The Saints and their women were rowdy as they laughed, talked, and celebrated the upcoming marriage of Bart and Faith. Jack, Bethany, Cam, Miriam, Jude, Sabrina, Monty, Angel and the other Saints, some with dates, rounded out the group. The wedding reception would take place at Bethany’s Mountville wedding venue and Angel was providing the gourmet cupcakes in place of the traditional cake. The men could care less about the venue, but knew that Bart’s wealthy family would spring for great food and free-flowing alcohol. Chad tried to keep his attention on the Saints’ conversations but to no avail. Dani had his full attention.
Faith, sitting next to him with Bart on the other side, leaned over. “I see you’re staring at the beautiful woman over there. I sense she’s someone important.”
Chad looked down at the dark-haired beauty and smiled. “An old friend, you might say.”
“I think she’s more than that.”
Chad stared at Faith, wondering what she saw. Her gift of sight had helped them before on a case and, while she never exploited it, they all learned it was important to listen to her. Sighing, he said, “Yeah, Faith. She was the proverbial one who got away. Or, rather, I let get away. It doesn’t matter anymore, I’m afraid. She married someone else and is now a widow, but it didn’t end well for us.”
“Her eyes keep glancing this way, so I wonder why that is, if she has no interest in you,” Faith added. “Perhaps you just need to try harder.”
Nodding slowly, he agreed, but had no idea what that trying harder would entail. He jolted when Faith put her hand on his arm and realized she had been speaking again. “I’m sorry, Faith. I must be preoccupied.”
She laughed gently. “I could tell.” Her face sobered as she leaned in, “I sense danger around her, Chad.” Her face scrunched in thought as she rubbed her forehead. “Or at least…risk.”
By now, the other Saints were listening intently to their conversation. Bart had his arm around his fiancé, pulling her close, recognizing the headaches that appeared after the images took hold of her mind.
Chad jerked his head around, staring at Dani once more, her gaze back on her date. Danger? Risk? The idea that Dani could be at risk resonated through him. If Adam had been involved in something…fuck what am I saying? But if he was, would that now put Dani in jeopardy?
Miriam’s voice pierced his thoughts as the other Saints sat quietly. “I think she may need a friend…now more than ever, Chad. And there’s no friend like an old friend.” Cam also threw his arm around his wife as her words moved over the group.
Chad asked, “What makes you think she needs a friend, Miriam?”
“There’s just a look about her. And even though there could be lots of reasons, I do notice she’s drinking water at what appears to be a celebration.”
“Huh?” Chad looked over at Miriam in confusion.
She glanced down at the drink in front of her. Water. When everyone else was drinking alcohol. Then her hand moved over her pregnant belly as Cam’s hand landed there as well.
Once more staring at Dani, the idea she could be pregnant slammed into him. Oh, God. If she’s a pregnant widow, she does need help. She does need me…or at least I want her to need me. Sucking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, he pushed his seat back. No more avoidance. We’re gonna talk. And we’re doing it tonight. Standing, he bent to kiss the top of Faith’s head, then winked at Miriam. With a nod to the rest of the group, he turned and stalked over to Dani’s table.
Stopping next to the breathtaking woman, his heart pounding, he called out, “Dani?”
She jumped at the sound of her name from right next to her. She had convinced herself Chad was ignoring her the way she was attempting to ignore him. Plastering a smile on her face, she turned toward him. “Chad,” she said in a voice that indicated her politeness was a pretense.
“We need to talk, Dani.” He hated the way his words sounded curt, but was not about to back down now. Not this time.
A flare of anger shot through her eyes as she replied, “As you can see, I’m out with friends tonight.”
Simon was about to intervene when Chad leaned down and whispered, “Do you really want to have the conversation here? I know your secret, Dani.” He knew he was taking a chance, by insinuating she had a secret, but it was worth it when he observed her startle. If he had any doubt about what Miriam intimated, it disappeared the instant he saw Dani’s reaction to his words. Her eyes flew open, their green depths wide with surprise…as her hand flew to her stomach.
“How…what…”
Taking her by the elbow, he assisted her up. Reaching for the sweater hanging on the back of her chair, he was halted by Simon’s hand.
“Now wait just a minute,” Simon said, his face flush with anger. “You can’t just come over here and disrupt the lady’s evening.”
Dani felt the sizzle pouring off Chad and immediately turned to Simon. “No, it’s fine. We’re old friends.” Turning to Aaron and Melissa’s surprised faces, she said, “I’m so sorry to leave in a rush, but I do wish you a happy anniversary.”
With Chad’s firm, but painless, grip on her arm, she was propelled out toward the front door. Glancing back at the table he had left, she noticed the grins from every person sitting there, which only made her angrier. Who the fuck does he think he is?
“I can hear your thoughts as loud as if you were speaking,” Chad said, as he led her to his old truck. “Did you drive?”
“No, I rode with a co-worker. Why?”
“Cause we’re taking my vehicle and now I don’t have to worry about yours.”
“You know, this caveman act isn’t quite the Chad I remember,” she quipped as he assisted her into the passenger seat.
He walked around the front and pulled himself in. Turning to look at her face, he recognized the irritation plainly written in her expression, and replied, “A lot has happened in the last year, Dani. Time to get used to the new me.”
Chapter 7
The ride was silent—uncomfortably silent. Dani stewed as she worried her bottom lip. Chad drove with a purpose, and with her mind in a whirl, she barely paid attention. Suddenly, sitting up straight, she noticed he turned into her neighborhood.
“How did you know where I live?” she bit out, surprise overriding her concern.
“I’ve been keeping tabs.”
“Keeping tabs? What the hell does that mean?” She glared as he turned into her driveway, parking behind her car. Jerking her head around, she said, “Oh, yeah. You work for a fancy security company now. I guess spying on people is commonplace to you. Well, listen up, budd—”
He exited the driver’s side, slamming the door in the middle of her tirade, walked around and jerked open her door. “Let’s go, Dani,” he ordered. Seeing her sitting with her arms crossed over her chest, he softened his voice. “Please, Dani. Let’s go in and talk. We owe each other at least that.”
Secretly agreeing, she nodded. Glaring at his proffered hand for a moment, she relented, allowing him to assist her down from his tall truck. Walking stiffly to the door, she ignored his upturned hand, unlocking the door herself and walking in. Tossing her purse onto the table by the door, she kicked her shoes off, wiggling her toes. She bypassed the living room and walked straight into the kitchen. Continuing to ignore the large man leaning against her kitchen counter, she took out her frying pan and opened the refrigerator. Cracking a couple of eggs, she popped a piece of bread into the toaster.
Looking over at him, she said, “Since you interrupted my dinner before it was served, I assume you don’t mind if I eat something.”
Sighing, he walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed three more eggs, adding them to the frying pan. “I’m sorry, Dani. I would never keep you from eating. Here…” he gently moved her over to the stool, “let me finish.”
Irritated at his take-charge attitude, she mentally shoved it aside as the smell of food wafted through the kitchen. Hell, it’s only scrambled eggs and toast, but I’m starving!
> Looking into the refrigerator again, Chad found the bacon. Grabbing several slices, he placed them on a paper towel and put them in the microwave. Within five minutes, he set the buttered toast, crispy bacon, and cheesy scrambled eggs in front of her with a glass of milk. He smiled, watching as she dug into the food. Taking his plate to the counter, he joined her.
Neither said anything while they ate. Quickly polishing off the simple meal, he made sure she finished the milk before taking her plate to the sink. With a rinse, he put them in the dishwasher before placing the frying pan in the sink.
Dani contemplated, still stunned that Chad was in her house, in her kitchen, and about to delve into her business. He said he knew my secret. How could he know? She wanted to be angry, but the sated feeling in her tummy eased her temper. Her thoughts swirled so fast in her mind she missed him walking over to her stool.
“It’s time, Dani,” his voice caressed.
Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded. It had taken a while, but she had finally come to grips with Adam…his life, their marriage, everything. Her world could hold no more secrets. She led him into her living room and sat down on one end of her sofa. Tucking her legs up under her, she turned to face Chad as he sat on the opposite end. Considering her sofa was not very large, she realized they were actually very close to each other. She could see his blue eyes staring deeply into hers. His strong, clean-shaven jaw. His large body dwarfed her furniture, but he seemed strangely at ease in her house.
“Dani?” he said, watching her jump. Smiling, he perceived she had been staring at him as much as he could not take his eyes off her.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. Looking down to pick at imaginary lint from her dress, she said, “You’re the one who wanted to talk, so talk.”
Chad sat for a long, silent minute. Hell, she’s right. I wanted to talk and now have no clue what to say.
“I’m not going to bite, Chad.”
He looked up, her face a window to her sadness and the realization stabbed through him. “Dani, I’ve thought of what I wanted to say to you for so long, but you now make me realize I’ve been such a horrible friend to stay away from you.”
“I didn’t exactly make it easy for you when I walked away after Adam’s funeral. I was just so…ugh…pissed!”
The silence stretched out once more, this time as both fell back into memories. Finally, Chad spoke, “I need to start back a long time ago. Will you give me that chance?”
Nodding, she shifted to a more comfortable position, finding herself curious to hear what Chad had to say.
“I remember the first time I laid eyes on you two years ago,” he began with a smile. “I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.” He watched as her face relaxed and her lips curved up slightly. “Adam wanted to fight me for you, but I think he quickly realized you weren’t going to be his typical…uh…”
Rolling her eyes, she cocked her head to the side. “If we’re going to have this talk, Chad, we’re going to have to be totally honest with each other. You forget, I was friends with Adam for a long time before we married. So, believe me, I recognized he was a player when we first met.”
Chad nodded, although wistfully at the thought of the trio’s friendship several years ago. “We did become good friends, didn’t we?”
Dani smiled, the first honest smile she had in a long time. “Yeah, we did.”
“That was my first screw-up,” he admitted. “While we were friends…I fell for you.”
At that, she jerked back, stunned at his words. “You…but you…you never said…anything. Nothing.”
“That was my second screw-up. At first, I was afraid to ruin the friendship. Then, when I was about to kiss you that night we were watching the game and Adam left the room, I got the call and was offered the chance to go overseas to help out with the Special Forces again. I knew it wasn’t fair to start something with you and then leave for six months. I thought we’d have time when I got back. I figured we’d slip back into our same old friendship and then I’d make my move.” Heaving a heavy sigh, he admitted, “Like I said, I screwed up. Then, when I came back, you two were married. I was…shocked. I mean, I never saw that coming. I didn’t figure Adam was the marrying type and…fuck, it was a punch to the gut.”
Dani blinked back tears at the memory of her and Adam meeting him at the airport when he returned from overseas. The two men bear-hugged before Adam let him go and she got a chance to hug him also. Chad had leaned down and whispered in her ear that he had something to share with her, but before he said another word, Adam blurted out that they were married. She remembered the look on Chad’s face—stunned…and hurt. And now she understood why.
“Oh Chad, I wish I’d known. I had feelings for you too, but never had a chance to act on them. I was selfishly angry when you left to go overseas. I felt you were walking away from me. I know that wasn’t what was really happening…but it felt that way.”
“I never asked, Dani, but when did you and Adam fall in love?”
She held her breath, observing his blue eyes carefully as she answered slowly. “We didn’t. We were never in love.”
She watched as his face registered confusion, followed by disbelief. “I don’t understand. If you weren’t in love, why did you marry?”
Her gaze shifted to the side, staring at nothing, her mind racing over the past. Sighing, she moved her eyes back to his and admitted. “A reason as old as time.” Seeing his still confused expression, she added, “I was pregnant.”
This time, Chad reared back, the information overload almost too much to bear.
Before he had a chance to ask more questions, she decided to rip off the emotional Band-Aid. Painful, but no holding back.
“I was lonely after you left, Chad. And so was Adam. Oh, he’d joke about it, but I knew deep inside, he missed you. And honestly, I think he was a little hurt that you chose to go back to work with your old military unit instead of staying with him. I know that sounds childish, but he was really envious of your previous military background. You possessed that certain…calm, leadership quality he lacked.” She looked up, but saw his jaw was tight, so she plunged ahead.
“We went out one night, drinking. It was stupid,” she admitted, her hands twisting in her lap. “We drank too much and made a really bad decision. I don’t remember much of the night, but the next morning I woke up in his bed. I did the walk of shame and we tried to pretend it didn’t happen. And then? Yep, we were so irresponsible, I got pregnant. My first fear was catching something from one of his many one-night stands, so I got tested immediately.” She gave a rude snort, admitting, “Who am I kidding? I was one of those girls.”
Chad reached out touching her arm lying on the back of the sofa. “No matter what, Dani…you were never one of those girls. You were miles above anyone else Adam had ever been with. And he would have known that.”
She gave a little shrug, sighing once more. “So, I told him about the pregnancy and he suggested we get married. I thought it was crazy. We weren’t in love. He wasn’t a one-woman man. It was wrong on so many levels. But he kept saying that he didn’t want his kid to grow up without a father.” After blowing another errant strand of hair out of her face, she leaned over, grabbing her purse and dug around for a moment, finding a hair elastic. With a few sweeps of her hands, she twisted her long hair up into a sloppy bun.
The action appeared to give her peace and he could not take his eyes off her beauty. He tried to imagine her pregnant, confused, upset, and dealing with Adam, who had the emotional maturity of a child at times. He realized what a predicament Dani had been in. And I, one of her best friends, wasn’t around for her to talk to. Hell, if I’d been around, they wouldn’t have slept together.
She continued, “Adam’s dad abandoned them when he was very little, and he was adamant we marry. I even told him that I’d never keep him out of his child’s life and we didn’t need a piece of paper, but he presented a good argument. Or, at least it sounded good at the
time. Now, looking back, it sounds pathetic.” Seeing Chad’s attention still riveted on her, she said, “He said it made sense to get married because he’d never planned on getting married and if he was going to do it, it might as well be with someone he was friends with. And he pointed out that my chances of finding a man who was willing to take on a child were not great.” She observed Chad’s incredulous expression and grimaced. “Yeah, I know. Hearing myself say that now sounds ridiculous.”
“But you got married,” he stated simply.
Sighing, Dani nodded. “Justice of the Peace. No church. No fancy dress. No reception. Just two of the biggest idiots in the history of the world getting married.” Before he had a chance to argue, she threw her hand up. “I’m not looking for sympathy. We were adults and made a decision.”
They were quiet for a moment before she spoke again, her expression full of resignation. “Chad, I’ve come to accept that there are times in life when we make decisions…based on what seems right at the moment. Sometimes, it’s only later when we look back with clarity and see where we made a mistake.”
She discerned the emotions cross Chad’s face, taking in all of the information. “Since there’s no child, you can figure what happened. We were married a month. I was about two and a half months pregnant and had a miscarriage. It was devastating,” she choked, losing the battle of the tears. “I was at home, alone. I’d already gone to bed when I started bleeding.” She stopped, breathing deeply as she pulled herself together. “I drove to the ER myself since Adam was out late that night. By the time I got ahold of him and he arrived…it was over.”
Sacrifice Love: Saints Protection & Investigations Page 6