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

by Melissa Foster

  “I’m fine. I don’t mind helping Dad, and with everyone who showed up, it was actually kind of fun.”

  Her mother patted her hand. “Your father appreciates all that you do. He does seem to be doing better, and you saw he was outside today. I have hopes that he’ll be up and around in a few weeks.” Her mother squinted in Luke’s direction. “Your father said Luke’s a smart, nice young man.”

  Daisy shot a look at her mother. “Dad said that?” This took her by surprise.

  Her mother smiled. “I know. I was surprised, too, given his history.”

  “His…you mean Luke’s arrest?” Of course she did.

  “Well, yes, but it sounds as if he was arrested for doing something quite chivalrous.” Her mother knitted her brows together. “At least that’s what I heard.”

  What she’d heard. The Trusty grapevine was hard at work again. Daisy had enjoyed spending the last few years away from prying eyes and gossipmongers while she was at school and during her residency. Coming back to Trusty had been a bit of a culture shock, but like riding a bike, it took only a few minutes before it all came rushing back to her. And makes me want to turn and hightail it out of here.

  She had enjoyed living in Philly, where hearing things meant reading about real newsworthy items—world news, medical breakthroughs and political issues, in the newspapers—not receiving a phone call every time a neighbor farted. Even though she was in Trusty by choice and she could pack up her stuff and move away at any time, she’d never abandon her family, and now she had Luke to consider. He’d snuck into her every thought and was clouding her once-urgent need to flee her hometown.

  “Mom, does it ever bother you that there’s so much gossip in this town?”

  “Oh, sweetie, that’s like asking if it bothers me that the sun goes down each evening. Trusty is my home. It will always be my home, and no matter where you live, there will be people who talk about you. Not you specifically, but you know what I mean.” Her mother set her glass down on the table beside her. “I know how difficult high school was for you, and I hate that you went through that hard of a time. Girls can be so vicious at that age, but you know no one believed those rumors, don’t you? I tried to tell you then, but you were too hurt to see it. You must know that now.”

  “I’m not so sure.”

  “Oh, Daisy. Be sure. I know you think Trusty is the very opposite of where you envision yourself. It’s the epitome of small-town living. We gossip. We don’t wear fancy clothes or drive fancy cars, but, sweetie, Trusty is also known for other things. More important things, like forgiveness and community. When your father first injured his back, the community came out in droves, bringing casseroles and helping on the farm. Trusty is home to good people, Daisy.”

  She couldn’t even imagine people coming out in droves.

  “You’re the first person from Trusty to go to medical school—not veterinary school, but medical school—in a very long time. Everyone here is so proud of you, and honestly, I’m tickled pink that you came back, because Lord knows that even with our weekly calls, I went batty with you being so far away. I worry about you. Sometimes a mother needs to put her arms around her daughter and know she’s okay.”

  Daisy sighed. “You’re guilting me. Don’t get too used to it. I’m still considering all of my options.”

  Her mother shook her head. “Daisy, what about when you have a family of your own? Don’t you want family nearby?”

  “Don’t you think you’re jumping the gun? I don’t even have my career in line yet.”

  “I guess. Things are so different for you than they were for me. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like for you not to have been close to your grandmother.”

  An ache of longing washed through Daisy. She’d always been close to her grandparents, especially her maternal grandmother. She’d taught Daisy to bake, and she would read to her for hours. Daisy had spent many weekend nights watching movies and eating ice cream with her grandmother. We’ll keep this treat as our little secret. She’d missed her so much when she’d gone away to college that they’d called each other at least a few times each month, which was all Daisy could manage with her workload, and when her grandmother died, Daisy couldn’t shake the feeling that she was still watching over her. The pain of missing her had eventually eased, except for moments like now, when the sadness in her mother’s eyes brought it back.

  “I haven’t made my decision yet, Mom. I’ll keep that in mind.” Her voice was thin and weak. She cleared her throat. “Dad’s accident was kind of good timing, though, don’t you think? If there is such a thing, and I know that sounds bad. Dad got hurt right before my residency ended, and I needed time to decide on where I wanted to live and which job to accept.” Thinking of Luke, she said, “It’s almost as if I was meant to be here.”

  “Good timing is one way to think of it. Maybe fate is another.” Her mother gazed in Luke’s direction. “Have you thought about which job you want to accept?”

  “I haven’t decided. They’re both great opportunities. I’ll tell you one thing, though. Working at the clinic has shown me how desperately Trusty needs a doctor. I never realized how many people put off their health care because of a forty-five-minute drive. It’s crazy.”

  “You could fix that, Daisy Lee.”

  Her mother used her middle name so infrequently that it caught her attention, which she was sure was the whole point. Daisy rolled her eyes.

  “We’ve been over this a million times. I really want to do more than well-care visits, Mom.”

  “Yes, I know you do, but a mom can hope, can’t she? And what about Luke?” Her mother’s tone was serious.

  “What about him?” She tried to play Luke off as if he were no big deal. The pit of her stomach sank. He was so much more than a big deal, and she knew her mother would see right through her facade.

  “You’ve been seeing him a lot, and I see the way you look at him, Daisy. How does he feel about you leaving?”

  “I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it much.” Daisy fidgeted with the arm of the chair. She didn’t want to think about leaving. “He’s probably dying of thirst. I’m going to grab some lemonade. Want me to fill yours?”

  Her mother touched her hand. “No, thanks. Sweetie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “These things have a way of working themselves out.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” She watched Luke put the ladder away. “I have no idea how I can be so attached to him after just a few days.”

  “Oh, goodness, Daisy.” Her mother laughed. “I knew I wanted to marry your father after our first date. No, wait. I knew it after I first noticed him in second grade.”

  Daisy had never believed in anything remotely close to love at first sight, but she was dangerously close to that big L word, and she feared it had the ability to turn the life she’d planned for herself upside down.

  Luke crossed the lawn with a purposeful, confident gait. His broad shoulders were squared, and as he neared, his rounded biceps and ripped abs came into clear view. Daisy’s pulse sped up.

  “Lordy, Daisy. Now, that’s one handsome man,” her mother said just above a whisper.

  “I know, right?” The comment didn’t surprise her. Her mother loved her father, but she was still a woman, and a person would have to be blind not to be taken with Luke Braden. “I’m going to grab that lemonade. I’ll be right out.”

  Daisy went inside and filled two glasses with ice and lemonade. Noticing her father sitting in his recliner with a stack of papers in his lap, she said, “Hi, Dad. Want some lemonade?”

  “No, thanks. How did it go out there?” He sounded tired, or maybe bored.

  Daisy came around to the front of his chair so she could see his face. Dressed in his typical jeans and plaid shirt, he kept his eyes trained on his papers, his brows drawn together. She’d misread his voice. He was three fingers deep in inventory spreadsheets. Daisy took that as a good sign. Even if he wasn’t out and about, at least his mind
was ready to get back to work. “Fine. We’re done, and Luke worked on the loft elevator on the old barn. I’m not sure if he fixed it or not.”

  At that, her father drew his eyes up to her. “Did he, now?”

  “Mm-hm. I hope that’s okay.”

  Her father pushed to his feet with a low groan.

  “Are you okay, Dad?”

  “Fine, fine.”

  She grabbed the lemonade and followed him out to the porch.

  “You should be good to go now,” Luke said as he climbed the steps. He pulled his shirt from his back pocket and wiped his hands, then nodded at Daisy’s mother. “Good to see you, ma’am.”

  Her mother shook his hand. “Nice to see you, too, Luke.”

  He nodded at Daisy’s father. “How’s your back doing, sir?”

  “Getting better every day,” her father answered.

  Daisy and her mother exchanged a that’s-news-to-me glance. She was surprised that her father would share that with Luke when he hadn’t so much as given Daisy or her mother any indication that he was feeling better.

  “The chain on the loft elevator was loose, but I tightened it up and it’s working fine now.” Luke shoved his shirt back in his pocket.

  “Thank you, Luke,” her father said. He lifted his chin and looked down at Luke. “How’s that ranch of yours coming along?”

  Luke’s smile reached his eyes, and pride filled his tone. “Couldn’t be better. My young stock’s coming right along. You know how farm life is. Every day the sun comes up is another day to enjoy it.” Luke looked down at his bare chest. “I’m sorry for not being dressed, sir, but my shirt is pretty drenched.”

  Her father nodded, but didn’t respond.

  “That’s okay, Luke. I think David was bare chested for the first twenty years we lived here. Right, hon?” She patted his leg.

  Daisy’s father smiled down at her mother, then drew serious eyes back to Luke. “At some point we should talk about crops.”

  “Oh, David, Daisy’s only here for another few weeks, and he’ll probably want to spend as much time with her as he can before she leaves.” Her mother slid a smile her way.

  Before she leaves. The thought of leaving scratched like sandpaper. Daisy handed Luke a glass of lemonade.

  “Thanks, Dais.” He finished the lemonade in one long drink. He looked down at his sweaty body. “I should probably get back and check on my girls.”

  It shouldn’t bother her that they were going in separate directions. He needed to take care of his horses, and she needed to go home, get cleaned up, and spend some time thinking about her job offers. But as he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, and she melted again, she knew she’d go home, shower and change, and then get into her Prius and drive straight to his place—with a bag of clean clothes for tomorrow morning, or maybe for the week.

  Luke shifted his eyes to her parents. “Sir, ma’am, it was nice to see you.”

  Daisy had to bite her tongue to keep from sighing dreamily like a fan girl as he walked away, Levi’s hugging him in all the right places, bare, broad shoulders swaggering, and all those tanned and glorious muscles bunching and flexing as he reached into his pocket and dug out his keys.

  “Nice young man.” Daisy’s father patted her shoulder, knocking her world a little more off-kilter.

  Chapter Fourteen

  DAISY WAS WHIPPED by the time the clinic closed Wednesday evening. She’d spent the last few days taking care of stuffy noses, flus, bronchitis, cuts and bruises, and handled a host of other patients that should have been seen by their primary care physicians. At least the construction worker’s stitches qualified as urgent care. Caring for the patients at the clinic made her aware of the plethora of needs right there in Trusty. She’d seen firsthand that when medical care wasn’t convenient, families were forgoing it altogether, which was not only stupid, but dangerous. Whether she was caring for emergencies or handling well care, she was glad for the distractions because she couldn’t stop thinking about the looming deadline for her job offers. She had been staying with Luke since Sunday night, and every time he brought up her job prospects, she brushed it off.

  It felt so right to spend time with Luke. She loved going for walks with him and spending their nights wrapped in each other’s arms. She helped him take care of the horses in the evenings, and just watching him care for them and love them endeared him to her even more. She knew he’d make a great father one day. He had a big heart. Every time she started to give consideration to the job offers, the thought of leaving Luke was too painful, and she pushed the decision to the back burner.

  Too tired to even think about cooking dinner, she stopped by the diner on her way home. Home? Luke’s house felt a lot like home to Daisy lately, and she knew it had nothing to do with the physical house and everything to do with him.

  “Hey there, sugar. You look pooped.” Margie set a glass of iced tea in front of Daisy. “It’s fresh and supersweet. It’ll brighten your day.”

  “Thanks, Margie. Can I get a salad and a chicken casserole for two to go?” She took a long drink and closed her eyes, relishing in the delectable taste that she’d never been able to match. While she was in medical school, she’d lived on Ramen noodles, ice water, and instant coffee. The few times she’d come home during school breaks, she and her mother would stop in at the diner her first day back, and Margie always had a fresh pitcher of tea waiting for them. It was one of the hallmarks of home, Daisy realized, just like the crisp mountain air that she’d so easily forgotten.

  “Coming right up.” She slipped the order through to the kitchen and then returned to Daisy. “There’s been talk around town about you and Luke.” Margie wiped the counter with a damp rag. “All good.”

  “Yeah?” Talk around town never surprised her, but all good sure did. Hearing Margie’s comment didn’t hit her with the force it would have when she’d first come back to Trusty. Daisy realized that she was softening toward the thing she’d rued the most about Trusty. Talk around town.

  “Mm-hm.” She leaned in close and lowered her voice. “And I hear Janice’s mother is finally trying to get Janice to do something about Darren’s drinking.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Daisy wouldn’t pin her hopes on that change happening anytime soon.

  “Yeah, that’s the way I feel, too. I wish she would, though. Children learn from their parents, and she has sweet little Michael to think of. He’s such a doll.”

  If Janice had only taken Michael to his doctor sooner, she could have saved him a lot of pain. “Yeah, he is.”

  Margie leaned over the counter. “So is it true that you and Luke are an item?”

  An item. A couple. Now they were the talk of the town. Of course they were. What did she think would happen if she spent every night with him? “Yeah, you might say that.”

  The door to the diner opened and Alice Shalmer walked in.

  “Hey there, Alice.” Margie waved from across the diner. “Have a seat. I’ll bring you some iced tea in a sec.”

  “Thanks, Margie.” Alice had worked at the Trusty library since Daisy was in middle school, and she looked just as Daisy remembered: tall and thin with an angular nose, pointy chin, and black-framed glasses. She sat beside Daisy at the counter. “Hi, Daisy. How’s your dad feeling?”

  “A little better every day. Thanks for asking.”

  “That’s good to hear.” She set her purse in her lap. “I’ve been bringing your mom books each week, so she has something to keep her mind occupied. I was even able to find a few on physical therapy that I think she really found helpful.”

  It seemed that every time Daisy turned around, she learned about someone who had reached out to her family. “Thank you. I’m sure she really appreciates that. She doesn’t get out too much these days.”

  “No, she doesn’t. But then again, your father has always been the center of her world. He’s a good man. It’s a shame what’s happened to him.”

  The center of her world. Th
at was the truth. “Yes, we feel that way, too, but we’re hoping he’ll be well soon.”

  Margie brought a glass of iced tea for Alice. “Did you get any new hot romances in?”

  Alice shook her head. “I’m behind on shelving, but I’ve got a new assistant librarian starting soon, Callie Barnes. She’s from Denver and smart as a tack. We’ll get all caught up.” She set her eyes on Margie. “Margie, we need to find you a living, breathing man to live your own romance.”

  Margie threw her head back and laughed. “No, thank you. Men in books don’t talk back, they never get a beer belly, and they stay young forever. And the best part?” She leaned across the counter and whispered, “I’m not the talk of the town.”

  “Like you’d even care about that,” Daisy teased. Margie was one of the most confident women she knew. She’d seen her stand up to drunken customers, haggle with tourists, and talk frantic friends back to sanity. She couldn’t begin to imagine Margie being shaken up by rumors.

  Margie placed her hand over her heart and feigned a frown. “I’ve got a sensitive heart, Daisy. All this…” She waved her hand up and down in front of her body. “Facade. That’s all it is. A big fat facade.” She set her hands on her ample hips. “And if you believe that, you’ll believe that I grew the tea leaves for that drink of yours, too.” Margie walked away laughing.

  Daisy smiled. “I never realized how much I missed her when I was away.”

  “Speaking of being away, everyone has missed you, Daisy,” Alice began. “But we’re so proud of how much you’ve accomplished. You’ve done Trusty proud.”

  Everyone. It was all she could do not to laugh. “Thanks, Alice. I doubt everyone missed me, but thank you.”

  “Oh, you’d be surprised. It’s a shame Dr. Waxman isn’t here to congratulate you himself. He was always such a card.” Alice took a sip of her drink.

  “I miss him.” She wished Dr. Waxman were there. He’d most certainly congratulate her and dole out a handful of advice about what kind of flack to accept from patients and what to nip in the bud, and she’d memorize every word as it fell from his lips—then he’d probably hand her a lollipop. The thought brought a smile to her lips.