Violet would pay Nabi back for this by finding him a wife. Somehow. She’d tried for years, but this summer he’d turn thirty-eight, and she was determined to find someone before then.
Charlie’s eyebrow rose, and he looked at Violet one last time over the gold-wired rims of his glasses. “Good for you, Violet. Nabi, it’s nice to meet you.” Charlie shook Nabi’s hand before focusing all of his attention on Daisy.
“You look like a spring bloom tonight, Daisy.” He smiled and offered her his arm. Daisy hastily dropped her clutch on Nabi’s arm and wrapped her fingers around Charlie’s. “Would you care to accompany me to get a drink?”
Daisy’s heart pounded. She couldn’t remember the last time a man looked at her the way Charlie was. She felt eighteen all over again and loved every minute of it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Daisy tuned out the sounds of her sisters whispering feverishly as she let Charlie lead her across the gymnasium. They stopped to say hello to Donna and some of the men who had been on the chess team with him. It seemed surreal to Daisy. Charlie was paying such close attention to her. He was asking about the café and told her how impressed he was when John had told him she had gone to college.
He handed her a glass of wine and gestured to an open table. “Would you like to sit and talk, or am I keeping you from someone?”
“No, you’re not keeping me from anything. I would love to catch up.” Charlie held out a chair, and Daisy sat down. She wasn’t used to feeling like the center of attention. As the middle triplet, she’d always been kind of overlooked.
“So, did you ever get married?” Charlie asked, taking his seat next to hers.
Daisy fought the urge to duck her head. It was rather embarrassing to admit she hadn’t been lovable enough for a man to stick around. She had taken time off from dating after having her heart broken, but then it just seemed the whole town had eventually decided they were to be spinsters. By that time, she just didn’t feel the desire to put her heart out there again.
“No. I never married. What about you?”
Charlie nodded. “Yes, I was married for forty years. Jan passed away twenty years ago, and that’s when I decided I should retire. I had given so much of my life to hospitals and patients that there I was, suddenly a senior citizen with no wife and two grown kids with children of their own, and I didn’t even know them.”
“You have grandchildren? How wonderful!”
Charlie took out his phone and pulled up pictures to show her. She saw his two sons and five grandchildren, now all grown with three children of their own. “Actually, most of my family has relocated away from Boston. They’re all spread out, but generally in this region. My eldest son’s family is in Cincinnati, and my youngest son is in Louisville. It’s one of the reasons I came back for the reunion.”
“It must be lovely coming back home to see your family.” Daisy managed to grin and finally allowed herself to feel a loss for what might have been.
“It is. I wanted to see how Keeneston looked after all these years. Was it still as nice as I remember? I’ve missed it here and have been thinking of moving back. I would be an hour away from each family so I’d be able to see them more.”
Daisy felt excitement the likes of which she hadn’t felt since they took down the international arms dealer. “You’re thinking of moving back? Well, I’d be happy to show you around town to help you decide.”
Charlie smiled and placed his hand over hers. “I’d like that, Daisy Mae. I’ve heard nothing but excellent things about your café. How about I meet you there tomorrow for lunch?”
Daisy sucked in a breath. “I don’t know about that . . .”
“Oh.” Charlie sounded crestfallen.
“No, it’s kind of silly, but it’s a tradition here. You eat at the café with your date when you’re declaring your intentions. It’s so old-fashioned, but it’s just kinda stuck. We like our quirkiness, and it helps us know who to place our wedding bets on.”
“Bets?”
Daisy nibbled her bottom lip. “I’m kind of a bookie,” she said hesitantly. As Charlie’s face went from shock to a wide smile, Daisy relaxed.
Charlie squeezed her hand. “Now that I’m up on the Keeneston customs, I’ll let you get back to the party. I’ve hoarded your attention, and there seems to be a lot of people who want to talk to you.”
Daisy let out a long breath. It was over. For an hour she had experienced hope, but it must have been the magic of the night that made her feel eighteen again to give her those silly ideas.
Charlie helped her up and escorted her to where John and Lily were staring open-mouthed as Violet danced with Nabi.
“It was a pleasure seeing you again, Daisy. And I look forward to seeing you tomorrow for our lunch date at your café.” Charlie sent her a wink before turning and walking away into the crowd.
Lily gasped and sent a look to John. “A date . . . at the café? Golly jeepers, Daisy Mae, what did you talk about? Don’t you dare, John!” Lily’s arm shot out and grabbed John when he had slowly been trying to sneak away. “She’s my sister, and it’s my gossip to spread.”
“Just admit it, Lily Rae, you’ll never be able to beat me,” John said, slipping from his coat and rushing to the nearest group of people to share the news that Daisy and Charlie were going on a date at the café tomorrow.
Lily tossed the coat to the ground and balled her fists. “That ol’ billy goat!” Lily looked frantically around before her eyes narrowed on the stage up front where the band played.
“You better hurry. At least you’ll win this since you didn’t get him to propose,” Daisy taunted. Her heart was light, and she felt like singing.
Lily looked at her watch. “I still have five minutes until midnight,” she called as she rushed the stage for the microphone standing on it.
Violet and Nabi headed their way as the band stopped playing. Lily pushed past them and snagged the microphone from the lead singer.
“What’s going on?” Violet asked a grinning Daisy.
Lily tapped the microphone. “May I have your attention? It’s so lovely to see all our classmates and their families here tonight. I want to extend an invitation for you all to join us tomorrow at the Blossom Café for lunch. When Charlie asked Daisy for a date there tomorrow, I thought it would be fun for the whole class to be there.”
Violet and Nabi turned wide-eyed at Daisy who just smiled. “Who is this Charlie?” Nabi asked quietly, pulling out his phone.
“Charles Lastinger. He was a classmate of ours and had the biggest crush on Daisy in high school.” Violet giggled. “I guess he still has a crush on her.”
Nabi tapped on the phone’s keyboard and then looked up. “Ahmed’s running a check on him right now.”
“Nabi! Don’t you dare. You tell Ahmed to stop that or I’m cutting him off from chocolate chip muffins.” Daisy stomped her foot like a toddler in a fit of anger.
Nabi just grinned. “I don’t tell Ahmed what to do. Only Bridget does that.” The phone pinged and Nabi looked down at it. “He checks out.”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “I feel so sorry for Abigail when it comes time to date,” Daisy said, referring to Ahmed and Bridget’s daughter. It would be hard with a mother who trained police dogs and had served in the military. Add in a father who had been one of the biggest, baddest special operations men in the world and the poor girl . . . rather, the poor boys . . . didn't stand a chance.
“I am not Abby. I do not need you and Ahmed playing watchdog.”
Nabi leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. “It’s just because we care for you.” Nabi looked around and then winked at her. “You don’t think he’s going to call me out for kissing his woman now, do you?”
Daisy snickered as Violet snorted and John bellowed, “You cheated!” He lumbered up the steps and walked onto the stage.
“Oh no I didn’t, I just took advantage of an open microphone.” Lily crossed her arms over her chest and gave a sly smile.
“Sometimes you can’t win everything, Lily Rae,” John said and stopped in front of her.
Daisy nudged Violet. “And in fifty-one seconds I will have won our bet.”
Nabi crossed his fingers. “Come on, John, propose.”
Violet and Daisy smacked him. “Lily’s going to propose. Just watch. Forty-six seconds.”
John cleared his throat and reaching into his pocket. “Being a couple is about sharing each other’s victories and losses. There’s no one else I’d rather share mine with than you, and there’s no one I’d rather lose to you than you. So, Lily Rae Rose . . .”
The entire gymnasium gasped and leaned forward as John pulled his hand from his pocket.
“I have one of these for me, and one for you,” John said, handing a piece of paper to her. “On the count of three open it, and read it out loud. One. Two. Three.”
Daisy gripped her sister’s hand as they watched John and Lily open their pieces of paper.
“Will you marry me?” John and Lily read together at the same time the first sounds of the church clock down the street started to strike midnight.
Daisy looked to Violet who looked to Nabi. “Wait, who asked who?”
“YES!” John and Lily yelled with smiles spreading across their faces.
Nabi just shook his head. “They won, and we all lost. He found a way for both of them to propose, thus negating the bet.”
“Oh, look,” Violet cried, clasping her hands to her chest.
John pulled a small box from his other pocket and opened it to reveal a ring. Smiling, he pulled it out and slipped it on Lily’s shaking finger. “I love you, darlin’.”
“I love you, too,” Lily whispered before John enveloped her in a hug.
“I wonder if Charlie’s going to do that with you tomorrow?” Violet asked without taking her eyes from the stage. “Oh, Charlie,” she mocked in a high-pitched voice, dissolving into giggles as Daisy smacked her arm.
“I can’t wait to tell everyone about this,” Nabi said with a grin as he texted away on his phone.
* * *
In the early morning hours, Lily sat next to John on the porch swing. She rested her head against his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. Edna had already been over to congratulate them as well as half of the town. Marcy and Jake Davies had already declared they would be hosting a cookout tomorrow night to celebrate their engagement.
“There’s only one thing that would have made your proposal better,” Lily murmured against his shirt and snuggled closer. “And that would have been to see everyone’s faces when they realized none of them could win the bet.”
John straightened. “
My
proposal. I believe you proposed to me.”
“Me? You are the one who proposed to me. It was your idea . . . and you had a ring.” Lily sat up and then noticed John was grinning at her. “Oh, you ol’ billy goat!”
“And you’re my beautiful rose blossom,” John whispered, lowering his lips to hers. “I love you, Lily Rae.”
“I love you, too. Will you now tell me how you find gossip out before others?”
“Ouija board,” John whispered into her ear, his lips in a grin.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“What are you two still doing here?” Edna called aghast from the front yard.
Lily looked at her best friend but didn’t bother to move from where John was snuggling her on the porch swing. “What does it look like?”
“You’re going to miss it? It’s almost noon. Daisy and Charlie will be at the café soon!”
“It can’t be!” Lily jumped up as fast as she could. “Come on, John. We have to go.”
“We’re never going to get a table. The place is going to be packed.” Edna fretted.
“There are some perks to getting to our age, Edna. Those strapping young men practically knock themselves over when they jump up to offer us their seats,” Lily said. She took John’s arm and headed for the car. “Let’s take the car, it’s quicker.”
Daisy sat in silence. Her purse was at her side. Her hair was fluffed and styled instead of the usual tight, permed rings. She even had Sydney, who was a part-time model, bring her lipstick and help with her makeup. Sydney’s parents, Sheriff Marshall and Katelyn Davies, had dropped Sydney off, claiming they needed to borrow their nineteen-year-old daughter’s car to get the oil changed.
Sydney had rolled her eyes, and bless her heart, slammed the door in her nosy parents’ faces before she got Daisy all glam. Or at least that was the word she used. She’d left fifteen minutes ago, and Daisy had been too nervous to even move ever since. Daisy didn’t want to risk messing up any of Sydney’s excellent work.
At the sound of the doorbell, Daisy closed her eyes and took three calming breaths. She could do this. She wasn’t too old to get her own happily-ever-after. After all, age was just an external number. What really mattered was how she felt inside. And right now, she felt like a nervous and excited teenager. She couldn’t remember when she'd felt so alive.
“Charlie, welcome.” Daisy looked into his smiling face and felt her heart beat faster. “Are those for me?”
Charlie handed her the bouquet of flowers and then held out his arm for her to take. “You look lovely, Daisy Mae. I brought my car, and I thought before lunch you could show me around my old hometown.”
“I’d love to.” Daisy took his arm and allowed him to open the car door for her. She slid into the seat and watched Charlie walk around the front of the car. He waved to the people walking by on the sidewalk and smiled happily as he got in the car. It seemed right. He belonged here in Keeneston, and he belonged here with her.
“And that’s the water tower where the bad kids would gather in high school. Do you remember?” Daisy asked, pointing out the tall structure on the far side of town.
“I do. I was never cool enough or bad enough to be invited. Are the kids still hanging out there?”
“Yes, but now it’s not exclusive. Everyone in high school hangs out there. But it wasn’t always that way. Morgan, who is now married to Miles Davies, climbed up there and wrote over it once, causing a very interesting commotion before leaving town.”
As he drove into town, she continued to point out the changes since he’d left Keeneston. “Oh, and there is where we stopped a group of dog fighters. And here is where Tammy, who is now married to Pierce Davies, was stuck on a bomb . . . Oh, and here is where Pam, the former president of the PTA, ran over a bad man who was shooting at us. Edna shot back. My sisters and I were throwing pots and pans—really anything we could find. And there is where an assassin shot Kenna and her best friend, Danielle. But we got the bad guys in the end.”
Daisy stopped talking as Charlie pulled to a stop in front of the café. He looked slightly stunned, and Daisy wondered if she’d said too much. “Oh, but don’t worry. We really don’t have much crime here. Ever since Bridget and Ahmed stopped a revolution and Cy and Gemma put away an international crime lord who ran the black market, it’s been down right boring here. It's been wonderful.”
“I’m sorry, did you say revolution? International crime boss? I remember reading about that corrupt Senator Bruce in the paper, but I didn’t know there was a Keeneston connection.”
“Oh, dear,” Daisy said worriedly. “I’ve scared you. Really, Keeneston has been positively peaceful for the past twenty years.”
Unfortunately
, Daisy thought. Her sisters had all talked about how much fun they had during the wild years.
“No, it just makes spending time in Boston as the chief surgeon pretty dull,” Charlie chuckled. “I can’t wait to hear all about these events and meet all the people involved. I remember Jake Davies. He was a lot younger than us, but his mother would make the best apple pies. I still dream of them.”
“Well, no worries then. Jake’s wife, Marcy, knows the recipe and always bakes new residents one. You are a new resident, right?” Daisy asked as Charlie turned off the car.
“Um, why are there people pressed against the window of your café?” Charlie asked, instead of answering her question.
Daisy turned to look and saw her sisters, Edna, the Davies boys, their wives, and even some of their children peering out at them. The second they noticed Daisy had spotted them, they suddenly became very interested in something on the floor. Their heads all bent as one when Daisy looked at them.
“Are you sure you want to do this? After all, we’ve really only been talking for a day,” Daisy said nervously.
“Daisy Mae, I am almost ninety years old. Does it look like I’m someone who wants to waste time? I want to live what’s remaining of my life to the fullest. If that includes a second chance at love, then I’m going to take it. I think the question is—are you ready to take a chance?”
Daisy swallowed hard. She had thought she’d missed her chance at love. She’d given up hope of ever finding it. With Robert, she had sat back and waited. Waited on his career, waited for him to come home, and waited for a happily-ever-after that never came. No, she was done waiting.
Daisy leaned forward, and before she could worry about the properness of it, she placed her lips on Charlie’s. Even through her closed car door, she heard the gasps come from within the Blossom Café. She pulled back from the kiss and looked into Charlie’s smiling eyes.
“I take it you’ve decided to take a chance,” he joked.
“I have. I may be old, but I’m not fast, Charlie Lastinger. You’ll have to earn this, and it starts right now with lunch.” Daisy got out of the car and looked into the window full of shocked faces. When the patrons noticed they were coming in, they dove for their chairs. She was surprised Miles was still so agile as he leaped over the table.
“Does that man have a gun?” Charlie whispered. “He looks dangerous. Maybe the sheriff should look into him?”
Daisy looked to where Charlie was staring and smiled. Marshall took a seat next to the dangerous-looking man. Or rather, leapt into the seat next to him. The dangerous-looking man did indeed have a gun on him—and probably a knife as well. He didn’t bother to look ashamed at being caught staring. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at Charlie and slowly raised his hand. He pointed with two fingers to his own narrowed eyes and then to Charlie in a clear warning that he was watching.
“Oh, yes, that is a gun. But that’s just Ahmed. He was the head of security for Mo, the Prince of Rahmi. But now he’s just a racehorse owner and de facto guard for all of us here in town. I think he just misses torturing terrorists. If he doesn’t shoot someone every so often, he gets cranky. I just feel sorry for his fifteen-year-old daughter, Abigail. Poor Abby will have one heck of time dating.” Daisy slid her arm into Charlie’s and heard him gulp as Ahmed gave him one of his patented looks that left arms dealers quaking.
“Still want to do this?” Daisy asked. She wasn’t going to soften this for Charlie. If he couldn’t handle himself with a roomful of people who loved her, then he wasn’t the man for her.
Charlie patted her hand. “Of course. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. Even if they’re big scary mercenaries.”
Daisy grinned. “And you haven’t met his wife yet.”
Charlie opened the door and the loud buzzing of eager conversation stopped suddenly. The sounds of wooden chair legs scraping on the hardwood floor filled the air as all the diners turned to stare.
Violet stepped forward and offered a smile. “It’s nice to see you again, Charlie. I have a table for you both right here.”
Daisy looked at the only open table in the middle of the room. Charlie must have noticed, too, because he took a fortifying breath before leading Daisy to the table and pulling out a chair for her.
“Um, what would you two like to drink?” Sophie asked. Annie and Cade’s eighteen-year-old daughter was working as a waitress over her spring break to save money for a new car.
“Sweet tea for me. Daisy Mae, do you still like yours with a lime slice?” Charlie asked. Daisy nodded and there were murmurs of approval from a few of the tables as Sophie hurried to the kitchen to get the drinks.
All at once, there was another sound of chairs scraping. An entire table of Davies men stood up with arms crossed across broad chests. Sounds echoed from the other side of the room as John, Will, Mo, Ahmed, and Nabi similarly stood. Before she could blink, a wall of overprotective men surrounded the table.
“So, what are your intentions with
our
Miss Daisy?” Will Ashton asked.
Charlie cleared this throat. “We’ve had a lovely day together, and I would like to spend more time with her.”
“Did you practice your manners with her?” Mo asked as he looked down his regal nose in a look that Daisy knew he used to get his way with government officials.
“Of course,” Charlie said, offended.
Miles Davies stepped forward, and Daisy now understood why he had been a commander in Special Forces. Just standing there, you could feel power, control, and leadership emanating from him. “You see, the Rose sisters are Keeneston.”
Marshall Davies casually slid his hand to his gun. “And we protect our own.”
“Especially someone who has put her life in danger for us,” Cy Davies said as he sent her a wink.
“And she deserves respect,” Cade Davies said in a way that reminded Daisy he hadn’t always been a laid-back football coach. He had served alongside Marshall and Miles in combat.
“And to be loved . . .” Pierce Davies continued.
“And cherished . . .” Nabi smiled, kissing her hand and sending her a wink before giving Charlie a glare.
“And cared for every day . . .” Cole Parker added as he similarly rested his hand on his FBI-issued gun.
“Because, if you don’t . . .” Ahmed said, slowly smiling in a way that sent shivers down Daisy’s back. Charlie turned white, and Daisy thought for a second he might pass out.
“Daaaaad, stop being so dramatic.” Ahmed’s daughter rolled her eyes as she pushed through the wall of men. “Hi. I’m Abby. It’s nice to meet you. If you hurt Miss Daisy, it won’t be my dad you need to worry about. My mom,” Abby pointed to the beautiful strawberry blond standing with her arms crossed behind her husband, “taught me how to break every bone in a man’s body. But you seem nice, so there’s nothing to worry about.” Abby smiled, and her blue eyes danced with mischief.
Charlie looked around the room at all the faces staring at him and pushed his chair back. “My name is Charles Lastinger. I am almost ninety years old. I graduated Keeneston High School with Daisy. She was my crush back then, and she’s my crush now. I was a field surgeon during Vietnam and then moved to Boston as chief of surgery for Massachusetts General Hospital. My children and grandchildren are in Louisville and Cincinnati now, and I’m ready to come back home. I want to spend the rest of my days, however many that may be,” he said with a pointed look to the men surrounding them, “with someone I can love and who can love me. I miss being part of a community like this. While it’s scary as hell to have you all here, it goes to show me that Daisy Mae turned into the remarkable woman I always knew her to be. If she weren’t, then you wouldn’t be here looking out for her.”
“So, have you decided to move to Keeneston then?” Jake Davies, the patriarch of the family, asked.
Charlie looked at Daisy, and she felt the affection growing between then. “Yes, I have,” he said. Daisy smiled at him and took his hand in hers as the men grunted and the women finally pressed forward to introduce themselves.
“Welcome to Keeneston,” Kenna Ashton said. She started the long list of introductions. How funny that she was taking control when twenty odd years ago, she was being questioned in this very café by the very same townspeople when she showed up from New York City looking for safety. But Keeneston had opened its arms to her, and as Daisy watched Charlie shaking hands with the most important people in her life, she knew that Keeneston was welcoming back one of its own.