‘You’ve been good all along. Today won’t be any different. Unless you’d rather leave… that’s totally fine…’
‘No!’ The word was too loud, too abrupt, but Daisy smiled.
‘Okay.’
‘I want to stay. I want to help sell these…’ He gestured to the table where Daisy’s crowns were laid out, looking at them for the first time. ‘These are… incredible,’ he said, letting the awe for her work fill his voice. Delicate crowns with flowers in every color and shape were laid out in tidy rows. Some had ribbons trailing off the back, others were clearly designed for kids: smaller and covered in glitter; Elliot could imagine them making some little people very happy. Daisy had created magic.
‘Thanks. I missed a few nights of sleep to finish them.’
‘They’re beautiful.’
‘Thank you.’ She was gazing at him, her cheeks pink and her smile warm and soft, and his determination not to let her down was renewed. If this town needed to see her in a loving relationship before they could trust her with their weddings again, then that was what they were going to see. He could put all his own confusion and feelings aside. Because Daisy wastalented. She was so damn good at what she did, and this town should appreciate her for that. They should be lined up around the block for the chance to buy a little piece of the joy that Daisy made with flowers.
Fools.
He stepped closer, wishing he could touch her. She’d worked a few small braids into her hair, and he couldn’t resist running one through his fingers. Daisy’s breath hitched.
‘We can do this,’ he whispered, leaning toward her and she nodded, her eyes still locked on his.
‘Daisy?’ A familiar voice broke through the moment. ‘Hey, is that you?’
Daisy’s eyes widened. ‘You have got to be kidding me,’ she mumbled.
‘David?’ Elliot asked, not pulling away, not looking away. Maybe if they stayed very still David would just disappear.
‘Yes. What is he doing here?’ she asked, and her eyes were so full of pain at this reminder of her past that Elliot couldn’t help it when he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. It was instinct. To protect her. To make that pain go away. To tell David that Daisy didn’t need him anymore. Didn’t want him.
Was it a bit territorial? Maybe. But he liked Daisy too much to care.
She stilled and then softened, pressing her mouth to his in a sweet kiss that stole his breath. And David did disappear. Everything did. It was only them. It was only Daisy’s lips, soft and warm, and her hands gripping at the front of his shirt, and her hair slipping through his fingers. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed.
Until of course, it did.
She pulled away after only a moment, her gaze flicking to his, a small smile on her lips before she turned to face David and Hailey.
‘Oh, you’re back in town,’ she said, her smile transforming into a fake one. However she had felt about the kiss that was still vibrating through Elliot’s body, she reached out now and grabbed his hand like she needed the support.
‘Yeah, Hailey saw the signs for Beltane last time we were here and was just dying to come back,’ David said, his gaze shifting from Daisy to Elliot. Something about the way he looked at them, like he couldn’t quite fathom how Daisy had managed to move on from him, made Elliot want to punch him in the face.
‘How nice,’ Daisy said through clenched teeth.
‘I’d love to buy a crown,’ Hailey said, ignoring the tension.
‘Of course.’ Daisy snapped into business mode, dropping his hand and moving around the table to help Hailey with her purchase. Other people were starting to notice the stand and were milling around discussing which color combination they liked best. Elliot realized he should probably make himself useful and came around the table to help.
A man and a woman stepped up to browse, and Elliot was about to ask if he could get them something, but the man ignored him completely.
‘Crazy Daisy!’ he said with a laugh. ‘I was wondering if you’d be here.’
Daisy looked up in horror from where she was helping Hailey try on crowns. ‘I cannot believe this,’ she muttered before saying, ‘Matty, hey.’
Matty? This man who smelled like patchouli and was sporting a messy man bun could not possibly be who Elliot thought he was…
‘Hey, babe,’ Matty said, nudging the woman beside him. ‘This is my ex-wife!’
Oh, dear God.
‘The one you married in high school? How sweet!’ the woman cooed, picking up a crown and trying it on. Her long hair hung nearly to her waist and her flowy skirts reached to her ankles. A perfect match for Matty, if you asked Elliot. Now if they could just…
