Danielle’s stomach pitched when she heard Ace refer to another woman as the one, which was crazy. She had no claim to him anymore. “So you had no problem being faithful?” she asked, trying not to sound skeptical.
“No, I didn’t,” he said firmly. “Why? You don’t believe me? It’s not like I ever cheated on you.”
“I know that.”
Girls had flirted with Ace endlessly, even back when he didn’t have two nickels to rub together. But now, with a multi-million-dollar contract and fame, Danielle could imagine he had countless women coming out of the woodwork.
“Then why is it so hard for you to believe I could be faithful now?”
“It’s not. It’s just…” Needing a distraction, she watched her assistant going over the musical selection with the disc jockey. “Things are different now.”
“Some things will never change. I don’t cheat. Period. When I’m in a relationship, I’m all in.”
“Good to know.” Though she didn’t know why that should matter to her, since her days of being in a relationship with Ace were over.
“Would you like to dance?”
Others had joined the wedding party on the dance floor, but Danielle still had a job to do. “I’m sorry, but I should check in with Ro, make sure everything is under control before they start serving appetizers.”
“Okay. Maybe later?”
“Maybe.” She took a deep breath as she watched Ace walk away, wondering if he was going in search of another dance partner. Chastising herself for caring, she approached her best friend.
“That looked pretty intense,” Ro said, obviously referring to her conversation with Ace. “Did you guys clear the air or what?”
“He was telling me about his relationship with Stacey,” Danielle said, running a hand over the professional black dress she’d selected for the occasion. “Apparently they lived together.”
“Oh, wow.” Ro’s eyes drifted to the woman in question. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, and sweet.” Danielle had gotten to know Stacey during the planning process. She often accompanied Tenley to appointments when Rowan couldn’t. “I liked her a lot.”
Ro giggled. “Liked? Past tense? Now that you know she lived with your ex, you don’t like her anymore?”
“No, of course not. I still like her. Why wouldn’t I? I mean, sure, Ace and I have history. But it’s ancient history and not the good kind.”
“But there were good times?”
Danielle hadn’t talked to her best friend about her relationship with Ace because it was too painful to remember the reason it had ended. “Yeah, of course. There were a lot of good times.”
“He was a good guy? I mean, before the accident—”
“Yeah, he was a good guy.” The best. “It was pretty serious. We were young, only seventeen, but I thought…” She shrugged. “I don’t know, I thought we might have a future together.”
“Did he want to be a baseball player, even back then?”
“It was the only thing he ever wanted.” Aside from me. Danielle’s eyes met Ace’s, and a flood of memories accompanied his intense stare. Their first date. First kiss. The first time they made love…
“He had to overcome crazy odds to get where he is,” Ro said. “Especially given where he started. You know, after being incarcerated. It shows how determined he is when he wants something.”
“It does.”
“And if he wants you?”
Danielle dragged her gaze from Ace to gape at her friend. “What are you talking about? We can’t be together, not after everything that happened. It would break my parents’ hearts if they found out I was seeing him again.”
“Honey,” Ro said, curling her hand around Danielle’s arm, “I know that you feel responsible for your parents now that your brother is gone, but can’t you see that you deserve some happiness too? You can’t live your life to make them happy.”
“That’s not what I’m doing,” Danielle said. There was no way her friend could understand the kind of loss her parents had endured. No one could, unless they were a parent who’d lost a child.
“Isn’t it?” She raised an arched brow before crossing her arms. “Because I could have sworn Mike was more their type than yours.”
Her father had introduced her to Mike. They were both firefighters, and Danielle’s father was Mike’s captain at the time. He went on to become chief before he retired, making him her fiancé’s boss.
“That’s not fair, Ro. They introduced me to Mike because they thought we would hit it off. They knew I didn’t have a lot of time to date because of my job, and they were just trying to help me find someone suitable.”
“Yeah, for them. Not for you.”
Danielle knew there was no point in arguing with Ro. She always got the last word. “I’m going to check on the cake. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Before she could walk away, Ro grabbed her arm. “Don’t make the mistake of writing Ace off just because your parents have. This has to be your decision and yours alone.”
If only it were that easy.
Chapter Six
“Where’s your beautiful bride?” Ace asked when Rowan sat down beside him at the table. They were alone, since everyone was either dancing or mingling. He was still waiting for Dani to get a break in her schedule so she could dance with him, but she’d been busy all night.
“She had to run back to the room to get something.” Rowan curled his hand around Ace’s shoulder. “Thank you for this. I don’t think we ever would have considered this place for our wedding if you hadn’t suggested it, and working with Danielle made it so much easier on Tenley.”
“I’m glad.” There was nothing Ace wouldn’t do for his friends, and arranging this meeting with his ex had helped him more than they could possibly understand.
“Speaking of Danielle, I saw you two talking earlier. Can I assume you got what you wanted—closure?”
He chuckled, running a hand over his face. “Man, I don’t know why I thought seeing her again would mean I could let her go.”
“Uh oh,” Rowan said, frowning. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that. You mean you’re still into her?”
“The chemistry is still there.” But it was so much more than that. When he was with Dani, he felt a degree of intensity he’d never experienced with another woman. “But to say we have issues is a major understatement.”
“Issues you can’t work through?”
“I don’t know, man. How do you forgive someone for killing your twin brother? That’s impossible, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know that forgiveness is impossible,” Rowan said, obviously choosing his words carefully. “But to have a relationship with that person… yeah, that might be tough.”
Ace closed his eyes. It was messed up that he could have almost any woman he wanted, yet he wanted the one he could never have. “I have to let go,” he said before clearing his throat. “I know that. It’ll be easier once the season starts and I have a distraction.”
“You really believe that?”
“I have to believe that,” Ace said, glancing at Dani. “What other choice do I have?”
Rowan got up, slapping Ace on the back just as Stacey made her way toward their table.
She offered her hand to Ace. “Dance with me?”
“Sure.” He slipped his hand into hers, thinking about how long it had been since they’d danced together. Their split had been amicable and they’d managed to stay friends, for which he was grateful, given their connection to Rowan and Tenley.
“I guess now I know why you dumped me,” she teased when he had her wrapped in his arms on the dance floor. “You told me about Dani, but you left out how beautiful she is.”
Dani had been the prettiest girl in high school. All the jocks wanted to date her, yet she’d chosen him and he still couldn’t figure out why. She must have seen past the beater he drove, his after-school job at a crappy pizza joint, and his bad attitude as
he challenged anyone in a position of authority.
“You know our breakup had nothing to do with her,” he said, watching Tenley’s brother, a.k.a. Stacey’s ex, Walker, dancing with the girl he’d brought. “I still can’t believe that guy hasn’t got a clue. What’s it gonna take for him to realize you’re the best thing that ever happened to him?”
Stacey kissed his cheek. “Thank you for saying that.”
“I’m serious. He was mad as hell when you were with me. Now that we’re not together anymore, why the hell hasn’t he made his move?” Ace felt like telling Walker not to waste today believing he’d have tomorrow to make things right. He’d learned the hard way that no one was guaranteed another day.
“You’d have to ask him that,” Stacey said, shrugging. “Tenley thinks he’s scared.”
“Of what?” Ace knew if he got another chance with the girl he’d loved, he wouldn’t squander it because of fear.
“You have to understand he’s never had a real relationship. Except for me. He’s used to being free to do whatever he wants, and the thought of having to answer to someone scares him.”
“The guy’s in his thirties,” Ace said, unable to hide his disgust. “It’s time for him to grow up.”
“Enough about him,” Stacey said, gripping Ace’s chin to turn his attention from Walker and back to her. “Tell me about seeing Dani again. How did that go?”
“Obviously Tenley told you I was the mastermind behind this wedding, that I asked them to have it here so I could see her again?”
“Yeah, but why now? I mean, the accident happened years ago, right? Why’d you wait so long to try to see her?”
He’d been tempted to pick up the phone so many times, but he knew she would just hang up on him. He’d had to find a way to get her alone where she couldn’t walk away until she’d heard him out. “I read her engagement announcement in the paper a while back, and I guess that just got me to thinking. I figured if I didn’t act quickly, her new husband would be there to serve as a buffer and I’d never get the chance to tell her how sorry I was.”
“So she’s getting married, huh? I never would have guessed that, seeing you two together. I thought maybe there was something still between you.”
Ace was encouraged that he wasn’t the only one who saw their obvious chemistry. “Turns out she’s not getting married anymore. She dumped the guy.”
“Lucky for you, huh?” Stacey asked, grinning.
Before Ace could respond, Dani approached. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but the photographer would like some pictures, and Rowan and Tenley asked me to make sure you were both a part of them.”
“Oh, that means I have to check my makeup,” Stacey said, smiling at Dani, then gesturing to Ace. “Could you take my place? I hate to leave a guy hanging in the middle of a song.”
“Oh, um, sure.” Dani stepped into Ace’s arms. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Why would I mind?” he asked, grinning at how perfectly Stacey had set her up. He’d have to thank her later. “I asked you to dance earlier, remember?”
“I know, but you and your ex-girlfriend looked as though you were in the middle of something.”
“We were.” He brushed a tendril of blond hair behind her ear when she turned her head. It was an intimate gesture, one he wouldn’t have hesitated over years ago, but he had to remind himself that everything was different now and he had no right to take liberties with her. “Sorry. Uh, we were talking about you actually. About us.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip as she stared at his chest. “I’m not sure I should ask what you were talking about, but I can’t deny I’m curious.”
“I’m not sorry you ended your engagement,” he said by way of explanation. “That may sound crazy, but I’m glad I’ve had this time alone with you without having to feel guilty for feeling something for another man’s fiancée.”
“You feel something for me?” she whispered, unwilling or unable to look him in the eye.
“Don’t sound so surprised,” he said softly, lowering his head until his lips grazed her cheek. “I know you must have sensed it. I don’t feel I’ve done a very good job of hiding it.”
She looked pained as she tipped her head back to meet his eyes. “Ace, we can’t do this. I’m all for putting the past to rest. I know we have to do that. Forgiveness is healthy. But as for anything between us, it just can’t happen. I’m sorry.”
“Because of your parents?”
“No, because…” She closed her eyes when they glazed over with tears. “Given everything that’s happened, there’s just no way.”
He watched her walk away, wondering why he’d pushed so hard when he knew all along that would be her response. Maybe he was just a glutton for punishment… or a man not used to giving up.
***
Danielle hesitated with her hand poised to knock on Ace’s door. It was his last night at the hotel, her last chance to see what was in that box. Finally, steeling her courage, she tapped on the door, wondering if he’d returned to his room after the reception or ventured into town with some of his buddies to find a bar while the bride and groom retired to their suite.
“Oh, hey,” he said, opening the door with a smile. “I’m surprised to see you here. I thought it was one of the guys trying to drag me out with them.”
“I’m sorry. I should have called first to make sure you didn’t have other plans.”
“No problem.” He stepped back, inviting her in. “I told them I wasn’t into going out tonight. I was pretty tired, got a lot of sun over the past couple of days.”
That was obvious. His white T-shirt showed off his bronzed skin, along with the ink snaking up his right arm. She’d never looked closely at his tattoos, but now that she did, her breath caught at the one on the inside of his bicep. “Oh my God, is that…?” Her fingertip grazed the beautifully shaded portrait with her brother’s name and RIP below it.
“It’s a reminder,” he said hoarsely. “I never want to forget him or what my stupidity and recklessness cost the people—”
“Don’t,” she whispered, pressing her fingertips against his lips to prevent him from saying more. “You’ve said you’re sorry. I believe you.” The scholarship, the tattoo, it was just more evidence that she and her family weren’t the only ones still grieving.
He curled his hand around her wrist, drawing her fingers away from his mouth before planting a soft kiss on her palm while he looked into her eyes.
“Um, the box,” she said, withdrawing her hand from his. “That’s why I came, to see what you have…”
“Right.” He stepped back, let her in, and closed the door. “Come on in. I’ll get it.” He gestured to the couch. “Sit down. Do you want something to drink before I get it?”
She could use a stiff drink to face not only what was hidden away in that box, but what was happening between them. “No, thanks. I’m okay.” That was a lie. She was not okay, not at all.
Ace disappeared into the adjoining bedroom and returned a few minutes later with a wooden box that resembled a standard memory box except it had intricate carvings on the lid and appeared to have been hand-painted.
“Linc always said he wanted to go to Italy,” Ace explained, sitting beside her on the small sofa while placing the box on the coffee table in front of them. “That’s where I got this box. One year, during the off-season, I visited Venice and Rome and went to all of the places he told me he wanted to see.”
She remembered Linc and Ace had talked about backpacking through Europe after their senior year, something they’d never gotten to do. She held her breath as she opened the lid to see her brother’s familiar handwriting on the front of a notebook she’d never seen before. “Where did you get these things?”
“After the accident, one of the guys emptied Linc’s locker. He was planning to give this stuff to your parents, but after everything that went down, he thought it might be too painful for them, so he held on to it.”
Ace reached into the
box and took out a picture of him and Linc with their arms around each other’s shoulders, smiling. It looked as if they were at a party, judging by the number of people in the background.
“A few years after I got out, he came to see me.” He placed the picture back in the box before withdrawing another of Linc and the girl he’d been dating senior year. “He had all of this in a shoebox. He asked me what I thought he should do with it.”
“It never occurred to you to send it to us?” she asked, trying to keep the bite from her voice.
“I didn’t think you’d accept it.” He swallowed. “Besides, it’s not the kind of thing you can send through the mail, and I knew your parents wouldn’t want to see me.”
She skimmed through the notebook, touching the ink. Linc always pressed so hard when he wrote that the ink often bled through to the other side of the page. “I didn’t know he kept a journal. We never found one when we were going through his room.”
“I think it was something he wanted to keep private,” Ace explained, running a hand through his black hair. “That’s why he kept it at school, so your mom wouldn’t find it when she was cleaning his room.”
“Did he say that in here?” she asked, frowning. Their parents had always been overprotective and judgmental, especially of their children’s friends, but Danielle had never doubted it was because they loved them.
“He did.” Ace cleared his throat. “I felt guilty for reading all this stuff, but I was going through a really dark time and wanted to feel some connection to him, you know?”
“Yeah, I do.” She had been going through a dark time herself since her engagement ended and would have given anything to talk to her twin brother about it. “What else did he say?”
She leafed through the pages. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know what he’d been thinking and feeling in the days preceding his death. She’d always wondered why he’d gotten in that car with Ace, knowing his friend was in no condition to drive. It was almost as if her brother had had a death wish that night…
Hit and Run (Summer Rush #2) Page 5