Why hasn’t she texted me back?Is she done with me and the possibility of us?I need to see her now, need to tell her what an idiot I was—am—for thinking I could ever live without her.I have to get my heart and head straight and set my soul to rights, because the truth is, I’m nothing without her.
Me: Where are you?
Five minutes go by before the little dots start jumping, signaling she’s typing a reply.
Baby Mama: I’m in Dallas, West.
Short and not exactly sweet.Okay, I deserve that on account of being a braindead asshole, but at least she’s replying.
Me: Where in Dallas?
There’s a long pause, and twice I see the little bubbles pop up and disappear again before she replies.
Baby Mama: At home.
Those two words slice through my heart like a knife.Home isn’t here, in this cold, high-rise apartment complex, it’s on the ranch, it’s in my bed, in my arms.Which is exactly the kind of thinking that put you in this predicament, asshole.
Home is wherever she is.
Me: Then I’m home too.Why don’t you buzz me up, darlin’?
My phone rings and I climb out of the truck as I answer, “Dais, I love you.”
She gasps, which quickly turns into a sob.
“Shit.I wasn’t supposed to blurt that out over the damn phone,” I say, looking around at the entrance of her building.“I wanted to see your face when I said it.”
“West, what are you doing here?”
“Comin’ home to you, darlin’.You know, I kinda thought we’d be face to face as I poured out my feelings, but I can wait, Dais.If you’re not ready to forgive me yet.I’ll wait as long as I have to.”
“Where are you?”she says, and her voice is high pitched and frantic.In the background I can hear her fumbling with her keys and a door slamming.
“I’m outside your building.”
“Just wait right there.I’m coming,” she says, and then groans.“God damn it.This stupid elevator.I gotta hang up, don’t you go anywhere, okay?”
“I ain’t leaving, Daisy, not even if you beg me to.”I pull out the huge bouquet of pink peonies I got from a fancy florist a few blocks away.They cost almost as much as a bale of hay, but my sister was right in telling me to spring for the good stuff.I lean against the side of my truck, ignoring all the double takes from people scurrying by on their lunch breaks.
“Hey, cowboy!”Daisy says, running toward me.She launches herself into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist.
“Hi, darlin’.”
“It took you long enough to get here.”
“I had some things I had to take care of, you can berate me later all you want, but you gotta put me out of my miser—”
She presses her mouth to mine in a soft, sensuous kiss.Her lips are as sweet as I remember, her hands around my shoulders, and her lush tits pushed against me are just as inviting.She pulls back and grins down at me.“I love you too, West.I love you so much.”
I kiss her, stepping back several paces and turning us so my truck is at her back.I set the flowers on the roof and take off my hat to cover us from view, for at least one side of the street.My tongue sweeps across her bottom lip and into her mouth, stroking her own.
I pull away.“Shit.Daisy, where’s Waylon?”
“He’s at Daycare.”
“He goes to Daycare?”
She smiles.“He has to when I’m in school.”
