Before she had to come up with something to say to Max, Trav was back, his face ruddy from the cold. “Woo, it’s as cold as a polar bear’s ass.”
Daisy laughed, and the tension she felt from Max’s presence vanished. That was one good thing about Trav. He was always casual, taking things in stride. She didn’t have to worry about an awkward morning after with him.
“Morning, honey.” Trav gave her a smacking kiss on the lips and leaned over to buzz Bryce on the cheek.
“Morning,” Daisy replied, glad for his return. She didn’t want to be tempted by Max. The two men eyed each other.
Max took a step back. “We’ll talk soon, Daisy.”
She felt Trav’s sharp gaze. “Sure,” she said softly.
Chapter Seventeen
“What did Max say to you?” Trav asked.
She kept her focus on Bryce, settling him into his high chair. She couldn’t tell Trav that Max wanted a second chance. Trav would probably kick his ass. It was nothing. She wasn’t going to give Max a second chance, and that was that.
“Nothing,” she said.
Trav narrowed his eyes.
“Where’s Rico? I thought he’d be with you.”
He pulled off his hat and gloves. “He’s upstairs getting a shower. You sure it’s nothing? You looked upset when I came in.”
“I’m fine.” She fetched a jar of pears and a bib. “How’re things out there?”
“You don’t owe Max anything.” Trav’s voice was hard, and his hands were in fists. “If he’s harassing you, I’ll send him over to Ry’s place.”
Daisy shook her head. “He’s not harassing me. It’s just awkward is all. Don’t do anything, please.”
He exhaled sharply. “We stopped in at Liz and Ry’s place. Liz had hot coffee and warm blueberry muffins.”
Of course she did.
Daisy raised her brows. “Guess you’re marrying the wrong sister.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “I’m pretty sure I got the right one.” He grinned devilishly. “Besides, Ry got to her first.”
She pushed him away, but he didn’t budge. He tipped up her chin and gave her a tender kiss. Last night’s heat flooded through her.
He smiled. “Ah, I wish I could stay and follow up on that look in your eyes, but I have to head out soon with Ry to set up the emergency shelter. You gonna be all right sitting tight here?”
She pulled up a chair next to Bryce. “Sure.”
“Let me,” Trav said.
She handed over the bib and watched as he expertly attached it and popped open the jar of pears. The differences in Max and Trav were fresh in her mind. Trav worked hard, and got things done, but he’d never laid his feelings bare like Max had.
“How do you feel about me?” she asked.
He looked over his shoulder at her warily. “I feel good.”
“Good,” she echoed.
“Yeah.” He gave Bryce a spoonful of pears and turned back to her. “How do you feel about me, Miss Touchy-feely?” he asked, his eyes dancing with humor.
Always with the jokes. She never felt like she got through that facade. “I feel like you’re a goof.”
“A goof?” He set the baby spoon down and leaned close, his voice low and husky. “That’s not what you said last night.” His lips met hers, one hand sliding into her hair, holding her there as he kissed her, slow and tender. She let herself go, falling into the sensation, remembering the pleasure he’d brought her last night. He slowly pulled back, and she blinked.
One corner of his mouth kicked up. “I seem to remember some begging on your part.”
“I did not!”
He closed his eyes and said in a soft, breathy voice, “Trav, please, please, give it to me.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder and shifted away. “You’re delusional.”
He turned her and pulled her into his arms. “I’m damn lucky.” He kissed her until she melted against him.
“Da-da-da-da!” Bryce screamed, pounding his spoon on the tray.
They straightened and looked at each other and then at Bryce. Did he really just say da-da?
Trav recovered first. “That’s right, Bryce. Da-da. What a smart boy! Did you hear that, Daze?”
She smiled and leaned against his shoulder. “Yeah, I heard it. His first word. Now we just have to work on mama.”
Trav stood and kissed Bryce’s hair. “We’ll get there. Right, Brycey boy?”
Bryce opened his mouth. “Ah-ah-ah.”
Trav took the hint, sat down, and spooned in more pears. He turned back to her. “I’ll reschedule the justice of the peace as soon as the power’s back up.”
She nodded, coming down from her momentary joy. She was tired of fighting him. And she knew it wasn’t fair to compare the two men, but Max had never been demanding. Her time with him back in college had been easy, fun, exhilarating. He was her first love. Everything had been perfect, except for the way it ended. It didn’t feel the same way with Trav. With him, she felt stuck. Tied by Bryce. A part of her longed for the freedom she feared she’d never have again.
She needed time to figure things out. It was easy to fall in lust, but that wasn’t enough for a marriage.
Trav glanced over his shoulder. “I see steam coming out of your ears from all that thinking. What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“Okay.” He went back to feeding Bryce.
Trav was always so agreeable. It bugged her. She knew he used to be an angry rebel. Now he was all smooth surface.
“You ever get mad?” she asked.
He lifted one shoulder up and down. “Most things roll right off my back. And the stuff that doesn’t, well, I’ve learned to let that go too.”
“I remember you in high school. You were wild, adventurous—all those pranks. If you’d been in my grade, I would’ve joined you.”
“Yeah? I would’ve liked that.”
“So what happened to that Trav?”
He spooned more pears and wiped Bryce’s face with the end of the bib. “He grew up. I know better than to screw up my life getting tangled with the law. My brother is a cop, for crying out loud. Why? What do you want to do, sneak out at night with your parents’ liquor?”
She paused. That had been her favorite thing to do in high school. That and driving really, really fast. “No, of course not.”
He held up his palms. “What you see is what you get.”
“Seems kind of boring.”
“Boring!” He looked seriously offended.
She put her hand on his arm. “Don’t look so wounded. I know we’re parents now, but some part of me still craves adventure, a little bit of freedom. I sorta feel like I lost the old Daisy. I mean, is this all there is? Living and working with the people I’ve known my entire life?”
“Da-da-da-da!” Bryce hollered.
Trav smiled and spooned more pears into Bryce’s wide-open mouth. “What’s wrong with that? You’ve got family and friends. It’s a good place for Bryce to grow up. You want to move back to the city or something?”
She did miss the city, the nonstop action, always someone new to meet. But she couldn’t afford it, and Trav’s business was here. She felt so restless and stuck. And she couldn’t place all the blame at Trav’s door for that. He couldn’t help it if he was small town and liked it that way. It was good that he loved Clover Park. They had lots of family here to help with Bryce. And she should be glad he wasn’t wild anymore. Stable was good when you had a kid.
“No, I don’t want to move,” she finally said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I think being stuck in this blackout is making me restless.”
He turned and kissed her softly. “Whatever you want, Daze, I’ll make it happen. You want to dance on top of a bar, you got it. You want to make out in the back of the Subaru, you got it.” He gave her that charming, lopsided smile.
“But what do you want? You can’t just do whatever I want.”
; “I want what you want.”
She groaned. She didn’t want someone who just did whatever she wanted. She wanted a partner, one that excited her, that she could fight with and have amazing make-up sex with. Like she used to do with Max. Shit. Where had that come from? She wasn’t eighteen anymore. Trav was the kind of husband she should want—sensible, responsible, good sense of humor.
Fantastic in bed. There is that.
“I just want you to be yourself,” she said.
His brows crinkled in confusion. “I am.”
“Isn’t this cozy?” Jessica asked, appearing in the doorway.
Daisy startled. How much had Jessica heard?
“Mind if I join you?” Jessica asked in an artificially sweet voice.
“Have a seat,” Trav said.
Jessica flopped down in a chair. “I’d kill for a cup of coffee.”
“Liz has hot coffee,” Daisy said. “Just a few blocks away.”
“Oh! Could you get me some?” Jessica asked.
“I’m not up to walking in the cold with a baby,” Daisy said. “You can find it. Cross over to Elm, go three blocks, and turn down Park. Number nineteen.”
Jessica turned a pouting face to Trav. “Would you drive me?”
“I need to get over to the emergency shelter soon. Ry’s picking me up.”
“Isn’t Ryan with Liz?” Jessica asked.
“Yeah.”
“Then ask him to bring some coffee with him,” Jessica said brightly.
“My cell’s not working,” Trav said.
Jessica threw her hands up. “I’ve got to get back to the city! I’ve already missed my morning training session with Carlos. Max!”
Max rushed into the room, and Daisy had to wonder if he’d been eavesdropping nearby.
“I have to get back to the city,” Jessica said. “Within the hour. Make it happen.”
“There’s only so much I can do,” Max said soothingly. “We’ll get there soon.”
Jessica’s nostrils flared. “I missed my morning workout. I haven’t had my wheatgrass smoothie. My metabolism is off kilter as we speak. That makes for a very unhappy host. You know our show requires me to be in top shape.”
Trav cracked an imaginary whip behind Jessica’s back. Daisy stifled a laugh.
“Are the trains running?” Max asked Trav.
“Cells are still down, so I don’t know,” Trav said. “I’ll ask Ry. He’s got the police radio.”
“Max, what about Nielsen?” Jessica asked in a small voice.
Daisy’s jaw dropped, shocked to hear Jessica’s voice sound so feeble after her previous tirade. “Who’s Nielsen?”
“It’s her cat,” Max said. He turned to Jessica and spoke in a soothing tone. “I’m sure he’s fine. You said you fed him before you left.”
Jessica blinked rapidly. “I know it’s only been a day, but if I’m stuck here…” Her lower lip quivered. “There’s no one to feed him.”
“Maybe a friend with a key to your place could check in on him,” Daisy said.
Jessica pulled a long face. “I don’t have any friends…with keys, I mean.” She crossed her arms, hugging herself. “And I can’t call them anyway because there’s no cell service.”
“Maggie has the emergency radio,” Daisy said. “Maybe she could tell you if the trains are running.”
“Max, go!” Jessica ordered. “Don’t come back until you have an answer.”
Max grimaced. “Which house is it?”
“Right across the street,” Trav said. “White house on the corner, can’t miss it.”
Max left without another word.
Daisy sent Trav a significant look. Jessica looked dangerously close to tears. Trav sighed and handed Daisy the baby spoon.
“Come on,” he said to Jessica. “Let’s get coffee.”
Jessica sniffled. “Thank you.” She followed him out the door.
Daisy felt a little bad for Trav, but it was such a relief to have both Jessica and Max out of the house.
She gave Bryce a spoonful of pears. “Ma-ma,” she told him. “Ma-ma.”
“Da-da.”
Chapter Eighteen
Trav drove to his brother’s house with a chatty Jessica in the passenger seat. He barely heard her as he puzzled over what Daisy wanted from him. She acted like there was a hidden Travis inside of him. He was being himself.
“Look at me; I’ve just about talked your ear off about hot yoga,” Jessica said just as they pulled up to Ry’s house.
He turned off the ignition and scowled. He meant it when he said what you see is what you get. He didn’t play games. He liked things direct and straightforward.
“Are you okay?” Jessica asked.
He turned to her. “Do you ever feel like you’re not being yourself? Like there’s a part of yourself you don’t show the world?”
She studied him. “Do you?”
“No.”
“Well,” she said slowly, “some people put on their best front and hide their true feelings. Like if you were maybe jealous of Daisy and Max, but you didn’t want to show it.”
“Who said anything about jealousy? I don’t have anything to be jealous about. She’s my wife.”
“It’s not my place to say,” Jessica said softly, “but you couldn’t have missed the way he looks at her.”
He frowned, pushed open the truck door, and slammed it behind him.
Jessica caught up with him on the sidewalk. “I’m sorry. I’ve overstepped.”
He stopped on Ry’s front porch. “What do you know about Max?”
“He’s a great producer. He could’ve done on-camera work, but he says he likes to order everyone else around, not take orders.” She laughed. “Who could blame him? He does very well for himself, lives in a nice place on the Upper West Side. Anything else you’d like to know?”
He blew out a breath in frustration. “Why are women so damn confusing?”
“Did you and Daisy have a fight?” Her eyes gleamed with this juicy bit.
He quickly realized his mistake in letting his guard down. Wouldn’t she just love the ratings on a trouble-in-paradise angle? Hell, she’d named her cat Nielsen. “No. We’re fine. Forget I said anything.”
He rang the bell. She rested a leather gloved hand on his arm. “If you ever need to talk, I’m all ears.”
He’d just bet she was. Ry answered the door. “I said I’d come get you in a bit.”
Trav jerked his thumb at Jessica. “Jessica needs coffee.”
Jessica held out her hand. “Jessica Larsen from Mornings with Jessica, and I would kill for coffee.”
Ry shook her hand. “We met last night. Liz’s got another pot going on the camp stove.”
They stepped inside, and Jessica made a beeline to the back of the house.
“Can I get a thermos to go for Daisy?” Trav asked. “Gran’s a tea drinker.”
Ry headed back to the kitchen. “Jorge brought a coffeemaker with him. I’ve seen him drink coffee over there.”
“Seriously? I could’ve avoided that awful car ride. I wonder if the circuit can take it.”
“Doesn’t hurt to try,” Ry said.
A short while later, Trav drove Jessica and Ry back to Gran’s place to pick up Rico. He figured it was easier to take his truck through the messy streets than take a chance in Ry’s Ford Taurus. Jessica, freshly caffeinated, talked their ear off about the best sushi places in the city. It was a huge relief to see Daisy answer the door, holding Bryce.
Trav just stood there, smiling at his family, thermos in hand.
She reached out for the thermos. “Bless you.”
“You asked for coffee,” Ry said, stepping inside. “Liz delivers.”
“Thank Liz again for me,” Jessica gushed. “I’d love to have her on for a segment on disaster preparedness.” Then she rushed past them toward the kitchen, with a filled thermos just for her.
“Will do,” Ry called.
“Ry says Jorge has a coffeemaker here,
” Trav said. “I’ll try to hook it up tomorrow.”
Daisy beamed, and all his earlier frustration vanished. “That would be great,” she said. “It must be small. I didn’t see it.”
“Take a look through the cabinets when you get a chance,” Trav said.
Daisy shuddered. “Have you seen what’s in those cabinets?”
“Gran likes to tuck away appliances in the broom closet, back on the wall behind the kitchen table,” Ry said. “Says the kitchen has better feng shui like that.”
“Of course it does,” Trav said, shaking his head. “Rico, we gotta go!”
Rico appeared a moment later from the kitchen, straightening his shirt. “I’m ready. I could use a break from the grabby hands in there. Geez.”
“I’ll have a talk with Shane,” Trav said.
“No means no, man,” Rico said, grabbing his jacket.
“We should sic her on Max,” Trav said.
“I get the feeling she’s already tried that,” Daisy whispered.
Rico pulled his pom-pom hat on. “Look out, Shane, you’re next.”
“Let’s go,” Ry said. “We’ve got work to do.”
Ry led the way outside. Rico followed. Trav stopped to kiss Daisy and Bryce one more time.
Daisy laughed and pushed him out the door. “Go.”
Trav unlocked the truck. “Rico, you’re in the middle on account of being a shrimp. You need a booster seat?”
Rico flipped him the bird. They piled into the cab of the truck.
“Dude, I hope those are keys pushing up against my leg,” Rico told Ry. “Move over, Gigantor.”
“There’s no place to go,” Ry protested.
Trav turned the ignition. “Rico’s a wee thing.”
“We can’t all be eight feet tall,” Rico said.
Trav slowly made his way down the street. “He’s five nine and a half,” Trav told Ry.
“I heard about that half inch,” Ry said. “Used to be just a quarter inch. Somehow in his twenties he grew another quarter inch. Next he’ll be five ten.”
“Might as well round up,” Rico said.
Trav stopped at a stop sign. “Why not round up to six foot? No one will notice.” He held up two fingers about an inch apart.
Daisy Does It All (Clover Park, Book 2) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) Page 15