C-26

by D. D. Lorenzo

  Though she’d begun to put some order to her thoughts, exhaustion overtook her body. The sun always had a draining effect after a day spent in it, and swimming, fishing, and lovemaking had compounded the impact. She was dead tired.

  Breathe, two, three, four, five. Out, two, three, four, five. Count. Slow. Calm. Down.

  Skylar repeated the mantra as she concentrated on the variety of night sounds. It wouldn't do either one of them any good if she couldn't keep her head about her.

  A rustling noise caught her attention. She flew down the steps, but Dash was fine. He’d kicked off the covers and turned on his side. Sky exhaled a sigh as she reached for a blanket. Laying down across from him, she fluffed out another sheet and put it over herself. Her eyelids were heavy, and her body weary. She closed her eyes, reaching out her hand and placing it against his back. As fear gave way to exhaustion, she prayed.

  Skylar blinked.

  The sound of a flock of birds overhead broke the silence of the morning. A few more blinks and her eyes opened a little further. The night sky had brightened, the smokey blue color of breaking morning joined by shades of pink and yellow. She shivered, drawing the blanket up to just below her chin. She pulled her knees up, tucking the cover tightly around her to ward off a chill.

  Suddenly, her eyes flew open, and she bolted up. How could she have fallen asleep? She'd barely had time to think when she heard movement behind her.

  "Hey." Dash came toward her, two cups of coffee in his hands. His steps were kind of a lazy stumble, but not one that wasn't normal for him before coffee. She took one from him, and he ran a hand through his tousled hair.

  Her mind warred between wanting to attack him with questions or throw her arms around his neck and tell him how happy she was that he was okay. Instead, she took a sip of the brew and gathered her thoughts.

  She wrapped both hands around the cup to steady them, peering at him over the rim. "How do you feel this morning?"

  With a slight tip of his head, Dash gave her a questioning look. "I'm not sure. I feel kinda groggy. I didn't think I drank that much yesterday, but I guess I did." His brow arched as he struggled to recall the events of the previous night.

  "You didn't." Her response was immediate and took him by surprise.

  At first, his eyes rounded with a look of insult, but then they narrowed as armor. "Well, okay. Whatever it was, it knocked me out."

  Sky's head demanded answers while her heart told her to calm down. Putting him on the defensive wasn't going to get them anywhere but into an argument. She slid her legs off the bed and placed them on the floor. "You scared me last night."

  "Scared you?" A huff escaped him as he gave her a dismissive look. "Why the hell would it scare you that I fell asleep? I was tired. I passed out."

  "You didn't pass out. You blanked out."

  "Skylar . . ." He gave his head a shake, his eyes looking to the side.

  "Blanked out is the only way to explain it, Dash.” Her voice raised to an excited pitch, her hands animated as she spoke, to emphasize her feelings. “I went below to get dressed. When I came back, you were sitting in a chair staring at the wheel. Completely blank. You didn't move. You didn't speak. When I looked at you, it was as if you were looking right through me."

  Dash didn't say anything for a few moments. It seemed he simply thought about what she said and then gave Sky an indifferent shrug. "Oh, well. I was probably more tired than I thought. Haven't you ever heard of people falling asleep with their eyes open?"

  "No. I haven't, and I was terrified."

  Dash sat beside her. "I'm sorry you were scared but, whatever it was, I feel fine now. Just a little slow starting the day." He paused another minute, then pushed aside the incident. He stood, went to the doorway, and gave her a smile. "What do you say we go back and get some breakfast?" He didn't wait for an answer, simply disappeared above deck.

  Skylar forced a weak smile.

  Chapter 28

  Bubbles breached the surface as the engine came to life. Next came the telltale whirring sound of the anchor being raised. They’d been out for hours yesterday, giving Skylar no clue as to exactly how far they were from land. Skylar came up behind Dash, placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head, watching her as she cataloged everything he did. Although he hoped that what happened to him last night was an isolated incident, he wanted Sky to listen, learn, and be prepared. Since he had no recollection of what she’d said happened last night, there was no way to promise it wouldn’t happen again.

  He patted Sky’s hand and steered them away from their secluded spot and out into the open waters. In measured increments, he increased the speed of the boat. Sky stood behind him. He ramped up the motor just a bit more and then looked over at her. “You wanna try it?” Necessity dictated his voice be a shout as he wanted to be sure she heard him above the engines.

  Sky’s skin was peppered with droplets of salt spray, and as the boat went across the water, more were added every minute. Her head bobbed up and down, her eyes dancing with delight and excitement. She accepted his invitation, coming inside of his outstretched arm to take the wheel. He took both hands off, giving her complete control.

  “You’ve got this. Just steer straight ahead. Once we get to the marina, we’ll pull back the throttle, and I’ll show you what to do.”

  “What if I screw up?” Worry lines formed on her brow.

  “You won’t. I’m right here with you.” Dash’s gaze was tender. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her between his legs. He leaned back on his elbows. His heart squeezed in his chest. There was just something about watching Skylar that made him feel like he’d just won a million bucks.

  Sky was proving to be a natural at boating. Once they reached the marina, Dash took control of the wheel. She was a quick study, though. At Dash’s direction, she helped to secure them in the slip. He only had to tell her what to do once, and she did it.

  Once the boat was secured, Sky threw on a pair of shorts, a shirt, and slipped into her flip-flops. Dash did the same, hopped up on the pier, and gave her a hand up. It was a short walk to the restaurant, and he was starving.

  Hand in hand, they walked over to Caroline Street. The dress code at Pepe’s was relaxed, but, then, most places in Key West were. Though it was very early in the morning, the place was packed. It looked like a hole in the wall; it was just a quirky little joint, seemingly slapped together with leftover odds and ends, but the food was excellent. This made the third time they’d been there for breakfast since they’d arrived in the Keys. Thankfully, the line moved quickly.

  Dash led Skylar by the hand as they were seated. The same white and black cat he’d seen on their previous visits lounged in the exact place it had been the other two times. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought it wasn’t real. People passed by where it lay, and it paid them no attention. He and Sky were no exception. He kind of wished it would have responded to Sky. He could tell by the look on her face that she missed Hemi and could use a little furball love.

  As he looked over at her, he noticed her gaze fell to the floor. Her eyes seemed vacant, and she appeared to be lost in her thoughts. He was sure he knew what was bothering her. He was ready to move on from what had happened on the boat, but Skylar was far from dismissing it.

  In truth, he was more than a little concerned himself. He knew Sky had no reason to lie to him, but he couldn’t recall what had happened. He’d ignored what she called the “blanking out” incident. Like rocks in the little boy’s hand, he’d skipped over the surface of the topic, and then let it drop. As he looked at Skylar, he could tell she wasn’t ready to let it go. While the waitress poured them both a cup of coffee, he thought of how he’d respond if she resurrected the topic.

  “You all decide what you want?” The woman with a long, blonde braid holding a half-empty coffee pot in her hand needed no pen or paper to remember an order. She appeared to have been part of the original serving crew, but it wasn’t possible she was that old
. Dash deferred his request, waving a hand in Skylar’s direction and waited for her to order.

  “Um . . . I’ll just have scrambled eggs and bacon. Crispy.” She handed the menu to the lady, then looked at Dash.

  “Western omelet. Sausage on the side.” He, too, passed over his menu. The woman nodded as she tucked both under her arm.

  “Got it. Thanks, folks.” She turned, disappearing into the back.

  Skylar reached across the table, taking hold of his hand. “I need to talk to you about last night.”

  He thought he could get away with a playful tone and gave her a sly smile. “And I’d like to talk to you about last night too. Want a repeat?”

  Skylar shook her head, his sudden playfulness pricking her serious mood. She rolled her eyes. “Not that part of last night—although that was great.” A blush stole over her cheeks, pinkening them to a near red flush as she sheepishly eyed the patrons around her. She lowered her voice. “After.”

  He blinked, knowing that he had to get ahold of this before Skylar made more out of it than it was. “I told you, I was just tired.” He let go of her hand and leaned back in the chair. “You worry too much, Sky. Let it go.”

  “And you don’t worry at all.” Her response was quick. “What if it was something, Dash? Wouldn’t you want to know?” A red tide of worry crept up her neck and flooded her cheeks. “I thought you were having a stroke.”

  He took in a quick breath and let it out with an amused huff. Dash knew how important it was to erase her fears if he hoped for the topic to die. “A stroke? That’s crazy.”

  The comment bruised her expression. Her brow pinched, and her lips turned down. “It’s not crazy. I’m concerned,” she insisted.

  His tone came off as harsh, and he was immediately repentant. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He leaned forward, reaching for her hand. “Babe, look. I’m tired. More than tired. Sure, we’re on vacation, but I jumped from playing dates to playing with you.” He rubbed small circles on the top of her hand, pleasure lifting his lips into a smile. “It does catch up with me. The guts and the glory. Once I regulate my food and my sleep, I’ll be fine. Really. You have to stop worrying so much.”

  The waitress approached with one plate in each hand. “Scrambled eggs and crisp bacon for you.” She placed a plate in front of Skylar. “And Western omelet, sausage for you.” The woman looked between the two of them. “Anything else I can get you, folks? More coffee?”

  “Yeah, I’ll take some more.” Dash looked over at Skylar’s cup. “She’ll take some too.”

  The woman smiled. “Got it. I’ll be back with the coffee and the check.”

  Dash waited until the woman had distanced herself from the table. He picked up his fork, cut off and pierced a piece of meat and watched Skylar. In the time he took to put the bite in his mouth, chew, and swallow, Skylar did nothing but push the food around on her plate. He took in an exasperated breath. Tapping on Sky’s plate with his fork, he got her attention. “Stop, Sky. I mean it. It was nothing.”

  She looked away, and he nudged her leg. Her jaw was set while determination burned in her eyes. “I can’t help it. You aren’t nothing to me.”

  “Prove it.” He severed a piece of the omelet and popped it in this mouth.

  A question was pinching her brow. “What? How?”

  He pointed at her with the tines. “Marry me.” His brow raised in challenge.

  “Oh my God. Seriously? You’re doing this now?” A side pucker hooked her lip, while an exaggerated eye roll helped to define her feelings.

  “Yes. Seriously. Marry me.” He let the comment fall while he continued to eat and drink. She still stared. He smirked.

  “Why?”

  “Why get married?” He half ignored her. He liked this game. “Because that’s what people do when they love each other, Skylar. Because that’s usually part of the plan when you want to spend your life with someone. And, oh, I don’t know, that’s what I’ve been asking you to do for months.” Suddenly, he locked eyes with her in a deadly serious look. “If you’re really concerned about me, then prove it, dammit. Be there for me. Ride my ass about my health. Hold my hand as we grow old. Be my wife.”

  Skylar stared but refused to speak.

  Dash put down his fork. “Look. It’s simple when you think about it. Everybody needs someone in their corner. I have no one in mine. No family. You can be that someone, be my family.”

  “You’re romantic, I’ll say that.” A lazy grin slid onto her lips.

  “Actually,” he challenged, “I am.” He let out a huge sigh, splayed his hands on the table, and pushed up from his chair. As he came around the table, his focus was solely on Skylar; he never saw the server he crashed into. The tray sailed from the man’s hands. Food flew, and plates crashed to the floor. Everyone in the restaurant froze. Dash hurried to grab hold of the man before he fell to the ground. “Shit!” He caught the guy and helped him regain his balance. “I’m really sorry, man.” As the man straightened, he looked at the pile of broken dishes and food. Distressed, his brow tugged in the middle. He bent to pick up some of the pieces as someone came from the back room with a broom. From the corner of Dash’s eye, he saw people pulling out their cell phones—and he knew what was coming.

  “Stop!” He yelled with his hands in the air. He made a plea as he turned in a circle to address everyone within earshot. “Please! Put the phones away.”

  One by one, he watched as they laid their phones face down on the table or slipped them into handbags. Dash turned to the server he’d knocked down, lowering his voice.

  “Sorry, man. I’ll pay for all the damage.” He gave the man’s back a friendly slap, then looked out into the restaurant. “I’ll pick up everybody’s meal, and I’ll take a picture with every person here who wants one if you’ll give me this one moment without taking a picture.”

  Dash’s gaze traveled the room, and, as he looked over at Skylar, he saw that she was doing the same. “Great. So, we’re all in agreement, right? No pictures?”

  A roomful of heads bobbed. Satisfied, Dash took Skylar’s hand and dropped to one knee. Gasps and a flurry of shock dusted the room, and then silence fell. Teetering on the edge of excitement, Dash had the notice of everyone in the room, but his attention was only on Skylar. Her cheeks flushed as he caught her eyes with his.

  “This isn’t sudden, Sky. I know you’re the one. I knew it the first time I saw you. I promise you a crazy life with no privacy and a man who is devoted to you and will love you forever.”

  Skylar, momentarily speechless, paused.

  Dash added one last appeal. “I don’t want to do life without you, Skylar Harrison, and I know you feel the same way.” He reached up, grazing her cheek with his fingertips.

  As if they were the only two people in the room, Skylar’s eyes softened. A smile lifted her lips and cheeks, joy smoothing out every worry line as she answered with a nod and one, hushed word. “Yes.”

  Chapter 29

  "What do you mean, you're married?" Disgust and anger etched foul lines in Ian's face at hearing Dash's news. “You got married to her? Shit.” He turned to Skylar, his scowl cementing his disdain.

  Immediately angered by Ian's tone, Dash stopped himself from reacting. It wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge, but this was a benefit concert and they were a few minutes from going on stage. What he really wanted to do was drag Ian outside and school him on the proper response to someone's good news. Since that wasn't going to happen right now, he repeated the news. When he looked at Sky, love filled his eyes. "We're married, and we couldn't be happier."

  An indifferent shrug shook Ian's shoulders, but his body language was a lie. His posture was a contradiction to the look in his eyes. “Good for you.” His tone was flat. Clearly, he was agitated.

  He glanced toward the stage, then pulled out his cigarettes. "Guess there's time for one more.” His mutter was barely audible. He flipped the top open and dragged a cigarette out with his lips. Striking t
he flint of an old, silver lighter, he took in a lungful of smoke. When he exhaled, he blew the cloud of smoke in Skylar's face. Dash was immediately incensed.

  “What the fuck, Ian?” He pulled Skylar back, waving away the nicotine haze as she coughed and tried to catch her breath.

  Though the rest of Ian’s face remained immobile, satisfaction tugged at the crinkled corners of his eyes.

  “You really are an asshole, aren’t you?” Sky coughed. “You need to grow up.”

  Ian gave her an indifferent shrug and took another drag.

  Dash, familiar with Ian’s antics, caught him before he exhaled another cloud toward Skylar and issued a warning. "Don’t do it.”

  Ian dismissed the threat. "I wasn’t doing anything. I congratulated you. What more do you want? I mean, hey, you’re a big boy. As long as she doesn't Yoko Ono you, we're good.”

  "You can’t help it, can you? You just don’t know how to be civil. Sky’s my wife. Get used to it.”

  "Oh, c’mon Dash. I’m just playing with her. If you take her on the road with us, she's sure as hell going to be putting up with a whole lot more than jokes and smokes."

  Dash narrowed his eyes. Taking Skylar’s hand, he gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah. About that. I'm taking off for a while."

  Disbelief rounded Ian's eyes while anger tightened his jaw. "What?" He stole another angry drag. "You can't do that, asshole. We have obligations. I got us hooked up for this benefit, then we're going back into the studio. The lawyers will have a field day suing your ass."

  "You didn’t do jack shit! Our fucking manager got us hooked up for this gig. I wouldn’t have come back from Key West if this wasn’t for a good cause. When it’s done, I'm taking off. Call it a fucking sabbatical." Dash turned to Skylar, shaking his head at Ian’s self-centered attitude.