by Marie Force
Even though she had no desire to relive what’d happened, she forced herself to go back in time to last night, when everything had gone from fine to not fine in the fraction of an instant. The press of his erection against her had triggered a flashback to the night that Truck had tried to force himself on her. Luckily, he’d failed to penetrate her, but his repeated efforts had left her bruised and battered in her most sensitive area.
Daisy cringed when she recalled David examining her there after the attack. Did he think of that when he looked at her or touched her there? She scrubbed her hands over her face. God, she hoped not. As she turned on her side, she saw a note from him propped against the lamp on the bedside table.
Good morning!
I had to leave for work and wanted to let you sleep. I loved sleeping next to you last night, and I hope we can do it again tonight and tomorrow night and the night after… Call me when you wake up—if you have time. If not, I’ll see you tonight.
David
He was so sweet and kind, and he’d traveled such a difficult path after the breakup with Janey. He deserved a woman who could give him everything he deserved, not one who freaked out when he tried to make love to her. As much as she enjoyed every minute she’d spent with him, she couldn’t be responsible for keeping him from the chance to be happy with someone else.
Daisy dragged herself out of bed and into the shower, where the water washed away the tears that fell from her sore eyes at the thought of him with someone else.
Sarah, she thought. I need Sarah. She rushed through her morning routine, left her hair to air dry and headed out twenty minutes earlier than usual, making a beeline for the Sand & Surf Hotel.
Please let her be there, and please let her be available, Daisy thought as she walked briskly through town. She’d covered her eyes with oversized sunglasses so no one would see her raw-looking eyes or the dark circles under them. As she approached the Surf, she was shocked to see an ambulance out front and a crowd gathered on the deck.
Concerned for her friend, she approached the weather-beaten hotel. “What’s going on?” she asked a woman who wore a Surf polo shirt.
“Laura has been so sick from the pregnancy that Owen called the rescue to take her to the clinic. He’s worried she’s dehydrated.”
The EMTs emerged from the hotel with a very pale Laura strapped on a gurney and an almost equally pale Owen right behind them. Sarah appeared at the door holding Laura’s infant son Holden, and the minute the ambulance drove off, Daisy took the stairs two at a time, anxious to get to Sarah. “Is she okay?”
“I hope so. She’s so weak. Owen couldn’t take it any longer and called the ambulance, even though she told him not to. I usually agree with her when they butt heads, but this time, I’m on his side.”
Holden reached out his chubby hand and grabbed a handful of Daisy’s hair. Before he could pull on it and hurt her, Sarah extricated the hair from his grip.
“What can I do to help?” Daisy asked.
“Not a thing. Mr. Holden and I are in charge while they’re gone.” She took a closer look at Daisy. “What brings you by? Aren’t you usually in an all-fired rush to get to work this time of day?”
“Yes, but…” Daisy shook her head. “Never mind. You have other things to contend with today. You don’t need me dumping on you.”
As only the mother of seven could do, Sarah deftly secured Holden to her right hip and took hold of Daisy’s arm with her left hand. “Inside. Now.”
Daisy followed her into the hotel where Sarah put a “Be Right Back” sign up at the main desk and continued on to the kitchen in the back of the hotel. She put Holden in his high chair and sprinkled dry cereal on the tray. He dove into the snack with enthusiastic squeals that made Daisy smile, despite the torment that plagued her.
Sarah brewed coffee, put two steaming mugs on the counter and gestured for Daisy to take one of the stools. “Take off the glasses.”
Daisy reluctantly pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head.
Sarah gasped. “Did he hurt you?”
“God, no. Never. It’s nothing like that. This time it was me. We were, you know… Fooling around.”
“And?”
“And when he tried to…have sex with me…” Daisy looked down at her coffee as the misery resurfaced all over again. How could she have done that to him? How could she have made him feel like he was anything at all like Truck? How could she have hit him? “I totally lost it. Everything that happened came rushing back as if it were yesterday rather than weeks ago.”
“Weeks ago isn’t that long, Daisy, especially when you haven’t done that again since.”
“I know, and I really thought I was ready. I didn’t expect that to happen, or I never would’ve let it go so far. The sad part is, I really wanted to make love with him.”
“This may not be what you want to hear, but abuse survivors can have flashbacks for years after the abuse finally ends. At times, I wonder if I’ll ever be normal after what Mark put me through, but I’m determined to try. I refuse to let him get the better of me by denying myself the right to a happy future.”
“I like that. That’s how I want to be, too.”
“You need some more time, Daisy. Don’t rush things. Take it slow, and when it’s right, you’ll know it.”
“But will David still be there when I get there?”
“What did he say last night when you were upset?”
“All the right things, but still… It’s a lot to ask anyone to be patient with a situation like this.”
“I’ve come to know him quite well since I’ve been living here, and if he’s the kind of man I think he is, he means it. He cares about you. He’s not going to rush off at the first sign of trouble.”
“I’ve never known a guy like him. He’s so…”
“Normal?” Sarah asked with a glint of humor in her eye.
“Yes! Exactly!”
“In the time I’ve spent with Charlie, I’ve discovered there’s an awful lot to be said for normal. I’ve had enough drama to last me a lifetime.”
“How are things with you two?”
“Good. Normal. Slow… Like you, I have my issues. I’m not a big fan of being touched. I keep hoping that’ll change, and he’s been amazingly patient and supportive, despite the fact that I still haven’t told him the full story of what happened with Mark.”
“A wise person once told me that when the time is right, you’ll know it.”
Smiling, Sarah lifted her coffee mug. “Touché.”
“What a pair we are, huh?”
“We’re survivors, Daisy. Don’t ever forget that. We walked through the fire and came out on the other side better and stronger, but damaged, too. There’s nothing wrong with being damaged. We didn’t cause it, so there’s no shame in it.”
“You always make me think about things in a way I haven’t before, and you’re right. It’s not my fault. But it’s not David’s fault either. He deserves someone who can give him everything he needs.”
“Let him decide what he deserves. If it’s too much for him, you’ll know it soon enough. In the meantime, try to believe him when he tells you he’s willing to wait for you.”
“I’ll try. Thank you for always being there for me. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
“It means just as much to me to have someone nearby who understands what I’m going through, too.”
“I’d better get to work.” Daisy got up and rinsed her mug in the sink, bent to give Holden a kiss on his chubby cheek and hugged Sarah on her way out of the kitchen.
“Hang in there, honey, and you know where I am if you ever need me.”
“Same to you.”
Sarah and Holden waved her off from the doorway of the Surf, and as Daisy walked to the hotel in North Harbor, she thought about what Sarah had said. She still wasn’t completely convinced that continuing her relationship with David was the best course of action, but every time she thought about sending him away, she
felt sick.
Once she arrived at the hotel, the morning went by in a blur of paperwork, mini-crises, inventory, and running. Daisy must’ve been to the third floor no fewer than ten times, and it was only eleven. While her ribs were burning, the activity kept her from dwelling overly much on her personal dilemma, and she welcomed that relief.
Right before noon, Maddie appeared at the door, looking bright-eyed and excited. “Are you busy?”
“Always, but never too busy for you.” Daisy got up to remove the stack of towels that had landed on her visitor chair. “Come in.”
“I have so much news I don’t even know where to start.”
“Good news, I hope?”
“The best news. I just hope you agree.”
Something about the way Maddie said that set Daisy’s nerves on edge. “What does that mean?”
Maddie flashed a sheepish grin. “I did something…”
“What did you do?”
“Remember when the town council decided to use the land Mrs. Chesterfield left to the town for affordable housing?”
“I vaguely remember hearing something about that. What’s that got to do with me?”
“Mac and his cousin Shane have been working with an organization that builds houses for low-income individuals, and they’ve gotten the approval for the first house.”
“That’s wonderful. Everything around here is so expensive. It’ll be great for regular working people to have affordable housing, too.”
“We couldn’t agree more. It wasn’t that long ago that I was in dire straits financially, so I know how it feels to work all the time and never really get ahead. Which is why I filed an application for you to get one of the houses, and it was approved. One of the houses will be for you, Daisy.”
Daisy’s mind went blank. She heard the words that came out of Maddie’s mouth, but they refused to register.
“Say something. I’ve been so nervous about telling you because I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea about why I did it.”
“Why did you do it?” Daisy asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Do you see me as a charity case or something?”
“No, God, not at all! Who knows better than I do how hard you work and how expensive it is to live here? I remember you saying a few months ago that you might not be able to stay here for another winter, and that’s why I did it. That was the only reason why. And because you deserve a break after everything you’ve been through.”
Blinded by tears, Daisy wiped them away. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Tell me you’re not mad at me for doing this behind your back. I didn’t want to get your hopes up if it didn’t happen, and that’s the only reason I didn’t tell you.”
“I’m not mad. How could I be? No one has ever done anything like this for me. I’m so grateful, Maddie. I’ve never had a friend like you.”
“Our lives were very similar until Mac McCarthy knocked me off my bike. Don’t ever forget that.”
“I appreciate that you never forget it.”
“How could I? I lived hand-to-mouth for years. I’ll never forget where I came from or how blessed I’ve been.”
“This is unbelievable,” Daisy said as more tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt like she’d done nothing but cry for the last twelve hours, but these were tears of joy. “My very own house!”
“I’m so glad you think so, too! The other thing I wanted to tell you is that Mac and I are having a cookout tomorrow afternoon, and we’d like you to come. And bring David, too, of course.”
Daisy used a tissue to mop up the flood of tears. “I’d love to come, but I don’t know if he will.”
“We anticipated that possibility, and we spoke with Joe and Janey about it. They both said it’s fine with them if he’s there.”
“Oh, well… You actually asked them that?”
“We did.”
“I’ll check with him.”
“Good. And did I mention my sister is getting married, and the cookout is going to double as a wedding reception?”
Daisy’s mouth fell open in surprise. “Are you serious? I saw her yesterday, and she never mentioned that.”
“Probably because it happened last night.”
“They’re getting married tomorrow.”
“Yep.”
“Is it because of Jim?”
“You know about that, huh?”
“She was on the phone with Dan when I went to the store yesterday.”
Maddie’s brow arched in question, and Daisy realized she’d said too much. “And what, pray tell, were you doing at Tiffany’s store?”
Daisy made an effort to keep her expression vague. “I hadn’t been there yet, and I wanted to check it out.”
Maddie’s husky laugh echoed through the small room. “You’re a terrible liar, Daisy Babson. You should never, ever play poker. I hope you got something sinfully sexy that made Dr. David drool.”
Daisy knew defeat when it was staring her in the face. “I don’t know that he drooled, per se, but he definitely appreciated Tiffany’s taste in lingerie.”
“So things are moving right along?”
“You could say that.”
“You’re okay with…you know…everything?”
Maddie was so excited about the house and Tiffany’s wedding that Daisy didn’t have the heart to dump her problems on her friend. “I’m hoping I will be, eventually. He’s very good to me.”
“That’s awesome, Daisy. I’m so happy for you. Hell, I’m happy for both of you. He deserves to be happy, too.” She stood to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“I’ll be there.”
“And you’ll try to talk David into coming with you?”
Daisy swallowed hard when she remembered that things with him were a bit uncertain at the moment. “I’ll try.”
“Tell him we’d love to see him.”
“I will.”
“And tell him we mean that.”
Laughing, Daisy said, “I’ll do that, too.”
As she walked home later that afternoon, Daisy tried to wrap her head around the news about the house. It was one of the most exciting things to ever happen to her. Added to her burgeoning relationship with David, she could safely say things had never been better in her life.
That’s when everything usually went wrong for her.
“No,” she said. “Don’t think that way. Maybe this time will be different.” Up until last night—and even including what had happened then—everything about her relationship with David was different than anything she’d ever experienced with anyone else. For one thing, he was always nice to her. Always. She’d yet to see him annoyed or out of sorts or anything other than a perfect gentleman. In all the time they’d spent together, she hadn’t known a single moment of unease or fear that he might take out his frustrations on her.
That feeling of safety was new to her, and it might be the one thing she liked best about him. Of course, he was awfully nice to look at, too, which didn’t hurt anything. The thought made her smile as she took the stairs to her porch and used her key in the front door. Before the incident with Truck, she’d never felt the need to lock her door. Now she couldn’t conceive of leaving it unlocked.
Once inside, she curled up on the sofa and tried to calm her racing mind. David had said he wanted to see her tonight, but they needed to talk about where they went from here. And the thought of that conversation had her nerves stretched nearly to their limit.
*
David left the clinic on time for once, locking the door to the emergency entrance at the stroke of six o’clock. They’d had a relatively slow afternoon that had given him a chance to catch up on the endless paperwork that had accumulated into small mountains on his desk.
Never far from his mind as he worked was the offer from Dr. Garrity. As he stepped into the warmth of the late afternoon sunshine, David thought about the implications of the offer and whether he was even interested in the job.
On t
he one hand, the oncology specialty intrigued him. It had been his favorite rotation and had given him the opportunity to make a genuine difference for patients who were in the fight of their lives. After his own battle with lymphoma, he had a better understanding of what cancer patients were going through and could bring that life experience to his work. He really liked the other doctors in Garrity’s practice, too. They were all first-class physicians who would make for excellent mentors and colleagues.
For those reasons, the offer was highly attractive.
When he and Janey were together, their plan had been for him to come back to the island after medical school and take over the practice of the doctor who’d served the island since they were kids. He’d never really considered doing anything else. After they broke up, he’d floundered for a while after his treatment concluded, trying to figure out where he wanted to be.
He’d sort of fallen into the job on the island when Dr. Cal Maitland had left abruptly after his mother had a stroke in Texas. David had been home recuperating from the last of his treatments when Cal’s departure created an opening for the job David had hoped to have all along. Without much consideration, he’d taken the offer from the town council and never looked back.
He’d been fumbling and stumbling through life since he’d broken up with Janey, not giving much thought to the grand plan while he tried to get through every day. Now, however, he felt like he was finally coming up for air, and it was time to take stock of where he was and what he wanted.
After these last few weeks with Daisy, it was impossible to ponder what he wanted without also thinking about her and how she fit into the big picture. He was anxious to talk it out with her but also hesitant to give her reason for doubts when everything was still so new between them.
As he drove by the police station, he noticed Blaine’s SUV parked outside and made a spontaneous decision to stop and see his friend. He needed to bounce this dilemma off someone he trusted, and Blaine Taylor definitely qualified.