Page 66 of Pushing Daisy
Sloan looks down at her hands, needing to avoid his knowing gaze. “Maybe.”
Lachlan howls a laugh as he slams a fist on the bar top. “This is great! This is fucking great! Does Petra know?”
“I don’t know. Please don’t say anything to her. I don’t want to cause trouble between her and Daisy.”
“Fair,” he says, smirking annoyingly at her. “You care about her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do,” Sloan confesses, breathing out heavily, realizing she may more than care for Daisy. But she can’t unpack that yet. Not until she knows if there is something reciprocated. Putting herself out there, risking being broken apart, is too much.
“You should tell her,” he says as if it’s that simple.
“Maybe.” She leans her head back, releasing a frustrated groan.
His voice softens as he leans onto the bar top, ensuring she looks at him. “Listen. Teasing aside, I know how challenging it is to have feelings for someone and feel that it is unrequited. But you’ll never know if you don’t acknowledge those feelings. On top of that, the whole friends-with-benefits thing doesn’t work if you’ve already got feelings mixed in there. You’re opening yourself to a world of hurt that way. You need to talk to her. Sooner rather than later, to see if you’re on the same page—or still on the same page.”
She sniffles, knowing what he’s saying makes sense. But coming from a family like hers, where emotions were frowned upon, and success was measured in connections and favors, not happiness, she has always found personal conversations a challenge. Perhaps the new Sloan, who is trying to be more caring and open to opportunities, needs to realize that happiness isn’t given; it’s earned. And to earn it, she needs to break free of her family’s constraints and rules.
“Thanks,” she says. “I kind of hate that you were the one to see me break down, but I appreciate your time.”
He laughs lightly. “Sloan, I would like to consider you a friend, and friends are always here to support each other. Come by anytime.”
“Thanks,” she says again, pushing off the stool and standing, feeling more composed than she has all day. “Friends. Hmm. I like the sound of that.” She smiles at him, nods, then turns on her heel and leaves.
Who needs a therapist when you have Lachlan Grace?
CHAPTER 36
Daisy
“It was so great to run into you today.”
“I’m happy we had a chance to chat and work out the final details for Mixing Our Spirits in a couple of weeks,” Daisy says. “And thank you again for agreeing to host a few tours for our group.”
“Not a problem. We’re always happy to see people at the orchard, and it will be a perfect time to do some pumpkin carving as well,” Barker replies. His hands go into his pocket as he awkwardly looks down at the ground. Daisy senses something else is coming, but rather than ask, she waits him out, seeing if he’ll have the nerve to do what she’s anticipating. “So, Sloan didn’t seem too happy when she stopped by the table.”
Daisy crosses her arms over her chest, trying to protect herself from the cool fall wind gusting along the front of the building. Seeing her shiver, Barker moves in front of her to take the brunt of it on his back. “No. I think she was having a rough day. She’s been busy with work, and the stress of that and finalizing our plans may be getting to her,” she says.
“I’m not sure that’s it,” he replies, looking down at her as he steps closer.
“What do you mean?”
“I think she was jealous. There was something there in the way she was acting. The kind of surprise in her eyes. I think she thought we may have been together.”
Daisy replays the interaction in her mind, recalling Sloan’s scattered behavior, the briskness of her words, and the speed at which she tried to flee. Holy shit!
“Huh.”
Barker smiles, friendly but with a hint of told you so. “Does Sloan have a reason to be jealous?” he asks. “As I said when we first met, I’d love to take you out, Daisy, but I don’t want to interfere if something is happening between you two.” His hand moves from his pocket and gently brushes her cheek. The heat from his touch is comforting in the chilly air, but it doesn’t cause a spark inside her like Sloan’s touch does.
She looks away from him, not wanting to cause him any hurt, but she knows she can’t agree to a date with him. Not with whatever’s going on between her and Sloan.
“I’m sorry,” she says. His hand falls away, and he takes the slightest step back, preparing himself for the incoming rejection. “There is something between Sloan and me. It’s messy. So fucking messy. But there’s something there.”
He takes another step back, increasing the distance between them. His shoulders tighten as he pulls himself into a more rigid and protective stance.
Daisy reaches out a hand and places it gently on his arm, hoping the gesture is reassuring. “You have been so kind, and I hope this won’t hinder our agreement, but I don’t want to lead you on. I need to figure things out with Sloan. I hope you understand.”
“Thank you for your honesty. I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I understand.”
