by Melody Anne
Darla laughed. “I don’t plan on falling in love either, but what I’ve learned through my job, and through life in general, is that we don’t get a choice. If we meet that person, and that arrow shoots into our heart, it’s got a barbed hook on it and there’s no escaping.”
“You’ve dated a lot, but you’ve never spoken of true love,” Daisy pointed out.
“I tell you everything so you know I’ve been in lust before, and I’ve been in like before, but you’re right, I’ve never been with someone I’ve felt I couldn’t breathe without. The final test to know if you’re in love and if that person is worthy of your love, is to ask yourself if you like yourself more with him or without him.”
Daisy leaned back. “That’s a good question.”
She thought about all the times she’d been with Hudson — on the plane, in his hotel room, on her family property, on the golf course, at his house, at the school she was trying to save, and simply taking a walk through a path in a paradise in the middle of a city. She was happy when she was with him, even if she didn’t want to admit it. And when she was with him, she was free, she wasn’t stressed, and she felt as if she could fly.
“I do like the person I am when I’m with him even more than the person I am without him,” Daisy finally said.
“Then what are you going to do to make it work?”
“I don’t know,” Daisy said. “What should I do? Do I tell him I want to be his girlfriend? Aren’t we a little old for that?”
Darla laughed. “You already are his girlfriend. If this was the sixties you’d be wearing his letterman’s jacket and he’d be calling you his best girl.” That gave Daisy the giggles. “We aren’t in high school anymore. You can choose who you want to be with, and you can choose whether to let that person in or not. I think you should let him in. He treats you with respect and kindness, and he also challenges you and helps you grow. That doesn’t mean you won’t fight, and it doesn’t mean you won’t have different passions, but at the end of the day, it means you’ll support each other even when you think the other person has gone crazy.”
“I have a feeling I’ll go crazier than he will,” Daisy said. “What if it’s too late? We didn’t end on the best of terms a few days ago.”
“He let you know he was going with his family,” Darla pointed out. “So he might’ve been upset with you, which might’ve had more to do with him than you, but he does care. He wanted you to know he was trying. That’s a big deal.”
“I guess it really is,” Daisy said.
“So, I’ll ask again, what are you going to do for him?”
“I’m going to help myself,” Daisy said. And then she smiled. “I know exactly what I’m going to do.”
“Well, tell me!” Darla commanded.
Just like that Daisy felt a twenty-pound weight lift off of her chest. She looked out at the land that had offered her so much comfort and she smiled. She could have the best of both worlds. She could focus on her passions, and she could hold tight to what mattered by letting go of what didn’t.
“Let’s go play some golf,” Daisy said with a laugh.
Darla gave her an incredulous look. “What? Are you crazy? I hate golf.”
“Wait until you drive the cart. It will totally change your mind.”
Daisy dragged Darla from the house, new goals in mind and hopefully a bright future ahead of her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hudson came back into town and wanted to go straight to Daisy. But he had something to do first. He wanted to prove to her that he’d listened to what she said, wanted to prove she really did matter to him. And he wanted to show her they could embrace their pasts, live in the moment, and look forward to an uncertain future.
That was all part of the circle of life and he no longer wanted to try to cut his way out of that circle. He wanted to spin inside of it and see where it took him.
He made his way to the realtor he’d been working with for several months while looking for land and possibly a new house. Nothing had sparked excitement until Joseph had introduced him to Bubby. And now that was all a mess. He wasn’t sure what to do about that. But one thing at a time.
He walked into the realtor’s office feeling optimistic, as if he held the world in his hands. He was going to buy the school for Daisy. He’d show her he did listen, that he wanted to make a difference in her life and in the community they both lived in.
But fifteen minutes after walking in the door, Hudson walked back out, his smile gone, feeling defeated — the school was pending in an airtight sale. He’d offered an extra hundred thousand dollars, but the realtor said it was a done deal. Hudson had argued that nothing was done until the ink was dry, but no amount of bribery had worked.
People said money could buy anything — well, they were wrong. It couldn’t save the property Daisy had been fighting so hard for. And now he had to break the news to her.
It had taken him a weekend away with his family to understand what she’d been trying to tell him for months, that the past mattered, that it was important to hold on to the things that brought a person both pleasure and warm memories. And now she was going to lose her school.
As he climbed into his truck he realized he could give her something. He could give her back her land. That might help ease the pain she’d feel at losing the school. She’d told him from the start she knew it was a losing battle, but he’d hoped she’d win it. Unfortunately, not everything a person fought for ended in victory.
He needed to see her, and he needed to rip off the bandage. He’d tell her he’d help her fight for the next place, that the next time she wanted to save something he’d be at her side.
He didn’t call first, and he was relieved to see her car when he pulled up to the farm. He was also relieved her grandfather wasn’t there. He truly liked Bubby, but right now he needed to convince Daisy he loved her, understood her, and that there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He could do it.
The door opened as soon as Hudson knocked. She looked absolutely beautiful with a bright smile on her face, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes sparkling.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, wondering if she was happy because he’d been gone. Had he completely misjudged their relationship? He’d been miserable without her and she seemed to be absolutely glowing.
“I’ve missed you too. I’m glad you’re back. I don’t want to fight anymore,” she said, opening the door wide and inviting him inside.
Once the door was shut, she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and holding on tight. He wrapped his arms around her and held on with the conviction he was never letting her go again. When she finally pulled back he looked at her face again, wondering what was making her so happy.
“You’re glowing,” he said. He reached up and brushed her hair from her face then cupped her cheek.
“I’m happy, Hudson. I’m figuring out who I am and what I want to do,” she said.
“And who are you?” he asked. He wanted to kiss her badly, but he knew they needed to talk. He was afraid if he kissed her that’s all they’d do. They needed to have a relationship built on trust, love, and understanding. The sex was great, and he needed it to be great, but the meat of a relationship was about so much more.
“I’m a girl who’s been lost for a very long time, but I think I’ve found myself. You pointing out that I live in the past was one hundred percent correct. I don’t want to live in the past anymore. I want to appreciate it and preserve it, but I want to be fully in the present, and I want to do it with you if you want that.”
He was shocked at her words. He hadn’t been expecting that at all. He thought he’d have to beg her to take him back, that he’d have to promise her that he was a changed man. But they’d only argued, not had a knockdown, drag-out fight. Couples argued, which Finn had pointed out. They argued and they made up.
“I came here to beg you to be with me,” he said. “Of course, I want us to be together.”
; “Then I guess we’re together,” she said with a laugh, her face radiating joy.
“I have to tell you something. I don’t want to dampen this great mood you’re in, but it will hang over me if I don’t tell you,” he said.
Her smile fell. “What is it?”
“I wanted to buy the school for you. I was going to surprise you, get the deed and hand it over. I wanted to help you save it. But someone has it in escrow right now. Before you get upset, that doesn’t mean it’s over. As soon as I find out who’s purchased it, I’ll offer them whatever they want for the property. We can still save it. And if for some reason they won’t play ball, we can tie them up in court forever, or we can move on to something else. I want to help you save the past. I want to give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”
The smile she’d been wearing came back with so much brilliance it nearly blinded him. He hadn’t expected that with the news he was sharing. She’d surprised him a lot in the span of a few minutes.
“You tried to buy the school for me?” she asked, her eyes suddenly filling with tears.
“It’s not over. Just remember that,” he said. His hand was still on her face when a warm tear trickled down his finger.
“Oh, Hudson. I can’t believe I ever thought you were this arrogant businessman without a heart. I can’t believe I might’ve never seen you again because I ran away from that hotel room. I can’t believe I walked away from you twice. I’m a real idiot,” she said as another tear fell.
“No, I was that man. I don’t know what happened, but being with you has changed me. It’s made me a new man, made me someone who wants others to be proud of me, made me a man who wants you to be proud of me.”
“Anyone who knows you is proud of you,” she said.
“Daisy, I’m giving you back your land. You lost the school and I’m not letting you lose your land too. I’m not going to let you argue. I have the deed in my pocket and on Monday morning we’re going together to sign it. And I don’t want the money. I want you to use that money and I want to help you build a park and a community center. We can have Noah design a fantastic space, free of charge, of course, and we’ll give you the park you want.”
More tears fell before Daisy leaned up and softly kissed him on the lips then laid her head against his chest. She quietly cried against him while he told her it was all going to be okay, and they’d make everything work perfectly. It was breaking his heart that she was crying. He wanted to do whatever it took to take away her pain.
When she leaned back and looked at him, her face was a little red and her eyes were still shining, but she was smiling again.
“I love you, Hudson. I love you more than I thought possible. I love that you’re willing to sacrifice your dreams for me, and I love that I can tell you that’s not necessary because I do love you. I want you to have your dreams. I want you to build your resort. I want to be at your side while you do it. I want to bring groups of kids there to play golf and have endless adventures, and I want people to have their dream homes in a safe community. I want all of that.”
“I love you too, Daisy, but no. You get your land back. I’m not bending,” he said. “I’m not going to start our life together with me getting everything I want and you sacrificing for it. I’ll find more land. I don’t care if it takes ten years, I’ll eventually build my golf course. You get to have your dream now.”
She kissed him again. “I already do. I have you,” she said. She pulled from his arms, moved to the table, picked up some papers, and brought them to him. “Read this.”
He looked at the papers and then read them again. He looked up and smiled, truly smiled. “Really?”
“Really!” she told him and giggled with delight.
“I’ve been so stressed,” he said, finally laughing.
“I love you, Hudson, and I love that you love me. And I love that you’re willing to fight for me and sacrifice for me. But this time, I did it for myself. I used every dime of that money from the sale of the land, put in the offer, and the owner accepted right away. The school will officially be mine in thirty days. I’d already decided to let the land go to you, but now I know I made the right choice. We can both have our dreams,” she said.
“I think we already do,” he told her.
“Yes, yes, we do,” she said.
“I’m going to ask you to marry me, Daisy Green, and I’m going to do it soon.”
“You’re going to ask me?” she questioned.
“I have to talk to your grandfather first,” he said. “Where is he?”
“He and Joseph are playing golf at the community my grandfather’s moving to in a couple of weeks.”
“Well let’s go then. I have a man to talk to,” Hudson told her.
“Can it wait a little while?”
“No, I want to talk to him now,” Hudson insisted.
She stepped back from him, pulled her shirt over her head, and walked to the hallway. “We could go now, or you could follow me. I have something to show you,” she said as she unhooked her bra and kept walking.
“Okay, he can wait,” Hudson said, running to catch up to her.
He swept her into his arms and jumped onto her bed, making both of them bounce. He’d never been happier in his life. He knew that happiness was only going to continue to grow and grow.
They didn’t emerge from the bedroom for an hour, but they were both wearing smiles as they walked out. “I’m ready to go see gramps now,” she said.
“Good, cause I have one stop to make along the way,” he said. He needed to buy a ring. “I just texted Darla so we’re meeting her and you two are going to go off for a bit. Then I don’t want to spend another minute without you for at least a solid year.”
Daisy laughed again in delight. He loved seeing her so happy. He loved being so happy he felt as if he wasn’t touching the ground.
No matter what came their way they’d work through it. They had enough love to weather the best and worst of times. All of the stuff in the middle didn’t matter. It would work itself out.
He was certainly going to live happily ever after with this woman for the rest of his life — just as soon as he talked to Bubby. Without honor the world was a poorer place, and Hudson believed in those old-fashioned values. And he knew Bubby did as well. He felt honored to ask the man for his granddaughter’s hand in marriage. It also helped that he was sure of the man’s answer.
Hudson had a feeling he wouldn’t quit smiling for many years to come. He’d do his best to make sure Daisy smiled just as brilliantly as she had been for the past couple of hours. He loved her, and in the end love truly had been enough.
Epilogue
Darla Winters was confused. She’d received a call from Crew Anderson, and he’d seemed frustrated, sad, and ready to give up. She drove about twenty miles over the speed limit as she made her way to his house.
She’d enjoyed her time with him the night of the barbeque over a month ago, but she could tell that night that something had been wrong with him. She’d asked a few times if she could help him with anything and he’d shrugged her off. She’d told him she was asking a million questions so it was only fair that she sat and listened to him in return. He’d again shrugged her off. She’d pointed out to him that she was a social worker and insisted she could help him.
For just a moment there had been a spark in his eyes. He’d looked as if he was going to talk to her. And then his brother Noah had stepped up to them with a joke, and the moment had passed. The shutters had closed over his eyes. She’d tried again, but she knew within seconds it wasn’t any use.
She’d had a fantastic night with him, shared one hell of a smoking hot kiss in the shadows beside his house, but then she hadn’t heard from him again. She knew they’d bump into each other as her best friend was officially engaged to his brother, and nothing had happened between them that would make things awkward, but she’d still be nervous around him.
She was attracted to the man. Who wouldn’t be? He w
as sexy as hell, smarter than any man she’d ever spoken to before, and he had a sense of humor after a few drinks. Plus, she had a thing for the tall brooding type, and Crew Anderson certainly fit that description. He was brooding all right — and now maybe he was ready to talk about his problems. But why her?
She arrived at his house and he opened the front door before she’d made it up his walk. He had dark circles beneath his eyes and he looked so lost she wanted to pull him into her arms and tell him everything would be okay.
“Thanks for coming over so quickly,” Crew said as he led her into his house. It was definitely a bachelor pad with hardly any female touches, but it was nice.
“Of course. What’s wrong?” she asked as he led her to the kitchen.
“Have a seat, I’ll make you a coffee,” he said as he moved over to his Keurig and she took a seat at his breakfast bar. He looked utterly exhausted. She let him make coffee, figuring he needed a few minutes to compose himself. That was okay.
When he was finished, he set the cup in front of her and pulled out three bottles of creamer. She put some caramel macchiato in her cup and waited. He didn’t say anything for a bit but pulled a piece of paper from a drawer, clutching it in his hand, his fingers slightly shaking.
“I’m about to share something with you that I haven’t told my family. But I need help,” he finally said. “I don’t know what to do. I wasn’t sure if it was real or not, but now I think it is, and I don’t know what to do. Since you’re a social worker, I thought maybe you could help.”
“What is it?” she asked.
He slid the paper to her without saying another word. She was afraid to open it, but she finally did. She read it and her face turned white. She looked up at him and he was gazing at her, looking lost and sad.
“You think this is true?” she asked.
“I think so,” he said. “But I need help finding out for sure. This isn’t the first note I’ve received, but it’s the one that came today.” He pulled out a handful of other notes from a drawer and slapped them down on the counter.