hard when he leans in. Somehow this feels more intimate than before when I was literally standing in my underwear. “Not that I’ve noticed.”
“Hmm,” he hums thoughtfully, and I try to hide the way it makes me shiver. “Keep an eye on it, would you? I’m not sure I like the look of it.”
“Yes, doctor. Anything else?”
He rolls his eyes as he backs away. Then he crosses his arms and adopts a more serious expression again. “How have you been doing? You know …”
I cringe and look away, the mood changing in an instant. “I’m fine.”
“Day- sie ,” he drags my name out, disappointment in his tone. “When was your last seizure?”
I heave out a heavy sigh. “Last Thursday.”
“What?” he nearly yells. “Does your family know?”
“I’m fine,” I repeat, holding my hands out to placate him. “Really. It was a very minor episode. And no, they don’t know, but it’s going to stay that way.”
He shakes his head. “You shouldn’t be driving.”
“I know I shouldn’t. But it’s not like I can call an Uber in Camellia, and I can’t keep bothering Blake every time I need to leave the house, especially when Loren’s not really supposed to be driving either,” I mumble, crossing my arms to mirror Landry. “I’m sure I’ll find someone at school to carpool with eventually. Blake’s brother is our assistant principal, so I was thinking of asking him for a ride in the mornings.”
He straightens up. “You’re going to get a lift from JD Bourgeois? Every morning?” I smile and nod, but he clenches his jaw.
“He’s very nice, and everyone seems to love him. Besides, all he ever talks about is his wife and their kids. I think he’s more than trustworthy.”
“Come on, I’ll drive you to the baby shower,” Landry says through his teeth.
“You don’t have to do that,” I reply, blinking awkwardly. “It’s not that far. And I feel great today.”
“Let’s not take chances when we don’t have to, hmm ?” His expression softens as he lowers his chin and peers down at me like an adult reprimanding a child, making my stomach turn in a less pleasant way than before. But I’d rather get scolded than pitied, and I know Landry just well enough to understand that he’s not going to budge. More importantly, I’m officially under his care now, which also means I’m at his mercy if I want him to keep my secret from my parents and my brother.
And I can’t let any of them find out that my anti-seizure meds have been slacking off or they’ll force me to move back home. This is my one chance to prove that I can take care of myself, epilepsy be damned.
I’d been feeling better for the past year and had finally convinced my mom that I should get my own place when Rowan found out about this opportunity from Loren. Ironically, Landry’s sister ended up becoming one of my brother’s high-risk pregnancy patients shortly after Landry had tried setting the two of them up. Obviously, they were better off as friends.
And I like Loren. She and her boyfriend, Blake, have been helping me get settled, despite her being on bed rest. They even invited me over for dinner a few days ago, along with Blake’s brother and his family. It’s too bad I don’t remember most of that evening, though, since I woke up on my couch later that night without a clue as to how I made it there. And I didn’t say anything because my family would be all over me if they so much as suspect I’m having seizures again.
I know it’s because they love me. They just don’t realize that they’re slowly suffocating me by not letting me live my own life. But I’m twenty-five-years old. It’s past time I learned how to live alone. So I’ve been really careful with my daily habits since then, staying hydrated and resting, taking my medicine on time, and eliminating processed sugar and junk food, all in the hope that my body will better regulate itself under the ideal conditions. It’s a lot of work, but I’m willing to do anything to prove to my family—and to myself—that I can be self-sufficient.
Landry’s still right, though. I shouldn’t be driving and putting the rest of the residents of Camellia at risk. And as determined as I am to do this without relying on anyone’s help, I’m also mature enough to recognize when it’s time to prioritize my health and safety over my pride. I sigh again, dropping my arms in defeat.
“Okay, thanks,” I tell Landry. “Just let me grab my shoes.” He nods and moves to pick up the totes he set down earlier, but I stop him when a silly idea crosses my mind. “Why don’t you leave those for now? You can always get your things later after you bring me home from the baby shower. That way it won’t melt in the heat.”
“Yeah,” he agrees thoughtfully. “I forgot my Jeep’s packed down, so I guess I’d have to unload some stuff to make room for you, anyway.”
I nod cheerfully. “Let me help you with that. It may not look like it, but I’m stronger than you think.”
He smirks when I flex my arms for him. “Nice try, but I can carry my own baggage.”
“And I’m not riding with you unless you accept my help too,” I say matter-of-factly while I slip on a pair of sandals.
He sighs and turns to the door, but I follow him. “It’s going to be too heavy for you, Daisy.”
“You’re just saying that because you’d rather stay mad about this house stuff than let me do something nice for you.”
He stops abruptly. “That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Then hand me a box. And don’t forget to thank me.”
He glares at me before shaking his head and walking to the car. “Suit yourself.”
I trail at his heels until he dives into the front seat, then he stares me down as he loops a strap around my neck and drops a duffle bag into my waiting arms.
“Oof,” I accidentally grunt when the bag’s weight knocks me off my center of gravity, and I sway forward until Landry snorts and moves to support my arms. “You could have given me one of the lighter boxes or something,” I mumble.
His lips twitch as he bites back a smile. “And deny you the pleasure of proving me wrong? I would never.” I feel myself grinning back at him as he slowly lowers his hands, allowing me to adjust to the bag’s weight this time. “Oh, and thank you, Daisy,” he adds, just before he lets go completely.
I whimper quietly as I turn and stagger toward the house, and he snickers to himself when he passes me up carrying another stack of totes. By the time I make it up the front porch steps, he’s already back and pulling the strap up over my head.
“Ouch,” I whisper when my hair gets tangled, and he cringes but doesn’t let go of the bag. He lifts it as though it doesn’t weigh a thing and turns to bring it inside without another word. I follow him into the house to grab my baby shower gifts, and Landry waits for me at the door.
“You’re welcome, Landry,” I tell him as I pass, making him smile again.