Page 23 of Talk Vino To Me

“Look, Ian...”

“Oh, God.”

Daisy bursts into laughter. The giddy sound gives me hope.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” she scolds, the smile still on her lips. “I’m trying to be serious.” When I make a zip my lips gesture, she continues.

“I don’t like to be — I feel —” she mutters a curse under her breath. “This is hard.”

I reach for her hand and squeeze. She holds mine for a long moment. So long I think she’s not going to say anything at all.

“Ian, I am so sorry that I kept Roger a secret from you. I didn’t mean to, not really. I have tried not to be bitter, to let him into my life a little. He seemed like he genuinely wanted to make amends for all the years we didn’t talk.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that. It’s not your fault.”

“I feel like an idiot, though. I trusted that he really wanted to be part of my life. But the second he found out I was working with you, he kept badgering me about putting him in touch. I was very clear when I said no, but — you see how he is.”

“For what it’s worth, I got the impression he really is proud of you.” She scoffs. “I’m serious. The way he talked about you, he just sounded like a dad. Not like he was trying to use you. So maybe he has both goals. He wanted my help, and he wanted to get to know you again.”

She shakes her head as if to say that’s not likely, but I notice that her shoulders relax a bit at my words. In spite of the horrid way he treated her, she can’t help feeling something for her father. I don’t blame her a bit. That open heart is what I love about her.

“I love you.” I say.

Daisy gasps at my words. With a shock, I realize I’ve said them out loud.

“You...love me?”

“Oh, bloody hell.” I stand up and start pacing around the room. “That is not what I meant to say.”

“So you don’t love me?”

“No! I mean yes, I do love you, but I didn’t mean to tell you. At least not like that.” Oh, sod a dog. I am botching this so hard. Daisy, meanwhile, is having the time of her life.

“Why do I feel like I’m in a nineties rom com all of a sudden?”

“Because I’m an idiot?” She laughs. I get down on my knees in front of her. This was so, so much smoother in my head.

“Okay, I can deal with a confession of affection, but if you’re gonna propose, I’ll need a minute.”

I reach beneath the bed and pull out the guitar case under it. Quickly tightening the pegs and giving it a little tuning, I start playing. Daisy’s eyes sparkle with recognition. It’s the song I was working on the day she arrived.

Then I begin to sing. About my beautiful Marguerite, my precious Margarida, my darling Margarita… all the different names for the stunning, lovely Daisy.

“Ian...” Tears are flowing down her face, but she’s smiling so hard I know her cheeks will ache later.

“It’s not finished, obviously. I sent it to Shred yesterday. Told him I wanted to do a one off, if he was interested. I don’t think we’ll be taking Courage on tour or anything, not with me setting up the winery and all, but we might do a documentary. It’d be a good time to release it.”

“It’s beautiful,” she whispers. “I love that idea.”

“Listen, Dez, I have to tell you this Raj was right. I am broke.” I sigh. Fuck my life, this is hard as hell to admit.

“Okay.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever see that money again. I trusted the wrong person, and he screwed me over big time.”

“I’m so sorry. It could’ve happened to anyone.”

“I don’t know about that, but having it happen to me, the dirty hippie of the family? You can imagine how well that news went over with my parents.” She pulls a face. I nod. She gets it.

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