Chapter Twenty-six
Daisy-Mae
West plays the lastfew bars of a song I’d heard once or twice on country radio, but one I didn’t know well.He absolutely could have been a country music star.He’s got that perfect blend of whiskey roughened singing voice and chiseled jaw line.He’s completely breathtaking, and I can’t believe I’ve kissed those lips.Guilt and shame bubble up in my chest, because Waylon and I have taken over his whole life.He made sacrifices for us that no man should have to make, ones that my husband couldn’t.
The two strangers’ faces that Eddie brought into my house flash before my eyes, and all I can see is the blood staining my Persian rug.I shot a man.Ikilleda man.Who was he?Did he have a family, kids?Is someone lying awake tonight missing him?All I see when I close my eyes is death, and my gutless husband’s face as he fled and left me and his son in a room with a killer and no way to defend myself.
“You look tired, darlin’.”West reaches out and traces the dark crescents under my eyes.
“I’m afraid to go to bed,” I confess.
“To sleep with me?”West says without hesitation.
I look at him, and shake my head.“I can’t unsee their faces.Every time I close my eyes, that’s all I can see, is a dead man on my living room floor and my rat-bastard husband running out the door while we lay helpless.”
“You’re safe now.”
“I can’t stay here forever.You’ve already done so much for me—for us.I don’t need to take over your house and steal your covers too.Besides, what would people say?”
“Daisy, there are plenty worse things than sharing my house and my bed with a beautiful woman who steals the covers.And to answer your other question—ain’t no one out here to say shit.Even my family are at least twenty minutes away, and they know not to drop by without announcing it in the group chat.”
My brows shoot into my hairline and I smile.“You guys have a group chat?”
“Yeah, Lemon forced us to.”
“That sounds nice.”
“I’ll add you.”
“Oh,” I shake my head.“You don’t have to do that.I’m not—”
“Family?”He grins.“How many times I gotta say it before it sinks in?”
“I’ve never really had one of those.I mean, there was my grammy, but my mama ...well, you know all about that.I never knew my daddy.”
“Well, you got family now.A big one.Honestly, they’re a huge pain in my ass—especially Lemonade—but Winchesters show up for family, and that includes you.”
