Chevron

Chapter 6

The doubtful glance shared between Daisy and Chevron went unnoticed by the little boy.

"Why do you?" Jake asked as he moved towards the old man, his gaze fixed on the cast supporting his arm.

The old colonel shrugged. "Well, sometimes you need expert advice."

Daisy slowly turned back to Chevron with a small smile on her lips as gratitude shone in her eyes, turning them into the sweetest honey. "Thank you for inviting us," she said.

Chevron gave her a nod in acknowledgement, an uncomfortable heat slowly rising along the back of his neck. "We best move soon though," he muttered, his voice sounding a tone lower than normal. "It'll get warmer as the day goes."

Daisy's eyes widened. "Oh, yes, of course."

She turned to call for her son, who was deeply engrossed in conversation with the old man, when an unfamiliar car came driving along the road. Chevron's face pulled into a frown as the black BMW rolled to a stop before them, and a young man stepped out the driver's side.

He couldn't have been more than thirty years of age with milk chocolate locks and deep emerald eyes. His skin was clear of any blemish, and he wore a neatly pressed suit. When he smiled, his lips revealed a perfect set of too-white teeth.

Chevron's gaze moved to look at the man's hands. He was definitely the kind of person who sat behind a desk all day. His hands looked like they belonged to a lady.

"Good morning," the man greeted with an award-winning smile as he approached them, confidence clearly shown in his gait.

Daisy blinked at the newcomer and offered him a small smile, not noticing the way Chevron watched her reaction closely.

The young man's gaze lingered on her for a moment before turning to look at the old colonel. "Good morning, Gramps."

"Morning, William," Colonel Reed huffed in reply. "I see you were in no delay to get here."

The colonel's grumpiness didn't deter William's joyful mood at all. "Of course, I won't delay coming here, Gramps. You know how Mom and Dad feel about you living alone. I figured I might as well get the ball rolling."

"Yes, so you can fill your pocket," the colonel scoffed.

William sent his grandfather the tiniest glare before his charming smile returned to his face. "So, Gramps, are you going to introduce me, or must I do so myself?"

Colonel Reed rolled his eyes before sighing heavily. "Tracy and Revlon, this is my grandson William. He's selling my house," he introduced with absolutely no enthusiasm.

William's smile broadened as he took hold of the young woman's hand. "Lovely to meet you, Tracy."

"It's Daisy, actually," she corrected with a small smile as she gestured to the silent man standing a few paces from her, "and that's Chevron."

William's eyes finally seemed to notice the older man, and the first thing he spotted were the scars edging out from under his dark hair, which covered his left eye. His muscles were clearly visible through the long-sleeved shirt as he crossed his arms over his chest, the one hand holding an axe. He stood a head taller than William, causing the charismatic man to feel more than a little intimidated. His one visible eye, although unreadable, seemed able to read him better than a lie detector.

Daisy's sweet voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned to look back at her. "I'm sorry?" he asked, realizing that Daisy had removed her hand from his.

"I was asking why you're selling your grandfather's place?" she repeated, curiosity shining in her caramel eyes.

William blinked, trying to recollect his thoughts. "Oh, well, my parents have been worried about Gramps staying on his own for quite some time now. When we heard he broke his arm, they decided it was getting too dangerous for him not to have someone nearby."