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Chapter 1

Daisy

I glance over my shoulder one last time before making my way along the narrow gravel path between the caravans. My heart is lodged painfully in the back of my throat.

I know I have to leave, but that doesn’t make it any easier. I need this job and the money it will bring. And as hard as it is to walk away, I’m doing what’s best for my son.

“Go,” my neighbour, Mabel, calls from the small deck of my caravan, giving me a gentle shooing motion with her hand. “He’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

I nod, even though she can’t see how much I need to believe her. She raised eight kids of her own, and they all survived, but this is the first time I’ve ever left him. Handing my son over to someone I barely know is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

The hardest was fleeing Jonah’s father in the middle of the night—with my baby clutched in my arms—and never looking back. Our fresh start has to work. There’s no other option. Going back to him isn’t something I’m willing to consider.

At least Jonah’s already asleep, and if I’m lucky, I’ll be home before he wakes for his next feed.

After a ten-minute bus ride, a thirty-two-minute train trip, and a short walk through the city, I arrive at The Meridian Rooftop Bar, perched atop one of Sydney’s most exclusive five-star hotels. Its glass walls offer uninterrupted views of the pristine harbour and the glittering skyline. It’s the kind of place I would’ve visited in my old life. A place where I knew which wine to order, which fork to pick up, and how to smile as if I belonged.

Tonight, I’m here for a completely different reason.

I’m not a guest; I’m a waitress.

My stomach twists as I smooth down the uniform I’ve just changed into. Not because I don’t know this world; I do. I know it better than most. I’m nervous because this time, I have something to lose.

The engagement ring I’d once imagined wearing for the rest of my life paid for my escape. I pawned it to cover the interstate move and the first two months’ rent on the caravan Jonah and I now call home. It isn’t much, but it’s safe. And for now, that’s enough.

I got far less for the ring than it’s worth, but desperation doesn’t leave much room for negotiation.

“You’ll be fine,” Helena, the manager, says, gently running a reassuring hand down my arm. “Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy. You’ll stick with me for the first hour while I show you the ropes, then you’re on your own.”

“I appreciate it,” I reply, forcing out a reluctant smile.

I’m two hours into my shift, and so far, so good. The tray hasn’t slipped from my hands. I haven’t dropped a drink, smashed a glass, mixed up an order, or walked into anyone. Considering I spent the first hour convinced I’d be fired before I’d even earned my first pay cheque, I’d call that a success.

Helena catches my eye from behind the bar and offers an encouraging smile as the docket machine spits out another order. “Table twelve,” the chef calls, placing two share plates on the pass.

“I’ve got it,” I say, stepping forward and balancing a plate in each hand as I carefully weave my way towards the long table that’s tucked away in the back corner.

It’s a table hard to miss, with at least a dozen impeccably dressed men gathered around it in sleek leather chairs. Designer suit jackets hang over the backs of their seats, while crystal tumblers filled with amber liquid—the finest scotch money can buy—are scattered across the tabletop.

I delivered a round of drinks to them earlier and overheard someone mention a bucks’ party, but I have no idea who the groom is. To be honest, I wasn’t paying much attention. I’ve been far too focused on not fucking my first day on the job.

“Bourbon barbecue wings,” I announce, placing one plate in the centre of the table, followed by the second.

“Thanks, darlin’,” the man sitting closest to me says.

My eyes dart to him, and for a second, I forget what I was about to do. He gives me a dazzling smile, the kind that probably gets him whatever he wants. He follows it up with a quick wink that heats my cheeks.

He’s the kind of beautiful that makes a woman sit up and take notice, with a sharp jaw, sparkling grey eyes, sun-kissed skin, a confident smile, and effortless charm. The kind of man I might have appreciated once upon a time, but men are the furthest thing from my radar now.

I have a son to raise, a job to keep, and a fresh start to protect. The last thing I need is a distraction wrapped in a designer suit with a smile that could make half the women in this room drop their panties. I’ve made that mistake before, and I have no intention of making it again.

His eyes are still on me when something behind me steals his attention. He glances over my shoulder and does a double-take as his face twists into a frown. Whatever he’s just seen has brought me the opening I need, so I grab the empty glasses and make my escape.

I only make it a few steps before two strong hands grip my waist. “Forgive me, darlin’,” the voice murmurs against my ear as he turns me towards him. My breath catches when I realise it’s him, his familiar grin as disarming as ever. “I’m about to do something incredibly rude.”

For a second, I can only stare at him as my brain struggles to catch up with what’s happening. The warmth of his hands at my waist, the intensity in his eyes, or the fact that a complete stranger is looking at me like he’s already made a decision I know nothing about.

He leans in, and before I can stop him, his lips are on mine. It isn’t a simple peck either. It’s a toe-curling, breath-stealing kiss that has me forgetting, for one dangerous second, exactly why I should pull away.