“I really wanted to be there.”
“Could have fooled me.” Linc’s voice turned gruff. Gently, he touched her cheek. “Damn it, Dee. I’m sorry.”
Dee blinked, refusing to cry.
“You can’t steal my line, Lincoln. I’m sorry. For everything I said. Even more, for what I left unsaid.”
“Later. You’re alive. Nothing else matters.” Linc raised his arms then dropped them. “If I hug you, will it hurt?”
“A lot more if you don’t.”
Gingerly, Linc wrapped his arms around her waist. Dee felt a shudder go through his body as he buried his face in her neck.
“Jesus, Dee. Jesus.”
“I’m fine.” She placed a soothing kiss on his temple. “I’m fine.”
“You’re in the emergency room. Because of me.”
“Because a crazy woman made you the object of her obsession.” Dee refused to let Linc blame himself. “She would have gone after any woman in your life. At least I was prepared to defend myself. Someone else might not have been as lucky.”
Not letting go, Linc pulled back enough to look her in the eye. Lips quirked, he chuckled.
“In other words, good thing I fell for a badass?”
“I don’t like to brag.”
“Go ahead,” Linc urged. “You earned the right.”
With her index finger, Dee smoothed the frown from between his brow.
“How’d you know I was here.”
“Not from you. A text, Dee? Sorry, something’s come up.” Linc quoted her using a mocking, sing-song voice. “Talk about the understatement of the year.”
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
“You preferred to piss me off—again.” He took a deep breath. “If Destry hadn’t called, I’d still be fuming. She’s in the waiting room, by the way.”
“Guess I should thank her.”
“We both should.”
“Here are your release papers, Ms. Wakefield.” A nurse in blue scrubs breezed into the cubicle. “The doctor wrote you a prescription for the pain. Don’t be a hero, take your meds.”
Nodding, Dee took the piece of paper. She wouldn’t fill the prescription, let alone take the pills. But the nurse didn’t need to know.
“Are you the husband?”
“I’m the…” Linc looked at Dee and shrugged.
“He’s a friend.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be alone tonight.”
The nurse went through a list of dos and don’ts before handing Dee a formal list.
“Any questions?” Dee shook her head. “Fine. Your clothes are in the bag on the chair. In case you’d rather, I left a clean pair of scrubs. Have a good evening.”
Linc turned his back while Dee slipped into the loose-fitting hospital-green pants. Silly since he’d seen her naked. And sweet, because, well, he was Linc.
“You aren’t going back to your place.”
“Pretty sure Destry will offer a room at the mansion. Servants to do my bidding and meals provided by Mrs. Finch? Tops a four-star hotel any day.”
Linc walked by her side, not touching, but close enough in case she needed help. Destry, a little disheveled but gorgeous as always, popped to her feet the second she saw Dee.
“You’re pale.” She squeezed Dee’s hand. “And alive.”
“If you say better than the alternative, I won’t be held accountable,” Linc warned. “Wait here while I bring my car around.
“He was frantic. We all were. In fact, if you hadn’t picked the one night my sisters are all out of town, you’d have a crowd of Benedicts to escort you home.” They exited the hospital as Linc pulled his car to a stop near the sliding doors. “I won’t apologize for calling him.”
“I won’t ask you to.” Dee held onto Destry as much for support as thanks. Her legs weren’t as steady as she wanted her friend to believe. “I’m glad he’s here.”
The ride to the Benedict mansion was done in silence. Linc helped Dee from the car and into the house. Mrs. Finch greeted them, efficient and nurturing all at once.
“Your room is ready. Third floor, first door on the left. I had the maid put fresh linen on the bed. Once you’re settled, I’ll send up a tray with something to eat.”
“Thank you, Mrs. F.”
“You’re one of my girls.” The housekeeper sniffled as she hustled back to the kitchen.
“I should go.”
“Wait,” Dee called out when Linc turned to leave. “I have so much to say.”
“Tomorrow is soon enough.”
“Tonight.” Dee wouldn’t sleep a wink until things between them were settled. “Please?”
“Okay. On one condition.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t say no.”
“No to what?” Dee inquired, frowning.
“This.”
Linc placed one arm around her waist, the other under her legs, and carefully lifted Dee off the ground. Why would she say no when she was exactly where she wanted to be? Still, for the sake of her pride, she had to comment.
“I can walk.”
“Only reason you’re still standing is muscle memory and pure obstinance.” Linc chose to forgo the elevator, taking the stairs instead. “Legs like limp noodles.”
“I love you.”
Not the most ideal time to declare herself, but Dee was determined not to waste another second. Linc stumbled and recovered in the space of a heartbeat. He took the last flight of stairs at a speedy clip.
“Did Mrs. Finch say first door on the left or right?”
“Left.”
He deposited Dee on the turned-down bed. He removed her boots and socks, placed her legs under the covers and started to pace. Flames flickered in the fireplace, illuminating his profile.
“First? I love you, too.”
He loved her. Dee sank back against the pillows. Thank God.
“Second?” she asked as he moved back and forth at a brisk pace.
“What the hell, Dee?” Without stopping, Linc tossed his jacket onto a nearby chair. “You leave me a freaking goodbye note. Now you love me?”
“I loved you then.”
“Yet, you left.”
“Would you stop wearing a hole in the carpet and come here?”
Dee scooted over, making room. Linc took a seat, his right leg brushing her thigh.
“I left something out when I told you what Marcus did to me. Something important.”
Linc, his eyes a clear, true blue, placed a hand on her knee.
“Tell me now.”
“Do you remember when you asked about my first tattoo? I lied.”
“Why?”
“Because if I showed you the real one, I’d have to explain.”
Dee lifted her shirt, exposing the long, thorn-covered vine.
“I was offered plastic surgery. The doctor was certain he could make the scar almost invisible.”
“You turned him down.” Linc traced the ridge of raised skin. “Because you didn’t want to forget?”
“Because I couldn’t forget the bullet Marcus put in me destroyed my reproductive organs.” Dee took a deep breath. “I can’t have children, Linc.”
Closing his eyes, Linc placed his cheek on her stomach. As he turned his head, Dee felt his warm breath against her skin and the touch of his lips as he trailed a line of kisses along the tattooed vines, ending at the black rose.
“The center has the faintest blush of color.” Tenderness and wonder tinged his words. His gaze rose to lock with hers. “I’m sorry.”
“The loss hasn’t really mattered. Until now.”
“Oh, Dee.” Linc brought her hand to his lips. “I don’t need a child. I need you.”
“You might change your mind.”
“If I do, and you agree, we’ll adopt.”
Dee’s heart pounded. Linc had all the right answers. They were so close, but not yet.
“Your pa
rents—”
“Will be crazy about you.”
“You’re their only child.” Dee pointed out the obvious, but she had her reasons. “They’ll want grandchildren. Biological grandchildren.”
Frustration radiated from Linc’s expressive eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Why are you so determined to find a reason for us not to be together?”
“I don’t want any questions left between us. Everything is on the table. No more secrets.”
He shook his head. “I love you. I want—”
Dee placed a finger to his lips, cutting him off before he could make any promises.
“When you say the words, you can’t take them back. I won’t let you.” She replaced her finger with her lips. One kiss, her heart to his. “Once you cross the line, accept my love, I won’t let you go back without a fight.”
“Promise?”
Dee nodded.
“Tell me what you want to do.”
“You leave for Germany tomorrow.”
“You think I’ll put an ocean between us after what happened?” Linc scoffed. “Absolutely not.”
“I want you to go. Take the time to really think about what a commitment to me would mean. When I say forever, I’m not fooling around.”
“You dangle what I want most in the world just out of my reach. How am I supposed to say no?”
“You aren’t.” Dee didn’t try to keep the smug out of her smile.
“I’ll go, damn it. If…”
“Negotiations? Okay.”
“Let me stay tonight and hold you in my arms while you sleep.”
Pulling back the covers, Dee looked on as Linc undressed. She wanted a lifetime of watching. Years of holding each other. She lay her head on Linc’s bare chest.
“You know I’ll be back.”
“I know.” Dee closed her eyes. “One more thing.”
“Do I really want to know?”
“Nothing major,” she assured him. “As long as you’re going to Germany?”
“Mm?”
“Be sure to win the damn tournament.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
~~~~
A MAID DRESSED in a white uniform trimmed in pastel yellow greeted Dee at the front door.
“Ms. Wakefield, please come in. The sisters asked me to escort you to the sixth floor as soon as you arrived.”
Arrangements of flowers decorated the foyer, signaling a wedding was about to take place. Dee followed the maid away from the stairs, down a long hallway.
“Ms. Andi thought you would prefer the elevator today. Because of your shoes.”
Dee glanced at her strappy sandals with their sky-high heels and smiled.
“Ms. Andi was right.”
The elevator was as old as the house but ran like brand new. The car stopped on the top floor, the doors opening a second later.
“Straight ahead,” the maid instructed. “They’re getting Ms. Bryce ready for the ceremony.”
The room was small by comparison to others in the house. A faded blue sofa sat against one wall next to a small round table with ornately carved legs. Sunlight streamed through two narrow panes of glass, the window flanked by a set of sheer curtains.
Humble decorations or lavish, all Dee could see were three Benedict sisters gathered around the fourth. The bridesmaids wore knee-length sheaths in varying shades of blue. They were, as always, beautiful. But Bryce took center stage.
The bride didn’t need a spotlight, she glowed with happiness. Her gown of silver lace shot through with tiny pearls covered her shoulders and fell to the floor in a sweeping flourish from the embroidered band above her waist.
Dee arrived just in time to watch as Andi placed a diamond comb in her sister’s upswept auburn hair. Calder, tears in her eyes, adjusted the hem of the dress until the short train lay in a perfect half-circle. Destry added the last touch, an antique pearl and platinum choker, handed down from their great-grandmother.
“Perfect,” Andi sighed, her voice catching in her throat. “The photographer is waiting in the fourth-floor library.”
“You are gorgeous.”
“Dee.” Bryce held out her hand. “Thank you for coming a little early.”
“Happy for the distraction.”
“Since you made Linc promise not to contact you while he was in Germany, you only have yourself to blame.”
Dee made the rules, and Linc stuck by them to the letter. He even won the tournament. Now, she had to wait to see if she had won her man or lost the final volley.
“He’ll be here,” Destry said with conviction. “If not, I’ll track him down and kick his ass.”
Dee appreciated her friend’s loyalty, but she would honor Linc’s decision. No repercussions allowed.
“You said on the phone you needed a favor?”
“We’d like help with Iris,” Andi told her.
The youngest sister, not even three years old, was a Benedict, through and through. Iris was a sweetie, except when she wasn’t. To say the toddler was a handful was an understatement.
“Help?” Dee swallowed.
“Iris is a bit unpredictable. I’m afraid if she was the flower girl, she’d stop halfway down the aisle, sit, and eat the rose petals.”
Dee grinned at the vivid picture Bryce painted.
“Finally, we decided she was better suited as a spectator than a participant.”
Nodding, Calder sighed.
“Iris’ nanny has the flu. We thought Billie might agree to sit with her daughter.”
“Trouble is, Iris screams bloody murder every time Billie gets within twenty feet,” Destry chortled. “Little sister runs to Mrs. Finch every time, the woman she believes is her mother.”
“When you’re right, you’re right,” Andi added with a shrug. “We hoped you’d keep an eye on Iris. She likes you, Dee. If you’d rather not—”
“I’d be happy to sit with her during the ceremony.” Dee enjoyed the little devil.
“Great.” Bryce let out a sigh of relief. “One warning. Iris likes to throw her shoes at people. Preferably their heads.”
“Gotcha. Little shoes stay on little feet.”
“Iris is in her room, playing with one of the maids.”
“Everything will be fine.” Dee squeezed Bryce’s hand. “Relax. Enjoy your day. I’ll see you after the ceremony.”
~~~~
THE WEATHER COOPERATED, shining on Bryce and Zach as they stood in the garden behind the mansion. The trees bloomed, crocuses smiled, as the small group of friends and family watched the happy couple exchange their vows.
Iris sat on Dee’s lap, quiet and well-behaved. In a ruffled dress, her golden hair tied with a taffeta bow, she seemed content to watch in relative silence while her beloved sisters stood in their pretty dresses a few feet away.
The ceremony was beautiful and moving. Dee tried to concentrate, but the chair next to her was empty. Linc’s chair. Hoping he was caught in traffic, she couldn’t stop looking over her shoulder, willing him to arrive.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.”
Everyone stood, cheering as the newly married couple kissed. Distracted, Dee didn’t notice when Iris tugged off one black patent leather Mary Jane. The little girl squealed in delight, sending the shoe flying, right at the woman in front of them, none other than Billie Benedict.
Out of nowhere, a hand reached out and snatched back the shoe a second before impact.
“Nice arm, kid.”
Linc. Like the Prince Charming he’d turned out to be, Iris played a giggling Cinderella as he placed the shoe on her foot. He was dressed for the day in a gray suit, a perfect foil for his intensely blue eyes.
“Hello, Linc.”
“Linc, Linc, Linc,” Iris chanted. Without fear, she threw herself into his arms.
“Little flirt,” he chuckled. “One more Benedict woman to reckon with.”
“Why don’t I
take her for a while?”
Bryce’s father placed Iris on his hip. Unlike her reaction to Billie, the little girl had no problem with her stepfather.
Dee took Linc’s arm. They moved toward the back of the garden to a private area near the gazebo.
“You missed the ceremony.”
“Had to make a slight detour.” Linc took out his phone. “You were worried what my parents might think about the grandbaby situation, I decided to let them tell you.”
“What?”
The faces on the screen were familiar though Dee had never met the older couple. The man, handsome with a touch of gray at his temples, had deep-blue eyes, the same shade as Linc’s. The woman, beautiful with the kind of smile that drew others to her, was caught mid-laugh as the video began.
“Dee,” she beamed. “We’re Linc’s parents, Trina and Mason James. He’s told us all about you.”
“Everything?” Dee’s mouth fell open.
Linc nodded, snuggling close so they could watch together.
“He lights up when he mentions your name. Nothing means more to us than our son’s happiness.”
“He loves you, Dee. With all his heart.” Mason placed his arm around his wife. “Take my word, we James men fall for life.”
“You and your family are officially invited to visit, first chance you get.” Trina wiped at her eyes. “We expect to have something joyous to celebrate.”
“Don’t want to steal the boy’s thunder,” Mason chuckled. “But a little advice from an older, wiser man? Say yes. You won’t be sorry.”
“They’re wonderful,” Dee sighed as the screen went blank.
“I’m kind of fond of them.” Linc took her hand. “I spent a lot of time thinking, as you asked. I cleared every obstacle. Longest six days of my life.”
“And?”
“You once said you would never be my girlfriend.” He cupped the back of her neck. “I want a woman, not a girl. I want you. Will you marry me?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.” Dee wound her arms around Linc’s neck. “Because, I want a man. I want you. Always and forever.”
EPILOGUE
SIX DAYS Page 19