Page 38 of Healed
“Why are you hurrying?” Janie asked, her voice raised so Daisy could hear her from the living room.
“I’m going to eat with Charlie! He says he’s starving,” Daisy said with a laugh.
Almost immediately Janie was standing in her doorway, tapping on her closed bedroom door. “Can I come in?!” Janie asked, her mouth pressed to the seam of the door.
“I’m changing!”
“I know, but I have questions!”
Daisy laughed. “Fine.”
Janie opened Daisy’s door and slipped in, closing it carefully behind herself.
Daisy was wearing a pair of jeans, and was in the process of pulling on a shirt, then tearing it off and tossing it to her bed. “I can’t find anything I like!”
“Have you tried your brown one, with the brown sequins on the edges and the fringe over the waistline?”
“It ties in the back, though. It might come loose,” Daisy said.
“Seriously? If I tie it, it won’t come loose. You just don’t want to wear it.”
“I like it. I just don’t want to make too much of a big deal and make him to think it’s a date.”
“Daisy, honey?” Janie said, catching the next shirt Daisy tossed toward the bed. “Is it a date?”
Daisy stopped searching her closet and looked back at her mother. “I think it could be. If I let it.”
“I think that young man would be thrilled to take you on a date. It doesn’t mean you have to marry him. But he seems reallynice. And your dad thinks highly of him. I mean, how often is that going to happen?” Janie asked.
Daisy laughed. “Never.”
“I’m just saying, take your head out of the equation just for a minute. What would you feel good wearing?”
Daisy smiled at her mother and pulled on the brown shirt with the sequins edging it, and the fringe. She turned her back to her mother and waited while it was tied in a snug knot at the spot her bra strap would sit, if she was wearing one. This shirt didn’t allow for one. She pulled her pony-tail holder out and shook out her long wavy dark hair, then turned around to face her mother. “What do you think?”
“Gorgeous!”
“You sure?”
“Not a doubt about it,” Janie said. She watched as Daisy pulled on her favorite beat to hell pair of light tan cowboy boots, checked her reflection one more time, then kissed her mother and ran out of the room.
“Be careful, baby!” Janie called after her.
“I will!” Daisy called back.
Janie went into the living room and to the front door that had just been slammed again as Daisy left. She opened the door and walked out on the porch to watch them leaving. “Y’all have fun!” she called out.
Charlie and Daisy looked back quickly, waving at her just before Charlie helped her into his car, then closed the door before walking around to the driver’s side.
Janie continued to watch as the young man made a U-turn in the road between theirs and Bam’s houses and drove away. Once they were out of sight, she closed her eyes, and whispered a small prayer. “Please, God, let him make her so happy that she’ll never think of anything else again.”
Chapter 7
Brandt slowly drove his truck up the gravel drive leading from the highway to Kaid’s property, and the houses of all the older generation of their shifter clan. But this time he was not headed to visit his parents, or even seek advice from Kaid. This time he was actually reluctant to be there. He parked outside Avaleigh’s and Daniel’s home, and took a minute to settle his nerves before he finally got out. This was not a conversation he was looking forward to having. As he walked toward the door, Daniel pulled it open.
“Hey, Brandt. How’s things?” Daniel asked.
“Ain’t gonna lie, they could be better,” Brandt answered.
