Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) (34 page)

He was such a good boyfriend once upon a time. They shared so many good memories. And part of her ached to be loved again the way Pete had once loved her. She reached up and stroked the back hairs on his nape. “I'm sorry for everything, Pete. You were my best friend, my first love.” Her hand moved and her fingers lightly went over his jaw.

“
Momma!” Amy said kneeling. Hands to knees, she peered down into the grass. Pete released Daisy in an instant but kept her close.

“
What is it?” Amy asked. She looked over at them and then back to the grass, stooping lower. For a moment, they could do nothing but stand there lost in their mingled breathing and desires. Her hands to his arms and his on her waist, they stood there staring into each other eyes.

“
Momma, Pete, come lookie.”

He withdrew first, turning and going over to Amy. Daisy sucked down much needed air, reminding her lungs of the desperation to breathe, inhale and exhale.

“
It’s a hoppergrass,” Pete said, plucking it from a tall blade. The green and yellow insect did a slow crawl along his finger.

“
Ewww.” Amy stumbled back.

Pete smiled, holding his finger out for her to see. “Used to catch em when I was your age.

“
Opperglass?”

Daisy smiled. “No baby. It’s a grasshopper.”

Amy continued to back away. The insect leapt from Pete’s hand and she screamed, running for Daisy. Pete caught it, laughing.

“
It’s a hoppergrass, Amy. It does more hopping than staying in the grass. Right?”

Amy nodded from behind Daisy’s legs. Daisy couldn’t move because her daughter's arms were locked on her knees so tightly. “Okay, Pete, put it down.”

“
Really?” Pete said, rising and holding the insect by its hind legs. Amy screamed, stumping. Daisy stepped back feeling a bit squeamish. “Don’t even think about it.”

“
Scream for me, mommy.”

“
Pete!”

“
Come on, mommy! Don’t let it get you!! Don’t let it get you!” Amy yelled, running off.

Daisy literally sprinted past her daughter. “Stop, you’re scaring her.”

“
Am I scaring you?” he asked giving chase.

Daisy laughed as they all ran in circles. “Pete!!! Stop! I'm going to pee on myself. Stop playing!”

****

The resemblance was quite remarkable. She carried herself in a different manner. An air of confidence came with wisdom and age. Janette met his stare dead on and didn’t look away.

She was a carbon copy of the future with Daisy and how beautifully she would age. Aiden stood off to the side, watching and listening as she gave instructions to the repairmen. Her voice had a deeper twang than Daisy's. She frowned several times through explanations of the difficulty they faced in replacing the door.

His instinct was to step in, tell the repairmen to shut the fuck up with the excuses, and just fix the damn thing, but she cut him a sideways glance, an accusatory glare, which held him in place. He wasn’t sure how to deal with her. Last night he stayed up pacing and thinking. This morning he had a better plan. He could be humble for Daisy and try a little patience with her. He thought he’d come over and offer to take her and Amy to dinner and spend time with her and the kid. He wanted to move them past the bullshit. At least he thought he’d try.

Daisy was with Pete and that hurt. A hurt he’d cover and ignore like he’s done all other hurts. Amy was his, and soon they’d know it. Pete would be gone and he and Daisy could work through their shit. That’s the plan. Except, he didn’t quite consider her sister as a new obstacle.

He waited. She thanked the men and left them to their work, finally returning to him. “So you and Pete did that?” Janette asked.

“
I’ll pay for it,” Aiden said, his voice dry with a tint of an apology in it. He cleared his throat.

Janette looked him over. “Why don’t you have a seat. Please, I do want to talk to you.”

Aiden walked around her to the sofa and sat. He’d imagined in their lives a man showing interest in one of the Johnson girls would have to undergo some family initiation, the rules of courtship. Well he was beyond that now, and by the spark of anger and distrust in the hardened stare he received, it was clear there was no point in making a play for it.

“
I’m Janette, Daisy’s older sister. I hear it was you that had a hand in our baby-girl’s disappearance.”

Aiden didn’t respond to the word ‘disappearance’. He wasn’t sure what Janette knew of their history. It was best she tell him first before he acted on anything.

“
Oh, yes, sir. I know it all, Mr. Keane,” she answered to his inner thoughts. “The million dollars, the games and now, Amy?” Janette sighed sadly at the mention of Amy. Aiden felt the coil of anger tighten within him. There was nothing wrong with Amy or her conception, and if she said otherwise he’d have to make it clear.

“
I’m confused though,” Janette went on. “How old are you? We’re near the same age. What are you? Forty? Close, right? So at the very least, you were in your mid to late thirties when you met Daisy. Right? That's how old you were when you started this whole thing. Your game?”

“
There’s more to it than you know. The game, as you call it, was just a small part of it.”

“
Oh, I’m sure of that.” Janette waved him off. “Of course there’s more. A rich man like you, powerful, arrogant. You’ve had your share of women, right?” Janette cocked her head to the side. “Yeah you did.”

“
I thought you had a question for me,” Aiden answered.

Janette laughed. “Wanna get to the point? Okay. Vegas. It’s definitely a city I never wanted to go to but that’s your town.”

“
I live there, yes.”

“
Our church went once.” Janette rolled her eyes, and Aiden frowned not sure where she was going. “Daddy was offered a chance to preach in Vegas at another church you know. I told Derek that we weren’t going… nope. That city and New York, something about them.”

“
Janette—”

“
My sisters went. There are four of us. Me, then Denise, then Sandra, then Daisy. They all went, but Daisy didn’t go.” Janette’s eyes returned to him. “We always knew."

"I don't follow," Aiden frowned.

"We always knew to keep her away from temptation. Daisy’s a lightening rod for those dreams of hers. I told Daddy to make her stay home and keep her close. Mama had extra rules for Daisy to tame her spirit. Mama had fears for Daisy I could never understand. But I agreed with her. I regret that now.”

“
Daisy is a smart and talented woman,” Aiden said.

“
Yep!” Janette snapped. “Look at her now, taking on the name Danielle Locke of all people.”

Aiden frowned, wondering what that meant. But Janette kept talking in circles. “Vegas, the whole thing, gambling, and drinking and all those little freaky shows yall have of sucks you in. Denise said she saw men in dresses in broad day light.” Janette shook her head in disgust.

Aiden tried to not laugh.
Was she serious?

“
It's true. It’s a black hole that kind of sucks you in? Daisy and Pete were easy prey.”

“
Not sure what you mean.”

Janette smiled. “I got on the internet, Mr. Keane.” She pointed and Aiden followed her point to a room that could house an office desk and computer. “When Daisy left to meet Pete, I wanted to know more about who you are. Baby girl makes no sense when she talks about you.” Janette’s smile faded. “I wanted to know what you were. Here's my question. You're a rich man, a successful man and you own that town. I seen that hotel. My Lord, can you stuff it with more flash and dazzle? Two malls? It’s like a city of its own. Why did you want Daisy out of all the things you already have?” Janette shook her head. "Is Vegas hell? Is that why you buy souls?"

“
Is that what Daisy told you? That I’m Satan?”

“
No, forgive me,” she chuckled. “I came up with that one on my own.” The humor in her eyes faded and suspicion reigned. "Why Daisy?"

Again Aiden watched her, unsure. He hadn't explained to Daisy the reasons why, and he had no intention of saying a word on the matter until he did.

Jeanette sighed. "Didn't think you'd answer. Guess I needed to know it instead of assume it. Kind of like that. Daisy has always had stars in her eyes. That girl would watch the Travel Channel all day long. She’s talented too. Can sew, good in math, and fashion too. But she's her worst enemy. Always putting more faith in material stuff than her self. So that's what you saw? Mr. Prince of Vegas, you saw what we saw in her, didn't you?"

Aiden reclined in the sofa and smirked.

Janette glared. "I’m sure it didn’t take much to make her believe a measly million dollars is worth sacrificing all the pride and God’s word that my father spent years drilling in her.”

“
It's a little more complicated than that.”

“
It is what it is, Mr. Keane. I get it.” Janette slapped her hands to the top of her thighs. “Here’s the thing. I don’t need to hear the reasons why you did what you did. I think you and I are beyond any excuse you could offer. Possibly, you were bored; maybe you just get a kick out of hurting people. I don’t know. But there’s something in this whole mess I just can’t get my head around after reading up on who you are and all.”

“
And that is?”

“
Why are you here now? I know why you stayed and that fight you and Pete had… guess that’s about Amy and your egos. Got a bullheaded husband of my own, so, yeah, I know. But why did you come here in the first place? You had a contract for a million dollars, a night with my sister. Lord, I don’t even want to think about what you wanted in exchange for the money. You had your fun. You got whatever it is a man like you needs. Why five years running around here looking for her?”

Aiden’s expression shifted uncomfortably. He watched the repairman walking through with a tool belt sagging at his hips. With the muscles in his jaw twitching, he rubbed the area, trying to choose his words.

“
Daisy says you showed up and showed out.”

“
Showed out?” Aiden frowned. The woman not only spoke in riddles, but she rhymed now too?

“
You bought her company, bought her friends… just throwing that big wallet around and buying everything around her.” Janette's glare grew more intense even behind the shield of her glasses. “She says for five years you’ve been searching for her. What do you want?”

“
Like I said, there’s more to it. Daisy knows what I want.”

“
My daddy knew about you,” Janette sighed rising. “I didn’t know it then, but when I think about all of this,” she said, gesturing about, “his silent moments make sense. He knew about you. Mama knows too, which is probably why—”

He watched her struggle with her words and he struggled with listening, but he realized then that he wanted to know about Daisy. And this woman standing before him was the only way.

Janette stopped herself. “Pete told him. Yeah, he did.” She looked at Aiden as if it just dawned on her. “Daddy never shared it with any of us. He rather us think of her as dead and gone than to tell us about this bargain. That’s not like him, and I’m sure it ate his insides until his last breath.”

“
I looked for her. I never wanted her to run from her family. That was never a bargain between us.”

“
Yeah, well I tried too… but we had nothing to go on. My sisters and me thought she was dead. Do you know how that made us feel?” When Aiden didn’t respond Janette put her hand to her hip, watching, waiting. Her line of questioning kept him impatiently planted where he was. There was no one in his life he answered to. He was growing weary of answering to her.

“
He forgave Pete.”

Aiden flinched with surprise at the news. She nodded. “That’s the kind of man he was. He’d forgive Daisy if she had enough faith in us to be honest. And you know what, Mr. Keane? My father would have even forgiven you if he was given the chance.”

“
And you? Would you forgive me knowing what I’ve done?”

Janette shook her head. “I’m no saint or minister, Mr. Keane. That’s for sure. I’m not above sin either. So, no, I won’t sit here and pretend yours is greater than Pete’s or Daisy’s. Not my place anyway. None of ya'll asked me what I thought when you decided to play these sick games. Don't think it needed that I share my feelings now.”