Sylvie would take a while to reply. If she did at all. Daisy breathed through a ball of hurt at the distance that seemed to only be growing between her and her siblings. She’d basically raised them. She loved them.
But she wasn’t going to live her life for them anymore. They were both adults. It was time for her to do something just for herself. She’d needed to get away from the city and, she was ashamed to say, her sister. She loved Sylvie, but she was sucking her dry. She could work from anywhere and she’d always loved the idea of living in a small town. Somewhere with friendly locals and beautiful scenery. She’d done some searching around and found a rental ad for this house. Something had pulled her towards it.
Now here she was.
A truck pulled up behind her, dragging her from her thoughts. Nerves fluttered in her stomach. A man emerged from the driver’s side. Holy hell, he was enormous. Tall and broad, with a beard, he took a moment to study her car before moving around to the passenger door of his truck. Her sporty little car looked like a toy next to his enormous double-cab truck. He opened the passenger door then reached in and lifted out a woman who looked to be around the same age as her. She was small with waves of crazy, dark hair.
Daisy watched as the man, who looked like he could bust knee-caps for a living, gently set her down, handling her like she was made of the most delicate glass. He pulled her jacket closer around her then zipped it up. She didn’t know if she’d ever seen anything sweeter in her life. Tears welled in her eyes and she had to blink them away.
What she would give to have something sweet like that in her life.
Be thankful for what you have, Daisy.
She looked back at the couple, surprised to find them staring at her car, waiting.
Oh shit. Taking a calming breath, she climbed out of her car. She shivered as a cool wind lashed at her, and she reached in to grab her jacket, pulling it hastily on.
“Um, hello,” she called out, hoping she was hiding her nerves. “Are you Ellie?”
“Yep,” the other woman said cheerfully. “I sure am. You must be Daisy, then.”
Daisy nodded, unable to get any words past her lips as she grew closer. Jesus, this guy was even bigger up close.
Just because he was enormous and intimidating looking, didn’t mean he was a bad person.
“Yes, nice to meet you,” she finally managed to find her voice and her manners as she held out her hand. Ellie took it into her gloved one, pumping it gently. When she let it go, Daisy turned bravely towards the behemoth who just stared down at her solemnly.
“Hi.”
He nodded. Without a word, he reached out and grasped hold of her hand. His was bare, like hers, but much warmer and rough with calluses.
“This is my boyfriend, Bear,” Ellie said cheerfully.
“Bear?” she asked startled.
“It’s a nickname,” Ellie explained. “Due to his size. Plus, he’s just a big ole teddy bear.”
Daisy sent the other woman an incredulous look.
Teddy bear, right. And she was Goldilocks.
She glanced up at Bear who showed no real reaction to his girlfriend’s proclamation that he was just a teddy bear, was staring down at her hand which was still held in his big paw. She snatched it back, feeling herself blushing. What was wrong with her hand?
“You should be wearing gloves,” Bear said suddenly. “Hands are freezing.”
She blinked up at him. That was why he’d been studying her hand? He thought she should have gloves on? That was strange. . .she couldn’t remember the last time anyone had ever cared about whether she was dressed for the elements. It made her feel warm inside and a little odd. She didn’t know this man, why would he care?
She shoved her hands into her pockets and took a step back. She needed to say something to get this conversation back on track, and make her feel less weird. She turned to Ellie.
“I thought you’d be old.”
Awesome. Good job, Daisy.
Ellie glanced up at Bear, who was still staring at her strangely. What the hell did he find so fascinating?
She fought the urge to hunch her shoulders, to try to protect herself from whatever he could see.
White trash.