by Iris Abbott
Daisy realized she was staring at man and child. She snapped out of the dreamlike trance that held her immobile. She grabbed her purse and rushed ahead of Carson to open the door.
Using the fob attached to her keychain, Daisy unlocked the car doors. She opened the backseat passenger door and motioned for Carson to sit Lucas in the car seat. She held her breath, hoping the sudden stop in motion didn’t wake up her nephew.
When Carson moved away, Daisy peeked inside. Lucas was still asleep. She quickly took Carson’s place and fastened Lucas inside the child safety seat. That important task completed, Daisy closed the door as quietly as she could. She turned to say goodnight to Carson.
He was standing much closer than she thought. Daisy suddenly found herself trapped between his hard body and the warm steel of the car. She watched with bated breath as Carson’s mouth moved closer. His lips brushed across hers, and Daisy leaned into the kiss. She leaned into Carson, pressing her body into the hard contours of his.
This was the first time she’d kissed someone since the divorce. Daisy hadn’t experienced a first kiss in several long years. She’d forgotten how magical it could be. Her heart beat faster in her chest. Her body tingled from head to toe. Her belly fluttered from nerves and the first stirrings of desire.
Carson wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her closer. The kiss became more demanding. Lips and teeth meshed together and tongues tangled.
She lifted her arms and wrapped them around Carson’s neck. Sensations bombarded her everywhere their bodies touched. Her nipples pebbled. Daisy felt faint from the lack of air in her lungs. She pulled away just long enough to suck air into her body. Then their mouths collided once again. Seconds, then minutes ticked by, still they continued kissing.
Carson’s erection pushed into her lower belly and Daisy’s common sense came roaring back to life. Her hands dropped from around his neck. She wiggled them into the almost nonexistent space between their two bodies and pushed. Hard!
Their lips were ripped apart and Carson took a quick step back. He ran a shaky hand through his already ruffled hair. Two pairs of shocked eyes met and refused to look away from each other.
Daisy took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shove you like that, but it was too much, too soon.”
“I am not apologizing.” His dark eyes didn’t waiver in their intensity. “We have something very important in common, Daisy.”
He wasn’t backing down or looking away. She swallowed, hard. “What’s that?” She managed to whisper.
“We survived an attempted bank robbery that was committed by blundering idiots with guns. It could have turned out so much worse.”
“But it didn’t,” Daisy was reminding herself just as much as Carson.
He nodded. “True, but it made me realize something. It’s time I started living again. And Daisy, the same could be said for you.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” She skirted around the edge of the car, putting more distance between them. “I’m living just fine!” The forceful response was totally out of character for the usually gentle and calm Daisy.
“You keep telling yourself that, Daisy. And maybe eventually you’ll believe it. Me, I’m not buying it.”
Daisy’s wary gaze skirted around the yard before it came to rest on the harsh planes of Carson’s face. The kiss had thrown her off balance. She hadn’t felt so much emotion or passion in years. It had really thrown her for a loop. It was time to hide behind the mask of politeness drilled into almost every Southern lady.
“Thank you for dinner, Carson.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied in kind.
“Lucas and I both enjoyed it. I’ll see you Monday morning.” She opened the car door and slid in behind the wheel. She had to regain her composure before Lucas noticed she wasn’t acting like herself. The only way to do that was put even more distance between her and Carson.
She started the engine and drove away. She glanced in the rearview mirror. Carson was still standing there. His relaxed stance was the exact opposite of how Daisy felt.
Her nerves were strung tight enough to snap. And she had no idea how he could look so calm after the kiss they shared. It had been explosive, a game changer. She had no doubt that she’d be dreaming of Carson and the scorching hot kiss that night.
****
Carson stayed outside until Daisy’s taillights completely disappeared from view. He’d called upon every ounce of willpower and strength he possessed to let her drive away after that kiss. Her skittish behavior was nothing less than he’d expected. It sure wasn’t enough to make him back down.
He wanted Daisy. And after the heated response she shared with him, he knew she wanted him too. Her brushoff had come after he’d felt her nipples, hard from arousal, press into him. It came after little moans of uttered desire that he didn’t even think she realized she’d made. The breakaway and push were too late to hide the effects he had on her.
No, her problem wasn’t physical. It was emotional. She had mental scars that cut deep. He planned to prove to her that he had staying power. He was going to show her that he was nothing like her ex-husband. It might take a lot of time, effort, and trouble, but Daisy was well worth it. He just had to make her believe it.
FIVE
Daisy felt lighter than she had in years. Today had been anything but a typical and boring Monday. Her stomach fluttered all the way to the bank. It dropped all the way to her knees when Carson greeted her near the door with a heart-stopping smile that curled her toes.
He didn’t go out of his way to seek her out, but she saw a lot more of him than she usually did during a typical workday. Daisy was fine with that because she wanted to see him, though not if it would create unnecessary talk. And Daisy hated gossip. It was just about the only drawback to living in a community like Rancher’s Bend.
Her eyes couldn’t stay away from him whenever he ventured into the main part of the bank. His unwavering stare collided with hers on several occasions throughout the day. It happened enough times that the ultra-efficient Daisy actually lost count. He joined her in the employee lounge for lunch and even shared one of his coveted brownies with her.
They talked about Lucas, Rosie, and made everyday small talk. Daisy was comfortable in his presence by the end of the meal, all thanks to his casual manner and gift of gab. She had to admit he definitely had charm and charisma. It was the most enjoyable lunch she could remember having.
One drawback to the time they spent together was that the sexual tension simmering between them after that scorching hot kiss heated up a few more degrees. It seemed to crackle in the air at the bank, taking on a life of its own. Daisy was hoping to talk with Carson one more time before she left. Much to her disappointment, he was in a meeting when she left work for the day. A part of her wanted to hang around to see if he would actually seek her out, but Lucas was waiting.
Daisy didn’t have time to hang around the bank acting like a lovesick teenager. She shutdown her computer, gathered her belongings, and with a cheery wave to the remaining employees, she left. Daisy did hum under her breath, however, for the first time since coming to work at the bank. And she kept the tune going until she walked through the doors of the daycare center.
She gave the woman at the front desk a big smile. “I’m here to pick up Lucas. I hope he’s not too grumpy this afternoon,” Daisy said with a laugh. “Today is grocery shopping day. And that’s not exactly Lucas’s favorite activity.”
She stopped talking when the woman gave her a horrified look. “It’s not that bad, Nancy. It’s not as if Lucas throws earsplitting tantrums while I run from aisle to aisle throwing things in my cart.”
“Umm, I never thought he did,” the woman managed to mutter.
“We don’t send other shoppers running in the opposite direction either.” Daisy laughed at the comical picture she’d created.
Nancy didn’t. It finally registered to Daisy that something was way off. She sto
pped laughing. “What’s wrong, Nancy? Did Lucas get injured on the playground or something?” She let out a nervous laugh, trying to break the tension.
“Well…” The woman abruptly snapped her mouth shut and just stared at Daisy with wide eyes.
Daisy was becoming quite alarmed by the other woman’s strange behavior. She tried to stay calm. “It can’t be that bad.” She tried to reassure both Nancy and herself.
“If he fell and broke something or gave himself a concussion someone from the daycare center would have called me, so I could take him to the hospital.”
“Umm…” The woman turned away from Daisy and picked up the phone. “Tammy, Daisy is here to pick up Lucas.” She put the phone down.
Daisy was really starting to get worried. This was far from normal. Something was really wrong. She was breaking out in a cold sweet. She put both her hands on the counter and leaned toward Nancy. “What’s happened to Lucas?” The words came out in a harsh whisper.
Fear twisted her insides and had her heart hammering away inside her chest. She felt faint, like she might pass out. She took several deep breaths to try and calm down, and remain conscious.
Tammy came rushing toward the front desk. And Daisy knew whatever it was, it was bad. She’d never seen the immaculately dressed daycare owner with a hair out of place. She was definitely looking flustered now.
She stepped up to the desk. “Thank you for the call, Nancy. I’ll take it from here.” The daycare owner put an arm around Daisy’s shoulder. “Let’s go into my office and talk,” the woman offered.
Daisy shook off her hand. “No! I want to know what’s going on and I want to know now! It doesn’t take a cozy little chat in your office for me to find out what happened to Lucas.”
The front door opened and another parent walked in. Nancy immediately greeted the woman. And she tried her best to distract the newcomer’s attention away from Daisy and Tammy.
Daisy didn’t want to cause a scene in front of the other woman. She felt a tug on her arm. She blindly followed Tammy down the hall and behind closed doors. Daisy was going to verbally make her displeasure known at the end of this meeting. By dragging this out, the daycare center was making her imagine the worst. And Daisy didn’t appreciate that at all.
She stumbled to the chair in front of the owner’s desk and sat down. “Just tell me, Tammy. Obviously something terrible has happened, and putting it off isn’t going to change anything.”
“I’m not sure yet that anything is wrong,” the woman firmly stated. “I’m just a little confused as to why you’re here for Lucas when his mother picked him up almost two hours ago.”
“What!” Daisy sprang up from the chair she’d been sitting on. The disbelief and fear she was feeling was evident from the strained tension in her voice.
“According to the sign-out sheet he left with his mom, Amy.” Tammy frowned.
“His mother, Amy Torres, walked out on my brother and Lucas three years ago.” Daisy was clearly agitated. She anxiously paced back and forth in front of the desk. “I’m Lucas’s legal guardian. I have been ever since my brother died almost two years ago.”
Tammy’s face was bright red. “I’m truly sorry for the mix-up, Daisy. But she said she was his mother. She had identification, and a couple of the employees recognized her from when she lived here.”
“I don’t understand,” Daisy snapped. “I thought the center had rules in place to keep this kind of thing from happening. Why would you let Lucas leave with a stranger,” she wailed.
The daycare owner’s spine straightened. “Well, she really isn’t a stranger. She is Lucas’s mother. And she was very believable,” the woman said defensively. “Ms. Torres said she was in town visiting. And that she was picking Lucas up to help you out.”
Daisy threw her hands up in the air. “And you believed her just like that!”
“Well, she said something about you being backed up at work because of the bank robbery.”
“As if I would ask her for help when it came to the child she abandoned without a backward glance.” Daisy grabbed her belly and slowed her frantic pacing. She felt sick to her stomach but she somehow had to keep it together if she could. “I can’t believe no one here tried to call me.”
“Everything seemed to check out,” Tammy said. “Nancy would have probably known better. But she was on her lunch break, and the new girl was filling in for her.”
“Even a new employee should know better than to just hand a child over to anyone,” Daisy insisted.
“In her defense, she did check Lucas’s folder. The emergency contact section was blank. Ms. Torres told her that was because she had recently moved and you were waiting for her new address and phone number.”
Daisy buried her face in her hands. They had reminded her last week to supply them with an emergency contact and she had forgotten all about it. This was all her fault. “I have to call the police,” Daisy murmured.
Tammy nodded her agreement. “I’ll have Nancy direct them to my office. It’s quiet and you can have your privacy.” She paused and placed a hand on Daisy’s shoulder. “I know it’s a small comfort, but I’m sure Amy wouldn’t hurt Lucas. And I fired the new secretary. She should have called you when she saw the contact information was blank and not just taken Amy’s word for anything.”
Daisy briskly rubbed her face with both hands. “And I should have given you a contact- Sara Beth, Mandy, Carson, somebody! But could have, should have, would have doesn’t do Lucas any good right now.”
She rummaged through her purse until she found her mobile phone. She dialed 911 and explained to the operator what had happened. The dispatcher advised Daisy to stay put and that two officers were on their way to ask questions, open an investigation, and file a report.
Daisy pushed the button to break the connection, and sank into a chair. She felt like she should be raging at the world or sobbing her heart out but she was too numb to do either.
****
Carson Miller was signing memos his assistant had recently typed when the intercom on his desk buzzed. It was getting late, almost seven o’clock. Renee and Carson were the only two people left in the bank. They often worked late when paperwork needed to be cleared out.
Most Mondays were consumed by customer visits, from all the people who couldn’t take care of pressing business due to the weekend. Between greeting, meeting with customers, and answering phone calls and emails, not much else got done. Combine that with the unexpected chaos of the attempted bank robbery and the early closing of the bank, and Carson was already falling behind.
He pressed the button to open the line of communication. “Yes, Renee? I’m almost finished. You may go ahead and clear out if you need to. I know it’s rare for you to have to stay on a Monday evening.”
“Thanks, Carson, but that’s not why I buzzed you. Derek Barnes is on hold for you. Would you like to speak with him or should I take a message.”
“I’ll take the call. Go ahead and put him straight through.” Carson couldn’t imagine why Derek would be calling him. But he didn’t think the man would contact him this late unless it was fairly important. He answered the call on the first ring.
“Miller,” he briskly snapped into the mouthpiece of the phone.
“It’s Barnes.”
“So my assistant warned me. Now what can I do for you, Derek?”
“I thought you might want to know that two officers just got back from a call at the daycare center there on Main Street.”
Carson’s brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of why Derek would be calling him about this.
“I’m sorry, Derek. I’m just not making the connection. This isn’t another hostage situation is it? I thought the judge refused bail for the two yahoos who tried to rob the bank.”
“No they’re still locked up tight,” he was quick to reassure. “Daisy’s nephew goes to that daycare center.”
That got Carson’s attention. “Did something happen to Lucas?” Carson didn�
��t even try to hide the concern or fear in his voice. That boy was Daisy’s life.
“His deadbeat mother waltzed into the daycare center this afternoon, announced she was the kid’s mother, and walked out with him. He’s been missing for several hours.”
Derek had Carson’s full attention now. “Damn!” He slid to the edge of his seat. Carson’s back was ramrod straight. “How is Daisy doing?” He couldn’t even begin to imagine what this must be doing to her.
“It’s bad, man. One of the officers said he thought she was going to faint while they were questioning her.” Derek paused and waited for the words to sink in.
“That doesn’t surprise me at all. She’s got to be devastated.”
“That’s just the thing, Carson. She didn’t shed a tear while she was talking with the officers. Instead she was eerily calm.”
“Sounds like she was in shock to me, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise to me or anyone else who really knows her.”
“I agree. That’s why I called you. I’ve been calling Daisy’s house and cell phone ever since I heard about Lucas’s kidnapping. But she’s not answering. I’m really worried about her. I know how much she loves Lucas.”
“Me too,” Carson agreed. He used his neck to hold the phone against his shoulder. He was already stuffing objects into his briefcase. He needed to be at Daisy’s side ASAP!
“She didn’t go back to the bank, did she? I know it’s just a couple of blocks from the daycare center. I was hoping that if she was too upset to drive all the way home, she might have tried to make it back to you and the bank.”
“I’m positive that she’s not here.” He frowned. He had a knack for sensing when Daisy was nearby. He was sure she wasn’t at the bank. Surely Renee would have mentioned it if Daisy had wandered into the bank so late. “I’m going to do my best to find her, however.”
“Good, I thought you might say that. It’s why I called you instead of looking for her myself.” He paused. “She needs a really good friend right now, someone who cares about her and Lucas too.”
“That would be me.” Carson didn’t even hesitate.