By the end of the school day, she had chucked away her first-day jitters. That at least was a positive thing. She’d made it through and it wasn’t terrible. In fact, the day went smoothly enough and the welcome party was an added surprise. She could feel good about all of that.
As she got into her car, a few of the teachers waved to her in the parking lot and she smiled and waved back. They were nothing if not really friendly and she was lucky to be a part of this school.
But, even with spending the entire day singing fun winter songs, teaching the younger ones the words and playing tunes on the piano, she wasn’t in much of a festive mood.
Hours later, Erin sat on her bed in her tiny studio apartment eating almond chicken and noodles she’d picked up from China East, her favorite restaurant. It was dark in the city, the gloomy Seattle weather casting shadows earlier than usual. She was already cozy in her jammies and ready to turn on the television when her cell phone rang.
Immediately, she conjured up an image of Dan and her heart thumped hard in her chest.
Setting her food aside, she picked up the phone and didn’t immediately recognize the number. “Hello.”
“Hello, Erin. This is Rex. Don’t hang up the phone, please.”
Her stomach churned. Just the sound of his voice brought back bad memories. “Why are you calling me?”
“I need to speak to you. It’s important.”
She had a mind to shut him down, turn off her phone and go about her business, but curiosity was a funny thing. “You have two minutes. Go.”
* * *
“Dan’s been mopey all week,” Darla said to Chelsea as soon as she stepped foot inside his house at Hunt Acres.
“Have not,” Dan said, in earshot range of the exchange by the front door.
“Well, I’ll cheer him up.” Chelsea walked farther into the house. “I brought your share of Christmas ornaments. Do you have mine?”
“Somewhere,” Dan said. He had no idea where he’d stashed them from last year. Decorating the Christmas tree was the last thing on his mind. He’d been thinking about Erin 24/7 and it was affecting his work, his free time and his life in general. She wasn’t always prompt in returning his texts. In fact, his last two to her had gone unanswered. Was she okay? Had she forgotten about him so quickly? No, that wasn’t fair. He hadn’t given her a reason not to forget about him.
“Such a nice tradition, trading your family’s ornaments with each other every year,” Darla said.
“We’ve been rotating them since Dad passed,” Chelsea said. “But you’re not getting these, big brother, until I get yours.”
Darla shot Chelsea a smug look. “I know where they’ve been tucked away in the garage. I’ll go grab them for you.”
“Do you need any help?” Chelsea asked.
“Nope, I can manage just fine,” she said. “Let me take those off your hands.” Darla took the box out of Chelsea’s arms. “I’ll put them in the spot the tree will go. Hint. Hint. Maybe it’ll get you in the holiday spirit,” she said and then walked out of the room.
Chelsea followed him into the kitchen and he poured them each a cup of coffee. “Here,” he said, handing her a mug. Steam rose up and the strong scent flavored the air. “There are some of Darla’s biscuits in the fridge. You can heat one up.”
“No, thanks, I’ve had breakfast, but I might take one to go.”
“I hear there’s been a break in the case. It couldn’t have happened soon enough. What can you tell me?” Dan asked.
“Yeah, well, it is good news. The authorities have a beat on who Maverick is and they’re working on it night and day. Apparently, he wasn’t so clever not to leave behind a clue. They found a digital footprint on the hard drive discovered in Adam Haskell’s car that has led them to break open the case. We should know soon who Maverick is.”
“Amen to that,” Dan said. “I’d like to see justice done to that guy, in the worst way.” He leaned against the counter and took a gulp of coffee.
“Until this guy is behind bars, I won’t have closure. I’ll never get over the violation, but it’ll help knowing the criminal got his due.”
He couldn’t agree more. At least that was one good thing happening in his life lately.
“Dan,” Chelsea said, a sisterly pout on her lips. “You look...miserable. Like you need a giant hug or something.”
He rolled his eyes. He’d been avoiding Chelsea this week. His sister’s heart was in the right place, but she was also a big pain. Ever since Erin left town, Chelsea had been calling or texting him every day to see how he was doing.
As if he couldn’t live without Erin.
As if he was in some sort of pain or something.
As if his total lack of concentration had something to do with her leaving town.
“I don’t need—”
She wouldn’t let get him get the words out. Soon, he found himself wrapped in her arms, and she was giving him consolatory pats on the back. “I know it’s hard,” she said.
His teeth gnashed. “Sis...shut the eff up, okay?”
“Wow. I didn’t know it was that bad.”
“Nothing’s bad.” She could be exasperating at times.
“You let that girl walk out of your life.”
“I didn’t send her packing. She got a job. A good job.”
“Did you ask her to stay?”
“No, and you know why I didn’t, so don’t pretend innocence on this. I don’t do long-term relationships.”
“Because you’ve never met the right woman. Erin wasn’t just some girl you were dating. She was your soul mate. She understood you. She made you happy.”
“Yeah, the way Mom made Dad happy?”
“Dan, honestly.” She chewed her lower lip and gave her head a shake. “Mom never loved Dad. Not in the way that counts. She didn’t return the love he’d given her. You can’t keep comparing every woman to Mom, especially Erin. You know her heart. You know she’s a good person.”
“You bake cookies with her one day and suddenly you’re an expert on Erin Sinclair.”
“We’ve gotten closer than that. I consider her my friend. She’s confided in me and normally I wouldn’t betray that confidence, but you need to hear this. She didn’t want to leave Texas. Or you. She told me she’d fallen for you.”
Dan winced. It was hard enough speaking about Erin with his sis, but to hear her say how much Erin cared, cut a path straight to his heart.
“When was the last time you spoke to her?”
Dan frowned. “She didn’t answer my last text.”
“Are you telling me you haven’t spoken to her, you know, using real words over the phone, since she left? You’re just texting her?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Oh brother,” she said, mocking him, saying without saying, he was a real jerk. “Okay, so then, you don’t know what’s going on with her.”
Dan’s head snapped up. “What’s going on with her? Did you talk to her?”
“Yes, we actually speak on the phone,” Chelsea said snarkily. “I talked to her last night.”
“And?”
Dan’s heart began to pound. Crap. He wasn’t enjoying this conversation. If something was up with Erin, he wanted to know.
“Tell me, Chels.” His voice came out more like a plea than a command. He hated giving his little sis that much satisfaction, but he’d been grouchy ever since Erin cut him off by not returning his text. He’d never felt a loss so great as he had this past week.
“Nothing,” Chelsea said, “except that her ex, that Rex guy, is sniffing around again. He’s broken it off with his wife for good and wants Erin back. Big-time, from what I understand.”
“She wouldn’t go back to him,” he snapped. “That guy’s a real jerk.”
<
br /> Chelsea didn’t say anything, only shrugged her shoulders.
“What does that mean?” he asked, his blood quickly coming to a boil.
“It means, all I know is Erin is lonely and hurt and missing you. She’s vulnerable right now and when women get that way sometimes they do stupid things.”
Dan started pacing the floor, shaking his head.
“But since you don’t care... I mean you’ve pretty much written her off...”
Dan glared at Chelsea. “I do care, damn it. I love her. I love Erin, okay? Nothing’s been right since she left.”
Immediately, Chelsea’s face softened and she smiled.
Dan too felt a softening and a heavy weight being lifted from his shoulders. He loved Erin, probably fell in love with her the second she’d bravely hoisted herself up on that mechanical bull, only he’d been so entrenched in his own resolve not to let any woman hurt him that he’d suppressed those feelings.
He’d been a fool and had pushed away someone who deserved only 100 percent from the man she loved. That man had to be him. He was through fighting it. His heart was open now and he vowed to give Erin Sinclair everything he had to give. He only hoped it was enough.
“Dan,” Chelsea said, her voice gentle, her smile encouraging. “Don’t tell me. Tell her.”
“Right,” he agreed. Chelsea just might’ve been shocked at his quick turnaround. “And thanks for not gloating.”
“Me?” She pointed to herself. “I wouldn’t do that. I’m happy for you, Dan. Erin’s perfect for you. Don’t lose her.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
He glanced at his watch. “I gotta go. Have things to do, people to see.” He gave Chelsea a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, sis, you’re the best.”
“You might not think so after I tell you this.”
“Tell me what?”
Chelsea wrinkled her nose. “Erin listened to Rex for two minutes, then told him where to go and hung up on him.”
He laughed. “That’s my girl.”
“You’re not mad at me?”
“You’re a sly one, but you sure do know how to get your point across and I’m too damn relieved to be mad at anyone right now.”
* * *
Dan’s nerves were about to split in half as he walked up the steps of Lincoln Elementary School. Distant music and children’s singing reached his ears and all he had to do was follow the sounds to find the auditorium.
To find Erin.
He wore his suit for the occasion, a dark jacket over a crisp white shirt, boots and his Stetson planted firmly on his head. He carried a dozen ruby-red roses and inside his pocket was a tiny deep crimson box housing a three-carat diamond ring he hoped Erin would accept. He’d had Raina Patterson from Priceless help him design the ring and he’d put a rush on it. If anything was priceless it was Erin and he could only hope he wasn’t too late. He’d made a mess of things and he was there to fix it. It helped knowing she’d kicked that Rex guy to the curb, but even if she hadn’t, he would fight long and hard for her.
What a dope he’d been.
He stepped into the back of the filled-to-capacity auditorium, wintry snow-laden scenes on construction paper murals decorating the place. On rows of risers, a throng of kids with happy faces and beaming eyes sang their hearts out. The winter concert was in full swing.
His gaze drifted left to the woman gracefully sweeping across the piano keys, making the performance all come together.
His heartbeat sped at the sight of her and he drew deep breaths. God, he hadn’t realized until this minute how much he’d missed her. Dressed in a gray-and-snowy-white sweater with a knit cap on her head, she was the best sight he’d ever seen.
She nodded her head and gave the kids their cues, and Dan waited and watched patiently for the performance to end. Class after class came up on stage, looking to Erin for guidance. It seemed like an eternity and finally the performance was over, the risers emptied and the school principal came up to say a few words into the mike.
“Everyone, let’s give a big hand to Miss Sinclair for making our Winter Wonderland Concert a huge success. She saved the day and did a fantastic job, don’t you agree?”
Erin rose from the piano, waved at the crowd and was met with a round of applause.
Immediately Dan marched down the aisle to face Erin at the front of the auditorium. “She saved me too,” Dan said loud enough for the entire room to hear.
Her legs nearly buckled when she saw him and her face registered surprise. “Dan?”
“Hi, sweetness,” he said and then bounded up the few steps to the stage. He walked over to her and laid the bouquet into her arms. “For you.”
She glanced at the audience—who were now kind of mesmerized by the scene—and then she turned her pretty blue-green eyes to him. “What’re you doing here?”
“I came to take my girl home, to Texas.”
He removed his hat, dug into his pocket and there before the entire room of children and parents and staff of Lincoln Elementary, took a knee and presented her the custom-made, only for her, glittering diamond ring.
The room erupted in oohs and aahs, and he got the feeling everyone was glued to their seats.
Erin’s eyes misted and he hoped that was a good sign. “Oh, Dan.”
“Erin Sinclair, I’ve missed you like crazy. I love you beyond any words I could ever say, beyond any lyrics ever written. I’m here, humbled and honored to ask you to marry me. To be my wife. To take a place beside me at Hunt Acres.”
Tears streamed down Erin’s face now, and she began nodding her head, her body shaking, almost as much as his was. She reached for him and he rose to look at her beautiful face. “Yes, yes, I’ll marry you.”
Loud applause broke out around the room. Dan was oblivious to the crowd now, Erin said yes and he quickly took the ring and placed it on her left ring finger.
She stared at it and grinned, her tears flowing freely. Happy tears.
Then she faced the people who witnessed it all, lifting her left hand and wiggling her fingers. “I’m engaged,” she said, awe in her voice.
Dan used his Stetson to shield wandering eyes and kissed her silly, grinning and giddy, showing her how much she meant to him. Then he tugged her off stage, the show over, but his life finally beginning.
* * *
“I still can’t believe you did that,” Erin said, hours later. Dan, her dreamboat guy sat next to her on the edge of her bed in her apartment. “You, Mr. Quiet, who doesn’t like to draw attention to himself, brought down the house.”
“I did, didn’t I?” Dan had a perpetual grin on his face and Erin wasn’t too far from that, either.
“You laid out your heart to me, Dan. It was...the best proposal ever.”
“I love you. I wanted to show you how much.”
“You did,” she said. “And I love you too.”
“The rescuer became the rescued,” he said, taking her hand and stroking over her fingers.
“How did I rescue you?”
“Don’t you know?” he asked.
She shook her head, not sure what he was getting out.
“You taught me that it’s okay to take a risk. To go for it. To do something out of your comfort zone. I was so set in my way of thinking, sure I’d never truly love anyone. I wouldn’t allow myself to. And then you came along and I couldn’t wrap my head around how much I not only wanted to be with you, but needed to be with you.”
“Would’ve been nice if you’d told me all that.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I should’ve realized what you meant to me before you left. I should have stopped you from going. I took the coward’s way out and I’m beating myself up about that now. But I’m also through with it, all of it. I want you. I love you and I’m at peac
e, sweetness.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I’ve let it go. Because now I have you. I’m through dwelling in the past. And if I’m being totally honest with you, when you took that pregnancy test, yes, I was scared about it but there was a part of me that was really disappointed. I couldn’t find my way to ask you to stay with me but if you were carrying my child...”
“You wouldn’t have had a choice. We would’ve been permanently tied to each other.”
“Yeah, and I think I wanted that. I was just afraid to admit it. I want babies with you, sweetness. As many as you want and as quickly as you want.”
“Oh, Dan. Yes, I want to have your babies. Soon, real soon.”
Dan smiled warmly and claimed her lips in a beautifully sweet kiss, and she closed her eyes, envisioning a future with him, a life of fullness and love and babies.
When the kiss ended, he continued to hold her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Chelsea had something to do with all this too. She can be a devil when she wants to be.”
“Oh yeah? How do you mean?”
“She let it slip, intentionally, I’m sure, that your ex was trying to get you back. I, uh, kinda saw red then, hating the thought and realizing that it wasn’t just Rex that I didn’t want in your life, but any man other than me.”
“That’s sweet.” She stroked his face. “So you faced facts. You loved me.”
“Yeah.”
“Couldn’t live without me?”
“Yeah.”
“Wanted to marry me?”
“Yeah.” Dan smiled “And don’t forget about Lucky. He’s been in a funk since you left town.”
“How I love that dog. So then, I’m glad Chelsea told you, but the truth is when Rex called me, I felt absolutely nothing for him. When he told me he’d left his wife and wanted me back, I laughed. Seriously laughed at him, and told him to get a life. Without me. I hung up the phone and that was that. I guess I made my point.”
The Texan Takes a Wife Page 16