Taken by Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens #7)

by Melissa Foster

  “I don’t do that much scaling anymore.” He huffed and groaned. “Okay, that’s better. Sorry. We’ve got a big group coming in today. I was just getting the camping gear and saddles ready.” Wes’s life was anything but boring. Luke had enjoyed the few pioneering trips he’d gone on with his brother, but while Wes’s fulfillment came from roping cattle and teaching people how to ride horses, hunt, fish, run cattle, with a few high adventures thrown in, Luke had found solace in his horses and the success of his ranch, just as their uncle Hal Braden had in Weston. Luke, like his uncle, hated to say goodbye to the young stock he bred for a living, but he felt good knowing they went to good homes. Also like his uncle, he’d never sell the broodmares or stallion, and this year, he’d gotten so close to one of his young horses, that he knew she was there to stay, too.

  “If you’re calling to give me hell, make it fast. I’ve got training to do.” He took a few steps up the unfinished stairwell and peeked at the framed interior, then descended the stairs and headed back into the barn.

  “I’m not calling to give you hell. I’m calling to say I was proud of you. You didn’t flip the guy this time.”

  He heard the smile in his brother’s voice. “I’ll take my kudos where I can get them.” Luke headed back to the supply room.

  “I’ve been trying to understand something.” Wes’s voice grew serious. “In high school you saw guys do that shit all the time. Why’re you all of a sudden acting like you’re Chuck Norris, there to save the day?”

  He realized that Wes never knew about how he’d stepped in to save Daisy from that asshole so long ago.

  “Hell if I know.” He stood in the middle of the twelve-stall barn and focused on Wes’s questions. Ever since he’d bought the ranch, he’d been thinking about family, specifically his father, Buddy Walsh. At least Buddy’d had the good sense to sign over his parental rights to their six children to their mother, and their mother’d had the good sense to change their names back to her maiden name, Braden. The fewer daily reminders of him, the better.

  None of Luke’s siblings would talk about Buddy. Pierce and Ross, the eldest, were barely five and six when Buddy left, and Jake, Emily, and Wes didn’t remember a damn thing about him. For as long as Luke could remember, asking after his father’s whereabouts had been taboo.

  Luke was a well-educated man. He knew that being abandoned by a parent could have all sorts of ramifications on kids, and even if his siblings didn’t claim to think about him, the latest turn in Luke’s behavior had him looking in Buddy’s direction for answers. He sucked in a deep breath and steeled himself against what he assumed would be shut the hell up.

  “Wes, do you ever think about Buddy?”

  For a beat, the only sound was the wind against the phone. Luke paced, and when Wes finally answered, he sounded disengaged.

  “Nope. Never.”

  “Never?”

  “Why would I? I never knew him. In my mind, Mom pretty much had us alone.”

  Luke nodded as he paced, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew his brother couldn’t hear him thinking, but he was processing what he’d said. He understood where Wes was coming from, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed some answers. He was thirty years old, and he wasn’t sure if he could—or if he should—move forward until he had his past under control.

  Wes’s voice broke the silence. “Luke, what’s going on, man? Why are you asking about Buddy? Hell, why are you thinking about him? He’s just some asshole, and he left us all.”

  “Maybe that’s why. How could a guy leave his kids and never look back?” Luke grabbed a shovel and headed for the stalls to work out his frustration. “Don’t you want to know why?”

  “Nope. Don’t care, and whatever you do, don’t mention him to Mom. Pierce will tell you that one thing he does remember was that it wasn’t easy for her. Moving from Weston to Trusty was probably the best thing she ever did. For all of us.”

  They’d lived in Weston near their uncle Hal, their mother’s brother, until Luke was six, when his mother bought the property in Trusty. Luke hadn’t thought much about the move, or Weston, for that matter, and now he was curious about why they’d moved.

  “I wouldn’t say anything to Mom. I’m not stupid. Hey, why did we move to Trusty?”

  “I was eight or nine. I don’t know. Hell, I didn’t care. Moving here meant we had all that acreage to ride dirt bikes and cause trouble.” Wes laughed. “You okay, bro? You want me to swing by after work? We can have a beer and hang out?”

  “Nah. I’m good. I’ve got to get a move on, though.”

  “Wait. I want the scoop on Daisy. How did she feel about what went down? And by the way, I thought I told you to stay away from her.”

  “And you thought that would work?” Luke didn’t give him time to answer. “She thought I did the right thing. Hell, I thought I did the right thing.”

  “That’s because you did do the right thing, Luke. No one’s faulting you for that, except maybe you. You think everyone’s looking down on you, and they’re not. We’re one hundred percent behind you.”

  “Then why the hell do you care if I go out with Daisy?”

  “Listen, I was a dick yesterday. I didn’t mean what I said. I was half-cocked about Ray quitting and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have.” Ray Mulligan had worked for Wes for two years, and he quit a few weeks earlier to follow his fiancée to Texas.

  “You didn’t find a replacement yet?” Luke worried about him. Without Ray, Wes and Chip rarely caught a break.

  “Nah. Working on it. Anyway, I’ve been thinking about the whole Daisy thing since I heard about what went down at the fair.” Wes sighed. “Think it through. You do business with her father, and from what I’ve heard, she’s only here for a few weeks. You really want to see that look in Mr. Honey’s eyes?”

  Luke tossed the shovel into a pile of hay and headed back out of the barn to get some air. He knew the look his brother was referring to. The you-slept-with-my-daughter-now-I-want-to-kill-you look. He’d seen it a handful of times…or more, which is why he’d been more careful about only dating women from outside city limits since he returned to Trusty after college. And since buying the ranch, even his jaunts out of town to satisfy those urges had lessened.

  “You’re probably right. She’s probably better off without me hanging around, anyway.” His chest constricted at the thought.

  “Yeah, I’m usually right.”

  Luke heard the smile return to Wes’s voice.

  “But that doesn’t mean shit, and we both know it. How does Daisy feel about you hanging around?”

  Luke watched two foals playing in the pasture. “How should I know?”

  “Maybe you should let her decide what’s best. We’re guys. From what Emily and every woman I’ve ever dated tells me, we don’t know shit.”

  Luke used to believe that was true, but the more he thought about his father, the more he thought that maybe he was onto something. Maybe he did know shit after all. His thoughts turned to Daisy, and he knew damn well that he wasn’t going to be able to walk away.

  “IF I HEAR about the fair from one more patient, I’m going to smack someone.” Daisy slapped a file down on the counter. Her father couldn’t get well fast enough. She must have been crazy coming back here to the big-eared, big-mouthed town. The clinic had been busy all day, and three patients had told her that they’d heard about what happened between Luke and Darren—and warned her about Luke having been arrested. She still had no idea what he was actually arrested for, and neither did they, but that didn’t stop them from perpetuating gossip ranging from theft to driving drunk. Luke had been a perfect gentleman with her last night, and after walking her to her apartment door, he declined coming in for a drink and left after thanking her. Not kissing her. She was still fuming a little over that, too, despite everything that was going on.

  “Want me to follow you around and smack them for you?” Kevin stood beside her at Kari’s desk.

 
She sighed, drawing comfort from his support. “No. It’s just…You should have seen him, Kevin. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I know.” Kevin shuffled papers and shifted his eyes to the receptionist, Kari Long, who also shifted her eyes away.

  “What?” Kevin’s eyes were doing that nervous jumpy thing they did when he was hiding something.

  Kari tucked her dark hair behind her ear and bit her lower lip, her eyes darting between the two of them. “Leo and I took the girls to the fair last night. I wanted to catch you this morning, but we were so slammed I haven’t had two seconds to breathe.” Kari patted Daisy’s hand. “I saw the whole thing, and you’re right. He didn’t do anything wrong. I thought he was totally cool for stepping in, and so did Leo. Very manly.”

  Daisy banged her forehead on the counter. “So did I.”

  “Then why the head bang?” Kari asked.

  “Because...” Daisy glanced at Kevin, having already shared her dating woes with him.

  “Because Luke wants to keep Daisy’s reputation intact.” Kevin wrapped an arm around Daisy. His button-down shirt was neatly tucked into his khaki slacks, and between that and the empathetic look in his eyes, he could have been a therapist for the day instead of a nurse.

  “I’m not even sure if I’ll see him again.”

  Kari rolled her eyes. “Good Lord. He’s worried about your reputation? From what I’ve heard, you spent forever trying to repair your rep.”

  “God, I hate this town.” Daisy pressed her lips together, disgusted that the rumors and having to defend herself still got under her skin so many years later—and angry with Luke for thinking he knew what was best for her.

  “Hon, put that stuff out of your mind. I have bigger problems to worry about than who other women are sleeping with.” Kari shuffled papers on the desk and let out a frustrated sigh. “Our family doctor’s practice has three physicians who see patients on a rotating basis, and they’re so booked that they can’t get the girls in for their physicals until September thirtieth, which doesn’t help since the preschool won’t take them without it.”

  “I can do a physical,” Daisy offered. “All you had to do was ask.”

  “You’re always so busy. I hate to bother you, and physicals aren’t exactly urgent care. Besides, from what I hear, there are at least thirty other kids in the same situation. I hate to abuse my position here, but that would be such a big help.”

  “Pfft.” Daisy waved a hand. “Are you serious about the other kids? There are that many who can’t get appointments?” Annual physicals were an important part of health maintenance, especially in children. “Let me think about this for a day. Maybe I can set up a clinic for the physicals and fit the others in, too. That wouldn’t take too long, if I can get approval from the clinic.” And as long as the clinic could be done before I leave town. It dawned on her that holding a clinic on her own would look good on her résumé, too. Hm. Not a bad idea at all, if she could fit it in.

  “Oh my God. Really?” Kari’s eyes widened with hope. She grinned so widely, Daisy thought she might jump up and hug her.

  “Yeah, but don’t spread the word yet. I need to get authorization.” Daisy glanced through the glass that divided the reception area from the patients, and her stomach sank. “Janice is here?” Please don’t let her be hurt.

  “Yeah, she asked to see you. Want me to bring her back?” Kevin asked.

  “I don’t really have a choice, but sure. Let’s get this over with.” Daisy headed back to find an open exam room with her stomach tied in knots. She slipped into the only open room just before Janice walked in. She did a quick visual inspection—no bruises, not limping, an angry scowl on her face. Great.

  “Hey.” Janice crossed her arms and jutted her right hip out, looking like the same hateful teenager Daisy remembered.

  She forced herself to be professional. “Hi, Janice. How’s Michael?” Daisy tried to push aside the nervous vibrations rattling through her.

  “Fine. He’s with my mother. I’m not here because of Michael.”

  Daisy drew her shoulders back and reminded herself that she wasn’t in high school anymore. She was a professional, a grown-up, and whatever Janice had to say, she could deal with. She hoped.

  “You shouldn’t have let Luke step in like that. I would have gotten Darren out of there.” Gone was the matronly, compassionate woman of yesterday.

  Daisy met her icy stare. “Janice, I know it’s none of my business, but how can y—”

  “You’re right. It’s none of your business. How about remembering that next time?” She ran her eyes over Daisy’s lab coat. “You think that just because you went to med school that you know best? Or that you and your hotshot boyfriend are better than me and Darren? Well, I’ve got news for you…”

  “That’s not it at all, Janice, and you know that. Everyone in this town ignores how Darren treats you, and Luke—who isn’t my boyfriend, by the way—was the only one who would stand up for you. How can you not see that?”

  “Pfft. Not your boyfriend? You’re the same slut you were in high school.” Janice spun on her heel and opened the door.

  Daisy reached behind her with a trembling hand and pushed the door closed. “Oh, no, you don’t, Janice. You’re not going to come into my place of employment and spread your nasty lies about me.” She closed the gap between them. “I was never a slut, and you know it. You and your friends were the ones whoring about, not me. And you know what? Maybe Luke should have let Darren push you around. Maybe then you’d stop doing it to others.” She whipped the door open and stormed down the hall and directly into the bathroom.

  “Whoa!” Kevin zipped his pants and headed for the sink. “Now you’re following me into the men’s room? Babe, if you really want me that badly...”

  Mortified that she’d walked into the wrong bathroom and shaking like a leaf from the confrontation with Janice, Daisy burst into tears. Kevin wrapped his arms around her.

  “Hey, I was kidding. What’s wrong?”

  Daisy buried her face in his chest and let the tears flow, and as he’d always been, he was her willing, soothing sponge.

  “Janice?”

  She nodded.

  “That bitch.”

  Daisy laughed through her tears.

  “Some things never change. But some things do.” He pried himself from her arms and looked down at her with compassion that only a true friend could have so readily available after so many years of listening to the same old stuff.

  “You’re not that same girl anymore, Daisy. You’re a doctor. You’re above the crap. You’ve made it, and unfortunately, you’re now even more worthy of being jealous over. And the fact that you waltz into town and catch the eye of Luke Braden only adds to that. Take it as a compliment.”

  “Right. A compliment.” She wiped her eyes. “I’m so sick of it all. I gave her hell for what she said, but I can’t help it. Every time I hear her say things about me, it throws me right back to the halls of tenth grade.”

  “I know. But until you move away from Trusty, you need to toughen up.”

  Daisy leaned against the sink, her nerves finally calming. “God, I hate this town. You know what the worst part is? I just blamed her for everything and said that Luke should have let Darren push her around. How could I say that? That’s wrong on so many levels.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Kevin washed his hands, then leaned against the counter beside her. His shirt was a little rumpled as he leaned back on his palms, looking at her like only he could—seeing the years of pain and knowing that maybe she was right.

  “No. It definitely is. I mean, she’s not a bitch because she was born that way. Think about it. Her father drank himself to death, her mother was never home when she was growing up, and I know now what I didn’t know back then. All those guys she slept with? And Darren? She was trying to fill her daddy’s shoes. Psych 101.” Guilt tightened in her chest for having said such horrible things to Janice. She just wished she knew why Janice
turned all that anger toward her.

  “True. There is that.”

  Daisy’s cell phone rang, and she dug it out of the pocket of her lab coat. “Sorry, Kev. It’s Mom. She’s going to give me crap about Luke. I just know it.”

  “Just answer it.”

  She sighed, then feigned a smile. “Hi, Mom. I’m flying around. What’s up?”

  Kevin mouthed, Liar.

  “Sorry, Daisy. I thought you’d be off work by now. I heard about the fair. And Luke.”

  “I can’t talk about all that right now, Mom.” She mouthed Luke to Kevin.

  “Okay. I…Sweetie…”

  “Go ahead, Mom. Just make it fast.” She pictured her mother pacing the kitchen floor, nibbling on her lower lip, trying to figure out what to say. She should have told her mother about the date. She’d probably hurt her feelings.

  “It’s just…Daisy, I just think it’s funny, you know? Luke breeds those beautiful gypsy horses, and I was talking with Margie on the phone today about how funny it is that you can judge a horse by its papers, but you sure can’t judge a kid by his parents. Luke’s father never stepped up to the plate for his own children—thank God they had Catherine—and Luke stepped up for a girl he barely knew.” Her mother sighed again. “I’ll let you go, but with all the talk going around, I thought I should, I don’t know, remind you not to lose sight of how remarkable that is.”

  After her mother hung up, Daisy stared at the phone.

  “What?” Kevin asked.

  “She thought he did a good thing, which is good, I guess.” Except that it doesn’t matter, because he never even called. She shoved her phone in her pocket. “Ugh. Kevin, this has been the strangest twenty-four hours. I need to focus.” She took a deep breath. “About Janice. Should I apologize? I need to apologize. I do.”

  He shrugged. The universal sign for who the hell knows and apparently the underlying theme of her life lately.