I smile and turn back to Daisy-Mae.“We’ll leave the keys, but I’m gonna take her home.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Daisy says.
“Like hell I don’t.You’re a million years pregnant.I’m not having you wait out here on your own, Dais.”
“Okay, you don’t have to get so bossy,” she grins.Something tells me she likes bossy.
“Go get your belongings and get in the truck.”
“Yes, sir.”
I wait until she walks away before I say, “I’ll cover whatever needs doing, but we gotta take care of this for her ASAP.”
“Yeah, I hear ya.Wait, don’t you have a date to be on?You wanna tell Daisy to wait for me and I’ll run her home after we tow her car.”
Fuck no, I don’t want that.“She’s pregnant, you braindead asshole.I’m not leaving her by the side of the road.Lemon can yell at me for being late all she wants.”
“Alright.I was just asking.No need to get all territorial and shit.I’m not gonna make a move on Daisy-Mae.”
“You bet your ass you’re not,” I snap, and then wonder why the fuck I’m treating her like that’s my baby in her belly.Not that I’d be opposed.Okay, West.What the fuck has gotten into you?All that jacking off alone has done something to your fucking brain.
Daisy closes her car door, and I wonder how much of that conversation with Wade she just heard.She scoots around the truck to the passenger side and climbs in, though she looks a little like she’s having to work at it.“Just be here within the hour, before the coyotes decide to rip it up to make a new den.”
Wade makes a “pfft” sound through the walkie.“I doubt they’d want to live in a Fiat.Probably too damn small.”
“Just get here, asshole.”
“Yeah, I’m on it.I can tell you right now though, Lemonade is gonna be pissed you’re late for that date.”
“Uh-huh.Lemonade can bite me.It’s not like I asked for this shit,” I say climbing into the truck as I end the exchange.
“I can’t tell you again how sorry I am.”Daisy gives me a tight smile from the passenger seat.
“I wasn’t talking about you, Dais.Just this date that Lemon set me up on.”
“Oh my god, you’re late.I feel even worse now, and your sister is gonna hate me for standing in the way of your happily ever after.”
I snort, I don’t even realize until the sound is outta my mouth, so I cough and clear my throat and start the engine.“I’m not worried about missing this date, Daisy-Mae.In fact, you breaking down on my road is about the best damn thing to happen to me.”
“Well, it’s the worst thing that could possibly happen to me.That or this little one deciding to come too early.”
“Shit.I’m sorry.I didn’t mean—”
“It’s fine.”
“So, you have everything you need?”
“Yep.I’m ready when you are.”
I put my arm across the back of her headrest and glance behind me as I throw the truck in reverse.The next few minutes are filled with awkward silence, but then Daisy starts humming along to a Waylon Jennings song on the radio, and I can’t keep from laughing.She has a terrible singing voice.She’s off-key and singing all the wrong words, and I’m pretty sure her voice cracked a time or two.
She glowers at me and quickly shuts up.“It’s not nice to laugh at others less fortunate than you, West.”
I laugh again.I don’t even know why.It’s bad.My ears are still ringing.“Sorry, Dais.But I hope you’re not thinking about giving up the B&B for a career in music.”
“We can’t all be talented at everything.”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
