Page 24 of Harvest of Love
Xander: I’m sure she knows by now.
I chuckle. Yeah, who am I kidding? I’m sure Ms. Eaton spread the news like wildfire.
Feeling my heart full—love, gratitude, anticipation all tangled together. I finish my shift with one thought guiding me forward: Daisy, my soon-to-be in-laws, and the life we’re building.
I can’t wait to meet them.
I can’t wait to be hers in every way.
Chapter 8
Daisy
Itake a couple of deep breaths before stepping into my childhood home. My mom is my best friend,and I share everything with her. She knows about my crush on Manny—that’s it.
So much has happened this week, I didn’t even think to tell her that we’ve moved past the crush stage into a full-on relationship. A smile spreads across my face at the thought: I’m in a relationship with Manny Gutierrez—one of the best men I know.
“Hey, sis. Are you joining us, or are you going to keep grinning in your car like a loser?” my youngest brother, Derek, says, rapping his knuckles on my window with a shit-eating smirk.
I sigh in resignation. It’s going to be a circus—I can feel it in my bones.
Derek is three years younger than me, and it’s the quintessential little brother—always pulling pranks, always making light of everything. He married his high school sweetheart shotgun-style after she announced at their graduation party that she was pregnant.
Some might say the termannouncedis a stretch. What actually happened was that Holly lost her lunch all over the barbecue in her parents’ backyard.
Still, even though they started young, Derek and Holly have become amazing parents with a rock-solid marriage. Their oldest, Maya, just turned nine—and she barrels into me with the forceof ten bulls.
“Auntie Daisy! Happy Thanksgiving!”
I kiss the top of her head, realizing it’s getting harder to do so. “Have you grown an inch or two taller since the last time I saw you?”
She gives me a toothy grin, pride gleaming in her eyes.
“Don’t encourage her,” Holly says, hugging me next. “I swear she’s growing by the minute. Next thing I know she’ll be raiding my closet and wearing my stuff.”
Holly ruffles Maya’s hair, but Maya ducks smoothly out of reach and races into the house, where my parents wait by the door.
“Is everything okay?” my oldest brother, Dustin, asks as he gives me a side hug while we head toward the front steps.
“Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. You seem tense.”
I huff in feigned annoyance, though my ex-Marine brother sizes me up with one look—like always.
“It’s nothing bad. I just have some news to share, and I was hoping to arrive before everyone else. But I guess we all had the same idea.”
Before Dustin can turn this into an interrogation, I plaster on the biggest smile I can manage and fall into my dad’s arms.
“Sweetheart,” he murmurs against my hair, and a sliver of calm washes over me. I’ve always been Daddy’s girl. The way he listens without judgment, never diminishing my thoughts, has set the standard for what I look for in a man.
A smile tugs at my lips as the memory of finding coffee brewed and waiting for me this morning flashes in my mind.
“Everyone to the living room—Daisy has some news to share,” Dustin booms, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Dad stiffens in our embrace, and I let out a deep breath. “It’s okay, Dad. I promise it’s nothing bad.”
His eyes lock on mine—sharp as laser beams—silently demanding answers. I give him what I hope is a reassuring smile, press a kiss to his cheek, and head to the living room.
