“She loves me,” Burke repeated, not quite willing to believe.
“Of course she does. What’s wrong with the two of you?” Slumping back in his seat, he rolled his eyes skyward as if seeking assistance from a greater power. “You’re supposed to be the adults. Open your eyes, for heaven’s sake.”
Burke looked at Patrick and shook his head. “Someday I’ll remind you of this conversation when you’re on my end.”
Patrick’s hearty laughter filled the room. “I’m sure you will.”
Burke sat quietly in the rocker, pondering the situation. Patrick waited patiently and sipped his soda, absently tapping the can with his fingers.
Reaching a decision, he surged to his feet. “I’m going away for a few days. No, a week.” He paced to the table and pulled his schedule up onto the screen. “I should be able to get things done in a week.”
“You’re coming back, right?” Patrick questioned.
Burke rounded quickly. “Of course, I’m coming back.” Seeing the question in the younger man’s eyes, Burke did something he rarely did. He explained himself. “Dani means more to me than she knows. I have to come back.”
“What are you going to do?” Patrick came to his feet and eyed Burke cautiously.
“Just wait and see, just wait and see.” He headed to the bedroom to pack. “Let yourself out, will you, and I’ll see you in a week.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Burke,” Patrick muttered as pulled on his coat and let himself out the front door.
…
Dani lay in bed and watched the sun peek over the horizon. She hadn’t slept at all last night. Her mind just kept going around in circles, replaying the conversations she’d had with both Cynthia and Burke.
Dani knew that it was the fact that Cynthia was privy to important information about Burke that she wasn’t that had angered her the most. Her pride had been hurt. There, she admitted it to herself. Her pride had been hurt, and she’d lashed out at Burke.
She couldn’t get him out of her mind. The look of hurt and disappointment on his face when she had confronted him haunted her. Until that very moment, she hadn’t realized that she had the power to hurt him as much as he had to hurt her.
Pushing aside the comforter, she padded over to stand in front of the window. Easing the curtains aside, she stared at the melting snow and made a decision. Either she trusted Burke or she didn’t. Either she loved him enough to work this out or she put him out of her life forever.
Filled with purpose, she walked over to her dresser and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw the same face that she saw every morning. It wasn’t a beautiful face, yet Burke had called her beautiful. But more than that, he made her feel beautiful. Deep in her heart, she knew that Burke was an honest man.
Squaring her shoulders, she looked straight at the woman staring back at her. “If you love him, you’ll go to him and work things out. Now. Right now, before you hurt each other more than you already have.”
Decision made, she grabbed a quick shower before pulling on her clothes and heading for the door. She snagged her coat and keys on the way out. So what if the sun was barely up? This was too important to wait.
Dani was a woman on a mission. That mission was love. Anyone who had ever said that love was easy had obviously never been in love. Being in love was hard work. There were no easy answers or a straight path. The road to happiness was twisted and littered with debris, but she hoped that it was worth the effort. Nothing worthwhile ever came easy, so why should love be any different?
Easing the truck to a stop in front of Burke’s cabin, she jumped out and raced to the front door. She pounded on the front door before she gave herself time to think. She would tell him immediately that she loved him and trusted him.
She waited expectantly. And waited. She bounced up and down to keep warm in the early morning cold.
He must be a sound sleeper, she thought as she pounded on the door again.
“Burke, open up, it’s Dani,” she called when the pounding received no answer. She cupped her hands over her eyes and peered through the small glass in the door, but could see nothing but the empty living room.
Dani got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She turned and scanned the driveway. Burke’s truck was gone.
“No, don’t panic. He probably couldn’t sleep either,” she muttered as she dragged herself back to her truck. He was probably just gone out for a drive or maybe an early breakfast. As disappointed as she was, she knew she would see him later. It was probably just as well. She must look like a wild woman after tearing out of bed and over here in such a hurry. Come to think of it, she hadn’t even brushed her hair after she’d dried it, just slammed down the hair dryer and ran. Her hand went to her head, and she tucked her hair behind her ears.
Dani decided that she would go to work early since she was already up. The only thing on her schedule today was a house that had to be cleaned before the new owners moved in, and she had picked up the key yesterday. That way she could get home early and plan a special supper for her and Burke. But first, she would swing by the house and grab a cup of coffee and pick up her work supplies.
…
The phone was ringing when she rushed through the back door later that afternoon. She dumped her purse on the counter and grabbed it quickly, hoping it was Burke. “Hello,” she gasped, nearly out of breath.
“Dani?”
“Yes, this is Dani,” she answered, trying to hide her disappointment.
“This is Silas Carter.”
“Hello, Mr. Carter. What can I do for you?” Crossing her fingers, she hoped he had another job for her and hadn’t called to cancel an existing one. She needed to start replacing the money she had spent on the truck.
“I’ve got a job for you if you’ve got the time. It’s out at the Cozy Cabins,” Silas answered.
“Of course I’ve got time. What unit and when?” Digging out her appointment book from her purse, she opened it.
“Unit number five, the one Mr. Black was in.”
“What did you say?” It was a wonder he could hear her hoarse whisper.
“Unit five. Mr. Black dropped off his key last night before he left town. As soon as you can fit it in, Dani, if that’s no problem.”
“No, no problem,” Dani heard herself answer.
“Good. I’ll see you when you pick up the key.”
Dani heard the click as Mr. Carter disconnected, and she slowly lowered the phone back to its cradle. This couldn’t be happening. Burke had decided that he didn’t want a woman who didn’t trust him. She had driven him away. Or, that little voice in the back of her head taunted, had he been that serious about her after all?
Dani didn’t know what to do. She realized suddenly that she had no notion of where to find Burke. She didn’t know where he might have gone. If he didn’t call her, she would never know.
“No, no, no,” Dani wailed. “It’s not supposed to happen this way.”
“Dani, what’s wrong?” She turned to find Patrick standing in the doorway, drawn to the kitchen by the sound of her voice.
“He’s gone. He’s gone, and I don’t know where to find him.” Grabbing her brother by his upper arms, she shook him. “I don’t know where to find him.”
“Who? Burke?” Patrick reached out and took Dani’s hands from his arms and held them tight in his.
“Yes, he’s gone,” she said in a tortured whisper.
“Dani, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Patrick put his arms around her, hugging her tight. “He’s coming back.”
Dani pulled back in surprise. “How do you know he’s coming back?” Her voice went from pitiful to sharp in a flash.
“I went to see him yesterday,” Patrick answered cautiously.
“You went to see him?”
“Well, yeah. I knew something had happened. Anyway, while I was there Burke said he had to go away for a week, but that he’d be back.”
“Where is he?” Dani asked h
opefully.
“I don’t know,” Patrick answered her. “All I know is that he said he’d be gone about a week, and then he’d be back.”
“You’re sure he said he was coming back?” Dani begged for reassurance.
“Yes, he’ll be back. I think he needs to think about some things. You really hurt him, Dani.”
“I know. We both hurt each other. We didn’t mean to, but we did. I guess I’ll just have to wait until he comes back to talk to him.”
“Don’t worry, Dani, everything will be okay.” He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t think you’ll get rid of him too easily.”
“I hope you’re right, Patrick.”
Needing time to think, she headed upstairs to her room. She had to be ready if Burke came back. No, when he came back. And he would be back, she reassured herself. They needed to really talk about what had happened. She was ready now to listen to what he had to say, ready to offer him reassurance that his money didn’t matter to her. And then she had to apologize, because she knew she had hurt him deeply. She had to make him understand that they had a future together and that she loved him.
And she would, just as soon as he returned.
Chapter Fifteen
Over and over, she reassured herself that Burke was coming back. As the next seven days passed, she wavered back and forth between anger and tears. One minute, she just wished he were here so she could hold him, and the next minute, she wanted him here so she could yell at him for putting her through such agony.
Sleep came less and less, and her appetite dwindled. The longer he was gone, the harder it was for her to hold onto hope. She began to wonder if she would ever see him again.
She knew she was worrying both Patrick and Shamus, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. The only thing that helped was work. The harder she worked, the less time she had to think. And the less she had time to think, the less she worried.
On the bright side, she had not only lost the three pounds she gained Christmas, but two more as well. Some women ate during times of stress, but she cleaned. Not only had she made more money by taking on extra jobs, but their own house had never been cleaner. She’d even cleaned out the linen closet. If Burke didn’t show up soon, she’d be forced to mess things up just so she’d have something to clean. It was pathetic.
By the morning of the eighth day, she began to sense that even Patrick was no longer certain about Burke’s return. Her brother became quiet and moody, watching her constantly, as if waiting for her to dissolve into tears.
Dani refused to give in to her feeling of despair.
She was convinced that Burke was gone for good. She was too sad to be angry. The whole world appeared as if it were a black and white movie. All the color was gone. Life was something to be gotten through one moment at a time, and food was something to be eaten to keep up her strength. If she had been the heroine of a Victorian Romance, she might have taken to her bed in decline. But she was a modern businesswoman with obligations who knew she would survive no matter what. Experience had taught her that life goes on and this too would pass, no matter how painful it was now.
It was for this very reason that she took another cleaning job from Silas Carter. He had sold the old Baker farmhouse and the surrounding ten acres it was on. Dani had always loved the charming home and it was for this reason, and to keep herself extra busy, that she took the job even though she was already booked solid.
The new owner wanted to move in immediately, Mr. Carter had informed her. So here she was at seven-thirty Saturday morning dragging her cleaning supplies into the Baker farmhouse. It was this very house that had inspired the setting for her children’s books.
That reminded her of her promise to herself to mail out her manuscripts to perspective agents and publishers. She made a promise to herself right then and there that she would mail her first submission before the end of the week.
Leaving her belongings down on the kitchen counter, she wandered around the empty house. The kitchen was big and quite charming, almost a larger version of her own. She ran her hand lovingly across the kitchen counter, wondering if the new owners had a large enough family to fill such a wonderful kitchen.
She meandered slowly through the house, admiring the living room and falling in love with the library that had an alcove that was almost like an indoor green house. With glass on three sides, it would be like sitting outside, even in the middle of winter. Climbing up the pine staircase to the bedroom area, she peeked in all the rooms and finally found herself standing in the middle of what was certainly the master bedroom.
It was a large room with two tall windows, from floor to ceiling, that invited in the morning sunshine. There were two spacious closets, his and hers. Dani closed her eyes and imagined a brass bed with a meadow green comforter. She would have several rugs in shades of green and sunshine yellow curtains. There was also room for two wicker chairs with cushions in yellow and green. Put a small table between them and they would make a lovely sitting area next to one of the windows.
Sighing, she slowly opened her eyes. What must it be like to own such a place? To be planning a future and a life with the person you love. Dani shook herself to dispel her daydreams. She had to stop thinking like this or she would start crying again.
“What do you think you’re doing?” The soft male voice queried from the open doorway.
Dani had been asked much that same question before, but this time the voice was not angry. Slowly, she turned to the doorway.
“Burke,” Dani found she could barely speak his name. “What are you doing here?” Shock held her rooted in place as her hand went to her mouth. She hadn’t heard a sound. It appeared she had conjured him from her thoughts.
Burke walked slowly toward her. His eyes never left her face as he reached out and wrapped his arms around her. “Oh no, you don’t, sweetheart. If you’re going to break and enter, you have to take the consequences.”
She didn’t know whether the laugh, cry, or scream. “I’m not here to break and enter. I’m here to clean.”
His laughter washed over her as he rocked her back and forth in his embrace. “It seems to me I remember us playing out this particular scene before.”
“What are you doing here, Burke?” Dani asked softly. Her hands pushed against his chest, and he automatically loosened his hold on her.
All laughter fled from his face. His hands covered hers, as if he could not bear to lose contact with her. “I’m here to be with you.”
“How long this time before you leave without a word?” Despite her desire to hold onto him forever, she forced herself to pull away from him. He reluctantly released her hands and stepped back. A scowl now covered his face, making the scar on his cheek even more prominent. She longed to sooth the anger from him, but held her ground.
“What do you mean?” Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited.
“I didn’t know if you were ever coming back. I didn’t know if you had decided you didn’t want a woman who wouldn’t trust you or if what Cynthia had told me was true.” It hurt her to speak these things out loud, but she knew that they had to clear up all their misunderstandings if they were to go forward from here.
“Didn’t Patrick tell you I was coming back?” Burke’s face turned thunderous, and his voice grew louder with every word he spoke.
“Yes, he did. But, you’ve been gone eight days without a word, and we didn’t part under the best of circumstances.” Remembered pain brought tears to Dani’s eyes. She blinked hard to ward them off. “You know, I went out to the cabin early the next morning to talk to you, but you weren’t there. I thought that you were just out early, like I was, until Mr. Carter called me to clean your cabin.”
“Oh, Dani,” Burke whispered as he tried to pull her back into his comforting embrace.
She stepped away, knowing she had to finish this and that she lost the ability to think coherently when Burke held her in his arms. “Patrick told me you were gone. I got mad
first, because I’m honestly tired of finding out important things like this from other people.” She tapped a finger on his chest for emphasis. “Then I was sad and hurt. Finally, I was afraid that you might not come back.”
“I thought that you needed the time to think things over.” Burke had a slightly bewildered look on his face. “It didn’t occur to me that you would think that I wouldn’t come back.” Reaching out once again, he wrapped an arm around her waist and dragged her close. This time she allowed him to pull her close.
“I’ve got to know, Burke. Where do we stand? I’ve been afraid to ask, but I find now that I’m more afraid not to ask.” She stared deep into his eyes, hoping to see the answer there. “Are you staying here in Jamesville? Do we have a future?”
His body was very still, and for a moment, he said nothing. Suddenly, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Dani, honey.” Burke’s large hands reached up and caressed her face. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? This is my house.”
Now she was totally confused. “Your house. When did you buy it?”
“That’s why I’ve been gone this last week. I’m going to be running my business concerns from here. I’ve had people out here all week connecting the electricity and phone lines for my office that I’m putting in downstairs. This is now my permanent address. This is my home.”
Dani was sure Burke must be able to hear the pounding of her heart as it beat frantically against her chest. She placed her hands on his shoulders, hoping he wouldn’t feel them shaking. “That’s wonderful, Burke, but what about us?”
Burke groaned. “I’m making a muck of this, aren’t I? I bought the damn house because I wanted to give us a place to live. I haven’t bought any furniture or dishes or anything. I want us to pick them out together.”
“I won’t live with you, Burke. I have Patrick and Shamus to think about. Not to mention my own reputation.” Dani was on a roll as her anger grew. She pulled out of his embrace and started pacing furiously. “Did you think buying a house would make any difference? If that’s what you think of me, I don’t want to see you again.” She glared at him as she continued to pace. “I am not interested in your money.”
Discovering Dani Page 14
