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I scoff. “That’s one hell of a flattering lie. I got old.”
“You’re just like Brett. He’s always calling himself old, even though he’s only thirty-nine.”
“Easy for you to say,” I mutter teasingly. “You can’t even drink yet.”
Daisy rolls her eyes, smirking. “I’m twenty-one and a half, thank you very much.”
“Damn. Way to make me feel even older.” I run an agitated hand through my beard. “I still remember when you were just a kid.”
Daisy’s smile falters and something passes across her face, something I can’t decipher as she says, “Well, I’m not a kid anymore.”
“I can see that.”
I can see it all too well, I think, clearing my throat to mask my thoughts.
“I did stop growing when I was twelve though,” Daisy says. “Unlike you and Brett. The two giants.”
I chuckle. “God knows how your parents managed to produce a son who’s six-six and a five-foot-nothing daughter.”
“Five foot one and a quarter.”
“Got it. Twenty-one and a half, and five-foot-one and a quarter.”
Daisy giggles, the sound making my heart clench. “Fractions are important when you’re short.”
Our eyes keep meeting, lingering a few beats too long. It’s charging the air between us, making it crackle and spark. I don’t dare to think for one moment that it’s mutual, but for me, it’s fucking electric.
Before I can reply, the telltale rumble of Brett’s truck pulls into the driveway, and the moment’s gone. Daisy smiles, but there’s something in her eyes that seems almost disappointed by her brother’s arrival.
“Hope you like cheesecake,” she says. “Brett always buys the biggest one he can get his hands on.”
“I never knew Brett had such a sweet tooth.”
Daisy laughs. “He doesn’t usually. He’s just addicted to cheesecake.”
A moment later, the door crashes open and Brett walks in holding a giant box full of cheesecake. We all talk and laugh as he starts to slice it up, but as much as I love my buddy, I wish I could have Daisy all to myself. Her leg occasionally brushes against mine under the table, and it’s enough to drive me crazy. I could stay here all night, but all too soon, it’s time to leave. Nash is texting me, asking about the cake I picked up for him, and Brett is obviously ready for us to go. I don’t want the night to end, not when Daisy is sitting so close to me, but I dutifully get up and slap Brett on the shoulder.
“Thanks for the pizza, man. And the cheesecake.”
“No problem,” he grunts. “You’ll have to come over again some time. Me and Daisy do this every Thursday night.”
“It’s kind of a tradition,” Daisy says, nodding in agreement. “Pizza and cheesecake.”
“Sounds like my kind of tradition.”
Once Brett has waved us off, Daisy heads for her car, turning to look at me before she gets in.
“Goodnight, Lincoln.”
Fuck, my name on those lips is like heaven. How the hell am I going to last until next Thursday before seeing her again? I managed ten years without Daisy Capello in my life, and now the thought of one night without her feels like a punishment.
“Goodnight, Daisy,” I say reluctantly. “Drive safe.”
She smiles and waves before getting into her car. I follow suit, getting into my truck, and tailing her car down the mountain path. I need to head for Nash’s cabin so I can give him this damn cake, but when the turning comes, I don’t take it. Instead, I keep on following Daisy’s car down the mountain, keeping a safe distance. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. All I know is I want her to get home safe. It’s pitch-black out and the roads are snowy. I want to see her reach her home and get safely inside, that’s all. Logically, I know Daisy is a grown woman who’s capable of getting home by herself, but something inside me pushes me onward, my eyes fixed on Daisy’s little blue car as she weaves through the streets of Winterdale until we reach the outskirts.
She finally pulls up outside a small white house and parks in the driveway. I slow my truck to a stop and watch from across the street as she gets out. As she walks up to the house, reaching for her keys, she’s illuminated by the porch light. For a moment, she looks back toward the road, and I swear she can see me. Our eyes meet and my heart jumps to my throat as I immediately step on the gas and drive away.
Fuck.
