A Cowgirl's Secret - By Laura Marie Altom Page 0,46
know,” Daisy said, “I’ve already got a roofing contractor lined up.” Ever since being handed the keys, Daisy felt as if someone had pressed Fast Forward on her days. She’d had so many new legal clients that some minor cases had had to be turned away. Barb was also keeping Daisy’s work plate full. “They’ll be working in conjunction with a preservation team I hired out of Tulsa. They specialize in reinforcing and bringing up to code the overall structure.”
“Look at that crown molding.” Josie craned her neck for a better view. “It’d cost a fortune to have that kind of craftsmanship nowadays.”
“True.” Georgina parked her bucket filled with warm, sudsy water in front of the mantel. “Thank heavens you don’t have to strip all of this wood.”
“Tell me about it.” Daisy had her own bucket and was attacking baseboards. No doubt all of it would have to be scrubbed again after the carpenters did their thing, but it was satisfying to do work that made an immediate difference. With Kolt sleeping over with Jonah, the last thing Daisy needed was time for her mind to wander. “I think I’m going with a soft white for the trim, and then I’ll have to look into finding reproduction wallpapers and paint colors.”
“I had no idea you were even interested in this sort of thing,” her mother said.
“I dated a guy in San Francisco who was a historic architect for the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board. It’s really fascinating how much behind-the-scenes effort it takes to keep a town’s architectural history intact.”
“Back up the train,” Josie said, sitting on her heels. “This history lesson is exciting and all, but I want to spend more time on the guy. How serious did it get and do you still hear from him?”
Laughing, Daisy said, “After dating me, Marcus opened his closet door—if you know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t,” Georgina admitted. “Oh, wait. Oooh.”
Josie and Daisy laughed.
“Anyway,” Daisy continued, “I love him and his significant other to death and we’re all Facebook and email buddies, but that’s about the extent of our romance.”
“Not to be a prying mother,” Georgina said, “but what’s going on with you and Luke? My gardening committee and I naturally assumed that with Kolt, you two would marry.”
Daisy nearly choked on her own spit. “Tell me you seriously don’t discuss things like that in public.”
“Oh, please.” Georgina waved off Daisy’s concerns. “The whole town’s talking about it. Just as everyone was shocked and upset about Henry, they’re excited about the prospect of you and Luke finally getting your happily-ever-after.”
“Please, Mom,” Daisy urged, “if that’s what you’re hoping for, take it off your wish list. It’s never going to happen.”
“Why?” Josie asked. “You two are cute together. And Kolt’s the spitting image of his father.”
Daisy made a face. “True and true, but Luke’s made it clear he has no intention of becoming an official part of my life.”
“Georgina, cover your ears,” Josie said.
“Fiddlesticks,” Georgina complained, “I’ve been gossiping about boys since before you two were born.”
Josie grinned. “Sorry. I was just going to ask if he’s kissed you—you know, like recently? And if so, were there sparks?”
More like a flaming volcano! Daisy prayed the heat rising in her cheeks wasn’t visible.
“I’m taking your blush to mean he has kissed you and it was amazing,” Josie said. “So what’s the problem?”
“He’s a man,” Georgina noted, “and my baby girl crushed his ego to the size of a pea. Now, he’s scared that if he goes and messes up by falling for her again, Daisy’s going to pull the same runaway stunt.”
“Which is ridiculous,” Josie pointed out. “She just bought a house. How much more permanent can a girl get?”
“Great point,” Georgina said with a big nod.
“Excuse me,” Daisy said, “but if you two let me get a word in edgewise, you’d understand that I don’t even want Luke. I mean, sure, I’d like him around for Kolt, but he does nothing for me—you know, as far as the whole butterflies in the stomach thing goes. In fact Luke is—”
“Someone mention my name?” The beast strolled through the open front door.
Mortification didn’t come close to describing Daisy’s embarrassment level.
Georgina cleared her throat. “Luke, I was just commenting on how my daughter wrangled me into unpleasant household chores when all I promised in regard to this old relic was help in restoring the garden.”
“And that’s when your name came into the conversation,” Josie said as a quick cover. “We thought you would be the perfect