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“Well, no,” my mother’s voice came through the phone. “But I did just book a flight for your father and I to come to Charleston.”
I blinked. “Mom? A flight? Why?”
“Thanksgiving, dear. It’s in a couple of weeks.”
“I know it’s in a couple weeks.” I yanked at my tie, loosening it an inch. “I mean, why would you book a flight? I can just send the jet.”
“You’re not wasting your company jet on us. Commercial is just fine for Dad and me,” Mom said. “I just thought it would be nice to come see you and Harper.
Thanksgiving. Here. In Charleston. My stomach hit the floor and my eyes darted to the bookstore window, where I saw Daisy browsing for books. “You don’t think Anne and Clark will miss you?”
“Your sister will be just fine with her husband and Ally.”
“Mom, I’m sure Harper and Nathan will be ecstatic to have you, and I can’t wait to see you, but I already have plans for Thanksgiving dinner with Daisy’s family.”
“Perfect! We’ll combine it into one happy gathering. I can’t wait to meet this woman you’re so completely besotted with!”
“No one says besotted, Mom.”
“Well, if she’s snagged your complete attention, then she’s definitely worth meeting.”
“She’s absolutely worth meeting.” I just didn’t want Mom to scare her off. I wasn’t sure how Nathan had managed to survive the first encounter with my parents.
“Now, didn’t you say that she’s a writer?”
“I did.”
“Funny, but I went into our local chain store just to see if I could pick up a few of her books. You know it would be absolutely rude to meet her and not have read her books. Oh! Did I tell you that Anne just published another book on the psychology of baby-wearing? It’s really quite fascinating.”
“I already purchased a copy, though I’m not sure why academic texts are so damned expensive. Her students are probably cursing her for updating the old one.”
“Anyway, I went to grab a few of Daisy’s books, but I couldn’t find any. You said her last name is Lewis? Does she have a pen name or something?”
“That’s her name. I think if you want to order her books, you have to do it online.”
“Oh, I see. So she’s not…in bookstores.”
“Nope.” I rubbed the bridge of my nose.
“Well, I can’t wait to meet her! We’ll see you in a couple of weeks!” She hung up before I could tell her what a horrible idea that was.
And I didn’t miss the way she’d said complete attention. She still thought Daisy was a distraction.
I walked back into the store, shoving my phone into my jacket pocket and searching for Daisy in the romance section. She had six books piled high and was contemplating a seventh.
“Business?” she asked without looking up from the back of the book she held.
“Yes and no,” I whispered. “My parents are coming for Thanksgiving.”
“Really? That will be great! The more the merrier,” she said, adding the seventh to the pile and dipping low to take a book off the bottom shelf. Fuck, her ass looked good in those yoga pants.
“Let me hold those.” I took her stack. “My family is…” I fumbled for words. “They’re just weird.”
“Harper is great, and every family is weird, Asher.” Daisy grabbed another book and stood, moving to the next display case. “They’re just weird in their own little ways.”
“Yeah, well, mine is weird in a let’s break out the whiteboard and find the problem in the quadratic equation over dinner kind of weird.” I cringed. There was a reason I didn’t bring a lot of friends home when I was younger.
“Huh. Well, mine is more of a break out the whiteboard for Pictionary weird, but we’ll make it work.” Her fingers trailed over the L section, right where her books would be if they’d been shelved here. “Every once in a while, I just get this little pang right here.” She rubbed her hand over her heart. “It would be so much fun to see one of my books in a store, you know? To sign it and tuck it back away as a surprise for a reader.” She shrugged and moved on to the next case.
I stared at the section where her books should be. How hard would it be to make a few calls? How happy would Daisy be to see her books in a store? The idea that had taken root a few weeks ago took firmer hold.
With Daisy, I couldn't help but feel like I had everything I wanted, or was at least on the path to it. Were we polar opposites? Absolutely, but everything about her was refreshing. She looked at the world differently, offered me a new perspective on every situation I presented her with.
Didn’t she deserve to get everything she wanted, too? And if I could help her with it, then even better.
