by Kaye, Laura
Should she just go to the party and assume he’d be there?
That didn’t feel right.
Unsure what else to do, she called Billy.
“No, I haven’t heard from him,” Billy said. “Everything okay?”
“Uh, yeah,” she said, probably not convincingly. “I was just trying to see if he wanted a ride out to Noah’s.”
“Sorry I couldn’t help,” Billy said. “We’re almost there. Shayna says she can’t wait to see you.”
“Same here,” she said, and then they hung up.
Staring at the back of his house, she debated, then dialed Mo.
“Hey, Mo, it’s Dani.”
“Hey, Dani,” he said. “It’s good to hear from you.”
There was something in his voice, and she just knew. “He’s with you.”
“Yeah. And he’s not in a good way.” His words filled her with both relief and sadness. “You know why that is?”
“Yes,” she said.
“I see.” His tone communicated a whole lot more. Like, that he knew she had something to do with Sean’s demeanor.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“We’re at Noah’s. You gonna come fix whatever this is?”
She was already backing out of Sean’s yard. “I’m gonna try, Moses.”
No, she was going to do more than that. She was going to explain herself. She was going to tell him how she really felt. She was going to fight for Sean Riddick with everything that she had.
Chapter Twenty
Sean was shit for company, and that was a massive fuckin’ understatement. But Mo had dragged his ass to this party, which Sean had only gone along with since the guy had put up with Sean crashing at his place in the middle of the night without really telling him why.
Now Sean was sitting in a lawn chair surrounded by his friends who were all laughing and talking and trying to pretend like they couldn’t tell he was absofuckin’lutely wrecked. At least nobody was asking him what was wrong. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to say even if they did.
Because, Jesus, he couldn’t get the devastated look on Dani’s face out of his head. His gut was a noxious mess because of it. And his brain was right back to that old place. You always, always hurt the people you care about, Riddick. This time, you messed up spectacularly and hurt the woman you love. And now you may never get to tell her that you love her in the first place.
He really hadn’t meant to open that damn letter.
He’d been nervously wandering her living room, looking at her pictures. He’d been to her place a few times before for different WFC get-togethers, but he hadn’t ever paid too close attention to her pictures. Now, though, he knew who these people were. There was a picture of Dani in a cap and gown with an older couple who were probably her father’s parents. There was young Dani with a man who she strongly resembled. He had to be her dad. There was another with her as a teenager at what looked like some kind of festival with an older lady who he guessed was Granny. And then there was one of her and a good-looking guy, both of them in army uniforms. Sean leaned in for a closer look. Both of them had the name ‘England’ on their patches. Her husband.
That was when he’d planted his ass on the couch. Because he felt like maybe he was snooping and he didn’t want to upset her, especially given the way she’d looked when he got there—like a shell of her normal self. He’d already been worried out of his mind about her, if he were being honest, and then he’d arrived to find that she’d obviously been crying. Just as he feared, something had been really wrong, and he’d been kicking himself for not just coming over sooner.
All that was going through his head when he’d realized he was sitting on something. And when he pulled the envelope out from under himself, it caught on the button of the back pocket of his cargo shorts and ripped all the hell open.
At first, he wasn’t sure what it was, and then the page inside the envelope shifted out enough for Sean to make out a few words: I hope you never have to read this and that we get to grow old and gray together. But if that’s not the way the chips fall, then know I loved you to the very end and beyond. —Anthony
Nauseating words, because he knew exactly what this letter was—the last letter. And he couldn’t fucking believe he’d ruined it.
And then she’d accused him of reading it. Of barging into her life unwelcome.
She’d asked him to get out.
He hadn’t been able to go home because his house was now too filled with memories of her. So he’d ended up at Mo’s.
A hand fell on his shoulder, and Sean flinched.
“Sorry,” Shayna said, concern plain on her face. She tucked a red curl behind her ear. “Can I get you something?”
He attempted a smile. “No, Shay. Thanks, though.”
She leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek, and then she squeezed his shoulder and moved on without making a fuss that drew more attention his way. He really appreciated that.
He tried to at least appear interested in the conversation around him. Mo and Billy showed off the tattoos of griffins they both got to celebrate their new security firm, and Tara was entertaining everyone with her scarily encyclopedic knowledge of trivia, in this instance, about the real creature that mythological griffins were based on.
And that was when Sean saw Daniela come out the back door of the Cortez’s house. Wearing a little black dress that looked kinda like a long T-shirt and those black Converse and dark sunglasses, her hair sleeked back in a ponytail. God, she was sexy and gorgeous and—really fuckin’ angry at him.
She stood on the back deck and surveyed the party-goers, a mix of Noah’s WFC friends and his parents’ friends and neighbors, and Sean knew it the instant her gaze landed on him. Not just because she started heading his way, but because he felt it. Whatever that magnetism was between them remained despite the fact that he’d royally fucked up.
Dani said quick hellos as people noticed and stopped her, but she didn’t linger in any of those conversations. She just kept moving in his direction, and he had no clue exactly what was coming at him—nor was he sure he wanted to find out in front of all these fine people.
No superhero here, and all that.
So he got up and started threading around the outside of their group, and still she made for him. And then she was right there in front of him. “Can we talk?”
He hesitated.
She lifted her sunglasses on top of her head. Her eyes weren’t swollen and red like they’d been last night, but that wasn’t to say that she looked good exactly. She still looked upset, which made that boulder in his gut even heavier. “Please?”
“Uh, I don’t know, Dani,” he said, moving away from the group. Not really wanting everyone to hear what a shitty thing he’d done. Not wanting her to hand him his ass at this particular moment after he’d been doing such a stellar job kicking it himself. “Now’s probably not the best time.”
“When, then? I’ve been calling and texting.”
She had? He’d turned his phone off last night after he left her place and hadn’t turned it back on again, figuring it wouldn’t matter anyway. He frowned. “Yeah, sounds like me the day before.”
Dani ducked her chin and nodded, and man if he didn’t feel like an asshole. “I know,” she said, “and I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me, Daniela. You don’t owe me anything.” Sean powered on his phone, surprised when a barrage of missed calls and message notifications popped up, but he swiped past those and thumbed on the ride app. It was going to cost him a fuck-ton of cash to get from where the Cortezes lived out here near Mount Vernon back into the city but leaving was for the best.
“Wait, what are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m gonna head out,” he said, waiting for the frustratingly slow app to load. He walked a few paces away, hoping to pick up another bar and get a stronger signal.
“Stay,” she said.
The word tugged at something inside his ch
est, even as the app finally loaded and he hit the button to request a pick-up. Surprisingly, there was a car only five minutes away. He shook his head. “My ride’s gonna be here in five. I gotta go say my good-byes.”
He went to the picnic table where most of the WFC gang—Mo, Billy, Shayna, Noah, Kristina, Jud, Jesse, and Tara—were all laughing at some story that Jud was telling, his southern drawl loud and animated. Sean braced his hands on Mo’s big shoulders. “I’m sorry to say this, but I’m gonna go. I’m not…feeling great.”
As everyone called out their regrets and sympathies, Mo peered over his shoulder. “You sure you need to go?”
“Yeah, man.”
Frowning, Mo nodded. “You need a ride?”
“No, you stay and enjoy. I’m covered.” He gave everyone a wave, but when he turned to leave, Dani was standing just a few feet away. “See ya, D.”
“Sean,” she said, catching his arm with her hand.
“I don’t want to fight, Dani.”
“I don’t want to fight, either,” she said, following him.
“Then what do you want?” he asked, not stopping.
“I want you to stay and talk to me,” she said, and he had to admit that there was something in the tone of her voice that tempted him to consider it. Because she sounded upset, but she didn’t sound angry.
Even so, this still wasn’t the place. He sighed. “My car’s gonna be here in two minutes.”
“Forget the car, Sean.”
He rounded on her. “I’m trying not to barge in on your life here.”
She nearly crashed into him and had to put a hand on his chest to catch herself. “I deserved that.”
“Fuck, no you didn’t, which is why I’m fuckin’ leaving.” He walked away, aware that they were attracting attention now.
“What if I don’t want you to go?” she called as he reached the side of the house.
Not wanting to let anymore of his hurt spew out on her, he just waved a hand.
“Sean!”
He kept going.
“What if I fucking love you?” she yelled.
Sean froze. His heart was a sudden freight train in his chest. Slowly, he turned and nailed her with a stare. “What did you say?”
Her black eyes were glassy and filled with so much emotion. “I said I fucking love you, Sean Riddick.”
He was a thousand per cent aware that the party had gone silent behind Dani, but all he could see was her. His pulse beat so hard he felt it against his skin and heard it in his ears. “Don’t say something you don’t mean, Daniela.”
“I mean it.” She hugged herself. “I love you, and I’m so sorry that I yelled at you. I said things I didn’t mean and—”
He stalked toward her. Just walked right up and took her into his arms. “Say it again.”
Her lower lip quivered. “I love you.” He saw the truth of it in her eyes. Heard it in her voice.
It nearly took him to his knees. “Jesus Christ, Dani. I fuckin’ love you, too.” He kissed her then, and it was a kiss unlike any he’d ever had. It was filled with passion and heat—the stuff they’d always been good at. But in the way she touched his face and held fast to his shoulder, he felt claimed. No, more than that, he felt wanted for the first time in his whole damn life. When they finally broke apart, Sean shook his head. “The envelope ripped on my shorts, D. I swear to God I didn’t try to read it.”
Still holding him tight, she pressed a kiss to his lips. “It wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have taken out how I was feeling on you. I know it was really unfair. Yesterday…yesterday was the anniversary of my husband’s death. It’s always been a hard day for me, in part because I’d never opened his last letter—”
“Oh, Jesus, Dani. I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”
She cupped his cheek in her hand, and it was so sweet he couldn’t resist pressing against her touch. “Stop, please,” she said. “You couldn’t have known any of this. I could’ve told you but I didn’t because I was all up in my head about it. Confused because of how I was feeling about you when I’d convinced myself that I would never put myself out there this way again. I’d already decided I was going to read the letter, so you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I don’t want to hurt you. Not ever,” he said, appreciating her honesty and reassurance.
“I don’t ever want to hurt you, either. But here’s the thing, we’re gonna mess up sometimes, but if we promise to stay and talk it out, we’ll get through it. You know?” she asked, smiling at him with what looked like hope in her eyes.
Damn, he felt that, too. “Yeah? I can do that. I’d do anything for you. Jesus,” he said, resting his forehead against hers, “I can’t believe you love me.”
“Get used to it, Riddick, you’re stuck with me.”
His grin was immediate. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.” He kissed her again, deep and slow and thoroughly.
And that was when the applause and cat calls started.
They broke apart to find their friends losing their ever-loving minds. Clapping and cheering and on their feet—Billy and Noah actually stood on top of one of the picnic tables. Shayna and Tara were hugging each other and batting away happy tears.
“It’s about damn time,” Mo called, raising a beer. That set off another round of pandemonium.
Daniela laughed. “I guess we should go join the party. I think the secret’s out.”
He smirked. “Ya think? Anyway, no dice. I want you all to myself. Wave good-bye.”
“What?”
“Wave good-bye to all the nice people.”
“What do you—”
Sean lifted her into a fireman’s carry over his shoulder, then waved to his friends who were now laughing their asses off. Not that he minded one bit.
“Sean!” Dani yelled—though there was laughter in there, too. “Put me down!”
“Not a chance, D,” he said, feeling better than he’d felt maybe ever. He couldn’t believe what was happening but he wasn’t wasting a minute questioning it. Not when he had everything he wanted right here in his arms.
“But what about the fireworks?” she said. “We should at least stay for the fireworks.”
He guffawed. “Oh, there’ll be fireworks, all right, Daniela. I guaranfuckin’tee it. You just tell me how many fireworks you want and I’ll make sure you have them.” An SUV was waiting in the driveway. Perfect timing.
As he approached it, Dani smacked his butt. “Geez, wait a sec. What about my car?”
Sean stopped in his tracks. “Oh. Oh, shit. I didn’t think of that.” He went up to the passenger window of the SUV and gestured for the guy to put down the window. “Hey, sorry man, my bad. I don’t need the ride anymore, but…hang on.”
“Oh, my God, put me down,” Dani said, humor and murder plain in her voice.
He retrieved his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out a couple of twenties. “For your trouble.” The driver laughed, thanked him, and pulled away.
“I can’t believe you just talked to that dude while carrying me around like a damn caveman,” Dani said.
Sean just laughed and carried her the rest of the way to her car, parked along the edge of the yard under the shade of some big trees. He put her down so that she sat on the car’s hood near the driver’s door, then stepped between her legs, his hands on her hips.
“Jesus, D, is this really happening?” he asked.
“Yeah, I think it is.” She smiled, and she was so fuckin’ pretty it stole his breath. How the hell had he gotten so lucky?
“We can stay and watch the fireworks if you want,” he said.
She shook her head, her gaze suddenly full of heat. “I’d prefer your kinda fireworks.”
“Is that right?”
She grinned and took his cheek in her hand. “Mmhmm. What’s the line? ‘This is a face I’d be happy to sit on’…?”
The ‘Deadpool’ reference made Sean throw back his head and laugh. But what really left a lasting impression o
n him about that moment was that she’d chosen a quote that had been all about Vanessa’s unconditional acceptance and love of Deadpool, ugly-ass scars and all. And that was when, if he hadn’t known it already, Sean became totally and completely sure that Daniela England was the only woman for him.
“Damn, I love you,” he said, kissing her until she was fisting her hands in his shirt.
Panting, she said, “You realize it’s gonna take forever in 4th of July traffic to get home.”
“Shit, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“That’s because all of your blood flow has traveled south.” She palmed his hard-on.
“That’s fuckin’ true,” he said, groaning at her touch.
He peered down toward the dead-end of the street on which the Cortezes lived. Her gaze followed his. That’s where his truck had been parked for Noah’s Halloween party, the first time they’d ever gotten together….
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“Are you game?” he challenged.
Like giddy, reckless teenagers, they moved the car to the mostly hidden dead end. Annnd that was how they ended up still being at Noah’s house when the actual fireworks went off an hour later. Not that they could see them very well from Dani’s tiny back seat. Neither of them complained.
They’d come full circle in a way that Sean could hardly believe. Somehow, he’d gotten knocked off of his ass and right into the arms of the best woman he’d ever known. What was between them was intense and powerful and brand new and red hot. But this was one fire that Sean Riddick had absolutely no intentions of fighting. Not now. Not ever.
Chapter Twenty-One
Three months later…
Dani finished loading the last of her dinnerware into Sean’s kitchen cabinets and tossed aside the empty boxes. Well, their kitchen cabinets now.
Just like everything else about their relationship, the weeks following Noah’s party had been an absolute whirlwind, and by the end of the summer, Sean had invited her to move in. After years of putting up walls against all the things she wanted, Dani had been surprised to find that she was just as eager as Sean to wake up together every morning and go to bed together every night. Or, at least, the nights and mornings that one or the other of them didn’t work—because Sean had gotten a clean bill of health on his eye and was back out there fighting fire. So Dani had given notice on her apartment and moved in as October brought a crispness to the fall air.