Chapter 18 #3
“I get it,” she said, barely containing an eyeroll.
Toly took another envelope form his pocket and handed it to her.
Shana, being the greedy one in their partnership, opened her envelope and slipped out a check.
She skimmed her eyes across it and looked up with a big bright smile.
She reminded Dane then of some of the mercenaries he used to work with.
“You look like you won the lottery.”
“No—I earned this. Thank you, Toly—thank Father Donahue for me too.”
“You can thank him yourself,” Toly said.
Dane stood. “No, it’s time for us to leave. I know a backdoor we can use.”
Shana stood too, but not without a moment of regret passing across her face, that wistful look, like she was leaving a piece of her heart behind named Paulette.
But in the next moment, the look was gone and they shook Toly’s hand as the old man stood.
“Dane Blaise, I don’t need to tell you I owe you. Big. Everything. You can name it.”
“Don’t worry, Toly. You’ll probably die of old age before I think of a reason to call in any favors.”
The man gave an uproarious laugh and Shana gave Dane a smack on his arm.
“The beachcomber name definitely suits you,” he said. He nodded in Shana’s direction and said to Dane, “Take care of her. Don’t let her run away.”
Dane ignored the comment and said, “‘Til we meet again.”
Dane let Shana go out the door before him and Toly had one more parting remark.
He winked and said, “Invite me to the wedding.”
*****
Dane felt like he hadn’t slept in a month, but two days without sleep was plenty to cause his weariness these days.
It was twilight and he could see lights twinkling off the Vineyard Haven harbor.
He and Shana got out of the taxi in his driveway.
He thought about opening her door, but he would only be doing it to compete—and he wasn’t about competing.
He paid the driver and walked around back to his patio, deciding he needed to breathe the sea air more than he needed to sleep at that moment.
It had been a very long, seemingly endless day.
Shana had been heading to the backdoor, but followed him around back of the house instead. It was a good thing—he’d need to prepare her for what she’d see once she went inside.
When he rounded the corner of the house he spotted Sassy Stevens sitting on the stoop of his back patio staring out at the harbor and the ocean beyond. Or so he figured.
“Hey.” He walked over and stood in his favorite spot on the patio and joined her in admiring the view.
“I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to wait here until you came back,” she said.
“I’m glad you did,” Shana said. “I wanted to thank you for—well, going above and beyond the call of duty sounds so trite and clichéd, but it’s more than true.”
Sassy stood and Shana gave her a hug. Dane did not join in. He remembered Sassy’s reticence about men. He wasn’t as insensitive a jerk as Shana sometimes ... experienced.
When Sassy broke off her hug with Shana and waved him in, he was surprised. And pleased. He stepped over and gave Sassy as fatherly a hug as he’d ever given anyone and didn’t mind that he found himself in the arms of two warm, happy women. But nothing lasted forever.
The group hug broke apart and Sassy said, “I’m glad I could help you out—I liked it. You know I only work part-time as a pastry chef. If you ever need help again let me know.” She backed up a step and gave them each a hopeful smile.
“I doubt we’ll be needing any babysitting services any time soon,” Dane said.
“Well not for a while,” Shana added with a false chuckle.
“I wasn’t talking about help with babysitting services,” Sassy said. “I meant with the investigations. I’m taking online classes. Cap says I have nerve and nerve is more than half of what it takes.”
“From what Shana told me, and what I saw at Cap’s house,” Dane said, “I’ve got to give you that—you do have nerve. Cap is right.”
Sassy treated him to her pretty smile and shuffled her feet under the big flowing purple dress she wore. But when he heard the crunch of footsteps on his driveway, he switched his attention and tensed. Until he saw who it was.
“Speak of the devil—if it isn’t Cap himself.” Perfect timing. He didn’t know how to tell Sassy they wouldn’t be calling her to help out with investigations. But since Cap was the one who’d given encouragement to her ambitions, he could help out with the bubble bursting.
“Mission completed, I take it,” Cap said, addressing all three of them.
Dane nodded, then said, “Sassy here was just telling us about her investigating ambitions. Thinks she might like to help us out in the future.” Dane kept the pointed tone from his voice, but Cap got him.
Then Shana spoke up and surprised him.
“I think it’s a great idea—we could always use help—it could be like an internship. Of course we couldn’t let you get involved with anything dangerous—”
“It’s a little late for worrying about exposing her to danger, don’t you think?” Cap said.
“Sure, but that wasn’t planned,” Dane spoke up.
He did not like where this was going. The last thing he needed was to mentor a barely adult girl who was half afraid of men and baked pies for a living.
He added, “It’s a big career change, Sassy.
A big step. Maybe you ought to sleep on it.
Make sure you don’t get any nightmares after today’s. ... activities.”
“I’ll be damn lucky if I don’t have any nightmares,” Cap said.
“We all will,” Shana said and looked at Dane. He didn’t mention that his nightmares had never stopped. Not even when he was awake.
Sassy nodded her head with a serious look. “You’re probably right. But still. Let me know if you need any help—I mean with anything at all.”
“We absolutely will, Sassy.” Shana gave the girl one last hug and Sassy stepped off the patio to the driveway and toward the street. Dane took Shana’s hand and squeezed. As much as he wanted to—needed to—move past this damn baby case, he knew Shana would be wistful about the baby.
“See you at the bakery. Save me some key lime pie,” Dane called after Sassy before she disappeared around the corner.
Sassy turned and smiled at him and said, “You never know—I bet there will be another baby in your future—sooner than you may think.”
Dane shuddered at the notion, not bothering to hide his automatic fear. Shana felt his reaction and tugged away from him. He clamped onto her hand to stop her.
“She’s walking home. She must live close by,” Dane said.
He felt uneasy about that prospect even though he had nothing against the young woman.
He’d forever associate her with babies. In spite of the good outcome in this case, the whole thing still knotted his gut. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get past that.
“So what’s this I hear about you not liking babies?” Cap asked. Dane didn’t like his speculative look.
“Baby cases. I don’t like baby cases.”
Cap raised a brow. Dane pulled Shana in closer to him. Thank God she didn’t resist. And she kept her mouth shut. Maybe this case hadn’t ended so badly, but the stress on his heart leading up to the happy ending could have killed an elephant.
“It’s a long story. Another time,” Dane said.
Shana gave Cap a look that said maybe never. Dane didn’t contradict her skeptical look.
“Never mind,” Cap said. “So where are you going to live now?” he asked Shana.
“How did you know I was moving?”
“Your landlady called me looking for you. She told me you have to leave unless you can afford to pay the weekly summer rental.” Cap waited a beat. Dane held his tongue. She had to decide what she was doing. He could only push her so far.
Cap said, “Well? Did you come into a pile of money lately or are you—”
“I don’t know.” She sighed. Dane felt her hand get restless in his. He remembered the pile of money she’d just received from good old Toly.
“Hell with that,” he told her. “You’ll stay here with me. And you’ll like it.”
She gave him an arched brow, but held her tongue. Cap gave them both an exasperated look and shook his head.
“I’m off. Looks like you two have some things to work out. Still.” He saluted and turned to leave.
“Coffee at the Lucky Parrot. Eight a.m. sharp,” Dane said. He didn’t salute back. Instead, still holding onto Shana’s hand, he stared out over the water from the perfect vantage point of his back patio. She’d damn well better stay here—and like it—with a view like this.
*****
With Cap gone, Shana turned to face Dane.
She had no idea what the hell to do with him.
She forced herself to stop thinking about it and, with her heartbeat drumming in her ears, she went with her heart.
She needed to give herself that much right now.
It ached so much just thinking about him and all he’d endured.
She stepped around to stand in front of him and looked up into his face.
He still looked out over the harbor above her head.
The enormity of the risk she was taking with her heart sent earthquake-sized flutters rippling through her.
But there was no way to stop her need to console him.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his solid body.
How could he still be so solid? How could he still be so strong and whole after everything—after Delilah?
She loved this man. She was doomed. She needed him, but could she have him? She couldn’t hold back a feeling, and the last line from Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser played in her head. In your rocking-chair, by your window, shall you dream such happiness as you may never feel.
It was enough to make her sob on another day, but today she didn’t cry.
She’d done all the sobbing in his arms she was going to do.
This was for him. She tightened her arms. After standing there holding him for what seemed like an eternity—and like no time at all—she felt him lower his mouth to kiss the top of her head, the way he did sometimes, and it melted her the way it did every time.
She felt him breathe in, his sturdy chest expanding against her, taking in her scent, the way he did sometimes.
She heaved a deep sigh. His arms closed around her, banishing all thoughts, all memories of the day, all the longing, all the doubts.
##