Part 18 (1/2)
He kissed her softly, pressing his hips in to hers. ”I would never interfere with your plans. Mich.e.l.le is lucky to have you in her life, and the youths of Allure will be equally as lucky.”
Blake and Danica had stayed up half of the night talking about Kaylie and what it had been like for Danica, living in her shadow. While she reminisced, she realized that she hadn't been living in Kaylie's shadow at all. She was living right beside her, but always with a watchful eye and a modic.u.m of jealousy wrapped in worry. She told Blake about Mich.e.l.le's mother and how hurt Mich.e.l.le was over the lies about the father she never knew. Blake had turned to her with an earnest look in his eyes and said, ”I will never lie to you. I've seen the wake of hurt Dave left behind, and I'd rather face an argument than ever have you feel like you weren't the most important thing in my life.”
I love you crossed her mind, but not her lips. Baby steps.
”So, what should I do when I need advice? Make an appointment? Leave you a note? Call you Doc?” He laughed.
”Hmm. I'll have to see if I can fit you in around the kids' schedules, I suppose.” She laughed. ”How about just saying, 'I need a little advice'?”
”Sounds good to me. Did I tell you that Sally called me? She said that Rusty agreed to talk to someone with her, a counselor.”
”That's great news. Maybe he can even spend time at the new youth center when it's open.” Danica knew the road ahead for Dave's family-families-would be a long one.
”Yeah. It's a start, anyway. Oh, and I'm taking Rusty next weekend. Maybe we can bring Mich.e.l.le and all go to a movie.” He lifted his eyebrows.
”Listen to you. A matchmaker.”
”No. I was selfishly thinking of necking in the back of the theater.” He laughed, then looked at the clock and gulped down his last sip of coffee. ”I have to get to AcroSki. I'm interviewing a part-timer today to take over a few of the administrative things Dave had been in charge of. Are we driving to the wedding together?”
They'd become so close over the last forty-eight hours that it felt to Danica as if they'd been a couple for years. She'd already a.s.sumed they would go to the wedding together. It was a little surprising to realize that there was a whole world of people who didn't know they'd found each other. ”I wouldn't want it any other way.”
Danica drove into the Village with Mich.e.l.le, humming along to a Top 40s radio station. Mich.e.l.le wanted to go to a particular used bookstore to look at inexpensive art books, which Danica took as a good sign. Mich.e.l.le was showing interest in something other than hiding behind her imaginary wall.
”You're wearing that blue scarf again,” Mich.e.l.le noticed.
Danica touched the scarf. ”Yeah.”
”You look really nice. Happy,” Mich.e.l.le said.
”Yeah? Thank you. I am.” Danica s.h.i.+vered, thinking of being wrapped in Blake's arms.
Danica pulled into a parking spot and they headed for the bookstore. ”You like being here, don't you?”
”In the Village? Yeah, a lot. It's so different from being in town.” Mich.e.l.le reached into the neckline of her s.h.i.+rt and withdrew her Imperfect necklace, patting it against her chest. ”I've been thinking about what you said about my mom.”
They walked up the steps to the bookstore and stood on the brick stoop. Mich.e.l.le brushed her hair from her eyes and looked thoughtfully at Danica. The difficulties in her life showed in the shadows within her eyes.
”Maybe if I talked to her it would, I don't know, help.”
Danica wanted to jump up and down and clap her hands. Instead she spoke calmly. ”I think it will. You know I'd be happy to come with you if you want me to.”
Mich.e.l.le nodded and pulled open the door.
Before following her inside, Danica looked up at the sky and breathed in the cool air. Everything in her life was finally coming together. If she had her therapist hat on, she might become cynical and tell herself to be prepared for the next shoe to drop. She smiled to herself, knowing that soon the therapist side of her mind wouldn't always have to be on high alert. She refused to let her practical side overtake her happiness. She knew the risks; Blake could go back to his player ways at any moment. He might become bored. He might resent her for trying to change him-no, that last one wasn't true. Blake had come to her wanting to change. She replaced her therapist's eye view with that of her normal, womanly self, tucked the thought into her heart, and walked into the bookstore.
An hour later, they left, Mich.e.l.le armed with various art books and Danica armed with two books about pregnancy-just in case Kaylie decided to move in that direction.
She dropped Mich.e.l.le off at Nola's house. After Mich.e.l.le went inside, Danica felt a familiar constriction in her chest. Disappointment. Mich.e.l.le hadn't brought up talking to her mother again, as Danica had hoped she would. She checked her watch. She had two hours before she had to be at the church for the pre-wedding pictures. Correction: She and Blake needed to be there in two hours. Her pulse quickened as she headed home.
Chapter Twenty-Nine.
The chilly evening air blew through Blake's hair as he stood on Danica's front stoop and watched the sun disappear behind the mountain. His palms sweated, despite the thirty-degree temperature. His stomach swam in circles for the first time in years. Blake turned as Danica met him on the porch, locking the door behind her. Shades of mauve swayed in the breeze beneath the hem of her coat. Blake gasped a breath at the sight of her. How could one woman look more beautiful every time he saw her? Her natural curls blew across her face, and she laughed as she tried unsuccessfully to tame them with her hand.
”They have a mind of their own,” Danica joked.
”They're gorgeous. You are gorgeous.” He kissed her on the lips, once, twice. Then he couldn't help it; he pulled her to him and let his pa.s.sion lead him into another insatiable kiss.
She came away with her cheeks flushed.
”I'm sorry, but...” He shrugged, hoping he could control the heat that found its way to his groin.
Hand in hand, they walked to the car, where Blake opened the door for Danica, feeling like an overeager teenager taking the hottest girl to prom. After closing her door, he stood in the cold watching her smooth her dress. He felt his heart swell in a way he had never before experienced, and thought of Dave and Sally. Their relations.h.i.+p might have been going through a hurricane, but somehow Blake thought that had the accident never occurred, they would have weathered the storm. Even though he and Danica were only in the early stages of their relations.h.i.+p, she already owned a piece of Blake's heart, and he couldn't imagine losing her.
Danica turned to pull her seat belt across her chest and caught him staring. She wrinkled her forehead in question. He hurried into the driver's seat as Danica read a text on her cell phone.
”They didn't call off the wedding, did they?”
Danica read the text from Mich.e.l.le. Will you come with me to talk to my mom tomorrow? She typed yes into the phone. ”No,” she answered Blake. ”Everything is just perfect.”
They stood across from each other during the wedding ceremony. Blake with the groomsmen, beaming in their tuxedos, and Danica alongside the bridesmaids, lined up like brightly colored flowers, beautiful and enticing. Camille looked lovely in her satin gown, but what struck Danica was the look in her eyes. She and Jeffrey had been dating for three years, and there was no way to describe how she looked at him other than dreamy. Her cheeks were soft, her eyes attentive, and her body language emitted simple and pure love. Her shoulders faced Jeffrey's, her posture straight, yet slightly leaning toward her future husband, and her lips were slightly parted, turned up at the edges in a wanting, comfortable smile. She and Jeffrey had written their own vows, and Danica listened intently to Camille's promise: ...to always consider your feelings, to give you time to nurture your friends.h.i.+ps, and to try not to jump to unfair conclusions. She'd never heard such thoughtful vows. What would she hope for from a spouse? Danica had never given marriage much thought. She hadn't had time, and love had left almost everyone she knew in some state of mental chaos. Fate had never existed in her world-until now. Now she felt the delicate fingers of love lacing themselves around her heart, and she was helpless to ignore them. She wondered if Blake felt the same, and glanced up at him. He was looking directly at her, with that same look in his eyes as Camille had. Danica's knees weakened; her pulse sped up. Blake. She wanted love, honesty, and Blake. Camille and Jeffrey kissed and the guests applauded, breaking through her reverie.
”I made a decision,” Kaylie whispered.
Danica blew Blake a kiss from across the aisle and turned toward Kaylie. Her makeup barely concealed the dark circles beneath her eyes.
”I had a long talk with Chaz last night. We were up till dawn,” she said.
”And?” Danica didn't know if she should hope they were going to have the baby or not. She only wanted Kaylie to be happy, and she knew Kaylie possessed enough love to be a wonderful mother, even if she was scared s.h.i.+tless. She also knew her sister well enough to know that once she made up her mind, there would be no turning back. Ever. She reached for Kaylie's hand as Camille and Jeffrey walked down the aisle, hand-in-hand, ducking under the flower petals the groomsmen threw above them.
”I love him,” she whispered.
Danica leaned in closer. ”You love him?”
Kaylie looked her in the eye and said, ”I love him! I do! I really, truly love him!”
The church became quiet, like everyone held their breath at the same time, and all eyes turned toward Kaylie. She covered her mouth, her cheeks on fire. Kaylie turned toward the guests, looking like a kid caught with her hand in a candy jar. She mouthed, ”Sorry,” and wrinkled her nose.
A hearty, sisterly laugh escaped Danica's lips. She grabbed Kaylie and hugged her tight. ”I'm gonna be an auntie!”
”Don't squeeze so tight. I'm feeling a little nauseous these days.”