The Art of Loving Lacy (Sweet with Heat: Weston Bradens Book 4)

by Addison Cole

  “You look…frustrated.” He smiled to himself as he started the car. At least she was thinking about him now. His cell phone rang, and he let out a breath and answered the call from the unfamiliar number. “Excuse me,” he said to Lacy.

  “Dane Braden.”

  “Dane Braden? This is Officer Eaton of the Chatham police. Do you know of a Robert Mann?”

  “Yes, he works for me,” Dane said. Fear flattened his desire. “Did something happen?”

  “We’ve detained him for disturbing the peace. Are you willing to come get him?”

  Rob, what did you do? “I don’t understand. Disturbing the peace?” Dane shot a look at Lacy, who watched him out of the corner of her eye.

  The officer explained, “He was provoking a group of college kids.”

  “That doesn’t sound like Rob at all. Are you sure you have the right guy?” Dane asked.

  “Robert Mann, thick brown hair, graying. Stocky, five ten, mid-forties. Says he works for the Brave Foundation,” the officer said.

  “I’ll be right there,” Dane said. He ended the call and tried to mask his worry and irritation and tuck the guilt that was brewing inside him away. He should have forced Rob to talk and gotten to the bottom of this mess.

  “I’m sorry, Lacy. I have to table our aquarium date. I’ll take you to your cottage.”

  “What happened?” She’d switched out of frustrated mode, and now her eyes were laden with concern.

  “My buddy Rob. He’s at the police station. I guess he was provoking some college guys or something. I don’t really know,” Dane said.

  “Want me to come with you?” She reached over and touched his arm.

  “You don’t want to deal with this stuff,” Dane said.

  “You probably don’t, either. Maybe I can help in some way. Besides, I wouldn’t want to go to a police station alone, and I don’t mind going so you don’t have to either.”

  He closed his eyes for a breath while he thought it over. When he opened them, Lacy was still looking at him, her hand still holding his arm. “Lacy, I don’t know what to expect. This has never happened before,” Dane said. “But he’s been pretty out of it lately.”

  “I’d like to go. I’d like to be there for you.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  AS THEY DROVE toward the Chatham Police Station, Lacy wondered if she was doing the right thing by tagging along. She wanted to support Dane, and she wouldn’t want to face something like this alone, but as they neared the station, she envisioned all sorts of derelicts hanging all over her, groping her, reaching for Dane from within their meth-induced stupors.

  One look at the benign nature of the police station and all that worry fell away. The station looked more like a school than a place for wayward criminals, with big white pillars holding up a newly painted and finely constructed A-frame porch, cream-colored siding with white trim, and beautiful gardens out front. Now more relaxed, Lacy followed Dane into the lobby, where he spoke to an officer through a glass window. They showed their identification; then he and Lacy were escorted down a hallway to another room. They sat beside a small table and waited.

  “Why are we in here?” Lacy asked.

  Dane shrugged. “I’ve never been through this before, so I have no idea, but I’d expect they need to go through some sort of out-processing procedure.”

  Lacy wondered how she would feel if Danica or Kaylie had been detained by the police. Would she be mad that she had to come down and claim them? Embarrassed? Worried? Scared? Dane’s mouth was pinched tight. Worry lines crossed his forehead. He leaned forward and steepled his hands over his mouth and nose and closed his eyes. Dane’s concern for Rob’s well-being was written not only in his face and evident in his actions, but the air around him was becoming heavy, too. Lacy wanted to reach out and touch him and remind him that he wasn’t alone. She held back. She was so confused about what she should or shouldn’t do with him, how she should act. She’d been the one to break away, and now she was the one wanting to come back together. In the Chatham parking lot, Lacy had wanted to kiss him so badly that she was sure she’d attack him if he didn’t kiss her first. When he didn’t, she was hurt, and that hurt turned to embarrassment, which had quickly morphed to frustration at being played for a fool. All those emotions running together and fighting to be heard didn’t come close to the worry that consumed her heart right at that moment.

  Her need to comfort him was too great. She touched his arm. “Are you okay?”

  He nodded, then lowered his hands and shook his head. “I’m worried about Rob. He’s drinking again. I should have seen it. The other day, Hugh thought he was hungover when he came to work, and I didn’t want to see it. In all the years I’ve known him, Rob’s never done anything irresponsible. Now this. I’m just worried about him. He’s a good man. He’s my friend, and I feel like he’s slipping away. I wish I knew what to do.”

  “Let’s find out how he is and what happened; then we can deal with the rest.”

  “We?” Dane asked.

  Lacy shrugged. “Friends help friends.”

  He smiled. “Yes, they sure do. Thank you.”

  The door opened, and an older officer came in, followed by Rob and another, younger, officer. Dane shot to his feet and went to Rob’s side. Rob’s clothes were disheveled. He had a small cut beneath his eye, and he was favoring his left side.

  “Rob, what happened?” Dane ran his eyes over Rob’s face, holding tight to his arm. The veins in Dane’s neck rose like thick snakes. His biceps flexed, and Lacy heard the silent accusation in the stare he pinned against the officer.

  “He provoked a pack of college kids, got into a fight, and he lost,” the older officer said. “We didn’t book him, but we kept him overnight until he sobered up.”

  “You were drunk?” Dane asked. “Rob…”

  Although his voice was harsh, the way he handled Rob, with one hand on his forearm, the other around his back, was gentle and nurturing. The word protective came to Lacy’s mind.

  Lacy had seen enough photos of Rob to know how out of character he looked now, unsteady on his feet and leaning against Dane.

  “What happened to the other guys?” Dane asked. “Were they detained?”

  “One of them, yes, but the others were released. Mr. Mann provoked the group. We don’t take this type of thing lightly around here, and if it happens again, we will book him.”

  “Understood,” Dane said. “May I take him home now?”

  “Yes, sir. And, Mr. Mann, I suggest you steer clear of trouble, you hear?”

  “Yes, sir,” Rob said.

  Before they walked out the door, the officer said, “Lemme ask you a question. You’re the Brave Foundation guys, right?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Don’t you worry, going in the water with those sharks?”

  Dane spoke to the officer, but his attention was still focused on Rob. “It’s less risky than driving down the street. You know, you could choke on a chicken bone.”

  IN ROB’S MOTEL room, Rob stretched out on the bed with a groan. Lacy watched Dane pacing the small, tidy room. He ran his hand through his hair, glanced at Rob, and shook his head.

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?” Dane finally asked.

  “I’m sorry, Dane. It’s all this stuff with Sheila.”

  “I could have helped you, taken you to AA meetings, stayed with you, given you time off, whatever it took, Rob. How could you let it go this far?” Dane’s deep voice softened, and his worried eyes washed over Rob.

  “It sent me off the deep end, I guess. Those guys were talking about how they were going to go…” He glanced at Lacy, then back at Dane. “They were gonna go hook up with a few unsuspecting women, only not in a consensual sense. I lost it. I kept thinking of Katie and how I’m not there to protect her.”

  “Katie? She’s four,” Dane said. “You can’t go around busting on guys. You’ve never done something like that before.”

  “No, I haven’t, but I’ve never been
separated before either,” Rob said.

  “You know, I didn’t want to believe it when Hugh said you were hungover.” Dane crossed his arms over his chest.

  Lacy watched Dane’s jaw clench as he stared down the man she knew he loved like a brother. The tension between the two multiplied in seconds; then Dane let out a sigh, and the tension deflated like a popped balloon. He sat beside Rob on the bed and reached for Rob’s arm, meeting his friend’s eyes with a softer gaze.

  “Buddy, let’s get you to a meeting. Is this why Sheila left?” Dane asked. He squeezed Rob’s arm.

  The harshness in his tone fell away, revealing the empathetic and genuinely caring man that Lacy had come to know. She felt a fissure in her resolve.

  Rob shook his head and sat up. “I didn’t start drinking until after she left. We were arguing a lot. I guess I hadn’t realized how much. You know she’s been all over me to stop tagging. I can’t give it up. I can’t do it, but…” His eyes welled with tears. “I can’t lose her, man. She’s everything. My kids…I can’t lose them.”

  Dane wrapped Rob’s burly body in his arms and placed one hand on the back of his head as he held him. “It’s going to be okay. She loves you, Rob. This’ll work out. You said you had all that stuff worked out about work. I never gave it another thought. Listen, take the week off, go to Connecticut and see her. Talk it out. She knows how much you love what you do.”

  You’re holding him like you held me. She loved the way Dane and his family weren’t shy about their emotions, and as she watched him with Rob, she sensed that Rob really was family to him, which endeared Dane to her even more.

  Rob pulled back. “I can’t. She said she needed space, but I’ll call her.”

  “And a meeting?” Dane pulled out his phone and typed something in. “I’ll find a local meeting we can attend.”

  “I went last night. I just messed up afterward,” Rob said. “I can do this. I did it fifteen years ago, and I’ll do it again.”

  “I’ll go with you. You need support,” Dane offered.

  So available, willing to be there no matter what. Lacy felt her heart opening like a flower in bloom.

  “Nah. This is something I have to do alone. It’s all out in the open now, Dane.” He looked away as a flush crept up his cheeks. “I’ll call you if I feel like I’m falling off the wagon. I promise. I’ve only been back on the bottle for two days. I’m sorry, man. You don’t deserve this,” Rob said. He turned to Lacy. “I’m sorry, hon.”

  “Please don’t apologize. I’m sorry you’re having such a difficult time,” Lacy said.

  Dane pulled Rob close again and whispered, “I have faith in you. Just promise me this will be a good run, because I can’t walk out that door knowing I could lose my best friend.”

  A good run. She’d come to know that expression from Dane, and she knew it meant he trusted Rob to make it through this. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and suppressed the urge to open her arms and join the closeness that was coming together before her.

  “I promise you, Dane.” Rob held his stare.

  “And if you need me, I’m a phone call away. I can be here in minutes.”

  Dane closed his eyes and Lacy opened hers.

  Chapter Sixteen

  DANE’S EYES WERE still damp as they pulled away from the motel. Lacy looked away, not wanting to embarrass him and not really knowing if it was her place to say anything at all.

  When Dane finally spoke, his voice was soft and his eyes were contemplative. “I never would have guessed that Rob would drink again. He was sober for fifteen years. Fifteen years. He had everything. They had everything. I just don’t understand it.”

  “He did say something about Sheila wanting him to stop tagging, and love is a powerful thing,” Lacy said. “People do stupid things to try to get the attention of those they love.” Or to protect them.

  “He’ll never give it up. But she won’t leave for good, either. She adores him. I’ve seen them together, and you can’t fake what they have. I’m sorry about all of that.”

  “There’s no need to apologize. Rob’s your friend, and he’s obviously having a hard time right now. Do you think you should stay with him? I can catch a cab back to the cottage. I really wouldn’t mind,” Lacy said. She felt as though she were seeing Dane through new eyes. The way he’d put away his initial anger and stepped up to the plate for Rob, willing to give up whatever he’d had planned to go with him to a meeting, and the way he embraced and comforted him, wasn’t so different from the way he was with her. Where he had empathy for Rob, he had tenderness for Lacy. Where he had love for Rob, he had something strikingly similar, it seemed, for Lacy. She was beginning to see the man beneath the sexy exterior, and the man that was emerging was inching his way into her reluctant heart.

  “I’m glad you came. It helped to know you were there,” Dane said. “Do you want me to take you home or…?”

  “I’m fine with whatever you want to do. If you want to be with Rob, I’d understand that. Don’t plan around me; plan around him. He needs you,” Lacy said.

  Dane pulled over to the side of the road and leaned toward her. “Thank you,” he said and pulled her close. “I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”

  Friend? Lacy was beginning to loathe that stupid pact. She put her arms around him, trying not to inhale his raw, masculine scent.

  “Rob wants to be alone. He knows this route, and he knows what works best for him. I have to respect his wish to be alone.” He pulled back onto the road. “We could still go to the aquarium if you’re up to it.”

  Aquarium. A nervous flutter danced in Lacy’s chest. “I’m not sure I can accomplish whatever it is you have in mind for me, and I know I don’t want to go near any shark tanks, but short of that, I’d love to.”

  THE LOBBY OF the new aquarium included several life-sized models of different species of sharks. Perfect. Dane didn’t intend to push Lacy past her limits, but Danica had told him that immersing her in as many shark-related activities as possible while watching her for signs of distress would help her overcome her fears. He knew several of the research staff, as they’d moved from other research facilities to open the new site, and he’d made arrangements for a private tour of the research area for Lacy. As much as Dane hated the idea of sharks being taken from their natural habitat, today he was thankful for the convenience.

  “Lacy, we haven’t spoken about what happened on the boat very much, and I’d like to understand what you’re feeling,” Dane said.

  Lacy crossed her arms. “It’s so embarrassing.”

  “Babe, everyone has fears. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  She looked at him through her long lashes and said, “You don’t seem to.”

  “Oh, yeah I do,” Dane said with a laugh. Like my fear of losing you. “I never made it to see you. That was fear driven, even if I don’t really understand it. It couldn’t be driven by anything else. And every time I dive into the ocean with a great white shark, there’s a type of fear that settles in. It’s not all-encompassing, but it’s there in the back of my mind.”

  “You were afraid to see me?” Lacy asked.

  “I sort of explained that to you already. I was afraid of what I was feeling, and I didn’t want to face you knowing the kind of guy I had been and knowing the type of man you deserved. But we’re not falling in love, remember? So let’s not go down that road. I want to know about you, Lace, not rehash who I am. I want to know what you’re feeling…” About me. “About the panic attack you had.”

  “The more I read about sharks, the calmer I felt, but I have no idea if that was just the fact freak in me taking over or if it was something more,” she said.

  “But how do you feel, Lace? When you think of a shark, what do you feel?” Danica had told him to be hypervigilant about understanding where Lacy’s emotions were during the desensitization process, and she’d been sure to throw a sisterly warning or two in for him as well. She’d said that with some patient
s who have hidden from their fears—or repressed them—for long periods of time, the actual fear might return fast and furious, but it can also fade quickly as the person comes to grasp the realization of how unfounded their fears are. Dane wasn’t so sure it would be that easy.

  “I guess I don’t feel much. But that’s probably going to be different if I go out on a boat and actually see a shark in the water. Danica says she thinks the panic attack might have been from more than just the shark, that I was probably anxious about seeing you after building up all those expectations. I need to face the fear.” She shrugged.

  The tension in his shoulders relaxed. “Well, we won’t push things,” Dane said.

  “You’re supposed to be immersing me in Brave’s scope of work,” she said.

  Dane smiled. “I am; trust me. You’ll see it all. I’ll just make sure you’re comfortable along the way. If you feel uncomfortable at any time—whether it’s with me or just being here—let me know, okay?”

  LACY WAS AWARE of being under Dane’s scrutiny from the moment they walked into the aquarium. The entrance was lined with models of different species of fish. Lacy ran her hand over each of them, feeling the cool ceramic beneath her hand, the roughness of the etched scales and the smooth glass of the eyes. She wanted to work through her fear, but the truth was, she was already feeling uncomfortable—and she didn’t want to leave his side.

  “A little different from the ones at the Frying Pan, huh?” Dane asked.

  “Yes, these are more calming,” she said. She felt Dane’s eyes on her, watching her facial expressions, and when she approached the larger models, he moved a little closer to her. While the models of the fish didn’t cause a rush in anxiety, having Dane beside her with his hawk eyes watching her sure did. Each time he moved closer, butterflies took flight in her stomach.

  She looked down the hallway and noted that the models got successively larger as they neared the room with the main aquarium exhibits. She moved on to the next model. Am I going to freak out when I reach the sharks?