18. Daisy
***Daisy***
Later didn’t come. The first day that Wes came home after everyone had gone to bed I’d given him the benefit of the doubt.
The marina was a busy place and Wes managed it with perfection while also controlling their family trust and everything that came with it.
The second night, I tried to ignore the facts.
The third night just pissed me off. I accepted that he regretted what we’d done but I didn’t accept him acting like an immature idiot about it.
He was missing out on time with Hazel and she was definitely noticing the change.
Even Max was avoiding me less than Wes was. Which was saying a lot considering how much Max avoided face to face time with me.
I stayed up on the fourth night and laid in wait. I was done letting Wes hide like a baby. I wasn’t exactly proud of everything I’d said, or begged, during our…time…together but I was adult enough to pretend to be mature about it. It was time for Wes to do the same.
I was sitting in the dark living room when Wes finally trudged in.
He looked worn out and I didn’t feel bad for him for a single second.
He was being a baby and it was time for him to realize just how embarrassing it was for a grown man to do what he was doing.
I was on my feet and talking long before I realized that Flynn had come in right behind Wes.
“Wes.” I felt a brief moment of mean joy when he jumped.
“You’re being an idiot. We hooked up and we both said some things that we probably wish we hadn’t said looking back, but there’s no going back now.
So what? Adults have sex and then keep living their lives.
Do you think I’m proud of how I acted? I’m not.
I think I might need to see a therapist about my desires.
But you don’t see me sneaking around here after everyone’s asleep.
You’re missing time with Hazel because you’re too big of a baby about facing me after everything.
That’s embarrassing. You’re embarrassing.
Grow up and come home in time to have dinner with your daughter.
If it comes down to you spending time with Hazel or avoiding me, I’ll leave.
So, stop it. I expect you to be home tomorrow for dinner with her. ”
Flynn cleared his throat and stepped out from behind Wes. His eyes were bright as he locked them on me. “Your desires? Do tell, sweetheart.”
I felt my eyes go wide and choked on the big gulp of air I tried to suck down. Wes stepped forward like he was going to pat my back but I recovered enough to swat his hand away. “Who knows how long you’ll disappear for if you touch my back.”
“Daisy…” Wes groaned and cracked his neck, each side popping like an automatic gun going off. “I wasn’t-”
“You were. You were avoiding me after what happened between us.” I shot a look at Flynn and then threw my hands up. “Whatever. I don’t even know why I’m bothering. Forget it.”
Flynn stepped away from Wes and gently rested his arm over my shoulders. “Honestly, Wes, grow up.”
Wes’ eyes narrowed at his brother. “Fuck off, Flynn. This is none of your business.”
“Someone made it my business when they distressed our sweet, sweet baker. Come on, baby, let’s get out of here.
” Flynn was mostly messing with his brother but the way his hand wrapped around my shoulder didn’t feel teasing.
His fingers caressed, like an opening that had no business being opened; that touch was an invitation.
“You’re the first person I’ve touched since my wife died, Daisy.”
Flynn’s arm dropped a beat after my stomach. All my righteous indignation faded and I was left with no armor against a man who looked broken. My shoulders slumped and I felt silly in the face of his loss.
“That’s my cue.” Flynn gripped the back of neck and planted a firm kiss to my forehead before backing up a step. “I’m always available for you, sweet cheeks. You know where to find me.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “One, don’t call me that. Two, we’re supposed to be keeping respectable boundaries.”
“And three?” He kept his grip on my neck and let his smile stretch wide.
“Go to bed, Flynn.” Even as I said the words, that smile gave me butterflies.
“Is this bossiness one of the desires you were talking about? Because I like it but I wish you were bossing me around for other reasons right now.” He stopped and grew serious again as he looked at his brother. “You’re allowed to live a little, Wes.”
Wes waited for Flynn to leave and then made his way to the closest couch, where he slumped into it like a wet spaghetti noodle. He was practically horizontal as he covered his face with his hands and sighed. I’d never see worse posture and it made me feel even worse.
I didn’t sit. I stood several feet away, my heart beating angrily in my chest and my hands shaking.
His admission had taken the wind out of my sails while leaving a sick feeling in my stomach.
I couldn’t begin to understand what he was feeling after losing his wife.
A smaller part of me boiled with jealousy and I hated that part.
That part was shameful and I’d never admit it out loud.
“I’m sorry.” Wes’ voice was pure gravel, not unlike the way it’d been while pressed into my neck.
“That it happened? Or that you’ve been hiding?” Feeling for him didn’t mean I had to swallow everything he said as good enough.
He met my gaze and my stomach sank farther down at the answer I saw on his face.
In the dark I couldn’t see the sun-bleached blue of his eyes but I could read the regret.
“I shouldn’t have touched you. I had no right.
I especially shouldn’t have been so brutal and I shouldn’t have said the things I said. ”
I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded once. “Understood.”
He sat up. “You can’t possibly understand, Daisy.”
“You’re right. I’ve never lost someone so important to me.
” I took a deep breath and held it for ten seconds before blowing it out.
I was angry but it didn’t feel right to dump that anger on the lap of the broken man sitting before me.
“We can pretend it never happened. Just come home for dinner with Hazel. She misses you.”
I took several steps back and dipped my head in some strange kind of bow. I didn’t have a clue why I’d done it but I just had to get out of there before I lashed out.
Wes stood up suddenly and took a step towards me. “That’s all you have to say?”
My hands balled into fists at my sides. “What more do you want?”
“Do you regret it?”
I let out a quiet laugh and turned away from him. “Does it matter? I’m going to bed, Wes. Get some rest. You look like crap.”
I managed to keep my chin up until my bedroom door clicked shut.
Then I threw myself into my bed and groaned into a pillow.
That had gone way worse than I expected.
I wasn’t sure that I shouldn’t get a ride to the airport and flee.
I wasn’t sure I could face Wes knowing that he saw me as a giant mistake.
Imagining it was way better than the reality of seeing the truth on his face and knowing it was because I was the first women he’d touched since his wife.
I squeezed my eyes shut and fought hard to remember I’d just been dumped by my long-term boyfriend and that it wasn’t right for me to feel even an inkling of something for his brothers, much less jealousy over the wife one of them was still mourning.
Everything would be fine. We were all going to be responsible and respectful. Starting right then.