Zed walked out onto the patio. It had been over a year since Leo remembered seeing his teammate looking so healthy.
“Where’s Lulu?” Kane wanted to know.
“Inside with Marcia. I don’t think the ladies are going to let her out of their sight any time soon. Met your woman, Leo. Lulu went to her like she was a kid magnet. Says a lot about her. What’s the scoop on her?”
“First, tell me about you,” Leo asked. “Has the doc cleared you to come back to the team?”
“My doctor has. I have an appointment with the team doctor on Monday. Gentlemen,” Zed’s grin was huge, “I believe I will be back.”
Kane slapped the big man on the back.
Raiden shook his hand.
Leo bumped fists with him.
Considering the fact that they had almost lost Zed, this was really good news.
“So tell me the scoop on Daisy. I like her,” Zed said.
“He is all dreamy about her. He’ll be in the middle of a conversation with us and lose track because he’s thinking about her.”
“Ah, God, he’s thinking about marriage,” Zed said knowingly.
It was hell when your friends knew you so well.
“So what if I am? Seems to me it’s worked out all right for you.”
“If you find the right woman, I highly recommend it.” Zed paused. “Have you?”
“One hundred percent.”
26
“I had a great time last night,” Daisy said as she pulled her clothes out of his dryer.
“So did I.” Leo’s hands snuck around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “Are you sure you can’t extend your stay one more day? We could spend it in bed…”
“Don’t make me drop my clean clothes,” she admonished.
He bit her earlobe. When her hands released the clothes, he caught them.
“You’re hell on my concentration, Leo.”
“Right back at you.”
He carried the clothes into his bedroom and she following him. He set them down next to her suitcase and they both started folding them in silence.
She didn’t want to leave, either. This had been the best week of her entire life.
“Daisy, maybe I could come and visit you next weekend?”
She dropped whatever it was she was folding.
“I would love that. Can you?”
“We’re less than four hours away from one another. I don’t see why I can’t come up on Friday night and leave on Sunday.”
“You don’t mind?”
“I told you, always and forever. That includes a four-hour drive,” he grinned.
She launched herself at him and he hugged her close. She tipped up her chin, her eyes glowing with another idea. “I could fly down here and maybe telecommute a couple of days and then have the evenings free and then the weekend.”
“That would work. Why don’t you leave all of your clothes here?”
She loved that. She loved that a lot. “Can’t. These aren’t clothes I would choose to leave long-term. That would be a whole different set of clothes. Those would be the long-term, man-of-my-life clothes,” she teased.
He pulled her into his arms, his lips a mere breath away from hers. “I love you, Daisy Squires.” Her heart melted. She believed him.
“I love you too, Leo. With everything in me. You are the best man I have ever known. I just hope I can be good enough for you.”
He squeezed her tighter and kissed her. It was electric; he touched every part of her body, bringing her to life. She wound her arms around his neck, trying to get closer. He groaned. The world shimmered and swirled with unimaginably bright colors. He finally released her. “Dammit, we don’t have time for more.”
She rested her head on his chest. They didn’t. Daisy so wanted to meet the woman who raised this impressive man. The woman who had helped him give her this beautiful St. Christopher medal.
“Go get me a glass of water, I’ll finish packing.”
“You’re thirsty? Juice, maybe?”
“I just need you away from me for sixty seconds so I can finish this in peace, otherwise I’m going to pin you to this bed.” Her body was achy and greedy.
“I’m going, I’m going,” he laughed.
She folded her clothes and packed them into her suitcase at record speed. She was zipping up her suitcase when he came back with some tomato juice. “You need your strength.”
“To meet your mother?” she raised her eyebrow.
“To replenish all the vitamins and nutrients you lost last night.”
She giggled and drank down her juice.
Gloria Perez was even smaller than Daisy was. Imagine that. And she gave birth to seven children, one as big as Leo? Amazing. They were sitting in her kitchen as she was doling out the blackberry cobbler that she had made.
“This is for tonight’s dessert, but since you can’t make it for tonight’s dinner, you get it now.” Gloria smiled.
“Where’s mine, Mama?” Leo griped.
“There’s a pudding cup in the fridge that you can have.” She waved to the fridge, not even looking at her youngest son. “You’ll have cobbler after dinner like the rest of the family. Daisy gets hers now.”
Daisy took a bite and moaned. “This is delicious.”
“It is my mother’s recipe. She used lime juice.”
“I don’t know what she did, but you could sell it to restaurants.” She took another big scoop.
“Would you like some ice cream?” Gloria asked.
“No,” Daisy answered. “I don’t want anything that would dilute the taste of this.”
“I’ve researched your charity. I can’t believe all the things it has accomplished. I’ve already made a donation.”
Daisy sputtered and grabbed her napkin.
“You didn’t have to do that, Mrs. Perez.”
“I told you to call me Gloria. And yes, I did. I think this is my new favorite charity, after St. Jude’s of course. Those girls you
