Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) (35 page)

Aiden sat forward, the bend of his elbows on his thighs. “I suppose you expect to hear excuses?”

“
I’m expecting to hear something. It seems like I’ve been doing all the talking and you just sit there on empty.”

“
On empty?” A flash of humor tickled his throat and a deep chuckle released. “I make no excuses, Janette. That’s why I’m on empty. She told you the truth and you guessed right. It was a game of my choosing. You were right again about Vegas, plenty of games where people lose it all.”

“
I see,” Janette mumbled, crossing her arms.

“
But what happened between me and your sister wasn’t in that contract she signed. It wasn’t what either of us agreed to. And that’s why I’ve been unable to stop looking for her. Now that I see my daughter, I know why I can’t leave her.”

“
Have any family, Mr. Keane?”

“
No,” he said.

“
Whether you have 1 or a 100, you can never stop worrying about them; loving your children, your sister and brothers, your parents. Do you know what she’s been through for the past five years pretending to not exist, believing she had no one? Maybe you do. Maybe that's why you came. To make her suffer once more since you have nothing.”

“
You don’t know me.”

“
Oh, I know you, cause I got that eye too, Mr. Keane. I can see it all over you. It’s in the way you showed up at that door after smashing the one back there. You can’t stay away because you want the something from Daisy, the thing you thought you could buy.”

“
I’m in love with your sister. And she knows that.”

“
When did that happen? Before or after you made her so afraid of you and herself that all of us lost her?”

He stopped at her words. After a long pause between them, he scratched his brow, having reached his end. She was as exasperating as Daisy; picking away at him and talking but never truly saying what she meant. Aiden blew out another breath. “If I’m going to answer that question, it’ll be for Daisy. I will tell you this. I don’t want to hurt her or Amy. I can’t make up for the past. I’m just here trying—”

“
Trying? I think you’re doing the same thing you did in Vegas. Taking what you want at any cost. Thing is, you didn’t count on me. You’re right that you won’t hurt her or that baby. I’ma make sure of that.”

“
And exactly how are you going to do that?” Aiden smirked. "I'm the Prince of Hell, remember? Who's to say I won't make a bargain with you?"

****

Nina uncrossed her legs. She dropped the chair back another inch or so. Her nervous feeling was evident in the tremble of her hands. She wasn’t big on flying. The private jet was so compact that she felt like she was stuffed into a tube. Outside her little window, she saw nothing but blue sky. She thought her life over, a little, and she kept coming back to the same thing. She wanted to see Pete.
She had to see Pete
.

“
Ms. Stevens, I trust you’re comfortable,” Donovan asked, taking a seat across from her. He eased into comfort with his cane between his legs. With his hat off and to the side, she got a good look at him. Funny, there was nothing remarkable about him meaning she could pass him on the street and never glean the kind of man she understood him now to be.

“
No thank you. I’m fine.”

“
Good. Good. A question for you then.”

“
I rather not.”

“
Peter Doyle,” he cut in, “I can’t get a bead on him at the moment. I was wondering if you could clear something up for me.”

“
Like what?” Nina asked.

“
Daisy’s child. If by some chance he’s not the father, would he continue to pursue Daisy?”

Nina stared into the clear grey eyes locked on her. That was the question she asked herself from the moment she learned the truth. What Pete would or wouldn’t do. It was killing her slowly. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

Donovan nodded but said nothing else.

“
And Mr. Keane? If he’s not the father, would he let this vendetta against Pete go and leave him and Daisy alone?”

Donovan sat forward. “I know you don’t like me. And I understand your reasons. My business is to be the man that most don’t like. I’ve worked for Aiden Keane for many years. I’m going to speak honestly with you for a moment.”

Nina swallowed, biting her lip. Donovan smirked. Every line in his face deepened when he showed her how black his soul was. “Go ahead and speak honestly.”

“
Aiden Keane is quite taken with this drama and that’s not like him. He’s forgotten a lot of the things that make him who he is. I get paid to make sure that doesn’t happen. I was the one to reveal to him the truth about Daisy’s child. Not intentionally. I thought he already knew.”

“
I don’t understand.”

“
I will do whatever it takes to protect him from himself. Just as you will do whatever it takes to protect Pete.”

“
That’s not why I came.”

“
Come now, Ms. Stevens. You boarded this plane because you had a stake in this game. Don’t shy away from it now. I respect that. Contrary to what you know, I’ve spent five years trying to understand the three of them: Pete, Aiden, and of course Daisy. Now that I’ve seen how far it’s pushed my client, my friend, I’m thinking that he needs be free of this." Donovan sat back. Nina struggled with the message in his words and she tried to grasp what wasn’t said.

“
You don’t want him to be the father?”

“
What I want doesn’t matter. What’s best for Aiden does. In my opinion, the best thing for all is that Aiden Keane is not the father. But I can see you disagree,” Donovan smirked.

Nina looked away.

“
Excuse me,” Donovan said, answering a call. She listened as he spoke softly to some woman named Clara about their dinner plans. Her eyes remained glued to the small window and the clouds beyond it. Aiden Keane had to be the father. If he wasn’t, then what would become of her child?

****

Pete fastened Amy in her booster seat and closed the door. Daisy stood there, arms loaded with the basket and blanket. “Today was nice. She had a great time,” she said.

Pete tapped the glass. Amy looked up, yawned, and flashed a grin. “Yeah, I think she wore me out too.” He pressed his hand to the window. Amy lifted her tiny hand and pressed it up against the glass. “Be good kid!” he said.

He looked back at Daisy and she handed him his things. “So where will you go this evening, tonight I mean? Have you um… have you seen Mango Grove?” she pressed. When he didn’t speak, she touched his hand. “Come home with us and have dinner. Amy would like it.”

“
The test, Daisy?” Pete said, taking her hand in his and squeezing. Sighing, she nodded. She agreed. Dropping her eyes to the passenger window, she saw that her baby had fallen over asleep. The time had come.

“
I’ll call her pediatrician and find out who he suggest to handle it. Let you know tomorrow, okay?”

Pete nodded. “Then it’s done. We’ll know if she’s mine.”

“
Yeah, we’ll know.”

“
I don’t want to confuse her. I think I’ll cool it for a day or so while I wait to hear from you, unless you two need me or anything."

“
Janette’s here,” Daisy blurted.

She could tell she caught him off guard. He tried to cover, just as she did when her sister landed on her doorstep. “Here? In Mango Grove? You called her?”

Daisy responded, smiling. “Well no, I didn’t. She said Nina told her about me… long story. Do you remember Nina? Nina Stevens?”

“
Ah, yeah. I know Nina.”

“
I saw her when I came home before daddy died. She works at the hospital. She was the one who told me when he passed. Mama wouldn’t even call.”

“
She did?”

“
She called me that very day. I still don’t know how to thank her for that, and now apparently I got to thank her for Janette in a way too. I can’t tell you what it was like seeing her again. Oh, and she is all over Amy. My baby is in for it. That’s for sure.” Daisy laughed. Pete smiled. Janette ruled with an iron fist. They both knew what discipline she’d bring.

“
I’m glad that she’s here for you. That explains the smiles today. Did you two have a good talk?”

“
We did. Mama wouldn’t tell her. Mama, well, she’s not ready. But Nina sent her… gave her my fake name and all.”

“
That was nice of Nina.”

“
Strange, we never got along in school… you remember? The girl was a nerd.”

“
Look, I have to go,” he said stepping back.

“’
Pete,” she said, reaching out to stop him. “Amy’s having a party Saturday. Please come. I’m having it on the beach behind the house.”

“
Aiden? Will he be there?”

“
Just come, Pete. We won’t have the test results back before then.”

He accepted, turned and walked away. Daisy dropped back on the car, watching.

****

Aiden checked his watch. First the phone, then the business of the repairmen had pulled her away. As he waited, stalled, did whatever necessary to stay there, his anger over Daisy’s date with Pete simmered to a raging boil. Then it hit him. Janette was stalling too. She wanted to keep him there. Why?

She walked the repairmen out and he rose from the sofa. He’d leave and go cool off. He didn’t want to argue with Daisy, not with her sister watching and waiting for him to show her all his rage. He also needed to check in with Donovan. If he’d done what he’d asked, he’d definitely have the upper hand on Pete.

“
Mr. Keane, have you eaten?”

“
What?”

“
Food, you do eat, don’t you?”

“
Well, yes.”

“
I’m cooking dinner. Daisy fills that baby with fast food. You should hear that child talk about McDonalds.”

“
Janette.”

She looked up at him.

“
The conversation we were having. Your intentions to remove me from Daisy’s life… I’m not trying to raise war with you or her family. I won’t apologize for my feelings for her… or anything I do to make her mine.”

Janette smirked, “No, I’m not trying to remove you from her life. Daisy will do that. She’s strong and I want to remind her of that. No more of this running. You want to know my intentions, Mr. Keane?”

“
Call me Aiden, please.”

She nodded. “My intentions are to make sure she reclaims herself and she knows she has her family’s support so she can move on with her life.” She took a step toward him, both hands riding on her hips. “I don’t trust you and I'm not sure I like you. I’m pretty sure your money and arrogance makes you dangerous.”

“
Dangerous, huh?”

“
You might be Amy’s father. Daisy was wrong to deny that baby a chance to know who her father is. That was plain selfish of her. She knows better. So she needs to face the stuff she still won’t tell me. Whatever it is, this thing between you two. Don’t ever want baby-girl spinning out of control like this and running from who she is or what she’s done again. That stops now.”

The door opened. Their eyes both went to Amy who came in first. Slow in her steps and rubbing her eyes, she lowered her hand and stopped. She looked at them both curiously. Daisy came switching in behind her. Aiden took in her appearance and frowned. She looked wind blown. Her shirt and jeans were a bit dingy with grass stains and her hair was out of her ponytail with loose strands framing her face. It was apparent that the day was spent in the sun, and neither expected to find him waiting.

“
Daddy!” Amy yelled and went running for him. Aiden could feel Janette’s eyes on him as he lowered to pick Amy up when she was within reach. He lifted her and Amy wrapped her arms around his neck, dropping her face on his shoulder.

“
Aiden, what are you doing here?” Daisy demanded.

He’s staying for dinner,” Janette announced.