Page 29 of A Doctor for Daisy

“And you smell great,” he said when she walked by him into the house. The foyer was hardwood and she could see it led through a hallway to the back. There were a few doors on each side of where she was. No stairs that she could see so she was betting they were in the back of the house.

“That’s a given,” she said. “Between soap, shampoo and lotion, you’ll always get a variety of scents off of me. I try not to have them clash though. Kind of like my clothing.”

“I don’t think there is any way you can clash even when you’re being bold.”

She giggled a little. “I’ve always been a little bold and out there.”

“Not me,” he said. “I’ve been told I need more of that in my life.”

“So that is why you asked me out?” she asked.

They were still standing in the foyer. “No. I asked you out because I’m attracted to you and find you funny and personable. Plus you were flirting with me. I might be slow but not that slow. I figured it was mutual. I mean you are here.”

“It is mutual,” she said. “And good answer. I have the food in my car. I wasn’t sure where we were going and didn’t want to block you in if you were driving.”

“Oh,” he said. “We are staying here. I figured why not have a picnic in my backyard by the water and not worry about strangers? But if you don’t like that, we can find somewhere to go.”

“That’s perfect,” she said, smiling at him. “Let me go get the food.”

“I’ll help you,” he said.

“Nope. I want to do it. I said I’d take care of the food and that means delivering it too. You said you have the beverages and I’m sure you’re hungry. It’s a little after one already.”

She rushed back out to her car and got the bag, him standing in the doorway waiting for her. Holding the door like a gentleman too.

Funny, it just occurred to her that not only had she never had a picnic with a man before, but no man she’d dated had ever held a door for her or owned a house either.

She was already way out of her league and didn’t know what she could have gotten herself into.

11

Air Of Confidence

Theo watched Daisy walk back to her car in the pretty little dress she had on with sneakers. On anyone else, that outfit might not work, but her...yeah, she shined.

He wasn’t sure what it was about her and realized it was her personality that did it. Not everyone could pull off the way she dressed, but she had an air of confidence to her that he’d lacked so much in his life in anything other than medicine.

“Do you like wine?” he asked.

“I do,” she said. “Did you get wine for us?”

“I did,” he said. “I’ve got two whites and two reds. I wasn’t sure what was being served and wanted to be prepared to match it.”

She started to laugh. “I’m not sure I would even know what wine to pair with what foods. I just drink what someone gives me but don’t drink much.”

“My mother is a wine snob and she drilled into my head what goes with what,” he said. “It’s nothing more than that.”

He didn’t want to come off as a mama’s boy. He’d hardly say he was that, but it was hard to break habits or information his mother told him he needed to know to be successful.

“Okay,” she said. “This is a nice house. Why don’t you show me to the kitchen and I can unpack everything and you can decide what goes with it?”

“It’s my father’s house,” he said.

“You live with your father?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “This is his second home. He bought it when I was around five or so. He got it in the divorce but never uses it.”

“I guess that gives us something to talk about then,” she said. “When we get situated because I’m starving.” She unloaded the food on the big island. “I took a risk you liked Italian since we met there last. You said you weren’t fussy, but for future reference, help a girl out. You had me stressing over this.”

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