Chapter Nine
Dasher didn’t usually get nervous. He could face down a rival club, ride through a storm, take a punch without flinching. However, watching Ellie from across the community hall had his heart pounding harder than anything else ever had.
She was in her element. Warm, capable, determined. Everything he wasn’t sure he deserved, but damn, he wanted to try.
The toy drive was winding down. Kids lugged their new treasures toward the door, parents smiled with sleepy gratitude, and half the Iron Sentinels were now honorary elves. They swept up glitter, refilled cocoa, and gave out toolkits to wide-eyed boys and girls who wanted to build things.
He should’ve felt out of place. His cut marked him as something rougher than this world of twinkling lights and sugary joy. But then Maddy tugged at his hand again and said, “You gotta try the peanut butter ones or Santa’s gonna be mad,” and he didn’t feel out of place at all.
He crouched beside her as she handed him a slightly crushed cookie and watched him like it was a test. Dasher took a bite, made an exaggerated sound of approval, and said, “I think that’s the best one I’ve ever had.”
She beamed. Her missing front tooth made her look even more like her mom. Ellie. He glanced toward the tables and caught her watching them. Their eyes locked. She didn’t look away. Just like that, he couldn’t stay on the other side of the room anymore.
“I’m gonna talk to Grandma. Bye,” Maddy said, already darting away.
Dasher straightened slowly, brushing crumbs off his hands. His legs were stiff. Or maybe it was just nerves again.
He found Ellie at the far table, folding scraps of wrapping paper into neat piles. She didn’t look up at first, but he knew she felt him coming. He could read her in ways he couldn’t explain. Always could.
“Last haul,” he said, setting down the crate of donated books beside her. “You sure this all fits in your car?”
Ellie gave a little laugh, tired but genuine. “Barely. I might need your truck.”
He smiled. “You can have it.”
She really looked at him. Whatever had passed between them yesterday outside the hall, when she’d wrapped her arms around him was still there.
“I saw you with Maddy,” she said softly. “She really likes you.”
He shrugged, trying for casual. “She’s cool. Got opinions. Bossed me around for forty-five minutes about balloon colors.”
Ellie smiled, folding another piece of paper. “You didn’t argue.”
“She was right,” he said.
She glanced up again. And this time, her gaze lingered.
Something fluttered in his chest.
“I meant what I said yesterday,” he said, more serious now. “About that night. About you.”
Her hands stilled. “I know.”
“I should’ve stayed. Should’ve called. Hell, I should’ve sent a letter if that’s all I had. But I was an idiot back then. Didn’t know how to want something without breaking it.”
She was quiet for a moment. “And now?” Ellie eventually asked.
Dasher stepped closer, resting his hands on the edge of the table, close enough that their fingers nearly touched.
“Now I want to try,” he said. “For real. No running. No excuses.”
Ellie’s breath hitched. He saw it, subtle as it was. Her shoulders softened.
“I’ve changed,” he added. “Not perfect. Still grumpy. Still bad at small talk. But I know what matters now.” He hesitated.
“You do,” he finished. “You and Maddy.”
She was silent, but her eyes were shining. Dasher’s pulse roared in his ears. Every instinct told him to back off, give her space, let her speak first, but he didn’t.
Instead, he leaned in just enough to lower his voice and said, “You scare the hell out of me, Ellie.”
She blinked.
“You always have,” he said. “Not because of anything you did. Just ... you see through me. And that’s rare.”
She took a small step forward. The table was still between them, but her fingers brushed his now. A soft, tentative touch.
“You’re afraid of me?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m terrified,” he admitted.
Then he smiled faintly. “But I’m not running.”
Ellie moved around the table. She didn’t rush, didn’t speak. But when she reached him, she stopped just a breath away. Dasher’s heart slammed against his ribs.
“Good,” she murmured. “Because I’m tired of doing this without you.”
His hand found her hip without even thinking. She didn’t flinch, didn’t pull back, and when she tilted her head up, her breath warm against his jaw, he thought he might combust.
“I don’t want to take this too fast,” he said, voice rough. “I know you’ve got Maddy to think about. I’m not asking for everything overnight.”
She reached up and brushed a curl off his forehead. “But you’re asking?”
“I’m asking,” He paused. “For a real shot.”
Ellie’s lips curved. “Well, good.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Because I was gonna offer.”
She leaned in then, slow and deliberate. Her hand slid along his jaw, fingertips warm against his scruff, and when her mouth touched his, it was soft at first. Testing. Remembering.
Then it deepened. Heat flared. Familiar and new, all at once. Dasher groaned against her lips, backing her gently against the wall behind the table, caging her in without trapping her. One hand on her waist. The other braced by her head.
She tasted like peppermint and promises.
Her fingers curled into his jacket, tugging him closer.
If they weren’t in a community hall, if there weren’t still kids in the corner and volunteers cleaning up, he didn’t know how far he would’ve gone.
But even now, pressed up against her with heat simmering between them, he knew one thing for sure.
This wasn’t just lust. It wasn’t just a second chance.
It was home. He pulled back slowly, resting his forehead to hers.
“I’m yours if you want me,” he whispered.
Ellie’s eyes fluttered open. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips kiss-bitten.
“I already do,” she said.
In that moment, Dasher knew whatever came next, however hard or messy or real, it would be worth every damn second. Because Ellie was it for him, and this time, he wasn’t walking away.
****
The house was quiet when they slipped in.
Ellie turned the lock behind them, her fingers brushing his. She didn’t say much, but she didn’t pull away either. That meant something. Outside, snow softened the world to silence, but inside, the air was warmer than Dasher had any right to deserve.
Maddy had gone home earlier with Ellie’s mom. They were spending the night there, just in case Ellie wanted quiet after the toy drive. Dasher hadn’t expected to be invited in, but when she’d looked at him in the parking lot, she said softly, “Do you want to come in?”
He hadn’t even hesitated. Now he stood in her living room like a giant who didn’t belong, hands shoved in his coat pockets, heart thundering too loud in his ears.
Ellie toed off her boots, her back still to him. “Want something to drink?”
“Only if you’re having one.”
She gave him a small smile and moved to the kitchen. “Tea it is, then.”
He watched her, the way she moved without thinking.
She looked tired, sure, but she was graceful and grounded.
There was no flash or drama to Ellie. She just .
.. was. Real. Strong. The kind of woman who showed up even when everything went sideways.
The kind of woman who carried other people’s dreams on her shoulders and never once complained about the weight.
The kind of woman he had no business loving. But he did. God, he did. She handed him a mug and leaned against the counter across from him, watching him quietly.
“You okay?” she asked.
Dasher blew on his tea. “Been a long day.”
She nodded. “You didn’t have to do what you did.”
“Yeah, I did.” His voice came out rougher than he meant it. “You needed those toys back.”
Her eyes flicked to his. “It wasn’t just the toys.”
“I know.”
They stood in that quiet kitchen for another minute. And then she pushed off the counter and stepped closer, curling her fingers into the front of his jacket.
“You staying?” Ellie asked.
He didn’t answer. Just set the mug down and kissed her.
This time, it wasn’t about urgency or lost time. It was slow. Deep. Her hands slid beneath his jacket, then up under his shirt, fingertips pressing into warm skin. He groaned low in his throat and backed her up gently until her hips hit the edge of the counter.
“Bedroom?” he asked, voice hoarse.
She nodded and took his hand.
****
The next morning, Dasher woke to the soft gray hush of early light filtering through gauzy curtains. The room smelled faintly of Ellie. Her scent clung to the sheets, to his skin, and damn if it didn’t make his chest ache in the best way.
He shifted slowly, careful not to disturb her. She was still asleep, her breathing deep and even. One arm was flung across the pillow, and her hair was a wild halo around her face. She looked peaceful. Beautiful.
Dasher reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. He wanted to stay there, soak in the quiet, hold her close and pretend the world didn’t exist outside this bed. But the soft thump of tiny footsteps reminded him otherwise.
He eased out of bed, muscles sore but heart light, and pulled on a pair of old gray sweatpants Ellie had tossed him the night before. They were comically short on his long frame, but he couldn’t have cared less. He padded out of the bedroom barefoot.
The scent of pine and something sugary from a candle on the side table filled the living room. A small figure sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor, surrounded by a scattered kingdom of blocks. Maddy.
She looked up with a big, gap-toothed grin. “Hi!”
“Hey, kiddo.” He rubbed the back of his neck, somehow more nervous in front of her than in any MC negotiation.
“You slept over?” she asked innocently.
“I did.” He walked closer and crouched down to her level.
Maddy studied him with narrowed eyes, too smart for six. “You and Mommy are dating now?”
Dasher choked, caught off guard. “That ... uh. That’s complicated but yes, I’d like to think so.”
She tilted her head like a tiny interrogator. “Did you kiss her?”
“Maddy,” he said, laughing under his breath.
“I saw the look on her face last night,” she said matter-of-factly, like she was already planning their wedding. “She likes you again.”
He scratched his beard. “Well, I like her too. A lot.”
“Okay,” she said, apparently satisfied with that answer. “Do you like pancakes?”
“I love pancakes,” Dasher replied solemnly.
“Good. Me too.” She stood and dusted off her hands, clearly business now. “I’ll let you help if you don’t burn them.”
He saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”
They headed to the kitchen. Maddy dragged a chair over to the counter with serious intent and climbed up, standing proudly. She pointed to the mixing bowls like a commander directing her troops.
“Whisk,” she instructed. “Two eggs. One cup of milk. No lumps.”
Dasher chuckled, grabbing the bowl. “Yes, Chef.”
Her tiny brow furrowed as she watched him crack the eggs. “You’re not allowed to get shell bits in there. That’s gross.”
“Understood.” He worked carefully, keeping his smile tucked behind his focus.
There was something grounding in her bossiness, in the rhythm of kitchen noises, in the safe normalcy of it all. She reminded him a little of Ellie. She was fierce, smart, with a big heart she tried to keep tucked behind a no-nonsense attitude.
They moved through the steps of the recipe, and Maddy made him redo the whisking twice before she deemed it acceptable. Halfway through flipping the first pancake, he sensed movement behind him. He glanced up and nearly fumbled the spatula.
Ellie stood in the doorway, arms crossed, wearing one of his old flannel shirts, sleeves rolled up past her elbows. It hung loose on her frame, just brushing her thighs. Her hair was tousled, her eyes still soft from sleep. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“Well, well,” she said, voice teasing. “What’s going on in here?”
Maddy grinned proudly. “Dasher’s my pancake assistant.”
“He’s doing okay,” Ellie said, her gaze landing on him with a warmth that made his stomach flip.
Dasher flipped the pancake, a little smug now. “Not bad for an outlaw.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Mmm. I think I like this softer side of you.”
He turned toward her, spatula in hand, the heat from the stove nothing compared to the heat in his gut. “Only for you, Ellie.”
Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t look away. The air between them hummed with something unsaid, something alive.
They ate breakfast together at the small round table.
Maddy chatted nonstop about school and Christmas decorations and how Santa probably liked pancakes too.
Dasher listened, adding comments here and there, but most of his attention stayed on Ellie.
On her laughter, the way she kept looking at him like she didn’t quite believe he was real.
After breakfast, Maddy ran off to the living room with a plastic wand and declared herself Queen of the Pillow Fort. Dasher stood to help clean up, but Ellie was already gathering plates.
“I got it,” he said.
“I don’t mind.” She smiled. “You cook, I wash.”
“Fair deal.”
They moved in quiet rhythm, bumping shoulders and sharing the occasional smile. The warm water ran over his hands as he rinsed and passed dishes to her to dry.
When their hands bumped again, Ellie looked up at him, eyes unreadable.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“For the pancakes?” he asked, playing dumb even as his heart kicked.
“For everything.”
Dasher dried his hands and reached for her waist, pulling her gently toward him. She came willingly, her hands resting lightly on his chest.
“I’m not going anywhere this time,” he said. “You know that, right?”
“I’m starting to believe it,” she whispered.
He dipped his head, brushing his nose against hers. Her breath hitched, and then she kissed him, soft and sure.
It wasn’t frantic like the night before. It wasn’t driven by adrenaline or emotion. It was slower, deeper, filled with the kind of promise that made a man want to build a life around it.
Dasher deepened the kiss, he slid one hand to the small of her back, the other cupping her cheek. Her lips parted on a sigh, and for a long, quiet moment, they just stood there, wrapped around each other in the kitchen, as morning light spilled through the window.
When they finally pulled apart, she rested her forehead against his.
“I missed this,” she murmured. “I missed you.”
He brushed her hair back. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for the time I lost, if you’ll let me.”
Ellie smiled then, slow and sure, like she already knew. “You’re already doing it.”