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Henry, sensing an advantage in having another man in the mix, nodded, leaving Daisy and Benny to make their way into the house.
“So, that was weird, right?” Daisy asked her sister.
“You mean because Cruz and Dominic played like they were coaching middle school kids instead of playing like the Huns they usually do? Yeah. Then again, maybe the security squad lurking around the perimeter had them on their best behavior.”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’ll sort itself out.” They reached the kitchen, where they poured themselves tall glasses of iced tea and sat at the counter. It was the first chance she and Benny had to catch up since her vacation, and she found herself a little nervous at what prying questions her sister might ask.
“How are the wedding plans coming? I feel terrible leaving you in the lurch like that when your wedding is two weeks away.”
“Are you kidding? The wedding plans are a breeze. Payton and Mom have it all under control. I just have to show up and look pretty,” she said, and they both laughed.
Payton loved to plan a good party. It was what she used to do before she enrolled herself in law school to become an environmental attorney. It came in handy since Benny had been the proverbial tomboy growing up, needing to practically be arm wrestled into doing anything girly.
At least until she met Henry.
“I noticed the shiny new car you drove up in. What’s the scoop?”
Right. She hadn’t had the chance to relay this bit of news to her sister. She lifted her glass and took a drink before answering. “It was a gift from Jack.”
Her sister’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding.”
Daisy shook her head. “He claimed to be worried about the old one breaking down on me and the kids again—”
“Which is completely justified,” Benny added before Daisy could continue. “I think we all have been worried about that jalopy for some time. However, what surprises me is that you, the same woman who wouldn’t even take a small loan from her own family to get back on her f
eet two years ago…accepted it.”
Daisy sighed. Reaching up to the top knot she had her hair in, she released the elastic that had already become slack in the past hour, retwisting the thick rope of hair until it felt neat. And she’d had some time to consider her answer.
“It wasn’t entirely well received, I’ll admit,” she said.
Her sister smiled, shaking her head. “You make it sound like he did something horrible. This is a good thing. That he cares about you and wants to take care of you and the kids. Not that you need to have anyone take care of you”—she added almost hastily—“but it’s nice to know that someone wants to look out for you for a change.”
Daisy just had to hope that Jack had taken her warning to heart, since whether he or her sister believed it, she couldn’t afford to let herself slip back into her old habits of letting someone else call the shots until she became helpless, vulnerable, and entirely too dependent again.
But Benny couldn’t understand this, and it wasn’t worth the long discussion to try and get her to see her point. Fortunately, their mom came in then, having relinquished her hungry granddaughter back to the care of her momma. She squeezed Benny’s shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek before doing the same to Daisy. “So now that the fuss has died away, let me see that ring,” she said.
Daisy held her hand up as her mother and sister stared appreciatively at the stunning green-hued stone. “It’s beautiful, mija.” Her mother looked up at Daisy, studying her. After a moment, she nodded. “It suits you. This man, Jack. He suits you, too, I think. Not that I didn’t have some doubts when Benny told me about the two of you growing feelings for each other in so short a time.” She grinned, caressing the back of her hand against Daisy’s cheek. “But speaking from experience, sometimes we just get lucky and find the one heart that matches our own.”
“Thanks, Mama,” Daisy said, swallowing a lump in her throat. Did her heart really know for sure? Was she ready to give herself so certainly to one man again? “So you two like him?”
Benny nodded. “He seems to be okay. And more importantly, the kids really like him, which speaks well of him since I swear kids have a radar about people. If they like him he can’t be that bad. Even if he is a Republican.”
Daisy laughed. “Henry’s a Republican.”
“Don’t remind me.” She sighed heavily before taking a drink of her iced tea.
“Mama? What do you think?” Daisy asked, more nervous than she’d expected.
“I like how he makes you happy. How your face lights up when you look at him—and more importantly, how his face lights up when he looks at you. And his daughter? Lily? She’s sweet. It makes my heart happy to think that maybe you can offer her the same love you give your kids so generously.”
Daisy exhaled in relief. Having her mama’s approval meant more than she’d thought.
“Now why are you two hiding away in here? Come on, it’s time we rejoin the party. But first, help me grab the ice cream from the freezer. Your father spent the entire day yesterday mixing up gallons of it using the new ice-cream maker that you and Henry bought him for Father’s Day. I’m swimming in ice cream, even with your father’s sweet tooth for the stuff.”
They clambered off their stools and went to the freezer, taking the tubs their mom handed them and, tucking them under an arm, headed back outside.
