by Kate Pearce
“So what’s going on?”
“Do you want to hear about the bad thing or the really bad thing?” Daisy asked.
“Start with the bad thing,” Jackson suggested. “Then maybe the other one won’t seem so awful.”
“Okay, so you know I was involved in a previous start-up?” Daisy turned to look at him.
“You did mention something about that,” Jackson said cautiously.
“The guy who screwed us over just happened to be hanging around the offices we went to on Sand Hill Road today.”
“That isn’t good.” Jackson considered what to say next. “Does he know what you’re doing?”
“Not at the moment, but I don’t think it will take him long to find out.” Daisy sighed. “He’s not a good person, Jackson.”
“Is there any way you can stop him getting his hands on what you’re currently doing?”
“We can certainly try to keep him out, but he might create other entities or secretly join other VC funding groups to get around us.”
Jackson was so out of his depth, he didn’t dare comment on the business side of things. He focused on the personal. “Do you think he’ll bother?”
“Yes, because he hates me for calling him out publicly, so the thought of financially screwing me again probably makes his evil soul glow.”
“Does it now?” Jackson muttered. “He sounds like a real peach.”
“He’s certainly rotten to the core.” Daisy groaned. “That’s the worst joke I’ve ever made.”
Jackson pretended to frown. “I’m pretty sure it isn’t.” She tickled his side until he had to fend her off.
“He actually tried to screw me once, and I kicked him so hard in the shins, he cried,” Daisy confessed. “That’s probably the main reason he doesn’t like me.”
“Good for you.” Jackson lovingly imagined teaching the guy a lesson by tearing him limb from limb. “Next time, kick higher and do the whole world a favor.”
She rubbed her cheek against his T-shirt. “I’m so glad I took those self-defense classes.”
“So am I,” Jackson fervently agreed.
“I think if we’re extravigilant we can keep Clive out.”
“Clive? What kind of name is that?” Jackson demanded,
Daisy refused to be distracted. “Any VC we deal with will have to disclose every single one of their partners and funding sources, or we just won’t work with them.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Jackson nodded. “So what’s the really bad news?”
“Chase Morgan,” Daisy said glumly.
“What about him?”
“He was there today.”
“With the Clive guy?”
“No, of course not.” Daisy gave him an exasperated look “We arranged to meet this guy, Jake Magnusson, and when we went in, guess who was sitting on his desk?”
“Chase Morgan.” Jackson paused. “Didn’t you know he worked here?”
“Well, yes, I did, in an abstract way, but we’ve never come across each other before, and I assumed we never would. It’s not like Morgan Valley, Jackson; there are hundreds of thousands of people here. Chase has made his money. He doesn’t need to grub around seeking funding like a start-up.”
“He lends money out. That’s his thing.”
“I know that now,” Daisy said. “For some reason, I hadn’t really thought about what he did to keep his millions turning over. I didn’t read the intel Ian had about the firm before I went in, which is totally on me.”
“What happened with Chase?” Jackson attempted to get her back on topic. “Was he surprised to see you?”
“Yes, but he wasn’t unpleasant or anything,” Daisy continued. “In fact, he agreed to come to the hotel, and have a drink with us at some point.”
“With us? Why did he want to do that?” Jackson asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Because I asked him to come.” Daisy picked at a thread on his T-shirt, avoiding his gaze. “I thought I could ask him not to mention he’d seen me in his office when he gets back home.”
“From what I recall, Chase isn’t good at . . .” Jackson paused delicately.
“Lying?” Daisy offered the word Jackson had avoided. “I know that’s what I’m asking him to do.”
“In fact, he’s a terrible liar,” Jackson concluded. “Almost as bad as me.”
For a moment, they both were silent.
“I have to try,” Daisy said. “It will be quite a while before I can hand this project over and go back to being just a florist in Morgantown. I hate all this lying. I really hate it.”
Jackson wondered whether he should say his piece again about maybe it being time to come clean with everyone, but he was still gun-shy from the previous night, when he’d been the one unwilling to ask for advice or to listen. If Daisy wanted casual, that was what she was going to get.
“I’m sure everything will turn out okay.” Jackson settled for a platitude.
“Do you really think so?”
Jackson shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
“I do.” Daisy made a face. “Things rarely work out the way I want them to. If it hadn’t been for Clive, I would’ve made enough money from the first start-up not to ever have to go back to Silicon Valley again.”
“But that’s not quite true, is it?” Jackson opened his mouth before he thought about it. “You told me this particular project was too important for you to ignore.”
She stared at him for so long, he wished, not for the first time, he had the ability to go back in time and shut the hell up. So much for staying in the friend zone and keeping things light.
“You’re right,” Daisy finally answered him.
Jackson waited her out as she lapsed into silence again, her gaze settling somewhere he couldn’t follow.
“This thing we’re developing could save lives.”
“Okay, that’s good.” Jackson nodded encouragingly.
Daisy moved away from her position beside him and faced him, her legs crossed and her hands on her knees.
“Just imagine if you were wounded on a battlefield. The first hour is critical to your survival, so what if the software we’re developing improved your chance of survival by at least fifty percent?”
“That would be great,” Jackson agreed. “How do you do that?”
“By allowing the medical team working on you access to a vast amount of data on how to treat battlefield casualties in real time.”
“Which would improve the outcome?”
“Yes. Think about it, Jackson.” Daisy leaned forward, her eyes shining. “If the team leader could punch in a few data points, such as type of injury, the trajectory of the bullet, or what kind of weapon had been used, the software could instantly search through the database and offer the best way of dealing with the problem. Or even superimpose an image of where the injury and blood loss might be, and the best way to fix it right onto the patient.”
“It sounds great, but how do you get all that data to the medical personnel?” Jackson asked.
“Through a handheld device or special glasses offering augmented reality, or something we haven’t even come up with yet.” Daisy shrugged. “There are several delivery options. The important thing is, the ability to access the most up-to-date response to each specific injury based on previously accumulated knowledge.”
“Why is this so important to you personally?” Jackson asked gently.
“Don’t you think it’s important anyway?” Daisy challenged him.
“Of course I do. I’m former military, but why did this particular project call you back to Silicon Valley?”
Daisy’s gaze fell to her hands. “Because a friend of mine died in combat in Afghanistan before he could receive the proper treatment.”
“Brody?” Jackson took a wild guess.
She raised her head. “Who told you about him?”
“I worked it out.” He refused to look away from the anguish in her eyes and let his next question roll off his tongue.
“Did you love him?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, the simplicity of her response like a blow to his heart. He swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I need to wash up.”
He was almost through the bathroom door before she spoke again. “Are you mad at me?”
“No.” He slowly turned to face her and found a smile from somewhere. “How could I be mad? What you’re doing is awesome.”
He shut the door and locked it before she got any ideas about following him into the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet seat, he buried his face in his hands. He’d always liked a challenge, and getting Daisy to love him had been his number one priority. But now? How could he compete with a dead man? A hero who had inspired Daisy into creating an amazing lifesaving thing?
He wasn’t Brody, the All-American Hero, and he never would be. In fact, he was the complete opposite. Jackson slowly raised his head and stared blankly at the shower. Maybe it was time to accept that, and really be what Daisy had asked him to be in the first place—her temporary boyfriend.
Chapter Thirteen
Jackson dropped Daisy at the ranch with a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug. He didn’t come in; he said he had to get back for Cauy. He’d been nice as pie since her big disclosure about what she was doing with the start-up, but something had changed, and Daisy wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing or not. The fact that she’d shared her secrets was pretty frightening, but she’d wanted him to know, had instinctively felt it was time to tell him the truth amid so many lies.
And she’d believed him when he said how amazing her work was. As a vet, his good opinion meant a lot. Even as he’d accepted her confidences, something had altered, and she still wasn’t sure what it was—what she’d lost—but there was definitely a change. On the last night of their stay, he’d made love to her with such fierce, protective tenderness, she’d cried with pleasure.
And yet . . . she looked back down the road where a small cloud of dust from Jackson’s truck still danced on the air. Had he been saying goodbye?
She’d spoken briefly to Chase, and he’d assured her he’d not only keep her secrets but would only be involved in the decision-making at board level, leaving the initial assessment to Jake.
“You coming in, sis, or are you intending to camp out in the yard tonight?”
She swung around to see Adam standing at the open door watching her, his expression inscrutable.
“Sorry, I was just thinking.” She picked up her bag and went toward him. “Did you miss me?”
“Always.” Adam studied her upturned face. “Are you okay? You look sad.”
“I’m fine.” She patted his sleeve as he wrestled her case away from her, brought it inside, and set it at the bottom of the staircase. “I’m just tired.”
“Did you have a good time?” Adam took her firmly by the elbow and steered her into the kitchen, giving her no chance to bolt up the stairs. “I assume Jackson behaved himself.”
“He was great,” Daisy hastened to say, knowing the slightest hint of uncertainty would set Adam off in pursuit of her lover. “We had a really lovely time.”
And they had—if one discounted the arguing and the sometimes-painful bursts of honesty and evasion from both of them. She’d never met anyone who unsettled and provoked her quite like Jackson Lymond.
Adam went to get her some iced tea and poured himself some coffee. “Dad and the guys are watching a baseball game if you want to pop in and say hi.”
“And be told off for interrupting them?” Daisy attempted to sound cheerful. “They’ll work out that I’m home when they notice the laundry pile has gone down.”
“Ha ha, like you even know where that room is. Talk to me.” Adam sat at the table and patted the seat beside him. “Auntie Rae called yesterday. She’s coming to see us tomorrow.”
“What about?” Daisy wrinkled her nose.
“She wouldn’t say over the phone.” Adam shrugged. “You know how she likes a bit of drama.”
Daisy studied him carefully. “Have you any idea what she wants?”
“I really don’t.” Adam sighed. “I didn’t call or ask her to lend me any money to buy the Cortez Ranch, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Daisy tried not to blush and hurriedly drank all her iced tea. After helping to bring up her brother’s kids, Auntie Rae had married a wealthy man and left cattle country for good to set up house in Sacramento. She had no children, which she said was a good thing, seeing as she’d already raised six who felt like her own. As the youngest, Daisy was particularly close to her aunt and truly thought of her as Mom.
She’d been a rock for Daisy, scooping her up into her loving arms and holding her close when the tears overwhelmed her. She’d patiently answered all Daisy’s anguished questions about when her mom was coming back without ever getting angry or asking her to stop. When Daisy had prayed to God to send her mommy home, Rae had prayed alongside her until Daisy had given up in despair.
“Is something up with Uncle Rick?” Daisy asked.
“Not that I know of, but she really didn’t give away anything on the phone, which is most unlike her.”
“I’ll make sure the guest room is aired out tomorrow. Is she driving?”
“I think so.” Adam grimaced. “I’d better put out a traffic warning for the whole of Morgan Valley and hope Nate Turner’s not around when she drives into town.”
“How many tickets did she get when she lived here?” Daisy asked. “She’d just park wherever she liked.”
“I remember. The first day I got my driver’s permit, I offered to park for her, and things got better after that,” Adam said. “I passed first time thanks to all the practice.”
They grinned at each other, and Daisy felt a wave of love for her quiet, dependable brother.
“Well, whatever she wants, we’ll handle it.” Daisy got up. “Do you want some hot chocolate? I’m going to make some the proper way.”
“Just like Auntie Rae taught you?” Adam turned in his seat to watch her get the milk out of the refrigerator. “She really stepped up after Mom left, didn’t she?”
“Yes. I’m not sure I would take on six kids who weren’t my own.” Daisy shuddered as she got out the cocoa powder and sugar.
“Would you like kids one day, Daisy?” Adam asked.
“I suppose so.” Daisy considered his question, her mind immediately conjuring up babies with Jackson’s dark hair and great smile. “Not six, though. How about you?”
His smile died. “I don’t think so.”
“That would be a shame. You’d be a great father and a good role model.”
“Yeah, but I wanted that with Louisa.” He stood and came toward her. “I can’t imagine doing it without her.” He ruffled her hair. “Sleep well, little sis, and brace yourself for the whirlwind we call Auntie Rae tomorrow.”
“Will do.” She went on tiptoe to kiss his cheek and quickly returned her attention to the rapidly boiling milk.
Adam needed to move on.
The thought crystallized as she took the milk off the heat and stirred in the sugar and cocoa before replacing it on the range.
But who the heck was she to be all judgy? She was just the same, wasn’t she? Believing that Brody was her one true love, and that no one else would ever replace him. Perhaps the Miller family stubborn streak was becoming a real problem after all . . .
* * *
Jackson went into the kitchen to find Cauy eating his supper one-handed as he texted with the other. From the goofy smile on his face, Jackson guessed he was talking to Rachel, who was currently in Sacramento.
“Hey.” Cauy looked up at him. “Did you have a good time?”
Jackson dumped his backpack on the floor and sat opposite his brother. “It was interesting.”
“What does that mean?”
Jackson sighed. “It means I’m falling hard for Daisy Miller and she doesn’t feel the same about me.”
Cauy finally put down both his cell and his fork.
“But didn’t you go into this knowing that?”
“Rachel told you, huh?”
“Not all of it, but enough to make me worry you were going to get hurt along the way.”
“Daisy’s done nothing wrong.”
Cauy raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say she had. Why are you being so defensive?”
“Because you’re right.” Jackson shoved a hand through his hair. “I did go into this knowing how she felt, and yet I still thought I’d change her mind—convince her I was really the one for her.”
“You can’t make people love you, Jackson.” Cauy’s smile was wry. “I tried for years with Dad, and it got me nowhere.”
“But I’m good at this shit. You know that.” Jackson held Cauy’s gaze. “I’m not used to . . . not winning.”
“Well, maybe for a start, you should stop thinking of Daisy as a prize to be won and think of her as a person.”
“I know what she is.” Jackson scowled at his brother. “Don’t try that therapy crap on me.”
“Sure.” Cauy shrugged. “Maybe it’s time you figured it out yourself. Life isn’t all about winning.”
“Says the man who made a small fortune on the oil fields,” Jackson reminded his brother.
“And who would still rather have had a father who loved him and a place to call home where he knew he was wanted.” Cauy kept talking, which wasn’t like him at all. “Coming back here and meeting Rachel has given me everything I ever wanted.”
“Then how about you give me all your money and I’ll spend it for you?” Jackson tried to lighten the atmosphere.
“Don’t try to turn this into a joke, Jackson. Why do you always do that when things get serious?”
Jackson stopped smiling. “Because sometimes that was the only way we all survived around here. Don’t you remember that, Cauy? How I tried my hardest to get in between you and Dad? How many times I gave you the chance to get away by acting the fool?”
Cauy stared up at him in silence for far too long for Jackson’s comfort until he finally stirred.
“Jackson . . .”
“Do you have any idea how it was around here after you left? Dad didn’t stop. He just took his rage out on easier targets, and there was only me left to get in his way.” Jackson shook his head. “Sometimes I envied you—that you’d gotten away—and sometimes I hated you for leaving me.”