Marry Me on Main Street

by LuAnn McLane

  “’Kay …” Susan nodded and damn if she didn’t love him even more for being so wonderfully understanding—or at least for trying to understand something she couldn’t even begin to comprehend herself.

  This love for him was the kind of heady feeling she never thought she would experience and had only read about in the endless pile of romance novels that she adored. She loved fairy tales and happily ever afters even though she’d been fairly certain that kind of love would never happen to her.

  This was stuff movies were made of, so why should she fight it? Just tell him.

  Wait, were women allowed to say those three little words first these days? Surely … but then again, Susan certainly didn’t want to profess her love and have Danny feel obligated to say it back. This was too soon, though, right? But if she felt this way, then it really wasn’t too soon.

  Susan sucked in her bottom lip, thinking.

  Don’t be a scaredy-cat, went through Susan’s head. You promised Betsy, she sternly reminded herself. But the problem was that she was a scaredy-cat.

  No … no, I’m not.

  Susan tried to calm the wild beating of her heart and to breathe slowly. Inhale. Exhale.

  She knew she needed to power through this sudden bout of nervous insanity but neither her mind nor her body felt the need to respond to her desperate commands.

  Inhale. Exhale.

  Susan only knew that she had to plan her escape before making a complete fool of herself by proclaiming her undying love. Plus, if she attempted to talk she knew she’d stutter like crazy and he wouldn’t understand a word she said.

  Inhale. Exhale.

  How could absolutely wonderful crash into total disaster so very quickly? Deep down Susan knew she was creating drama where there was none but her befuddled brain refused to listen to reason.

  “Susan?” His chest vibrated with the deep sound of his voice.

  Inhale. Exhale.

  Danny cleared his throat, making her head move around.

  Relax.

  He inhaled deeply and blew out a breath that stirred her curly hair.

  Pretend to sleep …

  “Sweetheart?”

  Oh … he called me sweetheart. Shaky inhale. Shaky exhale. Oh how she wanted to kiss his warm chest.

  “Are you asleep?” Danny asked, and Susan nearly let out a nervous chuckle. She’d always thought asking if someone was asleep was such a silly question. She forced herself to remain still, even though her neck started to ache from being in the same position and her left leg was growing numb. But the very last thing she wanted to do was to give Danny a stuttering explanation of why she’d suddenly gone into freak-out mode.

  Susan knew she was an over-thinker, another product of growing up an only child. With no one else to talk to, she’d had to answer her own questions, which led to a whole lot of pondering, often while sitting outside beneath a tree or walking through the woods gathering wildflowers. She wished she could be more spontaneous and live in the moment.

  Perhaps that’s precisely what she should do.

  20

  Ice, Ice, Baby

  By the sound of Susan’s heavy breathing, Danny thought she must be sound asleep. While he wanted to stay in bed with her endless silky legs wrapped around him, he needed to get the Christmas tree cut down before heading off to the brewery to bartend. He decided that if she was that tired she clearly needed to rest, so he’d surprise her by having a tree up and in the stand by the time she woke up. He’d leave her a text message and she could join him if she wished. Plus, he wanted to go out and gather up the scattered ornaments and assess the damage to her decorations. But having her head on his chest and her warm body entwined with his felt so amazing that he opted to close his eyes and savor the sensation for just a few more minutes of bliss.

  The scent of her shampoo, something coconut and citrus, filled his head, leading to more bubble bath images, and then, better yet, having her join him in the shower. That visual, along with actually having her naked in his bed, had him getting aroused all over again. He nearly chuckled when he thought of how he’d answered the door wrapped in a towel and then the craziness that had ensued, but he didn’t want to wake her and so he kept his mirth to himself—barely.

  Looking up at the paddle fan, Danny smiled, experiencing several emotions at once. Every moment spent with Susan Quincy seemed to be filled with something unexpected. And Danny’s life, he realized, although busy, had become something of an organized routine. His jobs were all predictable, with a sameness that had been making his daily life feel stale. He longed for something to be excited about, to look forward to, and Susan filled that role quite nicely. Even so, Danny knew he needed to have the courage to branch out and do something meaningful on his own, just like she’d suggested.

  Danny frowned, though, knowing that Susan had been having some kind of moment before she drifted off to sleep. While he wanted to know what was on her mind, he understood the emotional impact of what was happening between them. He’d been blown away by the intensity of making love to her and he knew she felt it too. This wasn’t just about amazing sex. He was falling hard for Susan.

  Ah, but he didn’t want to scare her away by telling her the depth of his feelings too soon.

  Or should he? Maybe she needed to know that he was already looking to the future? Even at this stage of their relationship, he couldn’t fathom not having her in his life.

  Danny inhaled a deep breath, thinking that he needed to figure out his own path first. She deserved more than someone who drifted between three jobs and failed to have something solid of his own. He wanted a career he could sink his teeth into, to be proud of and passionate about, just like his siblings. Just like Susan. He’d already confessed that he struggled with that but he hadn’t planned on falling for her this quickly.

  Danny closed his eyes.

  Thirty is breathing down my neck like the breath of a damned dragon. I should have this all figured out by now.

  His excuse that his family needed him was valid but only up to a point. Even so, nearly losing the marina had imbedded a fear of failure deep inside his brain. While Mattie and Mason had both pitched in to help save the family business, Danny had been the one who’d juggled the financial end of the books, keeping the worst of the near disaster from his father. When the marina had been hanging on by a thread, he’d made it his personal responsibility to keep things afloat, robbing Peter to pay Paul while presenting a much rosier picture to the rest of the family. To this day, no one else totally realized how very close they’d come to filing for bankruptcy. So after saving the family business, how could he even begin to consider turning the reins over to someone else? Who else would care as much as he did, especially now that Mason and Mattie had a family and businesses of their own?

  Danny inhaled another unsteady breath.

  Well damn. How can I be the right person for Susan when I’m not the best person for myself yet?

  I’m moving too fast.

  But I don’t want to slow down.

  Maybe I need the stability of Susan Quincy in my life.

  That light bulb thought slipped into Danny’s head and clung like kudzu, but he mentally shook it off. Susan had been right from the start. He’d always been the person who other people needed, not the other way around. He liked coming to the rescue, being the sounding board, the solid factor in the life of his friends and family. Needing someone else made him feel odd and vulnerable, taking him out of his comfort zone.

  While Susan had a sweet personality, he felt her inner strength, her passion for Cricket Creek and her shop. Shy Susan had the courage to leave the family farm and strike out on her own. She didn’t need his help or rescuing, as much as they joked about it. But he believed that having her fall into his arms hadn’t been random but meant to be. He could feel it. But what should he do about his feelings for her? Profess them or wait until he was where he wanted to be in his life?

  And what if he was never where he wanted to be in
his life? The question scared him more than he wanted to acknowledge.

  When Danny heard Susan sigh he oh-so-lightly kissed the top of her head. She had such pretty hair, thick and lush, full of curly waves. He decided he’d love to wash her hair, sink his fingers into the dark, silky tresses, lather up and massage her scalp. He’d never had that kind of fantasy about a woman before, but then again, he’d never felt about a woman the way he felt about Susan. He could picture her eyes fluttering shut while a slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. He made a mental note to visit Burst my Bubble, a new bath and body lotion shop that had recently opened up on Main Street.

  With a yawn, Danny wondered how he could wiggle free without waking Susan and decided he’d just rest his eyes for a few minutes before sneaking out for the tree. Using his left foot, he pulled at a decorative quilt folded at the bottom of the bed and draped it over them. His mother had provided the abundance of fringed pillows and other odds and ends, telling him that his cabin needed a splash of color, whatever that meant.

  I’ll just rest my eyes for a few minutes. A little cat nap wouldn’t hurt, especially with sweet Susan curled up next to him. The scent of her skin was like aromatherapy and he relaxed, breathing deeply. What would it feel like to wake up to her in his bed every morning? Share the double sink in his enormous bathroom? Cook dinner together? Danny knew he was thinking way ahead of himself but his train of thought kept going right down the track at breakneck speed.

  No, slow down. I’m not ready for this. And judging by her earlier silence, neither is she.

  • • •

  “Danny?”

  “Mmmm?” Danny mumbled and snuggled closer to the warm body curled around him.

  “Danny? Um … I think we have a slight … problem.”

  “Mmmm … ?”

  “It’s … dark.”

  “Dark?”

  “Yeah. Really dark.”

  Danny opened his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, trying to shake the cobwebs from his brain. “Oh, wow … wait. Susan, what time is it?” he asked thickly.

  “I have no idea. I’m so sorry but we … fell asleep,” she said, sounding apologetic and worried.

  “Baby, it’s okay,” Danny said, reaching around for his phone and then remembering it must be in the bathroom from when he’d taken his shower earlier.

  “B-but what if you’re late for work?”

  “Mason won’t fire me,” he said with a reassuring kiss on her head.

  Susan nodded but Danny felt a definite shift in her mood from earlier in the day. “But—”

  “Seriously, it’s okay,” he said gently. “I told Mason I might be running late because we were going to cut down a tree and he was completely cool with it. Colby Campbell is going to be there tonight helping out too. They’ll be fine without me,” he said and realized it was true. He needed to ask for an occasional Saturday off.

  She nodded against his chest but her breathing seemed a little swift.

  “Susan, are you okay?” he asked, wishing he could see her more clearly in the dim light of the room. The idea that she regretted sleeping with him made his heart sink like a stone to the bottom of the lake but how could he ask her that question?

  “Yes.” She nodded again but Danny wasn’t convinced.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  “Of course n-not.”

  “Then what is it?” he asked softly, a cold fist of fear knotted in his stomach. “Susan?” Danny felt her swallow against his chest and she shifted like she was nervous or uncomfortable. Oh God, maybe she was going to break up with him? “Please tell me. I want to know,” he said, thinking that breaking up while lying naked together would be super awkward. “You seem upset about something.”

  “Oh Danny, I …” she began but then trailed off as she couldn’t bring herself to say what was on her mind.

  “I need to know.” Tensing his muscles, Danny braced for the worst. “Please.”

  “I … love you, Danny,” she said in a low, breathless tone that swirled around his heart like morning mist on the lake. She placed a gentle hand on his chest. “I just had to tell you how I feel,” she added with a little tremor in her voice. “I listened to my heart, like you said.”

  “Oh wow.” Relief rushed over him and he released a laugh. “Oh my gosh, thank you, for a moment I—”

  “Thank you?” Susan went as still as a statue.

  He chuckled again. “No, it’s because I thought—”

  “Oh my God.” Susan swiftly sat up and grabbed for the cover, trying to tug it from beneath him. “You thought that was … f-funny?”

  “No, I—” He tried again but she wasn’t listening this time. “Susan, I’m sorry, I—”

  “I’m sorry too! Just pretend I never said it,” she said in a horrified rush.

  “I can’t do that because I love you too!”

  Susan’s eyes widened but then she shook her head and appeared even more upset. “No! You’re just saying that because you feel like a jerk!” She let out a little exasperated grunt and pulled so hard on the quilt that it gave way, sending her tumbling backwards.

  “Susan!” Danny reached for her but she did a lightning fast backward roll right off of the bed and landed with a muffled thump, quickly followed by a string of curses that didn’t remotely belong together.

  “Damned stupid, should have, damned shut … oh shit, silly ass promise, damn … why … shit. Just … sh-shit … ouch, ouch—”

  “Susan!” Danny scrambled over to the edge of the bed and flipped on the small lamp on his nightstand. “Susan, are you okay?”

  “No.” She rubbed her elbow, rapidly blinking her eyes.

  “Baby, what hurts?”

  “Everything, but m-mostly my p-pride,” she replied with a narrow-eyed glare and wrapped the quilt around her so tightly that it resembled a cocoon with her head and feet peeking out. “I’d like m-my clothes pl-please.”

  “Susan, seriously, you’ve got it all wrong.”

  “Apparently so.” She continued to blink rapidly and he knew she was on the verge of tears. Damn, he’d ruined her moment and he knew how much courage it must have taken for her to profess her love.

  “Please listen to me,” Danny pleaded, but she dipped her head, refusing to look at him. And then the reason for her distress smacked him in the face. “I wasn’t laughing at you.”

  “Well, you sure weren’t laughing w-with me.” She let out another little growl. “D-damn stupid, st-stutter. Errrr!”

  Danny shook his head. “You took me by surprise,” he began, but before he could go on she scrambled awkwardly to her feet and hobbled like a sheathed mummy, searching around the room for her clothes. She looked so cute and funny that he wanted to laugh, but he knew that wouldn’t go over too well at the moment and so he looked for his clothes as a distraction. He needed to clear this little misunderstanding up fast, but he also needed to choose his words carefully. Should he simply repeat that he loved her too or would she think he was saying it out of pity? “Susan, if you’ll just calm down,” he said, and she stopped in her tracks to shoot him a glare.

  “Calm down?” she asked, and it was then that Danny remembered that telling a woman to calm down was like throwing gasoline on a fire.

  Spotting his black boxer briefs, Danny scooted from the bed and tugged them on. He turned around to see Susan picking up her bra but her panties were missing in action.

  “On the lampshade,” he said sheepishly.

  She closed her eyes briefly and then with a long-suffering sigh she hobbled over to the lamp in the corner of the room, nearly tripping several times. Of course, putting them on meant unraveling the tightly wrapped cover and so she looked around until she spotted a door and took short, geisha-like steps in that direction.

  “That’s a closet.”

  With a little squeal of anger, she spun around so fast that she nearly turned full circle and then had to catch herself from falling by bracing her hand on the log wall. Because she
clutched her underwear in the other hand her action caused the cover to unravel and land at her feet. She stared at it for a horrified second and then with her head held high she marched over to the bathroom with a saucy sway of her hips. Well damn …

  She looked … wow, magnificent, completely naked with her dark curls tumbling around her shoulders. Unable not to, Danny stared at the delicate slope of her back, her cute tush and shapely legs … legs that had been wrapped around him not long ago. Whatever he expected her to do, she nearly always surprised him. He loved her unpredictable nature—it brought spontaneity back into his life. What had become stale felt fresh again, and he knew that being with her would be that way forever.

  Danny stood there for a few seconds, stunned, barely flinching when she slammed the door. For some odd reason he found her white-hot anger a complete turn-on, perhaps because he wouldn’t have guessed that someone so sweet-natured could get so riled up. Danny suspected that she didn’t get angry often but when she did … well, clearly it was time to duck and run. He smiled in spite of the situation, thinking he loved her sweetness but also her unexpected fire. As soon as he could explain his reaction, everything would be just fine, and they could have amazing makeup sex. Not that they needed to make up … he just needed to let her calm down so they could talk and clear the air. When Susan knew that his laughter was of relief they could have a good chuckle together. He heard things banging around in the bathroom, followed by a muffled curse … Well, he hoped so, anyway.

  Danny needed to know the time but his phone was on the sink, so he had to just wait. But when Susan failed to come out for a couple of minutes, he decided to give her some privacy.

  After pulling on his jeans, he headed out toward the kitchen to check the digital clock on the microwave and to grab a cold bottle of water. Rusty snored softly, still lounging in front of the hearth, stirring a little bit as Danny passed through the great room. Great watch dog, he thought, and then glanced toward the floor to ceiling windows. “No way.” Danny hurried over to the window and then slowly shook his head. “Holy shit. When did that happen?”