lamplight. It was pretty and sweet, the kind of ring Daisy Blaise would love. Linc had been right to insist on it. Daisy Flattery still liked the chased silver and free-form pearls, but Daisy Blaise would want this ring. If she put it back on, she’d be Daisy Blaise again; Linc obviously thought she still was; he’d even called her that. If she went along with it, she could have everything she wanted and needed.
It’s time for a change,
she told herself.
Stop being such a coward.
She nodded at Linc and said “Yes,” and he exhaled and slipped the ring on her finger, fumbling a little because her hands were shaking and so were his.
Oh, my God
, she thought as she felt her hand in his.
What am I doing
?
Then Linc stood up and said, “Let’s get started,” and Daisy pulled her hand back.
“Started on what?”
“Calling movers,” Linc said. “Packing your clothes.” He frowned even as he mentioned her clothes. “We’ve got to get back to Prescott tonight. Our return flight leaves at seven.”
Daisy’s jaw dropped. “Tonight?”
“Why wait?”
Daisy looked around the apartment she’d had for eight years. She’d loved it, but now it was too small, like her old life. Just like in the fairy tale: the prince had come along and swept her out of the ashes, and it would ruin the story if he stopped to pack or cancel the phone. “All right.” She stood up. “All right, then. Let’s go.”
She watched bemused as Linc called the movers, who agreed to come on Wednesday. Then she called Julia, who laughed when she told her she was going to Prescott and promised to take the day off from school to watch the movers, especially when they were packing Daisy’s stained glass lamp. Linc left to buy a travel case for the cats, and when he got back, Daisy had her clothes packed and was sitting on the boxes, feeling a little lost.
Linc stood in front of her, looking efficient and in charge and that didn’t help her qualms any. “Our return flight is in two hours,” he told her. “I picked up tranquilizers for the cats. See if you can find Annie.” He looked at Liz sprawled out on the floor, asleep in the sun. “I have enough for two in case Liz regains consciousness.”
“Forget Liz, give them to me,” Daisy said.
Daisy was so stunned when she saw Linc’s house that she sat down on the curb to get her breath. It was her house, gleaming yellow in the twilight just the way she’d imagined it. Less than twelve hours earlier she’d been stuck in her old story, and now she’d been given everything she wanted for her new one. It seemed too good to be true, but there was the house in front of her.
Linc paid the cab driver and then turned and saw her on the curb. “What are you doing?”
“It’s perfect,” she told him.
“Good,” he said. “Now get up off the curb before the neighbors think you’re weird.”
Daisy thought about telling him where he could put the neighbors but didn’t.
This is his story,
she reminded herself as she stood up. Then she looked at the house again, so beautiful in the autumn evening. There was no reason she couldn’t make his story part of hers, at least the house part. In a way it already was; he’d painted it yellow for her.
But after the tour of the house, she knew it was still his story and still his house. True, the house did have glowing amber wood floors and an ornate mantel and an oak staircase, but every single wall was painted stark white.
She looked at Linc in despair. “White?”
He frowned at her, defensive. “It looks clean. And neat.”
Neat. Something she obviously wasn’t. The tension of the past day made her temper spurt. “Are you kidding? We could operate in here. I can’t live in a hospital room, Linc. And, my God, this furniture, all this leather and metal stuff. I can’t live like this.”
He sat down, looking exhausted and pulled the cat carrier toward him. “So you can mix in some of your stuff when the movers send it.” He
It’s time for a change,
she told herself.
Stop being such a coward.
She nodded at Linc and said “Yes,” and he exhaled and slipped the ring on her finger, fumbling a little because her hands were shaking and so were his.
Oh, my God
, she thought as she felt her hand in his.
What am I doing
?
Then Linc stood up and said, “Let’s get started,” and Daisy pulled her hand back.
“Started on what?”
“Calling movers,” Linc said. “Packing your clothes.” He frowned even as he mentioned her clothes. “We’ve got to get back to Prescott tonight. Our return flight leaves at seven.”
Daisy’s jaw dropped. “Tonight?”
“Why wait?”
Daisy looked around the apartment she’d had for eight years. She’d loved it, but now it was too small, like her old life. Just like in the fairy tale: the prince had come along and swept her out of the ashes, and it would ruin the story if he stopped to pack or cancel the phone. “All right.” She stood up. “All right, then. Let’s go.”
She watched bemused as Linc called the movers, who agreed to come on Wednesday. Then she called Julia, who laughed when she told her she was going to Prescott and promised to take the day off from school to watch the movers, especially when they were packing Daisy’s stained glass lamp. Linc left to buy a travel case for the cats, and when he got back, Daisy had her clothes packed and was sitting on the boxes, feeling a little lost.
Linc stood in front of her, looking efficient and in charge and that didn’t help her qualms any. “Our return flight is in two hours,” he told her. “I picked up tranquilizers for the cats. See if you can find Annie.” He looked at Liz sprawled out on the floor, asleep in the sun. “I have enough for two in case Liz regains consciousness.”
“Forget Liz, give them to me,” Daisy said.
Daisy was so stunned when she saw Linc’s house that she sat down on the curb to get her breath. It was her house, gleaming yellow in the twilight just the way she’d imagined it. Less than twelve hours earlier she’d been stuck in her old story, and now she’d been given everything she wanted for her new one. It seemed too good to be true, but there was the house in front of her.
Linc paid the cab driver and then turned and saw her on the curb. “What are you doing?”
“It’s perfect,” she told him.
“Good,” he said. “Now get up off the curb before the neighbors think you’re weird.”
Daisy thought about telling him where he could put the neighbors but didn’t.
This is his story,
she reminded herself as she stood up. Then she looked at the house again, so beautiful in the autumn evening. There was no reason she couldn’t make his story part of hers, at least the house part. In a way it already was; he’d painted it yellow for her.
But after the tour of the house, she knew it was still his story and still his house. True, the house did have glowing amber wood floors and an ornate mantel and an oak staircase, but every single wall was painted stark white.
She looked at Linc in despair. “White?”
He frowned at her, defensive. “It looks clean. And neat.”
Neat. Something she obviously wasn’t. The tension of the past day made her temper spurt. “Are you kidding? We could operate in here. I can’t live in a hospital room, Linc. And, my God, this furniture, all this leather and metal stuff. I can’t live like this.”
He sat down, looking exhausted and pulled the cat carrier toward him. “So you can mix in some of your stuff when the movers send it.” He
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