“I told you she was trash!” She wraps her arms around me tight, wetting the front of my shirt with her hot tears. It takes a moment for me to pull her loose, hold her by the shoulders so I can get a good look at her. Her face is bloated and patchy, her eyes swollen and angry.
“Don’t say that,” I grit the words through my teeth. My body shakes as I try my hardest not to rattle hers. “Daisy is special. You got that? Do not fuck this up for me. I sacrificed a hell of a lot for you, and I’m just asking for this one thing.”
Lucky gasps as if I just struck her, and my words might have done just that.
“Owen, look under the sofa cushions for the night drop.” I pull back and rake my fingers through my hair so hard I’m shocked I have any hair left. “I didn’t take it to the bank this morning. Tell Scarlett to let Daisy think it’s from someone else. Tell her it’s from Rex. If it’s me Daisy’s running from, she won’t take it.” Every frantic bone in my body demands to bolt out that door screaming for her. The world is way too big and heartless for that beautiful woman to ever be alone. The pain she must be feeling crushes my bones to dust.
“Which cushion?” He tosses all three into the air and doesn’t have a gum wrapper to show for it.
“It’s gone!” Lucky jumps and points as if it were a magic trick that has her excited. “She took it! She’s a little thief!” Lucky gets in my face, her lips downturned in a snarl as if she’s gone rabid. “I told you she was gutter trash! She’s conducted a heist! And now she’s made off with your hard-earned money, and you’ll never see her or itagain. She was using you this entire time! How does it feel to be taken for a ride?” Lucky takes off, jumps into her truck, and hightails it back to wherever she came from.
“Daisy didn’t take it, did she?” I stagger to the door and watch as the smoke plumes from my sister’s tires, clouding up the road.
Owen slaps a hand over my back. “What do you want to do?”
“I need to find Daisy.”
“And then what?”
“I’m going to do the only thing I know—take care of her.”
After hours of unanswered messages, hours of scouring all of Hollow Brook, all of Jepson, even heading back to the hospital in Friar’s Corner to see if she went back, I don’t yield a single blonde curl on her head. Instead, I sit in a clearing just past the Witch’s Cauldron and wonder how Daisy Pembrooke disappeared like a ghost. And even though Lucky is certain Daisy conducted a “heist” as she put it, I refuse to believe she took the money and ran—that is until she admitted it.
I stare at the text an unordinary length of time. The first text this girl sends me, and she’s copping to a felony.
Yup, Lucky is right! I took the money, and I’m in Mexico eating lobster and sucking down tequilas. You have heard of my spectacular sucking abilities by now I’m sure.
I probably shouldn’t have told her about my little sister’s wild rant, but my gut said if I poked her a bit with the accusation, that feisty temper of hers might just lure her out of hiding. I didn’t for a minute think Daisy took it. In fact, I’m betting that money trail leads right to my rotten little sister. Gotta love her. She’s doing what she has to in order to stand firm as my number one girl. I get it. But I think it’s time to let Lucky know there’s room for one more in my heart.
A slow smile rides to my lips as I read over the text once again. I love it when a girl falls right into the bear trap I’ve set for her—especially this girl. I’m pretty impressed with the result, considering it’s the first bear trap I’ve laid out for Daisy.
Come home. I’m in love with you.
There, I’m keeping it short and simple. I’m hoping this one truth is enough to keep her sanity afloat until I track her down.
The silence between us is staggering as I wait for any hope of a reply.
My phone buzzes, and I can’t help but smile.Admit that for one moment you thought I could have taken that money.
I shoot right back.Not for one second.
It’s true. Owen suggested she might have taken it in an effort to help fund her unexpected foray into hiding, but I knew Daisy wouldn’t so much as borrow a roll of toilet paper without leaving a note behind. And three thousand dollars? Nope. Not for a nanosecond did I think she ripped me off.
I guess you’ve seen the news. I’m the new Washington IT girl. I always knew I’d hit it big one day. I just never imagined it would be because a man old enough to be my great-grandfather would tell such disgusting lies.
My heart tears up in shreds as I let my eyes linger over those searing words. I hate that some old perverted prick has taken Daisy’s future and tried to flush it down the toilet without giving thought to her as a person.
I’m sorry.Those are the only two words that seem right at the moment. I’d threaten to kill him, but I’d hate to have documented evidence in the event I decide to do it.Where are you?
Right behind you.
I hop out of the truck, and my eyes fall over the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. We bolt for one another, and my arms collapse around her, spinning her as I press wild kisses over the top of her. I’ve never been so glad to see anyone. Never been so relieved about anything in my life.
Daisy and I make our way into the bed of the pickup and watch as the sun melts over Hollow Brook. City lights spray out beneath us like a sea of fallen stars. As soon as the lavender haze turns to navy, you can see the real ones, too.
“I’m sorry about all this bullshit that’s surrounding you.”
She curls up on my lap, her pretty face poised to mine like she’s gunning for a kiss. “I’m sorry I’ve surroundedyouwith it.”
