“I’m going out to dinner with Daniel.” Lorelei blurted out the words before she could stop herself. Because of her friendship with Micah and Faith it would feel too much like keeping a secret to stay silent. And Lorelei wasn’t very fond of secrets.
“Daniel who?” Micah asked, his blue eyes wide with surprise.
Faith jabbed him hard in the side. “How many Daniels do you know?”
“My brother Daniel?” he pressed, clearly taken aback by the news.
“Bingo!” Lorelei said, trying to ease the sudden tension. “You can pick your jaw up off the floor now.”
Micah scratched his jaw. “You and Daniel? Huh. I never would have seen that coming. The two of you seem so…different.”
“Like us?” Faith asked, sending her fiancée a sassy look. Micah chuckled and pulled Faith to his side, planting a kiss on her temple.
“You’re the peanut butter to my jelly,” Micah said in a sweet-sounding voice.
“And you’re the salt to my pepper,” Faith said, smirking.
“You two are sickeningly sweet,” Lorelei said. “No wonder you’re getting married.”
“We hope you’re coming,” Faith said. “We really want you to be there.”
Micah wagged a finger at her. “You haven’t RSVP’d yet.”
“I’m so sorry. I was over in Europe for a few weeks doing shoots. I promise I’ll respond asap. I can’t wait to share your happy day with you.”
“As for you and Daniel, I think it’s great,” Micah said with a grin. “Just don’t break his heart. He’s had his heart kicked around a time or two, so I don’t want him to get hurt again. Just because he’s a big-time businessman doesn’t mean he’s invincible.” Lorelei could see the seriousness emanating from Micah’s eyes. He was giving her a subtle warning. Tread carefully.
“I won’t hurt him, Micah,” she promised. The moment she said it, Lorelei wished she could take it back. Never in a million years would she ever do anything to deliberately hurt Daniel, but the reality was that people did get hurt in relationships. It was just the nature of life. Sadly, her past was littered with failed relationships. Many of them had been before she had accepted God into her life. Lorelei had made many mistakes. She’d hurt her fair share of people out of fear and anxiety and not being right within herself.
Relationships were funny. She’d been hurt as well by people who had disappointed her and taken her for granted. Micah knew about the trauma she’d suffered due to James Ellis and he knew she was fragile in many ways. He’d always protected her on shoots and made sure she was comfortable in a myriad of different situations. Micah had guarded her as if she was his little sister. And even though he thought she might hurt Daniel, what Micah didn’t realize was that she too was at risk of getting hurt. Hearts were fragile things and one could never predict the future.
As a woman of faith, Lorelei had to believe. She had to believe in brighter days in the future. She couldn’t allow fear to hold her back. The past was the past. Perhaps if she showed up at the parole hearing she could shape her own future. She might be able to protect another woman from being victimized by James Ellis. But the very thought of it made her feel panicky and agitated. Facing Ellis would dredge up all of those painful memories. She’d worked so hard to move past it. It felt like an agonizing choice.
But she had already made her decision. She would put together a heartfelt letter pleading with the parole board to keep James Ellis locked up. There was no way she could put herself out there by showing up in person. As it was, she was already worried about the media attention surrounding the parole hearing. If the media caught wind of her appearing in person, her photos would be plastered all over the news. She didn’t want all the ugliness from the past brought into her present. For the most part the story had been buried.
That type of media attention was the last thing she wanted or needed. Four years ago her profile had been a lot lower than it was now. She was now a well-established model. She cringed at the thought of being dragged into the news based on something so negative. Although her address and personal information was supposed to remain confidential, she worried about it being released. Fear hit her square in the face. What if James Ellis was released? What if he found out where she lived? What if he came to find her?
Round and round the thoughts went until she almost wanted to scream out loud. Her anxiety was kicking in and her palms were beginning to feel moist.
“What’s going on? You’re supposed to be smiling. You look as if you’re a hundred million miles away,” Micah murmured as the director called out directions.
She turned toward Micah and plastered a smile on her face. “I’m fine. Just a little stomach ache.” She could see the concern in Micah’s eyes and she didn’t want to worry him even further by bringing up the parole hearing again. Other than Bethany, Micah and her agent, Lorelei hadn’t confided in anyone else about the troubling matter. She was used to keeping things close to her vest and this would be no different. She would lean on Bethany for support and handle the situation on her own. She had sworn Micah to secrecy, so she knew he wouldn’t discuss it with Daniel.
Lorelei smiled for the camera and put herself into a zone where she didn’t have to worry about James Ellis and the parole hearing. For the next few hours Lorelei would cast all her troubles aside and pretend as if nothing was wrong. It’s what she did when she was on set. She put herself into another zone where her troubles were non-existent. If she hadn’t learned this technique, she wouldn’t be able to work.
In the hours between darkness and dawn when she should be sleeping Lorelei would toss and turn and worry about things way out of her control. And Lorelei would pray that when she finally drifted off to sleep she wouldn’t have nightmares about James Ellis and the dark nightmare he’d plunged her into.
**
“Beginnings are important. First glances. First dates. First kisses. The very first time you look across the room and realize she’s the one. My advice is to savor every moment.”
Caleb Donahue
Chapter Five
Daniel felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. He’d been counting the days until his date with Lorelei and it was finally upon them. It wasn’t like him to feel so invested in a first date, but he couldn’t deny the feelings of exhilaration coursing through him. Spending more time getting to know Lorelei was akin to a gift from above. He was still a bit surprised she had agreed to go out with him.
Believe. It’s what his faith taught him. It was also his mother’s favorite word, one she whispered to him on a regular basis. More than anyone else in the world, Penelope knew Daniel’s struggles with self-confidence. Throughout his life she had acted as his cheerleader, reminding him of all the gifts God had bestowed on him. When he’d called to tell her about his plans with Lorelei, his mother had said, “Wow. What a lucky girl she is. Going out with you is like hitting the jackpot. Brains. Looks. And a heart spun out of gold.”
Believe. Daniel repeated the word as he drove to Lorelei’s house. Believe that good things were right around the corner. Believe that you’re worthy of a good God-fearing woman who enjoyed sunsets, big family barbecues and walks on the beach. Believe that you’re enough.
He was going to take her to one of his favorite spots—the Grotto. It was a beautifully situated Mediterranean restaurant steps away from Pelican Bay Harbor. If you were seated by one of the big bay windows you were fortunate to dine with a stunning view of the harbor in the distance. Afterwards, they could walk on the marina and check out the shops.
Frankly, he could sit on a hillside and look up at the stars with Lorelei or watch paint dry with her. As long as he could be around her, Daniel would be over the moon.
When Daniel picked up Lorelei he was immediately buzzed in to her property. She was right there at the front door waiting for him. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and greeted her warmly. She looked lovely in a cream-colored dress with a lovely peach shawl slung over her shoulders. For once Dan
iel didn’t feel tall. With heels on, Lorelei was a match for his height. He liked it. It made it easy for him to look in her eyes.
“Where are we headed?” Lorelei asked once they were in his car and well on their way to the restaurant.
“Have you ever been to the Grotto?”
“I haven’t,” she said, turning toward him with a smile, “although I’ve heard it’s one of the best restaurants in town.”
“I agree,” he said. “What I like best is the location. The food is great, don’t get me wrong, but I love the ambiance and the close proximity to the harbor.”
“It sounds lovely, Daniel. I love being close to the ocean. One of my dreams is to have a home right on the beach. Someday,” she murmured, a dreamy look etched on her face.
Daniel wondered why Lorelei hadn’t made this particular dream come true. He hated to jump to conclusions, but judging from her luxurious home she could well afford a beach house. Once they arrived at the restaurant, Daniel drove over to the valet parking area and waited for the valet to come to the car to collect his keys. Daniel walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Lorelei, gently taking her hand and helping her out of the car. They walked in to the restaurant and were immediately seated by the waitress, who knew Daniel well enough from his previous visits to know he preferred sitting on the patio to benefit from the spectacular harbor view.
As they walked out on to the patio, Daniel couldn’t help but notice the number of eyes that followed along with them. He knew without a doubt they weren’t looking at him. It was a little bit disconcerting to have that type of attention trained on you. He wondered how Lorelei was able to death with it so gracefully. She didn’t appear to be affected by it at all although he knew it had to bother her a little bit based on the comments she’d made that day on the beach.
When they reached their table, Daniel stepped forward and pulled out a chair for Lorelei. She took a seat, the filmy fabric of her hem swirling around her legs as she did so. She looked elegant and summery.
Daniel sat down across from her. A sweet-smelling candle sat between them on the table. A hint of vanilla wafted in the air from the candle. He didn’t know a whole lot about romance, but the ambiance seemed fairly romantic to him. He didn’t want to clobber her over the head with it, so he appreciated the subtleties.
“I don’t know how you do it, Lorelei. You’re so calm, cool and collected with all the gawking and stares from the public. I’m not sure I could get used to that.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I haven’t always felt calm about it. I’ve had to learn techniques for dealing with it because at times it has given me a great deal of anxiety.”
He leaned across the table and impulsively grabbed her hand in a comforting gesture. “I’m sorry. Feelings like that are hard to control. But, if it makes you feel better, a lot of people deal with anxiety.”
“I had a really bad experience which led to those issues. It’s not really something I can control, but hopefully someday I’ll be able to.” Her voice was full of strength, but he couldn’t help but sense a little uncertainty emanating from her eyes. It told him a lot about Lorelei and the things she kept hidden under the surface.
“Anything you’d like to talk about?” he asked, curious about her past experiences. Matter of fact, he wanted to know everything about her. Her past. Her present. Her favorite color and all the things that made her smile.
“Maybe someday, but not right now,” she said, a smile lifting up the corners of her mouth. “I don’t want to ruin this special evening.”
“I promise you, there’s not a single thing you could do to ruin this evening. I’m really happy you accepted my invitation.”
“Me too. Thanks for asking. So the fact that we’re on a date…it’s not a conflict?” she asked, with a look of slight strain etched on her face.
“Because I own DD studios?” he asked. She nodded without saying a word. He got the feeling she was seeking assurance of some kind from him.
“I don’t think so. You don’t report to me directly even though I hired you. I’m not your direct boss.”
“But you do own the company.”
At that moment a waitress approached their table, taking their drink orders then suggesting a few appetizers for them to nibble on. Daniel deferred to Lorelei who selected fresh calamari for them to share while Daniel ordered them each a Sangria.
Daniel frowned at Lorelei. He hoped she wasn’t backing away from anything they might be building. He didn’t want to scare her away by telling her, but he hadn’t been this interested in a woman in a very long time. And he really didn’t want these feelings to end. Even though they scared him a little bit, he also felt on top of the world.
“Are you afraid people will think I hired you because we’re together?”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “We both know that wasn’t the case. We didn’t even know each other when you hired me.” She made a face. “Matter of fact,” she said, wrinkling her nose, “I’m not sure you even liked me the first time we met.”
Daniel chuckled. “I wouldn’t say I didn’t like you. I knew you were drop-dead gorgeous but I was looking at you from a business standpoint. I overthought everything because the project is so important to me.”
“I think I understand. I get really nervous sometimes when I get a really big modeling gig or contract. I start questioning everything. It’s really strange but I still feel like an imposter sometimes, like I’m waiting for someone to say I’m not really top model material.”
The waitress came back and gracefully delivered their drinks.
Daniel felt his eyes widening at Lorelei’s comment. “You feel that way too? I always look at the DD Studios sign and wonder if I’m in some extended dream where I’m only imagining my success.” He scratched his jaw. “I’m not sure it will ever truly sink in that I’ve achieved this huge level of success. And that I’m so incredibly blessed as to be able to do what I love each and every day.”
Lorelei nodded. “That’s definitely something we have in common.”
Daniel leaned in and whispered, “We can beat this, right? I think it’s a matter of us both feeling as if we deserve it. Sometimes it’s hard to believe we deserve good things.”
She swept strands of hair from her face and smiled. “I agree.” She raised her glass of sangria. “Let’s make a toast, Daniel. To embracing success!”
Daniel raised his glass and clinked with her own. “To embracing success in all areas of our lives!”
By the time their entrees arrived, Daniel and Lorelei had settled into a lively conversation. He had told her funny stories about growing up in Pelican Bay as part of a large, bustling family. Daniel loved being able to make her laugh. She wore the look of joy well. It added to her beauty, which didn’t seem possible to Daniel since she was already stunning.
After indulging in Tiramisu for dessert, accompanied by cups of cappuccino, both Lorelei and Daniel decided a walk on the marina would be beneficial to work off some off the calories they had consumed. The night air was cool, which was a welcome relief from the summer heat. As they walked side by side in perfect sync, their convivial conversation ensued.
Daniel continued to tell her stories about growing up as part of the large Donahue brood.
“I love hearing your childhood stories. I grew up as an only child, which isn’t fair really. I don’t have a lot of funny stories to tell.” Her voice softened. “Having siblings would have been a dream come true. I used to pretend all the time when I was little that I had a twin sister named Ruby. I could tell her anything. She knew all of my secrets.”
“Ruby, huh? I guess you were pretty lonely to invent a twin sister.”
“A bit,” she said with a shrug. “Now that I’ve said it out loud, Ruby sounds really creepy, but as a kid it was comforting.” Her expression was a bit sheepish at the admission.
“I remember hearing that it’s a sign of creativity,” he said with a grin. “Does your family
live in the area?”
“My mother lives in Boca Raton and my Dad is a world traveler of sorts. He’s never really put down roots.” A sad expression passed over her face. “My parents divorced when I was ten. I really didn’t grow up with a family. Not like you did.”
“That must have been hard. My own parents are separated and it’s been tough emotionally on all of us,” he admitted. “I can’t imagine how hard it would be as a kid.”
Lorelei took a deep breath. “It was really difficult. I overheard them one day fighting about who I was going to live with, and to this day, it haunts me.” She looked away from him, focusing instead on the ocean.
“That’s not uncommon for parents to want the child to live with them.”
Lorelei let out a brittle sounding laugh. “You don’t understand. They were fighting because neither of them wanted me. They were going back and forth arguing about who would take me. I guess I was an inconvenience. Neither one wanted to take responsibility for me.”
Daniel let out a shocked sound. He couldn’t imagine parents feeling that way, nor could he conceive of them not wanting Lorelei. What kind of people did something like that? It must have been devastating for Lorelei to have grown up with the knowledge that she hadn’t been wanted.
Lorelei shuddered. He reached out and clasped her hand in his. It wasn’t like him to make a gesture like that, but Lorelei brought it out in him. He wanted to comfort her. The memories she was dredging up were clearly painful and he hated to see her struggle. No doubt the experiences with her parents had shaped her life and deeply affected her. It made Daniel sad to see how emotional it was for Lorelei.
She locked eyes with him and there was moisture pooling in the green depths of her eyes.
“They ended up sending me to boarding school in Connecticut, which was a nightmare in its own right.”
Forever and a Day (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 5) Page 6