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It was the way it should be, and she was happy for Daisy, glad that Cormac was proving to be a good father. Daisy deserved all the love in the world, and it pleased Whitney to no end to hear that Cormac was determined to keep April’s parents in Daisy’s life. April’s parents were wonderful people. They’d been great parents to April and would probably be absolutely doting grandparents.
Whitney did feel guilty, though, that she hadn’t stayed in better touch with Joe and LuAnne. She’d been close to them growing up, spending nearly as much time at their house as she had at her own. Right after the accident she’d reached out to them, but once the will was revealed, and she discovered she’d been cut out of Daisy’s life, Whitney had pulled away. She didn’t do it to punish them, but she’d been so hurt, as well as confused.
April had asked Whitney to be a guardian. They’d discussed it more than once. So what happened?
How did Cormac end up as sole guardian?
Whitney waited outside another minute, wanting to be absolutely sure Cormac would have reached his room, before she entered the Graff. It was hard bumping into him all the time. It was confusing. Her emotions were far too volatile lately.
While here in Marietta she needed to keep her focus. She was here for work, and she was here to spend time with Daisy. But she wasn’t here to spend time with Cormac.
Daisy’s happiness was important to her, though, and Whitney had to admit that so far Cormac seemed to be doing a good job of caring for her. From all appearances he was a devoted father.
As she climbed the steps of the hotel, the doorman swung the door open for her and greeted her by name. Whitney thanked him and said good night, impressed again by the level of service at the Graff. It might be a small town, but the hotel was definitely a luxury property and a good hotel to feature in Montana Living. The Sheenan family would be interesting to feature but Cormac would never agree. He avoided publicity, preferring to keep the focus on numbers and profitability instead of cultivating himself, or his family, as a personality.
She had to admit that she liked that about him. It was refreshing in today’s social media age to find someone who wasn’t interested in being in the limelight.
Inside the hotel, her gaze swept the handsome lobby. No sign of Cormac. Good. Better to avoid him. Seeing him, talking to him, stirred up memories and emotions that made it harder to keep her focus.
She’d loved him so much.
She’d wanted to marry him and have his kids. When they were dating, she was sure they’d marry, and not because they had to marry but because they were just so good together. It’d felt natural. Inevitable.
Boy, was she wrong.
Upstairs, in her room, she stripped off her clothes, changed into pajamas before heading for the bathroom where she tied back her long hair to wash her face and brush her teeth.
She’d get through this trip to Marietta. She’d been here for five days now. She could survive the rest. She’d make it through the holidays without getting her heart banged up. The goal was to stay focused and keep her priorities straight, and she could if she had tunnel vision.
Work.
Daisy.
And turning Cormac into her friend.
It was possible. It could be done.
*
Cormac woke early. It wasn’t even six yet but once his eyes opened, he was wide awake, not the least bit drowsy.
Rolling out of bed, he checked on Daisy in her narrow rollaway bed. She was still out, curled on her side, tightly holding her pink fuzzy blanket close to her chest.
He smiled down at her, glad she’d slept all night without any of her nightmares. She’d needed the sleep, and so had he.
In the suite’s living room he flicked on lights, headed to the little kitchen tucked against the wall and made coffee. While the coffee brewed he did fifty pushups, one hundred crunches, followed by another fifty pushups. It was his usual morning routine and he needed routine right now with all the changes happening.
Whitney had said she wanted a regular ‘date’ with Daisy. He wanted Daisy to have that, too, but nothing had been set up yet. Perhaps he needed to plan something for the three of them this weekend, something they could all do together to help break the ice, and then in the future, Whitney and Daisy would be comfortable just doing things together, just the two of them.
Chapter Eight
‡
Whitney woke up Saturday morning to a text from Cormac inviting her to join him and Daisy for a matinee movie that afternoon at three thirty. The movie was Hotel Transylvania 2 and the theater was just across the train tracks on the other side of Front Street. Cormac said after the movie they’d probably grab an early bite to eat, either at the pizza place or the Chinese restaurant by the theater.
He ended the text saying he wouldn’t mention it to Daisy until Whitney knew if she could come.
Whitney read the text a second time and then rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.
She wanted to go. She didn’t want to go. She couldn’t wait to spend time with Daisy. And yet she was afraid she’d get attached to the little girl just to have it all fall apart.
But a movie was a relatively simple activity. A movie was the chief entertainment. Whitney would just be there, another body in the dark theater. And then if they did go out for dinner afterwards, they’d all have something to talk about. It was kind of like a book club for kids…but with a movie instead of a book. So, okay, it wasn’t anything like a book club.
Whitney jumped up from her bed, suddenly antsy and nervous. Why was she nervous? Was she nervous about seeing Daisy or nervous because it was Daisy and Cormac?
She paced her room, marching back and forth a couple times before texting him back. I have an appointment with Josie this morning but can make a 3:30 show. Should I just meet you there?
And then freaking out for no good reason, she dug into her hotel dresser for jeans and a sweater and headed to Java Café to get a coffee and wait for Josie, who was to meet her in half an hour.
*
She was here.
Cormac felt something turn over in his chest as Whitney pushed open the doors of the movie theater. “I’m here,” she called out, hurrying across the floor to join them in the popcorn line. “Sorry to be late. Josie and I were picking out the bathroom fixtures in Bozeman and hit some traffic.”
Her eyes were glowing and her cheeks were red from the cold and so was the tip of her nose. She smiled as she talked, peeling off her gloves and then her scarf.
She was so lovely and alive and he glanced down at Daisy who was staring at Whitney with wide blue eyes.
He felt a little of the same awe. He’d been attracted to Whitney from the first moment he spotted her in that Denver bar all those years ago. He had no idea she worked for him. They never discussed work that first evening. They didn’t even discuss Montana. He didn’t even know what they talked about, only that the conversation had been easy and engaging and he kne
w when the evening ended, he was going to see her again.
That he had to see her again.
And seeing her now, entering the theater glowing with beauty and intelligence and life, he knew he had to see her again.
And again.
“Daisy, remember how you ask about your godmother Whitney? Well, this is Whitney. And she’s come to Marietta to work and see you and do special things with you each weekend.”
The little girl’s eyes were still saucer wide. She looked from Whitney to him and back.
Whitney didn’t want to crowd the little girl and crouched on the burgundy and gold theater carpet. “Hi,” she said. “Remember me?”
Daisy took a long moment to answer. “Not really.”
“That’s okay. Because I remember you. And it’s so good to see you.”
Daisy bit her lip. “Dad says you knew me when I was a baby.”
“I did. I was there with your mom when you were born. Your dad—your other dad,” she corrected quickly, “he was overseas and so I got to hold you after your mom held you. You were this big,” she said, her hands making a space the size of a small loaf of bread. “Itty bitty but so beautiful.”
“And you loved me?” Daisy asked hopefully.
“I loved you. And so did your mommy. With all her heart.”
“My mommy is in heaven,” Daisy said matter of factly.
“Yes, she is. With your daddy, Daryl.” Whitney’s eyes suddenly burned and her throat threatened to close. “I was very good friends with them. They loved you so much and were so proud of you. They were always showing pictures and sending little videos of you doing something funny.”
Daisy’s face scrunched up. “Are you going to cry?”
“No.” Whitney swallowed hard, and smiled. “But I do miss your mom. She was my best friend. We became best friends when we were five years old.”
Daisy held up her fingers. “I’m four.”
“You just had a birthday in September.”
“And you sent me Periwinkle’s costume.”
