Page 127 of The Heartbreaker

“Like this?” She positioned the blades exactly where my fingers had been.

“Just like that.”

“Ugh,” she grunted as she cut the first one. “That was so tough.”

I smiled at her. “Now that it’s trimmed, you’re going to place the flower in the vase.”

When she dropped the stem in, the water made a plopping noise, and she giggled. “Pretty!”

I lifted the remaining stalks; there had to be at least twenty. “You’re going to do the same thing to all of these.”

“Yay!” She took one from my hand and cut it without needing any direction, dropping it in the water and picking up the next. “What if I cut it wrong?”

She was doing the angle correctly, so she must have meant at what point in the stem it needed to be cut.

“It’s okay if the stems are different lengths.” I had her slice one a little longer. “It’ll give the boutique some dimension when it’s all done. That means, because the tops of the flowers won’t all land in the same spot, they’ll almost make the shape of a dome, so you’ll get to see the details of every part of the flower.”

“Can I see it now?”

I twirled her ponytail around my finger. “You can, but you won’t see the full effect until you’re done.”

As she continued to shorten the stems, she said, “Daddy, does this count as my chores? Because this is hard work. I’m building a dome.”

He was sitting on one of the barstools with a tablet in front of him. I didn’t think he was actually using it because if he was, I wouldn’t be able to feel his eyes. And since I’d been standingat the sink, I’d been feeling them bore through me, my skin remaining hot even though I wasn’t looking at him.

“No, little one, you still have to do your chores.”

Daisy sighed. “Addy, I have to move so many things from the washer to the dryer once it stops shaking and spinning. And I have to fold everything when it comes out all hot. The towels are bigger than me! And I fold them into little rectangles and make them in a big pile, and sometimes, the pile collapses, and I have to do it all over again.”

“Sounds like you’re a huge help,” I told her.

“No”—she shook her head—“Daddy’s making me do it for Taylor. He says I have to be on my best behavior for her, so I’m trying real hard.”

The things that came out of kids’ mouths constantly made me laugh, especially in a relaxed setting like this. “Who’s Taylor? A friend of yours or …”

“Swiiift.” She dragged it out for several beats. “I want to go to her concert. It’s very important. She sings about me, and I have to hear her sing that song. But not just that song. I know every word of every song, and I can’t wait. I told Daddy I’ll fold towels for the rest of my life if he takes me.”

“She sings a song about you?” I asked.

“‘You’re on Your Own, Kid!’”She set another flower in the vase. “She talks about a Daisy, and it’smeee.”

“It’s you, huh?” I teased.

“It can’t be about another Daisy,” she replied. “I’m theonlyDaisy.”

“There are millions of other Daisys, honey. I hate to tell you, but you’re not the only one,” Ridge said. “And I’m not saying that to upset you. I just want you to know there are other people who share your name.”

“That’s not fair,” she whined. “I wanna be the only one.”

I set the rest of the flowers on the counter and put my hands on her shoulders and turned her toward me. “There are too many people on this planet to have a name that no one else has, but you know what can make you unique and different from everyone else?”

Her shoulders rose, no longer slumping. “What?”

“Your personality. The way you treat people and make them feel. The things you can do for this world and everyone who lives in it.” I gently tickled the center of her cheeks, and she giggled. “I bet, Miss Daisy, that you’re going to do some incredible things because you have the kindest heart, just like your dad, and you’re giving and sensitive, and you care so deeply about others.”

“I’m all of those things?”

“Yes, you are.” I raked back the little pieces of hair that had fallen from her elastic. “So, even though you share a name, it doesn’t matter. Because Daisy Cole isn’t just going to be a name one day, it’s going to be a statement.”