My jaw dropped. “What do you mean, simmering romantic tension?” My cheeks went hot. “There—there was no simmering tension.”
“Oh, please. You think I don’t have eyes? The way you two kept taking secret little looks? And then, at pickleball. You go off with Carter, and Beck justhappensto go in the same direction? Then I find you, all flustered by yourself? No way Carter had you blushing like that.”
Had I been blushing in the garden? That would’ve been right after Beck’s promise.I’ll remind you what it’s like to really want someone. “I—it wasn’treallylike that?—”
“And then Jamie told me about y’all playingfootsie?—”
“Okay, okay!” I threw my palm out. “Okay, fine, you called it. This whole time, I’ve been telling myself it’d be a bad idea to like him. That it’d beimperfectof me to like him. Now… I’ve decided I don’t care.”
Daisy popped a cheese puff into her mouth. “Man, you take me on awildrollercoaster, you know that?” she said as she crunched. “At least being your best friend is never boring.”
I gave her a small smile. “I live to keep you amused.”
She returned the grin, quietly stretching out and nudging my foot with hers. For a moment, we stayed like that. “About Dalton,” she said, bringing up her ex slowly. Softly. “If I need help… staying away from him… can I let you know?”
“Of course.” I inched forward so I could lay my hand on her knee. “And don’t feel bad about it. First loves are hard to get over.”
“Says the girl who’s planning her happily ever after with hers.”
I puffed my cheeks out, sheepish.
Daisy threw another cheeseball at me. “So, revising Operation Birthday. Phase One: charm the PembletonsforCarter, not for you. Convince them that you’re the world’s perfect couple, so they stop hounding their son to date who they want. Phase Two: confess to Beckham Jennings.”
Just the words caused a little shiver to slip down my spine. “And if he turns me down, we cry over a pint of ice cream.”
“Girl, please.” Daisy couldn’t help but snort. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’s not going to turn you down. He’s going todevour you.”
Now my breath caught, stalling in my chest.When you want someone, you’ll look at their mouth. You’ll imagine kissing them. You won’t be able to help it.I bit down on the lip he’d looked at, heart skipping a beat. “D-E-V-O-U-R.”
Daisy smirked.
“DAAAISY!” I was pretty sure that was Ivy calling down the stairs. “Theo just threw up!”
Daisy closed her eyes. “Coming!” She didn’t move.
“Is he sick?” I asked her.
“He’s six. He does that sometimes.” She passed me the bag of cheeseballs. “Five bucks says Junie was making him do somersaults down the hallway and he got motion sick.Again.” Then she stood.
“I offer my emotional support.” I held up a cheese puff with a sympathetic frown. “I can’t do puke.”
Daisy took it from me, popping it into her mouth. “Spellugh.”
As she headed for the stairs, I called after her, “U-G-H.”
Her footfalls were heavy on the stairs, groaning as she climbed, and my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Jamie
Just so you know, I’m not bitter about you two having a No-Jamie day, because I had Daisy all to myself yesterday.
Oh, sure, because nothing says IM NOT BITTER like saying that you’re not.
Jamie
Is it about Dalton?
I knew he was worried after everything that’d happened with Daisy and Dalton last year, but as Daisy’s siblings squealed upstairs, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was any other reason behind Jamie asking. If there were any other reason he was so concerned.
