“Thank you, Slade. I mean it.”
I turned, meeting Mim eye to eye. “You going to be okay?”
She nodded, her bottom lip sucked between her teeth.
“If you need me for anything, just let Rocky or Slade know, and they’ll give me a call. Okay?”
Again, she nodded, then threw her arms around my neck and gave me a long, hard squeeze—her way of communicating that she’d be okay.
Dear God, who knew hugs could be so life-altering.
Mim clung to me until Rocky barreled through the double doors and skidded to a halt, crashing into the table. “Mim! Guess what? I got you a present. Come on, it’s in Mom’s office.”
Without another glance my way, she shimmied out of the booth and disappeared.
Slade slid her fingers through mine, offering a reassuring squeeze. “So, we’ll be here for an hour or so, then we’ll head to the beach for a bit, then to the mansion. Lettie is excited to see her.”
“How’s Leticia doing?”
“Putting on a brave face. Tucker hasn’t left her side, so that helps. Having the kids around will brighten her spirits. She loves being a grandma. Oh, and Dane’s been a huge help, taking care of everything around the house since he came back. Even the grocery shopping.”
My heart squeezed at the mention of his name. Dane had gone Defcon 1 after we’d arrived in Whisper Springs two days ago. He’d helped us settle into the apartment I’d rented. Helped direct the movers when they’d arrived, then kissed me goodbye, gave Mim a hug, and said he had work to do. Been a no-show since.
I knew he’d taken the whole, “surprise, you’re a daddy,” news a bit hard. We’d barely spoken of our recent bombshell on the flight back to Whisper Springs, and honestly, I couldn’t blame him for being distant. I hadn’t a clue how to handle the situation either. We hardly knew each other.
Slade turned to leave, but I grabbed her arm, desperate for any bit of information. “How well do you know Dane?” I blurted.
Brow quirked, she smiled. “I’ve known him since we were kids. His cousin, Addy, and I were besties all through high school.” She seemed to lose focus, her gaze drifting over my shoulder. “Under that tough shell, he’s a big softie. Too bad I’m the only one who’s ever seen that side of him.”
I’d seen it, too. Still, I asked, “How do you mean?”
She studied the table, then grabbed a napkin and started to twist. “He saved my life once.”
“Is that why there’s so much tension between him and Tango?”
“You picked up on that, huh?”
“Hard to miss.”
Slade gnawed on the corner of her thumb, a contemplative gaze aimed over my shoulder. “Tango and Dane will never be buddies.” A loud exhale and her bright blue eyes met mine. “Dane’s had a hard life. But he’s one of the best guys I know. Mim recognizes the good in him. God, the way she took to him. Blows me away, really. But don’t tell him I said that. He likes making people believe he’s indestructible.”
Slade’s words came breathy and light, and I was shamefully jealous of the connection she shared with Dane. With a bitter taste in my mouth, I asked, “Were you two ever a couple?”
“Oh. No. No.” She laughed. “Tango and I have been joined at the hip since we were kids. There was never anyone else for me.”
“I’m sorry.” Not sorry. Not sorry at all. “I just assumed, you know, because I’ve seen the way he looks at you. His eyes go soft.”
“We have history. Not romantic, but epic, nonetheless. But that’s a story only Dane can tell.”
“Why?”
“Dane is…well… His life is… um…” She huffed. “Listen. It’s not my place to say. What I do know, though, is that when he brought Mim here, he had no intention of staying in Whisper Springs. But then you came to town, and boom, he decides to stay. Which, honestly, makes me happy. He needs roots. He needs to settle. He deserves some normal.”
“Normal?”
A rosy glow spread across her cheeks. “Oh, God. I’ve said too much. I’m sorry. Anyway. I should go check on the kids.” She scooted out of her seat, leaned my way, and squeezed my shoulder. “Good luck today. You look gorgeous by the way.”
I looked down at my chest, brushed a crumb away, then smoothed the skirt on my cobalt sheath dress. “Thanks again, Slade.”
I watched her bounce toward the kitchen with that ever-present spring in her step, took one last bite of my hash browns, then made my way out the door. The cowbell rattled a cheery tune, setting the mood for my first day at my new job.
I made it to my rental car when a loud rumble shook the ground. A large, loud, black and chrome motorcycle pulled up to the diner, driven by a man wearing a black leather vest, mean muscles, and a lethal dose of badass vibes.
He shut down his motor, removed his helmet, revealing a bald head, then dismounted his bike. A quick glance around, and he headed inside.
I couldn’t make out the words on his vest, but the skull and snake design was clear enough. I’d heard of motorcycle clubs. I’d never paid them much mind, aside from my two months of binge-watching Sons of Anarchy, and the sight of that biker, the dangerous vibe he wore, sent a shiver of excitement across my skin.
Oh, God. What was wrong with me?
I shimmied into the car, careful not to dirty my dress or scuff my shoes, and headed off toward yet another new adventure.
# # #
The night sky sparkled, tiny dots of brilliant light beaming down at us. Mim lay with her feet dangling over my stomach, her hands tucked behind her head, lips pursed while she studied the tapestry of onyx and gold hanging overhead. Our new deck was the perfect spot for stargazing, and since I had no outdoor furniture, we’d made a comfy bed of blankets and pillows to stretch our legs and enjoy the summer breeze.
My day had been an exhausting whirlwind of introductions, paperwork, and shadowing Carlos Rossi’s assistant, Lisa. Tango had checked in every so often, giving me small tasks, and helping me get acquainted with the company software.
Tempted as I had been to come clean about my surprise pregnancy, I wasn’t ready to share my personal news with those outside the immediate need to know.
Terrified as I was of pending motherhood, I couldn’t deny being over the moon, bursting with joy, knowing there was a life growing inside me.
“Mim.” I reached over the pillow and brushed a chunk of hair off her face. “I have to tell you something.”
She shifted, her heel digging into my ribs, her bright eyes meeting mine.
I smiled. She smiled.
“I know the timing is terrible, and you and I are only getting to know each other, but we’re family, and I love you more than I’ve ever loved anybody, and I’m so happy we found each other. But. I. Well.” I laid my hands over my stomach, right above where her ankles rested. “I’m going to have a baby, Mim. You’re going to be a big—”
Mim bolted to the upright position, crab walking backward, away from me. She shook her head, eyes closed, mouthing, no, no, no.
I sat up, too, and reached for her, only to have my hand shoved away.
Heart racing, I reached again, then stopped short at the swell of tears in her eyes.
“What is it, sweetie? You can tell me.”
Mim pushed to hands and knees, then glared up at me, so broken. So lost. So…angry. With a grunt, she was on her feet, chest rising and falling in short bursts, hands fisted. Hair hung over her eyes, lips curled in a snarl, the girl was feral, sending a shiver through me. She raised her foot, as if preparing to send a swift kick to my gut, and for a split second, I feared she would follow through. Instead, she turned and kicked a pillow, sending it against the glass door.
“Mim!”
Face red, lips set in a tight line, she ran inside, down the hall, and into her bedroom, slamming the door.
I willed my racing heart to steady, took three cleansing breaths, and tried to understand the swift mood change, coming up with nothing. Not a damn thing.
; With trembling hands, I gathered our bedding and headed inside, scrambling to find the right words, fearful I’d just undone all the forward progress we’d made.
# # #
“I don’t know what to do. She won’t come out of her room. She won’t eat. Won’t look at me. If I try to touch her, she freaks. Please. I don’t know where you and I stand right now, and that’s okay, but please. She needs you.” I hung up the phone, praying Dane would listen to my voicemail. The texts I’d sent through the night had gone unread, and I feared without his help, I’d lose that little girl forever.
I paced the living room. Downed a glass of water. Plopped my ass outside Mim’s door. Checked my phone. Checked again. Curled into a ball and cried. Two minutes later, I ran to the bathroom to vomit for the third time.
Of course, when I was at my worst, clinging to the toilet, Dane showed up. His heavy footfalls tracked the living room, the kitchen, then made their way down the hall, paused at the bathroom door, then continued. Mim’s door opened, then closed.
Three deep breaths and I forced myself to stand straight, splash water on my face, and run a toothbrush over my teeth. On rubber legs, I made my way to Mim’s door, leaned against the wall, then slunk to the ground, wrung out like a dirty dish rag.
Dane’s thick voice carried through the walls, a calming vibrato, easing the weight on my shoulders.
Half an hour later, he emerged, closing the door behind him, and bending to scoop me off the ground. “C’mon. You need to get ready for work.”
“How can I leave when she’s like this?”
“I got her.” He set me on my feet in the bedroom.
“Today. Sure. Yes. Thank you. But what about tomorrow, or the next day? You can’t come running every time Mim and I hit a bump.”
His rough hand cupped my cheek, his weighted gaze boring into my soul. “Tell me what happened.”
“We were having a great night. Laying outside. Staring at the sky.” I sucked in a sharp breath, nausea rolling through me again. Buck up, little camper. “I told her about the baby. I thought it would make—”
“Shit. Fuck. Shit.” Raking a hand through his hair, he dropped his chin, falling against the wall. “God damn. You told her?”
“Well. Yeah. I thought it would make her happy.”
“God damn.” He left the bathroom. Stomped through the house. Came back. Towered over me. “I didn’t want to tell you. I should’ve told you. Fuck. I fucked up.”
“Tell me what?”
Hands to hips, glare aimed at the floor, he mumbled, “Your sister was pregnant when she died.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry,” he choked.
“How far along?”
“Far enough you could tell.”
“No.” I covered my mouth with one hand. “No, no, no, no, no.”
“Moriah. You can’t fall apart right now.”
“My sister.” Fisting his shirt, I released a silent scream into his chest, my sanity slipping, my coping abilities dwindling.
Tears didn’t fall, but my body shook, as if desperate to rid my skin of all the bad juju. Dane curled his arms around me, one pinning my head to his chest, the other securing my body tight, bearing the weight I could no longer manage.
Lips to my hair, he mumbled, “Mim is scared of losing you, too. That’s why she freaked.” Soft kisses dotted my head, the affection both exhilarating and maddening.
“We’ll hash this out with Mim later. Right now, you have to get ready for work. Focus on that. I’ve got Little One today. You go make a good impression with Pretty Boy and his old man.”
“Yeah. Yeah. You’re right.” I pushed away, avoiding eye contact, and dragged my feet to my closet, confident and grateful that Dane had everything under control.
Dane stayed close while I dressed. He poured me coffee while I buttered my toast. We didn’t talk about the baby, or where he’d been, subjects neither of us seemed ready to broach, but his troubled glare landed on my midsection more than once.
Tension hovered like a black cloud in the room, and I should’ve filled the quiet with all the questions I wanted to ask or spilled my worries about the pregnancy at his feet or confessed my hurt and anger that he’d stayed away for days.
I remained silent.
Honestly, I was just thankful he’d come, and that I wouldn’t lose my job on the second day.
As I made my way out the door, I braved a glance his way. He stood in my living room, features stoic, arms hanging at his sides, brutal and larger than life. Mim’s guardian angel. My savior.
Words bubbled up my throat, and I swallowed them back down. He’d come for us, again.
Despite the tension between us, there was no doubt that everything would be okay.
One step at a time. One day at a time. Mim and I would rise above.
# # #
I hadn’t the heart to watch Dane put Mim to bed, my wounded ego getting the better of me. Instead, I hid my hurt under the impressive spray falling from the giant shower head that hung from the ceiling of my lavish master bathroom.
Store-brand shampoo seemed unfitting in my new surroundings, a space that should have cost more than I could afford, even with my gracious new salary. Later, I’d have to ask Dane how he found the rental at such a steal. Then again, maybe the less I knew, the better. My grandma used to say, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” So instead of ruminating, I enjoyed my shower, and my bargain body wash.
The bathroom door opened. A throat cleared. I waited.
When the silence became unnerving, I peeked around the glass partition.
Dane paced the small space, his bare feet blazing a loop-de-loop on the gray slate floor.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” He worked a hand through his beard and shot me a nervous glance. “Mim’s out cold.”
“Good. Thank you.” I got back to scrubbing, forcing my jealousy and hurt and anger into the background.
Dane continued with the back and forth, his large form casting a daunting shadow, and oh my god, how I’d missed him the past few days, and damn him for dropping Mim and me off in our new home and then—poof—leaving me alone to wonder if he hated me or not.
Another throat clear. “How are you…um…feeling?” One of his large hands landed on the glass.
“Effin’ great,” I shot back, unable to bridle the bite in my tone.
“You decide what you’re gonna do?” His voice wavered.
What was I going to do? I, as in me. Alone. God, that hurt, and I didn’t want Dane to have the power to hurt me. “I’m going to shave my legs, then crawl into bed.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he snapped, hard vibes bouncing off the walls.
His irritation grated my unstable nerves. “Oh. What am I going to do about the baby? Is that what you’re asking?”
Nothing. Another hand landed on the glass, his head bowing between his arms. Clearly the topic made him uncomfortable, but eff that, and eff him. We were both in the shitter with the baby situation.
And suddenly I was angry. At Dane. At Mickey. At the world. “Hmm. Let’s see. Well, apparently, I’m going to puke my guts out ten times a day for the foreseeable future, burst into insane bits of crying for no apparent reason. Maybe lose my job for not coming clean right away about my pending motherhood… Oh, and I’m going to be a single mother who thought she would never be a mother, and I’m going to love the holy living shit out of this baby and Mim because life is short and love is precious, and I’m gonna be the best mom the world has ever seen, and if necessary, I’ll be the best effin’ father, too.”
Silence. His hands disappeared. Back to the pacing.
“How’s that sound? That what you wanted to hear? That you’re off the hook?”
A loud boom shook the walls. Heart in my throat, I waited for Dane to storm out of my life forever. Instead, he burst into the shower, fully clothed, cheeks red, fists clenched, storm blazing in those green eyes.
“Let’s get on
e thing clear.” He towered over me, close as he could get without touching. “You’re having my kid. Ain’t nobody doing the fathering but me.”
Sure, I was naked and vulnerable, and Dane was clearly in a mood, but I was woman, goddammit, and I needed to roar.
But when I looked into those turbulent eyes, I lost my steam because despite being big and scary, Dane was also…lost and vulnerable, same as me, maybe more. “Someone interested in being a daddy doesn’t disappear for days after—”
“I didn’t disappear,” he interrupted. “I… I thought you needed time to decide if you wanted to go through with the pregnancy.”
“You thought I wouldn’t keep the baby? Oh, my God. I would never. I could never…” I couldn’t finish the sentence, my body going ice cold. I’d been a mess the past few days, but I hadn’t considered what he’d gone through after learning the news.
“The timing is terrible, but I want this baby—”
In a blur, he smothered me between those strong arms and his soaked shirt. “Thank fuck.” He kissed the top of my head. “Jesus. Thank fuck.” Releasing me, he stepped back, his shoulders hitting the wall, then slid to the ground, knees bent, face buried in his hands.
Killed me, seeing Dane so tormented. I’d bet my right arm he never showed an ounce of weakness. Yet, there he sat, a mess of emotion, fully dressed and sopping wet on my shower floor.
“Dane,” I whispered, inching closer. “Talk to me.”
His shoulders rose and fell on deep inhales, and with a wet plea, he whispered, “Need a minute.”
“Oh. Okay. Yeah.” I finished rinsing, turned off the water, and moved to step around him, allow some privacy, but strong fingers curled around my thigh, halting my exit.
“Don’t go.” That warm hand slid higher, brushing between my legs, then higher still, around to my hip, then upward, resting on my abdomen.
My lungs seized. Chest tightened.
Lifting his eyes to mine, he pulled me closer, then shifted, rising to his knees, dropping kisses on my hip, then my stomach, his hands moving to my ass, fingers digging into my flesh, slowly killing me with his silent worship.
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