“Do you mind if I talk to Daisy?” he asked Shane, his gaze riveted on her.
At his words to her father, Daisy whipped around and gave him a startled, puzzled look. Shane didn’t think anything of it. “Yeah. I’ll try to find something to do besides worry and mope.”
Left alone in the open, spacious living room with outstanding views of the ranch, Asher said pointedly, “We need to talk.”
“Come out on the deck. I don’t want anyone else hearing this. I can’t imagine all the fun Rose or Iris could have overhearing this.”
What did she think he was going to say? Her tone was both rude and snarky, like he started the whole thing.
She leaned on the railing. The deck was above their second story and offered a panoramic view of the orchards that extended to the left side of the yard. Below them, a steep bank led to the river, which continued its flow the opposite way. The ranch view was much closer than from the resort, which was farther upriver. Daisy’s long, blond hair was straight and silky as it flipped around her shoulders. Her bare arms were tan and well showcased in a tank top.
“You really didn’t have to come here. You made your point last night.”
“I came to check on Violet.”
“No improvement.” Sighing, Daisy curved her shoulders forward. “I was drunk last night.”
“Do you remember what you said?” He slipped beside her. Leaning on the rail, he stared out just as she did, avoiding making eye contact when he added, “I definitely remember what you said.”
“So, you decided you needed to come by to make this less awkward. Family that we are and all. Forget it, please. I’ll go back to school. We can agree it never happened.”
“Why are you in school in August?”
“Summer school. I have a lot to catch up on, after switching majors so many times in my years there.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll be gone in a few days. You can avoid me like you used to do when I come back home for the winter. I’m sure by winter vacation this will be ancient history.”
“But you’re forgetting one thing. It did happen.”
She closed her eyes, the color still glowing in her face. “Please, can’t you just avoid me? Is that so hard to do?”
“I just spent half the damn day discussing with my sister and Hunter what it means to be adopted when cousins are involved. I don’t know how to deal with what you said to me. I’ve spent years trying to prove that I belong here, more to myself than anyone else. And being adopted was not a disqualification. I’m really AJ and Kate Reed’s son, despite being a teenager when they met and adopted me. It seems easier for Hunter to justify than me. And Cami has AJ’s DNA and Kate is her stepmom. I was grateful to be included as one of the family. I don’t know how else to accept that and I consider Rose, Iris, Violet, Melanie and Lillian as all my damn cousins… and now you’re asking me not to see you as a cousin too? Just you?”
Her gaze would not dip his way. He watched her profile, waiting for some reaction. She only turned her head further away. “I would never have said that if I hadn’t been drinking. It loosened my tongue, and I knew better than to do it. That’s why it never happened before.”
“But you don’t regret it?”
She wilted a bit. “No. Because I meant it. I’m sorry. I know how hard you struggled to fully be the Reeds’ son and our cousin and family member. I know. I can’t explain it. I just never saw you as that to me. So, I guess I was offering you a choice. One you weren’t thrilled to receive.”
“What would you and everyone else think if you Flowers, Melanie and Lillian were the extent of my dating pool? Huh? That I was weird and possibly predatory.”
Her mouth compressed. “Your point is a good one. I can’t help my feelings. Believe me, I tried.”
“You did?”
She flipped her hair so it disrupted his view of her face. “I’m not a child or a teenager anymore. I’ve been in college for three years. I’ve gone out on many dates with many guys. I’ve attended endless parties where I was drunk and sober. I’ve hung out in social groups with plenty of guys. I’ve met them in classes and worked with them on projects. I’ve gone out and about the city with them. They were different from you in every way. Studious people who regularly attend the theater. One soldier was headed to the Middle East. Another was a training to be a diver on the US Olympic team. Yes. I’ve dated as much as any woman my age. I’m not unsure or trying to find myself. I know who I am. And yet, despite all of that, you still have the biggest effect on me.”
“Still?”
She lowered her head. “Still.”
“This is totally new to me to think of you like that.”
“Duh.” She scoffed.
“I never thought of you as a woman. Let alone, old enough to date me.”
“Again, obviously.”
“Well… give me a chance to figure it out. Maybe…” He sucked in some air for courage, then stood up straight and turned. He nudged her arm to make her look at him. “Maybe we could start by going out.”
“Going out?” Her eyebrows nearly reached her hairline.
“Yes. On a date. Get to know each other like friends, not cousins who share a ranch and our family lives only. Go out and we can see… whatever. At first, your revelation grossed me out, even shocked me but all I’ve done since then is obsessively consider it. Cami said if I were completely immune to the idea, I would not still be thinking about it. And searching for a way to find out. But here I am. And hell, let’s figure it out. I’m promising nothing. Zero expectations. Just an innocent date.”
“An innocent date?”
“Yes. Like our very first date. No expectations. No dread. I’m sure we’ve both been on our share of terrible or lukewarm first dates.”
“Yes.” A small smile touched her lips.
“Well, that’s a starting point. The only one I can see right now or manage to get my head around. If you wanted us to like… kiss, and start dating after your great revelation from last night, perhaps the way Charlie and Cami did? I’m sorry, but I can’t give that to you. However, I am open to—”
“A date.”
“Yeah.” His breath all but gushed out of him at once.
She nodded. “Okay, I’d like to try that. We could go on an ordinary, who-knows-what-to-expect, first date.”
“Okay.” His heart hammered but his breathing relaxed. Maybe he was more nervous than he realized. “How long before you go back to school?”
“I’m staying another three days.”
“So what about tomorrow night?”
“Yeah, sure. Is it a secret? Shall I meet you somewhere? What did you have in mind?”
“No. It’ll be a normal first date. I’ll pick you up here because this is where you live right now.”
“I appreciate your honesty, so it’s not a big deal with all the family dynamics. But I’m thinking because of Violet’s ordeal, maybe I could meet you somewhere? At your parents’ place or the bunk houses? Again, only thinking about my sister’s difficult recovery.”