Chapter 35
DARREN
I stand behind Delaney, a hand glued to the small of her back. It’s support for her languid muscles but also for mine. From the moment I heard her talking about ten-inch dildos, I’ve been harder than one.
Despite the lack of empty glasses on the bar in front of her and my sister, she’s had to have drunk more than she’s used to. More than I’ve ever witnessed her drink, at least. It’s as interesting as it is worrisome, considering the day we’ve had. I don’t want to be the reason for her pain again.
Spreading my fingers to cover more of her back, I lean as close as I can, glueing us together. She sighs in response before slowly letting her head fall to rest against my chest. I lose the ability to think and keep rooted in place instead.
“Want to dance when Garry gets here?” Poppy asks her.
“You want me to dance with you and your fiancé?”
My sister giggles. “No. You and my brother can dance with us. Rory and Johnny too. Johnny always makes her dance.”
“I can’t dance,” Delaney argues, her voice loose and soft as she rolls her head to the side to stare at Poppy. “Darren can’t either.”
I stroke her back with my thumb, testing my limits like the greedy bastard I become around her. The responding twitch of muscle feeds my desire to never let her go.
“I’ve learned how.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Poppy glances back at me. “Actually, he’s gotten better. I think me being a better dancer than him was too much of a punch to the ego.”
“Well . . . I don’t like to dance,” Delaney says, stubborn as hell despite her loosened inhibitions.
My sister turns up the pressure with a killer set of puppy dog eyes. “Just one song, Della. That’s all I want.”
Selfishly, I want her to say yes. A dance floor isn’t the best spot for a conversation, but it’s somewhere we can be together. She’ll be in my arms, and I’ll have her hands on me in a way that I’ve been dreaming about. I bet I could convince her to give me more than just one song too.
Delaney stares forward again. “I’m not drunk enough.”
“Uh, yes, you are. Wait until you stand up again.”
“Poppy.” She groans, lifting her arms to rest across her chest.
“Delaney.”
“Let me get another shot first.”
“Fine, but then—Garry!”
Poppy stumbles off her stool and into Garrison’s arms. He wraps her in his arms and then stares at me above her head, dragging his eyes to Delaney, his curiosity burning bright. My sister grabs his face in her hands and pulls him down for a kiss, so I take that as my sign to look away.
Brody and Johnny come in next, followed by Rory and Anna, who are pressed together and laughing about something I know better than to ask about. My oldest friend meets me beside Delaney’s stool and slaps me on the back.
“It’s good to see you back in here,” Brody announces.
Johnny joins him, glowing with that same impenetrable happiness that sticks to him like a second skin.
His black hair is damp from the rain that was just starting to sprinkle when I arrived, and he shakes it out like a dog, water splattering my arm.
It’s always odd seeing him without his cowboy hat, but considering Rory’s become quite a fan of it, it’s only a matter of time before he has to bite the bullet and finally buy another one.
Steele Ranch’s favourite ranch hand smirks at me. “You’ve been hidin’ from us, Darren. Both of you.”
“Don’t start, Johnny. If you miss me that much, you can visit me at my house.”
“See, you just want more commitment than I’m up to these days, D-man. I’m a busy man with only so many hours in the day for my groupies.”
“You make yourself that busy,” Brody corrects.
Johnny hits his shoulder. “You’re one to talk. And it’s your goddamn grandpa that’s keeping me this busy. I blame you for that, by the way.”
“You like it. Grandpa’s gettin’ ready to hand you the ranch, and you damn well know that,” Brody says.
“Don’t get my hopes up. He’s been more of a hard-ass than usual lately.”
“You couldn’t have expected him to go easy on you now, Johnny.”
“Eh, I’ve got Eliza on my side. She keeps him in check when he gets too growly. And if he doesn’t, Rory does.”
“Welcome to the Steele life, man,” Brody cheers.
“Hey, we’ll see you in a bit,” I say, picking up on every slight jerk of Delaney’s body. It’s not necessarily discomfort, but it’s close enough to have me urging us away from everyone.
Delaney’s been around these people before, but never like this. Overwhelming her right now could be my downfall.
“It’s nice havin’ you here, Delaney,” Johnny says before tugging Brody toward our usual table.
While the owners of Peakside can’t stand a single one of us, even they haven’t been able to keep the table from becoming as good as ours. Everyone in town knows it belongs to us, and it’s going to stay that way until we’re all too old to come here on Saturday nights.
“Della, you’re here!” Anna cheers, rushing over now that the guys are gone.
“Anna!”
Delaney turns and opens her arms for a hug. Anna hides her surprise well, but still, she doesn’t hesitate to accept the affection.
“We don’t see enough of each other,” Anna murmurs.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize! I just wish we had the chance more often. Maybe I need to start hitching a ride with Poppy every time she goes to see you. The shop can handle a few hours without me every day.”
Thistle and Thorn, Anna’s hair salon, has boomed over the last couple of years. Appointments book up months in advance, with customers driving hours to see her. Brody’s nauseatingly proud of her and the life they’ve built here in Cherry Peak together. Fuck, I think we all are.
“I’ve only invited you a million times,” Poppy says, coming over with Garrison’s hand clutched tight in hers.
Anna stands back and throws Poppy a scowl over her shoulder. “And if I could have, I’d have been there every one of the million.”
“You sound too sober, Anna. Do you want a daiquiri, or are you a beer girl now?” my sister asks, already leaning over the bar and flagging the bartender back over.
“Is that a serious question?”
Poppy smacks her lips together. “You’re still living on the ranch.”
“And? When Garrison was in the guest house, did he start drinking beer? I have my own house! Don’t insult me.”
The scoffed laugh I let out is completely accidental.
Garrison snaps a look at me that I can feel, but it’s Delaney’s reaction that holds my attention.
Her back curves with her own silent giggle as she reaches for the hand I’ve got pressed to her and pulls on it.
The twinkle of laughter I hear next has me disregarding the others and swooping in to use our joint hands to help her off her seat.
Delaney’s mouth pops open while her eyes meet mine, questioning what I’m doing. I tilt my lips into a crooked grin and guide her into my side.
“Dance with me.”
“I haven’t had another drink yet,” she whispers, swaying softly.
“You don’t need it.”
She keeps still for a moment, and I wait with more patience than I thought I possessed. I know everyone’s watching us, but they don’t matter. They never have when it came to my best friend.
“You better have been telling the truth about the dancing,” she says, finally .
“You have my word.”
“Let’s go.”
Without another look at our friends, I lead Elle past the empty tables and to the dance floor.
With old wood and peeling paint, the bar has seen better days, but that’s what makes it Peakside.
The scent of stale beer, cigarette smoke sneaking in through the front door and the memories that will follow all of us into the next life.
It was in this bar that we celebrated Delaney’s eighteenth birthday with a confetti gun Poppy snagged at the thrift shop in Oak Point and where Bryce and Brody found me crying at our table a week after Abbie was born.
These walls have seen some of my highest highs and lowest lows.
I found and lost myself here and everything in between.
And now, it’s where I’m holding my Delaney again.
Her overalls hang off her in a way oversized way, making her seem even smaller than she is as she stands across from me on the dancefloor.
I stare down at our connected hands and squeeze my fingers.
She follows my eyes and takes a step closer.
The toes of our shoes touch, and her eyes are waiting for mine when I lift them.
“I’m sorry I called,” she blurts out, the words slurred.
“Why?”
“I was the one who ran earlier.”
The music drifts around us as I bring our hands up and drop another to hold the curve of her waist. A bit off-kilter, she grabs my shoulder and waits for me to lead.
Our friends join us on the dance floor, and I swallow a laugh when Johnny takes Rory’s hand and twirls her over and over again, her laugh damn loud.
Brody ignores them and focuses on his wife, keeping her close and away from Poppy, who’s pouting as Garrison pulls her away from them.
“You make it sound as though I didn’t try to chase you or race here tonight to do exactly what we’re doing,” I say.
“Yeah . . .”
Slowly, I move us into an easy two-step. “You kissed me, Delaney. You kissed me, and I didn’t want you to stop.”
“It was impulsive,” she murmurs, eyes shutting for a moment. When they open again, they’re so bright. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“What were you thinking, then?”
Her touch hardens, becoming fierce, maybe even angry. “You hurt me. Bad. But I still couldn’t stand there and watch that woman touch you like that in front of me. It’s not fair.”
“I know, baby.”
“Darren,” she says on a weak breath. “I’m barely holding on here.”
“You can let go.”
“I’m too scared to fall.”
“I’ll catch you. You’ll never get hurt again,” I swear when she drops her head forward, forehead pressing to my sternum. “I won’t make the same mistakes again.”