The Daddy List

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Jonas, the youngest of the three brothers, closest to Daisy’s age of twenty-four, ripped a bandanna from around his neck and handed it to Maddox. “What’s got ya gushing?”

Grabbing the bandanna and wiping his eyes, he also blew his crooked nose before handing the bandanna back to Jonas. Daisy almost withered with embarrassment right there on her planked flooring.

Maddox told his brothers what Ollie had said to set him to laughing so hard he’d cried.

Grissom, whose nose had fresh purple-and-yellowish hues that now wound into a second curve, looked down his odd-shaped snout. “I thought we came up here to kick him into the hereafter.”

Despite the fact that Bass looked as if he was struggling to stay awake, he spoke up and informed the newly arrived brothers what all had been said, discussed and judgment passed on concerning his reason for being here. He focused the conversation on himself, targeting the possible threats only at him and not at her custody of Ollie.

Daisy really took in the sight of her dark-haired patient. Though weak and obviously tiring more each moment that passed, his blue eyes were full of kindness and unspoken defense of her. A wounded knight in tarnished armor. Yet he guarded her. Though reluctant to admit it to herself, she appreciated him doing so and finally accepted something from Bass Parker gratefully.

“Maddox here said he’d give me time to heal my shoulder before he decides whether or not to adjust my nose,” Bass finished. “I hope you two gentlemen will do the same.”

“Maddox? All that true?” Grissom exhaled a long breath that revealed he had been holding in a readiness to add his fists to a fight.

“True as boogers on bandannas,” Ollie announced before Maddox could reply.

Male laughter erupted in the room.

“Lord help us, child.” Daisy tried to keep a straight face. She didn’t know whether to laugh or be exasperated yet again. She wasn’t even sure if she meant keeping her in-laws at bay or getting her daughter raised. “Are any of us up to this challenge?”

Ollie pointed to their houseguest and leaned in to whisper to Daisy only. “Don’t worry, Mama. I’ll keep my eye on everybody. And I won’t let them hurt Bass, ’least ’til I make sure he ain’t the daddy I been askin’ God to send me.”

Chapter Five (#ulink_b9f2028a-9a08-571e-8a7c-47337cf9e4d9)

Bass woke Sunday morning sore but feeling better. The house was quiet and he wasn’t sure if anyone else was awake. He liked this time of day when he could review the previous day and set a goal for making this one work well for him.

But yesterday had been eventful. Of all the things that occurred, the one conclusion that came from it was to focus on getting to know Daisy Trumbo better so she’d let him fulfill his obligation. Let him make up for his role in Knox not coming home. What little she’d shared of herself so far intrigued him, and he had to admit he was grateful to have met the real woman to whom he owed the obligation.

He knew the Trumbo brothers were a huge challenge, and she faced them with great courage. He admired her bravery and liked that she stood her ground with them concerning her rights to keep and raise Ollie. Bass envied having a parent who was able to love that much. Negative thoughts concerning his own mother and father threatened to seep inside his musings, but he pushed them away. That was troubled water already crossed and no amount of wading through the memories would do anything but drown him in sorrow.

Focusing again on what he’d discovered about Daisy, he smiled at her stubborn spunk, her readiness to defend even him and the kindness of her heart. She’d been able to put aside what she disliked about him and was still willing to help him recover. Daisy was fair and just. It had been such a long time since he’d met anyone like her.

He even found her oddly striking in appearance and that surprised him most. Tall, slim, hair the color of harvest wheat, eyes the color of what? He wasn’t sure he had ever seen anything worth their comparison. He’d have to think about it awhile. For now, maybe he’d settle on the amber of the crystal chandelier that graced one of the mansions he’d visited in Biloxi on Plantation Row.

She just didn’t fit the description of any woman he’d ever shown any interest in before. His occasional choice of dinner companion, more often than not, was a dark-haired beauty of shorter stature and quick wit. Not that he’d had all that many social engagements.

From the time he was a boy he’d seen his parents use love as a weapon to turn on each other, so he didn’t want to love like that. Bass told himself if he hardened his heart then no one could hurt him and he would never anchor anyone down who wanted what he couldn’t and didn’t know how to give. He planned to focus solely on doing his duty and raising his sister. He would never allow his heart to love.

A rooster crowed shaking Bass from his reverie. He decided to see how much movement he could endure, hoping his injury would at least allow him to get out of these bloomers and dressed for the day.

Bass threw back the covers and sat up. Someone had redressed his wound last night and he had been too sedated to remember who. He’d have to be sure and thank Myrtle or even if it was the man named Teague.

The thought of the stranger and Petula spending time out in the barn yesterday urged Bass’s feet to shift over the side of the bed.

Too quick a movement. He steadied himself a moment before looking for the baggage that Maddox had dropped near the armoire. His own was still there. Petula must have taken hers sometime after the Trumbo men left.

He wanted to get dressed so he could discuss matters with her, and he’d feel much better doing that downstairs in the parlor. No matter how shaky he seemed, staying abed would never give him back his strength. He might not be able to travel far, but he’d heal quicker upright.

Bass stood, testing the strength in his legs. Though wobbly, he garnered his will to manage a slow walk across the room. An attempt to lift his baggage proved more than a little troublesome. The weight bit into his injured shoulder and forced him to simply take out the garments he needed and leave the rest alone to unpack when he felt more stable.

The walk back to the bed and exchanging the bloomers for trousers tired him. Bass gratefully sat on the edge of the bed again to catch his breath a moment before fastening the buttons on his shirt. His fingers trembled as he began the effort. Too much, too soon, he guessed. The doctor was right. He wouldn’t get far down the road like this.

A knock on the bedroom door surprised him. Someone else was awake. His fingers fumbled with the remaining buttons as he acknowledged, “Yes?”

“Mr. Parker, I heard you milling around. Please don’t overdo it today. We’ll be in town much of the morning, and I’m going to have to count on you to pretty much take care of yourself while we’re gone. Myrtle and I will have your breakfast ready in a few minutes. I hope you like buttered flapjacks.”

Daisy’s voice sounded excited, not at all tired from yesterday’s events. He did enjoy flapjacks and hadn’t eaten homemade ones in a long time. “Sounds wonderful. Thank you.”

“I’ll see to it that your sister’s awake and ready if she wants to go to church with the rest of us. I’m sure she’ll enjoy the gathering for the races. She’ll have an opportunity to meet some of the other young women in town.”

The races were today, he recalled. Something obviously important to the widow. Though he didn’t much care that Pet would be able to meet the young men as well, he knew he must start trusting his sister at some point. If he held her at too tight a rein, she would rebel. He couldn’t blame her for that. He’d done the same with their parents’ expectations of him, hadn’t he?

His mother and father had reminded him constantly that he was the reason they didn’t reach their goals or failed. He didn’t want Pet to end up feeling unworthy of being happy, as their criticism had often made him feel. Bass refused to become that hard-hearted or let Pet become the same.

Perhaps it was time to be a little lenient with Pet.

Time to dust off his own prayers and hope for the best.

Everyone would be gone for quite a while this morning, probably even the afternoon. That would give him plenty of time to properly groom himself without anyone trying to help. Maybe he could even manage to get his own breakfast and save them effort.

“Don’t trouble yourself for my sake,” Bass replied, looking forward to being alone. “I’ll see to my own care, Widow Trumbo. Go on with what you need to do to be on your way.”

“Hey, Bass,” a childlike voice added followed by a second knock. “Can I come in?”

He hurriedly finished the last button on his shirt. What did the little minx want now? “I’m dressed now. You may come in.”

A whispered argument echoed from the other side of the door before they finally opened it and entered.

Ollie stood there all decked out in a calico dress and Mary Jane shoes spit polished to a glossy black shine. Her blond hair had been brushed and tied back with a ribbon the color of bluebonnets in fresh bloom.

Daisy looked equally as becoming, outfitted in a lovely gray dress with lavender piping and buttons. A social acceptance of color to bring into play after at least two years of grieving, Bass remembered from his own experience after they’d lost their parents. Petula had hated wearing black and wanted to get to the lavender stage as quickly as possible.

This was probably Daisy’s Sunday best.

Her long braid had been pinned into a coil, making him assume she’d probably done that to keep her hair out of her face as she raced. In a dress?

He’d never really thought about how women raced. He knew it was all the rage back East for them to show their ability for sport as equally as men did, but apparently the trend had reached farther West. It didn’t quite seem fair that they were forced to participate with disadvantages men didn’t suffer.

Embarrassed that he’d just sat there staring at each of his hostesses, he needed to say something. “My, don’t you both look nice.”

Ollie took a seat in the chair beside him and frowned at her mother. “I look scrubbed, ya mean.”

“Olivia Jane, what do you do when someone gives you a compliment?”

“Oh yeah.” She stood abruptly, grabbed a hunk of calico at her hip and curtsied. “Thanks, Bass. I guess I...what do you big fellas call it? Cut mustard?”

“Muster. And you certainly do.” He imagined the lovely lady she would make someday if she ever allowed any boy to court her. Probably as lovely as her mother.

The child’s gaze swept from him to Daisy.

“Well, what about you, Mama?” she challenged. “He said ya look nice, too. What’choo gonna do about it?”

Daisy’s cheeks reddened as she bobbed quickly. “Thank you, Mr. Parker. That was kind of you to say so.”

It gave Bass an opening to finally express some of what he’d been thinking. “My pleasure, indeed, Mrs. Trumbo.”

Ollie sighed and wrinkled her nose. “Y’all just call each other Bass and Daisy, okay? Them long ol’ names make me tired. Why don’t y’all shake hands like me and Bass did, then y’all can be friends?”

Bass offered his first and Daisy slowly shared hers in return.

“Bass.” She squeezed gently in acknowledgment.

“Daisy.” He did the same with a sense of gladness. Another step in breaking the ice that might allow them to warm into friendship. He truly wanted to become her friend, someone she trusted. The urge to help her pulsed even stronger in his blood like a log heading into a fast current. “I hope you do well with your races.”

“Thank you.” Her hand lingered for a moment before slipping slowly from his.

When she turned and headed for the door, he fought the compulsion to tell her he would join her and the others at the breakfast table. To lengthen this truce between them. To spend more time talking with her about something of interest only to her. To learn anything she’d allow him to know that would give him a clue how he might best proceed with his plans concerning her and Ollie.

Daisy had set up strongly in his thoughts since he’d met her, allowing an old dream to resurface. Could such a woman like the widow actually turn his heart from stone? Could any woman for that matter?

Bass had prayed that such a woman might enter his life and teach him how to love, but the prayers went unanswered. Now so long denied, he scoffed at the idea. He’d known Daisy hours, not days. She despised him and wanted him gone. She’d made that clear. He willed the dream away, presuming he’d simply found some of her qualities fitting for the kind of woman that might have appealed to him had he made a list similar to Ollie’s.

Before he could get his thoughts back in line and offer to join the Trumbos for breakfast, Daisy turned and told Ollie, “Finish your business with Bass so we can let him rest and be on our way. Time’s wasting.”

There would be no lingering at breakfast. Bass focused on Ollie. “What business?”

Ollie left her chair, grabbed his hand and pulled him downward. “Can you get on your knees?”

She took to hers at the side of his bed. He joined her, even though it was mighty painful.

“Put your hands like this.” She pressed her palms together in front of her.

Bass did the same. Since his prayers went unanswered, he hadn’t been on his knees in a long time and suspected the discomfort was from more than being shot.

“Now bow your head, brother.” Ollie bumped her shoulder against him and winked. “That’s what they say in my church.”

Bass bowed his head and closed his eyes, anticipating what was about to be said. Another doozy of enlightenment, he supposed.

“Old Lord, me and Bass have come callin’ on Ya. We need Your help real bad.”

Bass stole a glance at her.

“And forgive him, Old Lord, for peepin’. Mama says we gotta conscience-trate when we pray. He might not know no better, just like me sometimes.”

His eye slammed shut.

“Ya see, Old Lord, my mama’s got it in her head that Bass needs the preacher to come callin’ and to say some kind of healin’ words over him. ’Fact, I heard her tell Myrtie what she’s gonna do since he can’t go to town with us is bring church back to him.”

Her voice got squeakier. “Gonna bring the preacher and some folks so he can get to know ’em! This is just too much for me, Old Sir.”

She sighed heavily. “I barely do good in one service, much less two, in the same day. Ya said somethin’ like if two of us ask, then that’ll get it done. So we’re askin’ and there’s two of us here. I counted. I knew Mama’d be mad if she heard me askin’ Ya, but I figured my friend—” she opened her eyes to stare pleadingly at Bass “—wouldn’t mind. He ain’t ready to meet some of these folks around here, and You and me both know it. And I ain’t ready for too much more preachin’, if Ya don’t mind. I’ll prob’ly forget some of it.”

Knowing he wasn’t prepared to meet others who might disapprove of his reasons for being in Daisy’s home, in any part of her life, and now in a truce with her, Bass whispered, “Amen to that.”

* * *

Tired from church services, the race and the level of interest stirred up by the leather wares she sold and took orders for after the race, Daisy almost wished she hadn’t asked Preacher Thistlewaite and the others to visit Bass this evening.

She needed to get started on making the shoes and boots as soon as possible. Most wanted them when they came back to see the final race at the end of the month and that would take a good deal of time to meet the deadline. What had she been thinking?

She could have just waited until Bass was strong enough to attend regular services himself, but she owed him this kindness until he felt better. Christian duty required her to treat him as she would have wanted to be treated under the same circumstances.

Daisy steered the team toward home, glad that it took only about fifteen minutes from town. Fortunately, Teague had rounded up Ollie out of the crowd and got her, Myrtle and Petula settled on the wagon before heading off to make sure the horde of visitors dispersed in a friendly manner.

Seemed he’d gotten news the sheriff and the posse were on their way back empty-handed, so he was going to stick around until they returned and keep things on an even keel.

Petula finally broke her silence that had lingered on the ride home. “Sorry you didn’t win the race.”

Daisy shrugged. “Second place allows me to be in the next round, so that’s all right with me. As long as I place in the top five each time, I’ve got a real chance to win the big purse in the last one. That’s when all the finalists compete against each other.”

“Bass will be sorry he missed this. He’ll want to see you run when he’s better and can watch.” Petula fanned herself and offered a compliment. “He’s always admired women who aren’t afraid of showing all they’re capable of. If he ever marries he’ll choose someone like that. Not that I think he will. He’s pretty much set on not taking a bride. Me? I plan to marry a man who’ll make me respect him and want nothing else but to be his wife. No man I can wrap up in knots, that’s for sure.”