The door opened, and Rose stepped into the room. She crossed to the bed and sat on the edge as Violet said, “Start from the beginning.”
Daisy blew out a breath and sat up, pulling the blankets to her waist before saying, “Bandits robbed the stagecoach.” Recalling what had happened since they had left Elkin all those weeks ago was cathartic. She told them how they ended up staying with Liam, and the old man’s offer to Clay, and why he didn’t come home with them. She glossed over a few things, especially the night Clay found her in the bath, but she didn’t leave out the kisses.
“I told you he was sweet on you.”
She hid a smile and said, “I think it's more than that.”
Rose’s eyebrows raised as she said, “Oh? Do tell.”
She reached over to her nightstand and picked up the book Clay had given her before opening it. “He gave me this.” She turned it so Violet and Rose could see the illustrations.
Violet’s eyes widened, a smile curving her lips. “This is the sign language the school was going to teach you!”
“I know. Clay said I could still learn it even if I didn’t go to that school.” She ignored the look on her sister's face at that statement. She knew they’d still want her to go.
Flipping to the page with the sign for I love you, she pointed at it. “He made this sign for me the day he gave me the book.”
“And how did you feel about that?” Rose asked.
“I gave it back to him as we left town.” It hadn’t been planned, but when Graham steered the horses around the corner, her chest had tightened, and she turned without thought. Seeing Clay still looking at her had healed a small broken part of her heart, even though he wasn’t coming with her.
Graham had asked her what she was doing, but she lied and told him she was waving. He didn’t question her after that, but it didn’t matter. Clay had seen it, and that was all that mattered.
She closed the book and leaned her head against the headboard. “Do you think he’ll come back?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if saying the words out loud would somehow make her worst fears a reality.
She’d thought more than once on the way home that Clay was right where he wanted to be. He loved Butte. Had told her more than once he did, and with Liam’s offer, it would be even more tempting.
“He’ll be back,” Violet said, laying her hand on top of her own.
“How can you be sure?”
She smiled and said, “Because he loves you. He’ll come back because you’re here.”
One month to the day she’d come home, Daisy saw him. She’d been staring out her bedroom window, the late afternoon sun blinding her and obscuring the road into town, but when he reached the livery stable, he’d paused, still sitting tall on his horse, his gaze turned to her house.
Her breath had caught, and she nearly tripped down the stairs as she hurried down them so fast. She forgot her cloak when she ran out of the house. A gust of wind so cold it chilled her to the bone made her turn around and run back in and grab it.
Her grandfather stepped out of the kitchen to look at her. “Where are you headed in such a hurry?”
She grinned and said, “Clay is back,” before running out of the house. Clay was no longer in the street, so she hurried down the slick steps to the walkway.
The snow had frozen over. Whoever had shoveled it off the sidewalk had done a poor job. If Clay had been here when it fell, the entire town's sidewalks would be passable. She stepped carefully as she headed to the livery stable, taking her time to avoid a fall, and was giddy by the time she made it. The door was heavier than she remembered it being, and it took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dim light inside the stable.
She saw him when they did. Only he wasn’t alone. Veronica was there, her arms around his neck. Her vision went hazy, her heart pounding so hard the world tilted as a dizzy spell nearly brought her to her knees.
Turning and quietly leaving, she staggered to her house and up the stairs to her room. Leaning against her bedroom door, the tears she’d been holding back fell, her heart breaking into a hundred jagged pieces. What had she just witnessed? The scene inside the barn replayed in her head on a loop, and the confusion it brought had her questioning everything. Clay loved her. Didn’t he? He said he did. Then why did he come home and end up in Veronica’s arms and not hers?
She slid down the door, her legs no longer able to hold her up. Every second they’d spent together over the last two months replayed in her mind. Had it all been a lie? Would Clay have given her such sweet kisses if he didn’t really love her?
A memory of Rose telling Violet when she was younger that all men were no good liars came back to her. Rose was married now, so did that mean she’d been wrong? Or was it only that Graham was a decent man?
Embarrassment made her heart ache when memories of the night she’d bathed at Liam’s crossed her mind. Why had she done that? Why had she let him see her like that? Touch her. Kiss her. Her face burned. Was that night the reason he’d said he loved her? Just so he could…
No, she couldn’t believe that. He’d not touched her again like he had that night. He’d only given her heart-stopping kisses and slept with her wrapped tightly in his arms. Wiping her face dry of tears, she stood and got ready for bed. There had to be an explanation of what she saw, and until she could look him in the face and ask him why she’d found him and Veronica together, she’d not jump to any conclusions. She wanted him to explain himself and make her believe it meant nothing. And if he didn’t, she’d harden her heart where he was concerned and never speak to him again.
Getting Veronica off of him was as difficult now as it had been the day he left town to take Daisy to Butte. He had to pull her arms from his neck and push her back, holding her away to keep her from jumping on him again.
“I didn’t think you were ever coming home!” she said, the smile on her face wide. She was looking at him as if he’d hung the moon, and he sighed before letting go of her arms.
