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Ronnie held up a finger and stood. “I’ll go ask the boss.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Daisy wasn’t used to so much running around. Peeling potatoes with Noah’s sisters, sisters-in-law, and mom in the kitchen was a welcome break. After telling them briefly about her family, she got the lowdown on Noah’s.
“So, Noah’s the only Walsh not married?” Daisy asked.
“Yes,” one of his sisters said. “He was close, or so we thought, about a year ago, but she burned him good, and he’s been gun shy ever since.”
“Sarah cheating bothered him,” another sister jumped in. “But not as bad as was what happened with his partner. That’s what really messed him up.”
At Daisy’s blank stare, Marcy looked at her mother, who nodded.
“Long story short,” Marcy said. “Noah and his partner were in a situation where a drug dealer pulled a gun on them. Noah hesitated, and Tucker was shot and paralyzed from the waist down. Noah blames himself.”
“Holy crap,” Daisy said. That explained Noah’s nightmare. It hadn’t been about the fair shooting after all. “That’s horrible. What happened to the bad guy?”
“Once he fired first, Noah shot him. Killed him. But in Noah’s mind, it was too little too late.”
“So he wasn’t always so surly?”
“No,” Mrs. Walsh said. “He still holds the guilt and can’t let go. He thinks he has no right to be happy. Not while his friend is in a wheelchair.”
“Hm.” That explained a lot. Daisy had caught glimpses of Noah on the cusp of having fun or wanting to laugh and watched him stop himself. He must deal with the burden on an hourly basis.
She looked out the patio doors and saw him smiling at Kayla, who sat on his lap holding the kitten. It appeared to be a genuine smile, and she was struck again by how handsome he was. Sunlight bounced off his short brown hair as he laughed at something someone said. He seemed almost…relaxed.
Once they finished dinner prep, she followed Noah’s sisters out onto the porch.
“Uncle Noah, will you play my favorite song?” Kayla asked.
“Um, how ’bout some Bob Dylan instead?” Noah said, side-eyeing Daisy and shifting nervously in his seat. “‘Blowin’ in the Wind’?”
Kayla shook her head.
“You gonna turn down my baby girl’s request?” Ronnie said.
“No,” Noah said. “Of course not.”
“I’ll get your guitar,” one of the nephews said, running into the house.
Daisy stared at him, but he wouldn’t look at her. Noah played the guitar? Huh.
“Here it is, Uncle Noah,” the boy said, carefully handing Noah the big case.
By now, the whole family had gathered. Noah unpacked the guitar and strummed a few times, twisting knobs between each stroke to tune it. Daisy leaned forward. This should be interesting.
Noah cleared his throat, looked right at her, and, with a glint in his eye, started into a perfect version of “Country Roads.”
She narrowed her eyes but couldn’t help but laugh.
* * *
Noah didn’t see Daisy again for almost an hour.
“Uncle Noah,” one of his teenaged nephews said. “You gotta play Miss Daisy at chess. She beat me twice, and she’s really good. Since you’re the only person who can beat me, you two should have a playoff.”
“Oh, yeah?” Noah said.
