Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) (25 page)

"Amy's in the pre-K class. I know Danielle Locke. You—you're Amy's father?” she asked with a hint of skepticism in her voice.

Aiden's jaw clenched. "You questioning me?"

"I…uh, well no, but Ms. Locke never indicated that, uh, forgive me."

He glared at the woman as her voice faltered to silence. There was an uncomfortable silence that hovered between them, charged with his fury. So much was out of his control. This was more painful than he could have foreseen.

"I think you should step into the office so we can verify who you are, sir," the teacher said, clearing her throat. There was a hint of apprehension in the woman's voice. Aiden glanced to the office door. Donovan was right. He never tipped his hand so poorly. He knew the game. Hell he invented the best of them. Daisy would pay dearly for denying him his child.

"Fuck this," he mumbled and then turned and walked off.

****

“
Danielle Locke,” Daisy answered, typing away on the keyboard, phone pressed to the side of her face by the lift of her shoulder.

“
It’s me,” Pete said.

Daisy could hear the tension in his voice and almost feel the anger through the line. She sat back in her chair. This was the call she was waiting on. She didn’t even have his phone number to reach him. She’d spent most of the morning just waiting. Funny, she envisioned him bursting into her office and making all kinds of wild accusations. A phone call seemed too calm, too easy.

“
Hi, Pete.”

“
We need to talk.”

“
Okay, I agree,” Daisy said quickly. She’d rehearsed this in her head, remembering how to reason with the boy she once loved deeply. “You can come to my office and—”

“
What time does Amy get out of school?”

The question caused her to sit upright in her chair. How did he know she was in school? Then she remembered the way Amy arrived, still in uniform. She relaxed. “Pete, l think it best we meet here to clear the air.”

“
Don’t play games with me, Daisy. I want to see my daughter. And I want to see her today. I’ll be there at four.”

He hung up on her. Daisy slammed the phone down on her end. Grabbing her purse, she was out her chair and sashaying through Jahi, a mean strut for the front door. As she left, she barely gave orders to her remaining staff. The place was madness without Clara. She didn’t have the focus or energy to set everyone straight. Before she realized it, she was in her car racing along the mountainous curves of the Grove to Amy’s school.

She reached in her purse and took out her phone. “Hello, may I speak to Magdalena?”

“
Signora Locke?” a woman came on the line.

“
Hi, Maggie. Can you meet me at my place? Now? I’ll need you to take Amy for a little while, possibly for the night,” she said, making a right turn, then a quick left. With the sun in her eyes and her hands tightly gripping the steering wheel, she had it all worked out.

“
Sorry, signora, so sorry, but… it’s my sister. She fell today and she’s in the hospital. I’m on my way there now.”

Daisy bit down on her bottom lip. This couldn’t be happening. She could handle Pete. Alone. She planned to ‘handle’ him. But with Amy there—with him wanting to play daddy—the truth of her conception could blow up in her face. “Um, okay. I’m sorry, Maggie. Give her my best.”

“
Gracias, signora. I apologize.”

“
No, no, it’s okay. Thanks.” Daisy tossed the phone. “Damn it!” She hit her fist against the dash. “Damn it.”

Arriving at the school, she didn’t bother with visitor parking, driving up to the front doors and turning off the car. She hurried into the school.

“
Mrs. Locke, we were going to call you,” the Assistant Principal said, walking toward her with the school counselor. Daisy knew the woman well. Short with red hair, she was the one she conferred with when she first enrolled Amy in the Grove. Daisy was terrified of leaving Amy, always fearful something or someone would snatch her away. The counselor assured her that Amy was safe and understood the stresses of being a single parent. Daisy’s heart leapt in her throat by the look both women wore on their faces now. “Something wrong with Amy?”

“
No, she’s fine. She’s fine,” the Principal, a Dr. Wendy Schaffer said. She was regal in stature, with a Grecian nose and eyes that never blinked. “But, we had an incident today.”

“
Incident?”

“
A man. He showed up at the school and tried to gain access to Amy. Rebecca met him in the hall.

Rebecca the school counselor nodded. "Yes, he said he was her father?”

Daisy paled. “He said what?”

“
I wasn’t sure if we should call the police or—”

“
No, no, it’s okay. He um, yes, he was her father,” Daisy said before she knew it. She just wanted them to ask as fewer questions at possible. She would kill Pete for this. “Can you get Amy for me? I’m taking her out early today.”

The AP nodded to Rebecca and Daisy chewed on her glossed lip, trying to decide the best action. The only thing to stop Pete was to tell the truth and just incur his wrath. At least he’d back off on this kind of stuff. He was showing up at the school, He had a lot of damn nerve. Too much nerve. This was going to stop.

“
Are you sure everything is okay?” the Assistant Principal asked, not bothering to conceal her concern. Daisy forced a smile.

“
Yes, it’s fine. Thanks.”

“
Mommy!” Amy sang, running toward her. She felt a levity return to her heart at the sight of her. “Hi, baby. You got your bag?”

“
Yes.”

“
I’m sorry, Ms. Locke. About earlier, I… didn’t mean to turn him away. It’s just that you had specific orders that no one was to visit Amy besides yourself and Magdalena Cruz,” Rebecca said.

“
If you want, we can put Amy's father on the contact list for you. Just provide us his name and a photo ID,” the Assistant Principal said. Amy looked up to her mother grinning. She prayed her child didn’t make the connection. Somehow, she felt that she did.

“
No thanks. C’mon, sweetie.” She snatched her hand to pull her away but stopped and glance back at the two administrators. She noticed the way they stared. “It’s okay. I'll be withdrawing Amy from school. We're uh, moving, so um, I'll come back and fill out the paperwork or whatever."

"But!"

"Thank you both.” Daisy pulled her daughter along, wanting to leave the judgment and alarm she saw in the women's eyes. Things were spiraling out of control.

****

“
I want you to petition the court to have a DNA test done as soon as possible,” Aiden said, walking briskly. It was the first direct order he’d given Donovan about Daisy. He headed for the car that was waiting for him. The Valet tossed him the keys. Donovan limped at his side.

“
You have to be smart about this. That scene at the school today… it can’t happen like that, Aiden. You can’t do that in this day and age. They’ll slap you with all kinds of charges. Just let me handle it.”

“
Do as I say.”

He jumped in the car and slammed the door. Donovan stepped back, saying something he could barely hear. Windows up and the engine started, Aiden threw it into gear and sped out of the parking lot.

****

“
Take off your clothes,” Daisy said, placing a pair of shorts and matching shirt on the bed. Amy went to her table and chairs, sitting down with her dolls instead. She began to move her tea set around, pouring imaginary drinks for all gathered.

“
Amy?”

“
Okay, mommy.”

“
Put on those on the bed.” She pointed at the clothes.

“
Yes, mommy.”

“
And um…” Daisy heard knocking at the door. She checked her watch. Pete was early, but that was fine. She was ready. They'd talk, he'd storm out, and Daisy would set her plan B into motion. Jeffery could handle Jahi. She and Amy would disappear just as she always feared she'd have too. It wasn't just Pete. Aiden could find out soon as well. And if he found out, God help them all. “Can you stay up here and play? Stay in this room.”

“
Yes,” Amy said, feeding her doll, barely listening.

“
I’ll bring you a snack. Just stay up here, okay? Don’t come down, okay?”

“
Un huh.”

Daisy closed the door. The knocking could be heard on the second level of her home. It wasn’t knocking. The fist pounds echoed through the walls. “Damn it!” she muttered under her breath, hurrying down the steps. She hadn’t even gotten out of the lavender wrap dress she wore. Walking over her floors, her heels clicking, she readied for battle. She was done with Pete’s antics.

“
You have a lot of nerve showing up and beating on my door,” She opened the door and stopped. Aiden glared at her. Daisy forced the door close, but he blocked it with his hand, forcing it open. She stumbled back, eyes wide with shock. Aiden slammed the door shut behind him. The burn in his stare flamed her where she stood. She’d never seen the kind of raw hurt and anger she saw reflected in the deep color of his eyes.

“
What…why? Why are you here?”

Aiden gave her a sly smile. “Surprised to see me?”

Chapter Eleven

She took another step back. It was as if she was sucked into some dark vortex and everything she’d work so hard at was being siphoned away. Aiden’s arrival wasn’t surprising. But it broke her heart.

“
Leave,” she stammered, winded, terrified, eyes darting to and fro. “Now! Now!” she demanded, pointing to the door. But he stood there, self-righteous and cruel with his silent judgment prolonging the moment. And then he dismissed her with the cut of his eyes, letting his gaze sweep her place, taking in every detail before landing on her again.

“
Mama?”

Daisy’s eyes flipped upward. He followed the action. Neither spoke, but they both heard it. The sound of Amy calling her name.

“
Mama!!” Amy’s call grew louder. A door opened and she could see her baby’s head poked out of it. Daisy shook her head no to him. It was a plea, silenced by what he could say or do in front of her child to destroy the illusions she worked so hard to create.

“
Mommy!” Amy’s voice grew stronger with the patter of her little feet running above, which meant she was out of her room and heading for the stairs.

“
I’m coming baby!! Go back in your room. Go back, Amy!”

Daisy waited. In a minute she’d be on the stairs. From there down the steps, and she wouldn’t be able to predict what happened next. How would he receive her? How would she explain him? She stared at Aiden, trying to keep him immobile. He didn’t speak. He just stood there. She looked from him to the stairs, then to him again. She heard Amy’s door close and welcomed the reprieve.

“
Aiden,” her voice dropped several octaves, near a whisper. “You gave me your word. We had a deal.”

“
Fuck the deal,” he said plainly. And just like that, her worst fear was confirmed. She bit hard on her bottom lip. Those three worlds rattled her brain through her skull. She wanted to strike back. She itched for it, but she didn’t dare. She watched him closely as he moved with slow deliberate steps through her place. What was he waiting for? What?

It was maddening, this thing of entitlement he felt. Pete, she understood. They shared a history, a love. But Aiden? She didn’t understand why they were chained to each other and why he wouldn’t let go. “This is my home,” she said, spacing each word evenly. “You have no right, Aiden. I want you to leave.”

“
Or what, Daisy? What would you do if I said no? You going to fuck me again to convince me?”

“
You wish,” she shot back. He dropped his hands in his pockets, parting his suit jacket. The rich outlines of his shoulders strained against the fine fabric of his tailored suit. She looked into his compelling green eyes in search of his mood. She couldn’t read him. Was he angry, hurt, indifferent, amused? He just stared at her as if seeing her for the first time.

Precious minutes ticked by. She could feel each one go through her, reminding her of what little time she had. Pete would be there soon. She was tangled in her web now. A reunion between the three of them would explode in her face. Aiden walked around her. Daisy’s eyes followed him then switched over to the door. She could handle him back in Arizona because he was so needy. Maybe even now he wanted her approval, forgiveness, and an explanation of Amy. She just had to remain cool.