by Mari Carr
Dani shook her head. “No. That’s not what he wants.”
Blake raised his hand quickly. “I agree with you. But I’m playing devil’s advocate. I’m not sure you have enough to request a restraining order. In fact, there’s not enough here for you to take any sort of legal action right now.”
It wasn’t the news Dani wanted to hear, even though it was exactly what she’d expected. She’d learned at fifteen, she was on her own when it came to issues with her dad. “So the plan remains the same. I contact him, set up a meeting in public and find out what the bastard wants.”
She didn’t want to return to Nashville with the shadow of her dad still looming over her. She wanted the terrifying calls and the messages to stop.
Blake rocked slowly in the chair. “Before you proceed with that, let me do some background checks on your dad. See if I can find a current address, place of employment, previous records, stuff like that. We need to know exactly what we’re up against before we seek the man out.”
“We?” she asked.
Blake grinned. “There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell you’re meeting that guy without reinforcements. Jett and me. Wouldn’t hurt to have those two giant bandmates of yours along as well. Intimidation might be enough to scare the guy off. Especially when he sees how many bad-ass protectors have your back.”
Dani laughed, looking down in an attempt to hide the tears that filled her eyes. She was touched by Blake’s kindness.
Blake rubbed his chin. “You said he’s been in jail again since you left?”
Dani nodded. “I found something on the Internet when I Googled his name. An article about his arrest for assault and battery.”
Blake ran a hand through his short, dark hair. “Well, if he’s been in prison twice for felonies, he’s facing the three strikes, you’re out law.”
“What’s that mean?” Dani asked.
“It means if he steps over the line again and commits a serious crime, he’s facing life in prison. It’ll be game over.”
Dani got the feeling Blake meant that information to be comforting. Like all she had to do was wish for dear old Dad to fuck up again. Unfortunately, that idea wasn’t reassuring. She didn’t think her dad gave a shit about the possibility of spending the rest of his life in jail. Right now, he seemed wholly focused on her. And until it all played out, Dani wasn’t safe.
Their conversation was interrupted when Chloe stepped out on the porch. “There you guys are. What’s up?”
Blake smiled as he stood and joined his fiancée. “Getting some fresh air. We didn’t miss dessert, did we?”
Dani was grateful to Blake for dodging the question, protecting her secret. So far no one had mentioned her father. Probably because they knew it was such a painful subject for her. Bryson and Aiden had return flights back to Nashville tomorrow. She’d simply say she wanted to spend more time with Mama Lewis, bid them farewell at the airport and make plans to see them at home again next weekend.
Hopefully by then, she would have gotten Russell off her back and out of her life.
Chloe started back into the house with Blake, then glanced over her shoulder. “Mama’s looking for you, Dani. She’s in the kitchen.”
Dani rose from the porch swing. “I’ll go see what she needs. It was nice talking to you, Blake.”
He nodded once. With any luck, he’d discover something about her dad that she could use.
As Dani passed by the living room, she peeked in. Aiden and Bryson were kicked back on the large sectional with Caleb and Justin, beers in hand, bitching about some call the umpire had made. They were settled in for the duration of the game.
Dani continued to the kitchen, surprised to find Mama Lewis alone, sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.
“Where did everyone else go?” Dani asked.
“The girls are out back, soaking up the sunshine and a bottle of wine while looking at bride magazines. Chloe is planning an October wedding.”
“That’s a nice time for a wedding.”
Mama Lewis nodded, then gestured to an empty chair at the table. “Care to join me?”
Dani grabbed her own cup of coffee, and then took the seat as she glanced around the room. “You got new cabinets.”
Mama Lewis smiled. “Yeah. The boys put them in for me a couple of years ago. I like the white. They brighten the room.”
She agreed.
“How are you, Dani? Are you happy?”
Dani smiled. “I am. Very much so.” For nearly a half an hour, she filled Mama Lewis in on everything she’d done since leaving New Orleans, telling her about the people she’d met who had helped her along the way.
“I’m so sorry I never got the chance to meet Stella. Sounds like she was a wonderful person.”
Dani dashed away a tear. “She was. In a lot of ways she reminded me of you. I think the two of you would have loved each other.”
“I love her for finding you and keeping you safe. Benji too, though I’ll admit he sounds like a character.”
Dani laughed. “Oh my God. You have no idea. You’ll have to come visit me in Nashville sometime and I’ll take you to the club.”
Mama Lewis reached over to take her hand. “I’d like that very much.”
“So would I.” Suddenly Dani regretted letting her fear keep her away for so long. So many wasted years.
“Aiden and Bryson are very nice. Have the three of you been performing together for long?”
“Three years,” Dani replied. “But we’ve been writing music together for six.”
“How long have you been in love with them?”
Dani blushed. “That obvious?”
Mama Lewis squeezed her hand gently. “I’ve had a bit of practice reading the signs lately. You noticed the family has grown quite a bit in your absence.”
“Justin’s relationship is—” Dani started before stopping suddenly. What the hell was it? Besides extremely unusual and infinitely fascinating.
“Is what?” Mama Lewis prodded.
“Different.”
“That it is. But it works. Ned and Bella were made for my Justin. But it’s not his relationship you’re worried about, is it?”
Dani shook her head. “Aiden, Bryson and I are sort of new to this. So new, in fact, I’m not sure it’s even a thing.”
Mama Lewis released her hand and picked up her cup of coffee, taking a tiny sip before saying, “Oh, that’s wonderful. There’s nothing more exciting than the beginning of a new love affair.”
Dani agreed it was exhilarating. And terrifying. “You don’t think it’s strange? I mean, despite Justin’s relationship, three people together isn’t exactly a normal thing.”
“If it feels right to you doesn’t that make it normal?”
Before she realized it, every fear Dani had experienced since she’d woken up this morning came pouring out. “The thing is, I’m not sure it’s smart to start something like this. We just signed a contract that is going to tie the three of us together for the next several years. What if it doesn’t work out? What if it goes bad? We’d be stuck, forced to work in very close proximity, living together on a tour bus.”
“That’s definitely something worth thinking about. But every relationship in the world comes with risks. Have you talked to Bryson and Aiden about it?”
“No. We haven’t talked about anything. It just happened. Last night.”
Mama Lewis smiled. “Wow. That is new. I assume by it, you mean sex?”
Dani’s cheeks went hot, but she nodded. “Yeah.”
“But the friendship, the love, that’s not new. And that’s a very good foundation, Dani. Many successful couples have started with much less. Strangers meeting in a tattoo parlor. An employee going on a date with her bosses.”
Dani laughed as Mama Lewis described how Caleb and Justin met their lovers.
“Or you could have faced what Chloe and Blake did. Finding each other after years apart and having to overcome the betrayal and broken hearts t
hat accompanied their first time around.”
“What about Jett and Carissa?” Dani asked.
“You and Jett were always such kindred spirits. Like you, he fell in love with his best friend. All I’m saying, Dani, is every relationship starts out with barriers, problems that feel like good reasons to walk away. You could certainly take the easy road, play it safe and break things off. But you’ve never been a quitter.”
Dani appreciated Mama Lewis’ compliment, but at the moment, she felt very much like a coward. For so many reasons. “I’ve never told them about my dad. Bryson and Aiden think my parents died when I was young.”
Mama Lewis’ brows creased. “Why haven’t you told them?”
Dani swallowed heavily. “When I left New Orleans, I never intended to come back.”
Dani caught Mama Lewis’ hurt expression and she reached out to hold the woman’s hand. “I wanted to see you again so badly. I love you, Mama. But when I left here, I was Dani Patton and nothing more than a helpless victim. In my head, all those things are tied to this city because he’s still here. No one knows about my past. When I’m in Nashville, I’m Dani Lewis, a singer and songwriter, a strong, independent woman. I like that Aiden and Bryson see that woman instead of the weak one.”
“You took our name.”
Dani could see the pleasure that gave Mama Lewis. She nodded. “I loved you all so much. I hated leaving, so I decided to keep a part of you with me.”
Mama Lewis smiled. Dani saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. “Thank you, darling.”
Dani swallowed heavily, unable to speak for a moment.
Mama Lewis was the first to break the silence. “You realize you’re not one person or the other, Dani. You can’t separate who you are into two parts and call them different people. All of those traits have combined to make you the person you are. The woman Bryson and Aiden love.”
“Maybe so, but I can’t make any commitments right now. Not until I sort out my past.” Dani bit her lower lip, and then told Mama Lewis the rest. “He’s found me.”
“Your father?”
Dani nodded. “He’s sent me messages, called. He wants to see me.”
The troubled look in Mama Lewis’ eyes seemed to mirror Dani’s own fears. “Are you going to?”
“Yes. Jett has suggested I invite him to meet at the Royal Lunch. Jett plans to be there and Blake will be close by as well. I don’t know what he wants, but I refuse to spend the rest of my life wondering, hiding.”
“You need to be careful, Dani. Are you sure you don’t want Aiden and Bryson there as well? There’s strength in numbers.”
Dani shook her head. “No. I can handle this on my own. I’m already putting two people I care about at risk. I don’t plan to add Bryson and Aiden to that list. I’ll just take care of unfinished business and then…with any luck, everything else will fall into place.”
“I hope it’s as simple as that.”
“But you don’t think it will be?”
Mama Lewis gave her a sad smile. “I think old habits die hard. You’re used to taking care of yourself, Dani. But you don’t have to do that anymore. Things are easier with the ones you love by your side.”
Dani jumped when she heard a deep voice behind her.
“Sorry,” Bryson said, stepping into the kitchen. “Hope I’m not interrupting. I lost rock, paper, scissors.”
Mama Lewis laughed. “So you’re here to grab the next round of beers?”
Bryson nodded, but he wasn’t smiling. He was looking at Dani. “Everything okay, bird?”
“Yeah,” she said, striving for a breezy, lighthearted sound. She failed miserably. She got the feeling he’d overheard some of their conversation. Problem was she didn’t know how much.
Bryson grabbed the beers, stopping by her chair on his way back out. “You sure?”
She nodded slowly.
He accepted her answer, returning to the living room.
Mama Lewis reached out to hold her hand. “Talk to them, Dani. Open your heart and let them in.”
Bryson returned to the living room, unaware he was scowling until Aiden snickered. “Jesus, man. Never realized you were such a sore loser.”
Bryson worked to lighten his expression as he handed Aiden, Caleb and Justin their beers. Ned, Zac and Noah had gone outside to shoot hoops earlier, so Bryson claimed the recliner Ned had vacated. His interest in the game had vanished as he considered what he’d just heard. Mama Lewis was accusing Dani of falling back into old habits. What had prompted that comment? Had Dani told her foster mother about them? Had she said she wanted to break things off?
Or had they been discussing something else? Perhaps Dani’s real reason for returning home? After meeting the Lewises, there had to be something else, something bad to keep Dani from the family she loved so much.
Before he could ponder that idea further, Justin muted the TV when a commercial break began. “Now might be a good time for us to discuss your intentions toward our sister.”
Suddenly Bryson understood why the room had cleared out. They’d been set up.
Aiden chuckled. “Seriously?”
Justin’s lip tipped up in an amused grin, but Caleb’s serious expression still warned them to proceed with caution.
If Aiden sensed any peril, he didn’t let on. “I know you guys had Dani first, but we’ve been the ones looking out for her the past six years. I appreciate that you want to protect her, but believe me, she’s not in danger from us.”
Caleb’s frown deepened. “It’s not a case of who met her first. Dani was our little sister for two years. She was a lonely, terrified girl, so we made sure she felt safe, knew she was loved. As brothers,” he stressed. “I’m not getting a brotherly vibe from you two.”
Bryson wanted to be annoyed by the fifth degree, but part of him was glad to know Dani had these men in her life. For so long, she’d been alone. The idea that she had a family that cared for her warmed him. She deserved this. “You’re right. We don’t love Dani like brothers and we sure as hell don’t see her as our little sister. But I’d cut out my own heart before I ever hurt her or let someone else cause her pain. I promise you that.”
“I can’t speak for Bryson, but I’m in love with her, and if she’ll have me…” Aiden paused and looked at Bryson before correcting himself. “If she’ll have us, we want to spend the rest of our lives making her happy.”
It was the first time Bryson had heard his own hopes for the future spoken aloud. It was amazing to him to think that this time yesterday, they were still foolishly living in just-friends mode and thinking that was okay. That was normal.
Caleb’s expression cleared and he smiled. “Yeah. That’s the vibe I was getting. Glad to have it confirmed.”
“It took her a long time to relax when she lived here and even then, I’m not sure she ever fully dropped her guard,” Justin said. “When she was sitting with you two at the table earlier, it felt like the first time I’d ever seen her without the shields in place.”
Bryson knew Justin’s comments should please him, but he couldn’t help but focus on the negative parts. Lonely, terrified girl. Living her life on guard.
What the hell had happened to bring her to the Lewis house to begin with? Bryson was tempted to ask, but he didn’t want to hear Dani’s story from anyone except her. It felt too much like cheating. Maybe it was a silly test and maybe he’d pay for it, but Bryson couldn’t shake the feeling that the three of them couldn’t have a future until Dani trusted them enough to tell them everything.
The words he’d overheard Mama Lewis say came floating back to him.
Old habits die hard.
Dani wasn’t finished fighting her demons from the past.
Which left Bryson and Aiden struggling to defeat an unknown foe.
Chapter Six
Bryson tapped his hand on his knee restlessly as he leaned his head back against the couch. It had been three days since their dinner with the Lewis family. Dani had tried to convince them to
use their return flights to Nashville on Monday, but they’d canceled instead. Bryson had thought she’d appreciate the company on the long drive back, but she became uncharacteristically quiet—sullen—after they’d told her what they had done.
Since then, she’d been distant. He and Aiden had tried to cajole her out of her mood—offering to do some sightseeing or take her out for nice dinners. While she’d been polite, she’d refused every invitation, refusing to leave the apartment. And despite the fact she was in the same room with them, it almost felt as if she was somewhere else.
Worst of all was the sleeping situation. They’d returned to their own beds. Whatever magic had pushed them together had vanished. Aiden had tried to initiate a conversation about it several times, but Dani had brushed him off, claiming headaches or exhaustion or by simply saying it was over and they needed to move on.
It was frustrating, infuriating, maddening, but Bryson couldn’t figure out how to make things better. Aiden was better at dealing with emotions and talking and shit like that.
So now it was midday on Wednesday and they were stuck in limbo. None of them had suggested leaving the room today. In fact, no one had said anything in the past hour. Aiden was sitting at the counter, poring over lyrics for a new song he was working on. Dani was in her bedroom, strumming her guitar, though he hadn’t heard her sing a note. And he was sitting in the living room, brooding.
While he hadn’t caught the entire conversation between Dani and Mama Lewis, Bryson was more and more convinced that Dani wasn’t in New Orleans for the reason she’d given them. He was starting to suspect her annoyance with them was based on the fact they were keeping her from doing whatever it was she wanted to do. Which left Bryson with an uneasy feeling.
He glanced up when the door to Dani’s room opened and she stepped out.
Aiden gave her a tentative smile. “Hey.”