Chapter 21
21
PORTIA
I was rattled after how the festival ended. The chaos, the fire, the way everything had spiraled out of control—it was too much. I spotted Dean in the crowd a couple of times, but I was also worried about my mom and dad.
I scanned the crowd, my heart racing as I pushed through the throng of people. The acrid smell of smoke still lingered in the air. The chaos from the fire had left everyone on edge. My parents had been near the food tents when everything happened, but I hadn’t seen them since. My stomach churned with worry as I called out, “Mom! Dad!”
Finally, I spotted them near the edge of the crowd, standing close to one of the big oak trees that lined the festival grounds. Relief flooded through me as I rushed over. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
My mom turned to me. “We’re fine, sweetheart. Just a little shaken up.” She reached out and squeezed my hand, her grip reassuring. “Where were you?”
“I was on the shore.”
Dad shook his head. “If that fire had spread any faster…” He trailed off, shaking his head.
I exhaled, my shoulders relaxing slightly. “Thank God you’re both okay. I was worried.”
“What about you?” Mom asked, her eyes searching mine. “You look like you’ve been through it.”
I shrugged, trying to brush off the lingering adrenaline. “I’m fine. Everything happened so fast. One minute we were watching the fireworks, and then…”
“I saw Dean with that little boy,” Mom said. “What a hero.”
“He was in the right place at the right time.”
“I think we’re going to go home,” Dad said. “Do you need a ride?”
“No, I’ll walk. I need to find Alexis.”
I hugged my parents goodbye, promising to call them later, and watched as they made their way toward the parking lot. The adrenaline of the night was wearing off for most. I turned back toward the festival grounds, my eyes scanning for Alexis. I found her near the stage, helping clean up what was left of the decorations.
“Hey,” I called out.
“There you are! How’s Dean?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him. I was just going to find him. My parents just left.”
“That was wild,” she said. “If Dean hadn’t—” She stopped herself, shaking her head. “Never mind.”
“I’m going to head home,” I said. “I’ll have the dress drycleaned and get it back to you. Thank you for letting me wear it.”
“Are you kidding?” She laughed. “You made that dress look good. Free advertisement.”
“I hope it works.” I smiled. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I started the walk back to the rental. The streets were quieter now, most of the festivalgoers either heading home or lingering in small groups, talking in hushed tones about what had happened. My mind kept replaying it—Dean pulling that boy from the dock, the way he’d moved without even thinking, like it was second nature to him. I hadn’t seen him since and assumed he was probably on the way to the hospital. There was no way he came out of that unscathed. I didn’t feel like it was my place to go to the hospital. I wasn’t family. I wasn’t anything.
My thoughts were spinning. I couldn’t tell if it was from the adrenaline crash or something else entirely. When I saw Dean surrounded by that fire, I swore my heart stopped beating. Everyone on the shore and up in the park that witnessed the scene had collectively held their breath. I thought for sure we were watching him die.
I shook it off. I didn’t want to go dark.
When I finally reached the house, I fumbled with the key for a moment before getting the door open. I kicked off my shoes and headed straight for the bedroom. I quickly took off the dress and hung it carefully on the back of the closet door. It really was beautiful—Alexis had outdone herself—but right then, all I wanted was to be out of it. I pulled on an old T-shirt and a pair of shorts, feeling some of the tension ease from my shoulders.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the dress. The night had started with so much promise. Things had been so good between me and Dean. I thought we had really crossed into new territory.
And then the fireworks.
I couldn’t stop seeing the visual of Dean rushing selflessly out to the dock to save that boy. What had been a perfect moment had turned south so quickly. I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I paced my living room, my mind racing. I needed to see him. I needed to know he was okay.
Who else was going to be at the hospital with him? His asshole brother that had nearly cost him his life. I walked to the window and looked up to his house. To my surprise, the lights were on.
“What the hell?”
He couldn’t possibly be home from the hospital already. I groaned and shook my head. He didn’t go. Of course, he didn’t. The man was insufferable.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I walked out along the back of my property to his place and knocked on his back door.
He answered shirtless and in sweatpants. He looked surprised to see me. I was just as surprised, not to see him but to see him half-naked. I’d seen him in the firelight, but that was a tease. This was all hot muscle and sex. He’s beautiful.
“Portia,” he said. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, I just came to ask you the same thing.”
“I’m fine,” he said. “I thought you were Seth coming to grovel.”
I managed a small smile. “Can I come in?”
He hesitated for a moment, then held the door wider. “Yeah. Come in.”
I stepped inside, glancing around. There were a couple of lights on in the kitchen that offered just enough light for me to see the living room. It was nice for a bachelor pad. It was clean, minimal, and surprisingly cozy.
Dean closed the door behind me. “I was just enjoying a drink. You want one?”
I nodded. “A cup of tea would be nice.”
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Do I strike you as the sort who would have tea on hand?”
I smiled, feeling a little more at ease. “Hot lemon water?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Really?”
I laughed. “Water is fine.”
Dean poured me a glass and handed it to me, his fingers brushing mine. As I took it, I noticed the burn on his forearm.
“Dean,” I said, reaching for him. “You’re hurt. Did you go to the hospital?”
“No.”
“Did you let the medics take a look at you?”
He pulled away, his tone dismissive. “It’s nothing.”
I shook my head, my voice firm. “Let me see.”
He hesitated, then stretched out his arm. I reached for him, my fingers gentle as I examined the burn.
“You need to clean this up and put a bandage on it,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.
Dean pushed back again, his voice tight. “It’s fine, Portia.”
I put my foot down. “You will let me tend to this, Dean Jackson, or I swear to God, I will pester you until you die.”
He gave me a small smile, the kind that made my chest tighten, and finally relented. “Alright. Do your worst.” He turned. “Can you look at my back? It feels like it might have gotten singed a little.”
I followed him into the kitchen, where the light was better. He turned around, his broad shoulders tense as he stood there, waiting. My breath caught when I saw the faint red marks across his back. The fire had gotten closer than I’d thought. It looked like he had a sunburn.
“Dean,” I said, my voice softer now. “This isn’t nothing.”
He shrugged, but I could see the way he winced slightly at the movement. “It’ll heal.”
“Stubborn,” I muttered under my breath but loud enough for him to hear. He didn’t argue. “I’ll be back. Do you have a first-aid kit or maybe some burn gel? You know the kind with the lidocaine?”
“I have some of the blue stuff,” he said. “Bathroom. I’m going to pour myself another drink.”
“You’re going to be dehydrated. You should drink water.”
He scoffed. “No, thanks.”
I found some supplies in his bathroom and got to work, cleaning the burn as gently as I could. Dean flinched when I started. I couldn’t help but tease him.
“You’re such a baby,” I said.
He chuckled. “Yeah, yeah.”
As I worked, I was acutely aware of how close we were, how vulnerable he was letting himself be. It wasn’t something I’d seen from him before, and it made my heart ache.
“I was worried about you,” I admitted, my voice soft. “Are you okay?”
At first, I felt him pulling back, his walls going up. I thought he wasn’t going to open up, but then he surprised me.
“I’m fine,” he said, his voice rough. “Just frustrated.”
I didn’t push, just kept working on his back, giving him the space to talk if he wanted to.
Finally, he let out a breath, his shoulders sagging. “Seth’s always been like this. Even when we were kids, I was the one looking out for him. After our parents died, I felt like I had to protect him. But now I see I can’t protect him from himself. Maybe I made him into the screw-up he is now. I’ve always bailed him out. He’s never had to suffer the consequences from his many terrible decisions. I thought I was helping him. He got a raw deal, and when I made some money, I thought I could make things better. I’ve turned him into a monster.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t make him into anything, Dean. Seth’s been like this since that day he stranded me on the island and you came to save me. What do you think he would have done if you hadn’t come out there? I know what he would have done. He would have left me out there. Seth is one of those guys that doesn’t think. He just does. He’s always been the type to push limits. That’s not on you. You’re his brother, not his dad.”
Dean grimaced, his jaw tightening. “I hate that he did that to you. If I hadn’t gone to get you, I know he would have left you out there all night. I honestly don’t know if he would have gone back at daylight. He was probably just hoping someone else found you.”
I didn’t respond, just finished bandaging his arm. His back was red, but I didn’t see any blisters. I took my time rubbing the gel over his back. Yes, I was kind of enjoying it. His muscles rippled as I rubbed the gel into his skin.
“Up until that, I was having a really nice night,” I said, my voice soft. “For the first time in a really long time, actually.”
Dean looked at me. “Same.”
I hesitated. “It was a shame it had to end.”
Dean didn’t respond right away. He just stared at me. I could see him considering what he was going to do next. “It’s not over yet,” he said.
Before I could process what he meant, he kissed me.
It wasn’t like the kiss at the festival. This was deeper, more urgent, like he was finally letting go of everything he’d been holding back. I kissed him back, my hands tangling in his hair, my heart pounding in my chest. The last two times we had kissed, there had been some hesitation.
Not anymore. The fireworks weren’t in the sky anymore. They were in my veins, lighting me up from the inside out.
When we finally pulled apart, Dean rested his forehead against mine, his breathing ragged. “Portia,” he said, his voice rough.
I didn’t let him say anything else. I just kissed him again, pouring everything I felt into it. The confusion, the messiness, the uncertainty—it all melted away in that moment. I didn’t want to overthink this. I just wanted to give into the desire that had been burning between us.
He pulled back just a fraction. I rested my head against his forehead. “You know, you’re not as tough as you pretend to be.”
Dean chuckled. “Yeah, well, don’t tell anyone.”
I smiled, my chest swelling with something I couldn’t quite name. “Your secret’s safe with me,” I said, my voice teasing.
Dean didn’t respond, just pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around me, and pressed his lips into mine.