Daisy Does It All (Clover Park, Book 2) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) Read online

  Stan stopped and looked behind him. Rico immediately straightened.

  Stan narrowed his eyes suspiciously, turned around, and kept going.

  Rico went back to monkeying around. His friend always could get him out of a bad mood. He just hoped Rico was right. His attempts with Daisy had been complete washouts. He’d back off and let Daisy come to him. If she didn’t, well, he was right back where he started from, trying to pin her down. How the hell did he get himself into this mess? It had all started with those damn tequila shots.

  He’d found Daisy at Garner’s bar drinking alone the day after Thanksgiving. She’d looked miserable. He’d been miserable too. He figured she’d be good company. Not to mention she was sexy as all hell. He wanted her big time—had from the first minute he’d laid eyes on her way back in high school—but she was hard to pin down. She breezed in and out of town to visit her family, and he’d never gotten past a quick hello. Her drinking alone at the bar was a golden opportunity, and he took it.

  “What are you drinking?” he’d asked, moving to the barstool next to her with his beer.

  One side of her mouth quirked up. “Ironically, a Slow, Comfortable Screw.”

  He’d gone hard just hearing the words come out of her mouth. “Why is that ironic? You prefer it fast?”

  She laughed and stirred the skinny straw in her drink. “Yeah.” Then she frowned. “My boyfriend cheated on me.”

  “That’s rough.”

  “You know what’s rough?” she asked. “I was about to bring him home to meet the family for Thanksgiving. The night before, as I’m waiting at the train station, wondering what’s taking him so long, he texts me that he’s met someone else. Texts me! After three months!”

  She took a long drink.

  He took a pull on his beer in solidarity.

  She turned to him. “What about you? You look about as happy as I feel.”

  “Sherri dumped me this morning. Said she wanted to wait for the day after Thanksgiving so she wouldn’t ruin my holiday.”

  “I don’t know Sherri, but she sounds like an idiot.”

  He laughed ruefully. Sherri was a client’s daughter and an English professor at Yale. Fortunately, he kept the client.

  “She was an idiot.” He drank to that. “Absolutely. And so was your guy.”

  “Jonathan.” Daisy lifted her glass in a toast. “To Jonathan and Sherri.”

  “Idiots,” they said in unison as they clinked glasses.

  Daisy finished her drink and slammed the glass down. Eyes bright, she gave him one of her sunny smiles. “I like you, Travis O’Hare. Let’s do shots.”

  Famous last words. The rest of the night was a blur. She’d walked home with him, and they’d slammed together like their lives depended on skin on skin. He remembered her taste, like tequila and lime and Daisy, her scent a citrusy perfume. He woke up alone with a raging headache.

  Nine months later they had Bryce.

  He regretted nothing.

  He picked up the pace as if he could outrun his memories of her. He focused on the work ahead and pushed Daisy to the way, way back of his mind.

  Where he knew she’d linger and drive him nuts.

  ~ ~ ~

  The blog post that proved sex sells…

  Daisy Does It All

  Mom, wife, domestic diva

  Bedroom Shenanigans After Baby…

  I couldn’t leave you all hanging with last week’s fantastic Valentine’s Day plans without addressing a very important element of the Day of Amore—the bedroom. Now we all know that six weeks after baby, none of us feels the urge to run naked into the bedroom, but I’m here to tell you that va-va-voom does come back, if nurtured correctly.

  First, you need to explain to Darling Husband, as I did, that the fastest way to naked is helping out with the baby and around the house. Ladies, do I need to tell you that this is a major turn-on? The man that does this says, “Honey, I love you so much that I will care for the child born of our love and keep the house running so you can relax.” If your Darling Husband isn’t yet with the program, show him this post. And let him know that my Darling Husband has a very satisfied smile on his face since getting with the program, as in, several times a week.

  (Your “me time” benefits him too. You’ll have time to shower and shop for that lacy, satin teddy. Wash it by hand and leave it hanging over the shower curtain to dry. It’ll kick-start his imagination.)

  Second, men are visual creatures. I know, I know, you’re thinking you’d like a little less visual on your post-pregnancy bod. This is where the teddy that covers you in just the right places can really pay off. I’m talking lots of leg, lots of cleavage, flowing fabric around the middle. Your basic A-line mini. Give him a glimpse from a distance as you do a sexy bedroom dance for him. Yes, that’s right, play that slow jazz (or your favorite seduction music) that says, I’m a sexy woman, and I know it. By the time he gets to you, he’ll be tearing that teddy off so fast he won’t have time to notice a few stretch marks. (Not that you should feel bad about them. They’re your tiger stripes, Mama.)

  Now for us ladies, we crave talk to feel close to our man. Here’s a win-win: sexy talk. Tell each other what you want to do to each other, gaze into each other’s eyes as you do, and that’s a recipe for steamy, soul-satisfying loving. I’ll leave the exact words up to you. Only you know best what your Darling Husband craves. Plan for it, set the scene, don’t forget the birth control (your bod needs rest between those Baby Delights), and have fun!

  XOXO!

  Daisy

  Daisy scrolled through the comments on her blog post from last week as she always did before writing a new post and smiled to herself. More than fifty comments on bedroom shenanigans.

  “You go, Daisy!”

  “Just what we needed. Thanks, Tiger Mama!”

  And her favorite: “My husband thanks you!”

  Her blog was doing phenomenally well. Her post on “Valentine’s Day with Baby” had the most comments she’d ever gotten from a blog post (more than a hundred), and her stats showed more than 100,000 hits that day. Apparently, a lot of people searched the Internet for Valentine’s Day with baby ideas. Her post on bedroom shenanigans had an astonishing 200,000 hits. Her new focus on love and sex after baby was striking a chord. Sex sells.

  Too bad she wasn’t getting any.

  She exhaled sharply and focused again on the screen. What to post today, the day after Valentine’s? How to top that? Her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten anything since that turkey wrap she’d had on break at Garner’s more than three hours ago.

  She stood, stretched, and headed to the kitchen. She grabbed a bag of potato chips she’d picked up at the health food store in town, Gary’s Greens & More, and chomped on a chip as she walked back to the sofa, feeling good about the fact it said “All-Natural” in big letters on the bag. She liked to buy all of her junk food at the health food store—chocolate crème-filled sandwich cookies that were almost like Oreos, organic peanut butter cups that were sorta like Reese’s. The only exception was Sno-Caps. The health store brand made of carob just couldn’t compare.

  She settled back at the laptop. Ooh, maybe she and Darling Husband could plan a fabulous vacation with baby. She glanced toward the bedroom, where Bryce was sleeping. Hard to imagine traveling with him. Still, she had to keep things interesting on the blog. Where could she go with baby in tow? She had mentioned in her Valentine’s post that Darling Husband had a Bermuda travel brochure in the desk. She could say he gave her a trip to Bermuda as a Valentine’s gift and then talk about their plans. She warmed to the idea—sand, surf, sun. Lord, how she missed the sun; the Connecticut winter dragged on and on.

  She switched over to another tab and searched for family-friendly resorts in Bermuda. Her mind boggled at all the choices. And it was all so expensive. Oh, what the hell. She was already pretending to live in a beautiful house with a perfect husband and baby. Might as well pretend to be rich too. She’d throw in a bunch
of sex on the beach ideas too.

  She quickly typed a glowing post about her dream vacation with Darling Husband playing her Romeo at every turn. Flowers, couples massage, tropical island drinks, and lots of handsy action in the ocean while Baby Delight was with the hotel babysitter. Ahh...if only. She added a planned moonlight stroll on the beach, ending with making love on a blanket right there on the soft sand just like they had on their honeymoon in Hawaii. So what if her mysterious Darling Husband looked like Trav in all her fantasies? It was just because she saw him so much because of Bryce.

  She hit post and, not for the first time, considered what her life would be like if she and Trav ever did marry. Why was she resisting? It would be a sensible, stable marriage with a sensible, stable guy in a sensible, stable small town. Sensible and stable, two words that had never been applied to her. An unwanted memory pushed in of Max, the man she’d once loved in an open-to-the-soul way that she’d never managed again. They’d had a whirlwind romance in the city, their time together an exciting adventure, until the miscarriage. Max’s relief in the face of her wretched grief had devastated her. And then he dumped her.

  She sucked in a breath, the memory still cut deep even after all these years. She hoped Max was fat and bald and living alone in a rat-infested apartment. She smiled to herself. Sometimes having a big imagination made life a little easier to swallow.

  Marrying Trav would be good for Bryce. Trav always made that point, and he was right. How much longer could she keep up her grueling pace and still do a good job raising Bryce? She wanted her son to have a good life, a stable life. She should marry Trav. It was like her motherly duty or something.

  She frowned, not liking the idea of duty and marriage in the same breath. She was about to shut down the laptop and head to bed when her eye caught on the email icon with a red dot indicating one new message.

  She clicked on it.

  That was strange. The email was from [email protected]. She didn’t know anyone at Rogue TV. Probably some sales pitch for a product they wanted her to buy. She opened the email. Okay, what’re ya selling?

  Dear Daisy,

  The producers at Mornings with Jessica have read your blog with great interest and would love to interview you at your home at your earliest convenience. Jessica Larsen’s viewers are your target audience and would boost your blog following significantly. Please call at 212-555-5623.

  Sincerely,

  Kate Shaw

  Talent Booker

  Daisy slapped a hand over her mouth and silently squealed in delight. Amazing! She did a little happy dance in her seat, stomping her slippered feet on the floor. She couldn’t believe it. A national talk show? That meant major press. She might even start making money doing what she loved! Sponsors for her blog! TV appearances!

  She could pay off her debt!

  She’d show everyone she could stand on her own two feet!

  She grabbed her cell and dialed the number. It went to voicemail. It was ten o’clock at night. Who cared? She grinned into the phone, waiting for the beep.

  “Hi, it’s Daisy Garner. I’d love to do your show! I’m so excited. Call me!” She nearly hung up before remembering to leave her phone number. She hit end and jumped around her living room.

  “Bryce, this could mean the start of something great!” she said aloud, though not too loud, since he was sleeping. She hugged herself, her smile stretching ear to ear.

  Slowly, she lost her smile and sank to the sofa as a feeling of dread came over her. Problem. She didn’t exactly live in a charming Victorian home.

  Or have a sweet Baby Delight (more like a Red-Faced Screamer).

  Or have a Darling Husband.

  Or any husband at all.

  Trav!

  He could play her Darling Husband. He’d do it for sure. And she could borrow Maggie’s Victorian home. That had been her inspiration anyway. Hopefully Bryce would nap through the interview. He did look angelic and sweet when he slept.

  It could work. Right?

  She felt a little shaky as a greater terror took hold. Omigod, she could be exposed as a fraud, ruining her reputation and all future career prospects. No one would ever take her seriously. She’d be doomed to work for her parents forever while they quietly judged her for her mess of a life.

  She grabbed her cell and hit redial. She had to cancel immediately.

  WAAAAHHHH!!!!! WAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

  She hung up and raced to Bryce before he could work himself into a state that forecast a long period of wakefulness. She scooped him up and settled into the glider. Her head dropped back in exhaustion on the sweaters thrown over the back of the glider. She’d worry about that talk show business tomorrow.

  She yawned. A short while later, she tucked Bryce into his crib and climbed into bed.

  She woke to the sound of the phone ringing the next morning, still exhausted from her night with Bryce. She grabbed her cell before it woke him. The last time she’d gotten him back to sleep was at six, and he was going on three hours sleep now. Her shift at Garner’s didn’t start until four, and she’d hoped to get a little more sleep before she had to deal with her day.

  “Hello?” she whispered.

  “Hello, Daisy, this is Kate Shaw from Mornings with Jessica. We’re so happy to have you on board. I’ve moved some things around so we can do a location shoot this Friday. We want to get you on while your blog is at its peak. Does that work for you?”

  Daisy looked wildly around her messy apartment as if someone else would jump in with the right thing to say. But it was just her. She should call it off. Right? Before things got out of hand, and she was outed as a complete fraud.

  “I think so,” she said slowly, “but—”

  “Great! We’ll be there by eight a.m. with our crew to set up for a ten a.m. interview. I’ll email you our standard release and some tips for being your best self on camera. Look for it. Thanks!”

  “Wait! I have a question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Is the interview just me? The baby probably wouldn’t do well on camera, and my husband…he has to work.”

  “We want the whole family. Jessica is looking forward to meeting you on Friday. Buh-bye.”

  Rewind! I have to cancel this whole crazy thing! What was I thinking?

  “Me too,” she said weakly to the dial tone.

  Chapter Four

  Daisy’s stomach churned with anxiety as she drove to Trav’s grandmother’s house with a sleeping Bryce in the back seat. She was grateful for the quiet, but she would’ve liked it better if he napped when she wasn’t driving too; then she might actually get a break. She pulled into the driveway and fetched Bryce. He woke instantly from the movement and the cold wind hitting his face. She tucked him close, shielding him from the gusting wind, and hurried to Maggie’s door. She rang the bell and bounced her fussy boy.

  The door sprang open a moment later. Maggie stood there smiling in an off-the-shoulder orange and white polka-dotted shirt with leopard print leggings and bunny slippers. A diamond tiara was perched on her head. “Come in, come in!”

  Daisy stepped into the cozy living room, where a fire was crackling in the fireplace. Maggie’s laptop sat on the coffee table. The older woman loved being online and spent a good amount of time searching for new knitting patterns on Ravelry, planning weekend trips for her and Jorge, and updating Facebook with her adventures, which included snorkeling, go-kart racing, and ziplining.

  “Let me see my great-grandbaby,” Maggie cooed as she lifted Bryce from Daisy’s arms. “How’s my boy?”

  Bryce squirmed and looked to Daisy.

  “He’s cranky,” Daisy said. “Let me nurse him, and then he’s all yours.”

  “Can I get you some tea?”

  “No, thanks.” Daisy settled with Bryce on a red velvet chair. Maggie sat across from her on a floral loveseat. “I like your tiara.”

  Maggie reached up, seeming surprised to find it there. “Oh! I forgot it was there from a little game o
f queen and servant this morning with Jorge.” She giggled and set it on the table.

  Daisy worked to push that image from her mind. Maggie and Jorge had been inseparable since Maggie signed up for her first ballroom dance lesson at Jorge’s dance studio. They’d married only two months after their first date. But at Maggie’s age, she’d seen no reason for a long engagement. The woman was seventy-two going on fifty, which was good because Jorge was twenty years her junior. The handsome Mexican-American man was a total sweetheart with a dancer’s body. Quite the catch. Still, the less she knew on the senior citizen nooky front, the better.

  Daisy went back to the reason for her visit. “I never told you this, but I started a blog about being a mom.”

  Maggie leaned forward, her blue eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Do tell.”

  Daisy gave her a small smile. “It started out just as a way to sort of fantasize about…a more perfect motherhood than my own.”

  “Bah! No such thing as a perfect mother. You’re doing great with Bryce!”

  “Thank you.” She looked down and put her finger on Bryce’s little hand. He immediately wrapped his fingers tightly around her finger, and her heart squeezed. “I don’t feel like such a great mom most of the time.” She looked up. “But I wanted to feel that way, so I wrote the blog.” She bit her lip. “Then I started getting creative. Really creative.”

  Maggie smiled. “I like creative.”

  “I described my home as a beautiful Victorian. Basically yours. I mentioned my Darling Husband.”

  “You could have a darling husband. Trav—”

  “Yes. I definitely want him as Darling Husband and—”

  Maggie clapped her hands. “I knew it! I bet Jorge you two would marry before Bryce turned one.” She beamed.

  Daisy forced a smile. She had to let Maggie believe they were getting married. The fewer people who knew it was a fake marriage, the better.

  Daisy continued. “I also said I had a Baby Delight. You know, a sweet, not screaming kind of baby that smiles a lot and makes you feel like the best mom ever just by existing.”