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Chapter 13: Coming Up Daisies
Next day at Gallagher Ranch, Hank dropped the trailer hitch into the bed of his truck, feeling a lot less sure about his luck with Daisy than Daphne did.
Stomach in knots, he drove over the ridge and down the wash into Hobble Creek Ranch. Gypsy Girl grazed contentedly on the knoll above the barn, and Gone stood at the edge of the pasture, whinnying for his attention.
Daisy’s bags were set out, waiting on the porch. The sight calmed him. Hank’s stomach eased as he loaded the bags in the bunk. In the barn, he found Lucky cross-tied in his stall, Daisy crouched below, putting his shipping boots on.
“How you feeling?” he asked.
Startled, Daisy stood quickly, tugging the sheared bits of her spiky hair self-consciously, her bright eyes shy but pleased. “Doin’ okay, I guess, can’t complain.”
Aching to be near her, he opened the stall door. “You want me to take this guy out, get him loaded for you?’
“I don’t mind getting him. You want to grab the hay bag?”
“Got one already strung up in the trailer,” he smiled. “Fresh Bermuda Grass, cut special, right off Gallagher Ranch.”
“You brought Cuervo?”
“Not this time.”
With a quick, nervous smile, Daisy handed him the lead rope. “Sure, you might as well load Lucky, Hank.”
The familiar sense of longing passed over Hank with Daisy in the truck next to him. But something new and unsettling had crawled into his gut, and he realized it was fear. What if he screwed up again?
The doubt spread from his belly, crawled up his spine, spreading icy fingers around his neck and across his shoulders, reaching down to clutch at his heart.
For the past month and a half, everytime he’d closed his eyes, he’s seen Daisy’s crumpled body lying in the dirt, her golden hair spread like a fan, trumpeting his failures. He’d always disliked his father’s unpleasantness, but he’d never really known fear. But now, he was afraid, afraid he’d mess up again, and let her down. What if he would never be able to protect Daisy?
Shaking the worst of it off, he reached down for the paper bag and set it on her lap. Turning the engine over, he took a deep breath, said,“Gotcha something.”
She bit her lower lip and her brow furrowed, then her breath caught as she saw the Cherry Garcia bars he’d bought. “Oh, Hank. . .I just—didn’t know what was happening between us. I still don’t. Did you change your mind about us? Would you rather get back with Janie?”
Reaching over, Hank took her hand. “What was on my mind was that I hurt you, Daisy Mae. To be honest, I’m still not over it. It’s real hard for me to find the courage to try this again, since I haven’t forgiven myself for how badly I messed up.” He couldn’t mention that Daphne had set him straight. If he did, Daisy’d be out of the truck in a flash, her feelings hurt, angry with her sister for interfering.
Instead he said, “None of it had anything to do with Janie, Daize. I stopped by Hymie’s Tuesday, and she came in to talk. I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell her about us like I said I would, remember? She’s sad, Daize, not so much about not being with me. It’s that she doesn’t have anybody right now, and havin’ somebody is important to Janie, y’know?”
Letting her breath out slow, Daisy nodded. “Yeah, Janie probably wants what Luanne has: two kids and a house and a husband. Bigger house, nicer clothes, richer husband, of course, but yeah, I get it.”
“She asked after you, wanted to be sure you were okay.”
“That was nice.”
******
But what about us? Daisy wanted to ask, but Hank had slipped the truck into gear and was starting out. So she unwrapped the ice cream and bit into it, letting its chocolate and creamy smoothness soothe her, smiling that he’d thought of it.
When she held the frozen bar out to Hank, he smiled, giving her that hungry look out of the corner of his eye before he took his bite. Her belly looped, and she had a flash that things might be okay again, between them.
Setting up at the rodeo in Paris, Daisy made sure not to brush up against Hank. She didn’t want to get too close; it would seem desperate, now. He was careful with her too, but his smile had loosened and his eyes were easy again. He saddled Lucky before warm-ups, gave her a leg up and had her water bottle right there when she finished, too.
“I’ll hose him, Daize, huh?” he asked gruffly, holding Lucky’s bridle as she kicked a leg over the horn and slid down.
“Sure, Hank, that’d be nice,” she said, wiping a hand over her face.
He looked at her, concerned. “Listen, Daisy, there’s no sense using up all your energy tonight. Let’s get back to the trailer and untack,” he said, starting back with Lucky. As she walked along, his arm brushed hers and he took her hand. “You’ve got a big day coming, tomorrow. The bunk’s already set up in the trailer. Why not take a rest?”
“I just might do that, thanks.” Daisy couldn’t hide the smile she felt tug at the corners of her mouth.Once she saw the bunk he’d arranged, she’d know pretty quickly what Hank’s intentions were for them that weekend.
