by Violet Duke
He handed Dani her envelope next, a much thicker one. She slid open the seal, already knowing what she would find.
“And Dani, given Luke and Derek’s new business partnership, I’ve found our agreement for you to sign over a percent partnership of Ocotillos to be completely unnecessary. And frankly, just as foolish as I told you it was to begin with.”
Her envelope contained the contract it had killed her to sign last week.
Ripped in half.
Noah shook his head at them. “I honestly don’t know how you two are so successful at your businesses.” His lips twitched to the side. “But I can see why you two are so perfect for each other.”
Funny, though that statement came out as both compliment and criticism, when she looked up at his face, Dani saw a flash of…envy that made her wonder if it was more the former than the latter. But the peek into the mysterious inner workings of Noah was gone a second later as he turned to leave the room without another word, leaving them stunned silent in his wake.
“Okay, so maybe I don’t hate that guy anymore,” muttered Luke.
Chuckling lightly through the shards of pain across her body, Dani just dropped the envelope and pulled him down next to her in the hospital bed.
* * * * *
HE COULD’VE LOST HER.
Every day since the explosion, that’s all Luke kept thinking about. How he’d been so close to losing her. It ate at Luke’s gut to see her like this. His breathing was ragged as he stroked her non-broken arm, needing to keep touching her to know she was okay—banged up, but alive.
“Dani,” he began slowly, turning carefully in the hospital bed so he didn’t aggravate any of her injuries, “I know I said I wouldn’t push, and I’m not going to, but I’m worried about you. I want you to live with me at my place until we know for sure your apartment is safe. And whether you like it or not, I’m taking care of you until you’re fully recovered. Don’t freak out, alright, sweetie? It’s just for a few weeks.”
Dani’s fingers covered his lips lightly. “Luke, do you want to move in together?”
He stared at her in disbelief.
She let out a slow, beautiful grin that devastated his heart, made it spin in his chest as a tattered breath deflated his lungs. “You drive me insane, you know that?”
“Is that a no?”
He looked at her as if she’d lost her marbles in the blast. “Like I’d actually say no.” Then his eyes softened. “But you don’t have to do this now, honey. I’m not going anywhere. We can discuss this again when you’re fully recovered.” He sighed. The universe could be so cruel—scaring a commitment-phobe enough to start planning for the future, and scaring him enough to almost, almost accept. Gripping her hand, he gave her a reassuring smile. “Besides, I don’t want our relationship to move forward because of an explosion I’d just as soon forget.”
Leaning her head against his cheek, she said simply, “I decided before.”
His face tightened skeptically.
“I did. Ask Xoey. I woke her up the morning of the explosion to talk. Of course, when I told her about us moving in together, she went on and on, reminding me about all the other gorgeous fish in the sea.” She giggled at the annoyance flitting across his face.
He caught Dani’s chin to look into her eyes. “Why? What changed your mind?”
“I woke up alone.”
The hope he was feeling crumbled. “And I’ll live with that for the rest of my life. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I never should have left you after our fight.” He dropped his head into his hands. “If I’d just stayed in bed with you last night, you wouldn’t be lying here like this in the hospital—”
“Stop.” Dani smoothed the agony from his face with gentle fingers. “That blast was an accident waiting to happen. Plus, it was my day to open; I would’ve gotten hurt no matter what.”
He shook his head. “The explosion happened well before you normally go in to open and you know it. You would’ve been safe if you hadn’t headed in early to arrange that surprise for me.” With hands that trembled, he traced the deep bruises on her face and neck, the lacerated skin all along her chest and arms. “Face it, I’m the reason you almost died.”
“Luke, no. I was there because I wanted to be. I wanted to show you the two new brews I’d made from your chocolates. They’re the first of six different chocolate beers we’ll be selling as Ocotillos’ inaugural bottled beer set.” His utter shock lit a smile on her face. “That’s why I knew all about bottling equipment when Derek mentioned it for his winery the other day.”
Luke simply had no words. After her horrible history with bottling their beers, the fact that she had been willing to do this for him…
“I was planning to split the profits with your shop but now that you’re going to be fine lease-wise with Derek partnering in, I decided to have the money go to Quinn for Coop’s surgery expenses.” She cradled his face in her hands. “So, yes, I had something to show you that morning. And maybe if I hadn’t been all crazy in love and wanting to surprise you with this whole ‘look how good we can be together’ metaphor, I’d have just told you without this whole romantic gesture thing at the brewpub. A few months ago I would’ve. With anyone else, I would’ve. But no, for some reason, I find myself wanting to do things differently now with you.”
A slow smile overtook his lips.
“Instead of just simply telling you, I find myself wanting to show you how I feel. I’m constantly thinking of ways to make those two dimples of yours appear.”
His smile turned into a full-blown fool-in-love grin.
The corners of her lips lifted. “Yeah, like that.” She sighed with mock despair. “Okay, alright? My name is Dani and I’m a complete and utter romantic. My vice of choice is fluffy feelings. And apparently, my boyfriend brings it out of me in a flagrant fashion because I’m so dang in love—wait, wait, stop,” she laughed, covering his lips. “Don’t go kiss-crazy just yet.”
She cocked her head to the side. “You didn’t let me finish. I didn’t mean I was upset that I was alone that morning. I meant I felt alone as a whole. Like something was missing from my life. So, I closed my eyes and found my mind wandering over to those dreams we talked about once.” Her gaze met his. “And the more I dreamed, the more right I felt. All I could think about was how much I wanted to reach that life in my dreams—really live, you know?”
He did know.
“Luke, I’ve never really thought of the future because there was never one there in front of me that I wanted to dream about. But with you... When I think of you, I see a future, not the other way around. That means something, doesn’t it? That I don’t just picture a fantasy future with any Joe Shmoe edited in, but rather, I can’t see a future unless I think of you first?”
She looked down, embarrassed.
He immediately extinguished that embarrassment with an all-consuming kiss that burned with every emotion he was feeling. Not until she looked sufficiently dazed and as high as he felt, did he finally stop to answer, “That’s a yes, by the way. Yes, on us moving in together.”
* * * * *
TO LUKE’S CONSTERNATION, after just two weeks out of the hospital, Dani’s stubborn-ass bullheadedness was back and badder than ever.
“You’re being unreasonable,” bit out Luke, obstinately. “Just wait a few more months to brew. The brewpub is doing fine without it.” He stood his ground. “I know you don’t fully believe in the Dobson curse, but I sure as hell do. You were in here last month trying to make a new spring beer and your brewery blew up. Uh, hello? So, again, I repeat, NO.”
“First of all, the chocolate beers weren’t spring beers. Secondly, I’m not asking for your permission you lug nut,” Dani folded her arms and glared at him. “I’m NOT waiting!”
“Why now?” he exploded. “Why do you have to make this beer now?”
“It’s a spring beer,” she shrugged matter-of-factly.
“Make it a summer beer.”
“No.”
<
br /> He fumed in frustration. “Why? Why can’t it be a summer beer?”
“It’s the one spring beer I’ve always refused to make because of my mom.” She took his hand in hers. “I want to do this, Luke. Or I’ll never know if I can get past what she did.” Her eyes took on a suspicious little light then as she added, “And that’s the last thing I want to be wondering about come next spring when we get married.”
His entire body went completely still.
Smiling like a devilish angel, she walked right past him to the brew tanks.
She was three steps away before he picked up his unhinged jaw and spun around to pull her back to him. “Wait a minute. You can’t just drop a bomb like that and walk away.”
Amusement dancing all over her face, she tilted her head and waited for him to continue.
“You want to get married?” he demanded roughly. Smooth, Luke. Real smooth.
Apparently, she thought so too. Because she laughed. Her eyes slid down and saw that his hands were shaking big time. “Have I ever told you how much I love making your hands shake?” She leaned over and kissed him, long and deep.
He shuddered. “Stop distracting me. Answer the question. Do you want to marry me?”
She sniffed like a diva and glanced at her nails. “Not if you ask me like that.”
Great, now her acting improves. The woman didn’t paint her nails.
Hanging on to his sanity by a very thin thread, he rephrased his question. “Are you saying you want me to ask you to marry me?”
She thought about it for a torturous second before popping a kiss on his mouth and giving him a saucy wink. “Maybe,” she teased as she turned and did her signature Danica walkout.
Goofy lovesick smile in place, Luke put a hand over his chest to stop his heart from busting out of it. Never had a single word sounded so sweet coming from the woman he loved.
CHAPTER TWENTY
March 14th, the following year
“NO DEAL, HONEY.” Luke nuzzled her neck. “That’s not going to convince me to subject all these people to your twisted sense of fun.” He was lying. Dani knew she could make him shake and shimmy on stage in a loincloth today if she asked him to. Power of the bridal gown. If she wasn’t having such a good time negotiating with Luke, she’d actually take more advantage of said gown. But the direction of the negotiations thus far had infinite promise.
“Okay, okay,” she countered with a theatric sigh, “this is my best and final offer. You agree to an Electric Slide/Cha Cha Slide mash-up dance and we’ll start off our private festivities tonight with that thing that could’ve gotten us arrested in San Diego with a bottle of whipped cream and your Chocolate Foreplay kit, after the thing that makes us both crazy, along with...” Dani leaned in to whisper one more sinfully racy wedding night promise in his ear.
“Sold!” Luke threw off his tux jacket and started to head to the sound booth to make the request…only to stop when he saw her give a thumbs-up to the amused and unsurprised DJ.
He turned back and raised an eyebrow at her.
She threw him an angelic smile. “You gave in too easily. I had two more best and finals in me.” Pulling off his tie, she tucked it in his pocket with a wink. “As you’ll find out tonight.”
“You are just the best wife ever,” he said almost reverently.
Her mouth pulled up at the corners over that amazing reminder. Their wedding ceremony today had been beautiful. Amongst friends, family, and hundreds of well-wishers online, he and Dani had sealed the joining of their lives with one simple vow: to always keep loving and dreaming like ridiculous, hopeless romantics. From this day forth.
As husband and wife.
Now here they were on the new garden rooftop of Desert Confections at an unequivocally Dani and Luke reception. Fun, random, romantic, and decked out with a smorgasbord of Ocotillos beer and food paired impeccably with Desert Confections chocolate and wine.
The perfect marriage all around.
Standing at the center of the dance floor as the setting sun swathed the landscape in a desert color show, Dani took a deep breath as Rylan began singing one of his achingly poignant ballads up on stage. Emotions gripping her, she set her gaze on her brother and held out her hand. The guests fell silent. Derek, looking so much like the late great Vince Dobson, walked up to join her on the dance floor in what would’ve been her father-daughter dance.
A tiny burst of pain arrowed through her heart, not unlike the pain she’d felt earlier today when the minister had asked during the ceremony, “Who gives this bride to be married?” But just as he was doing now, Derek had swooped in to patch her heart right up by answering the minister, “Her father and I do,” and making good on that declaration by reading Dani a letter she never knew existed, written years ago by their dad for her wedding day.
There hadn’t been a dry eye in the house.
Dani looked up at her big brother as they danced. “I can’t believe you kept that letter a secret.” The memory of her father’s words to her had tears glittering her eyes all over again.
Derek squeezed her tight. “He wrote it after his first heart attack and made me promise to read it for you if he couldn’t be here.”
Her tears spilled out almost angrily. “It’s not fair. You should’ve gotten a letter at your wedding, too.” The painful injustice tore at her heart.
While Vince Dobson had been doting father and brewing mentor to Dani, since Derek hadn’t taken to the brewpub the way she had, he’d never had that connection with their dad. From a guy’s standpoint though, he’d had something even more special—a dad as his best friend. The father-son relationship they’d shared was the kind a grown man would try not to get all choked up over after witnessing on a commercial. But crushingly, in one of life’s truly cruel moments, their dad’s second heart attack had resulted in the massive stroke that had left him in a coma just three weeks before he would’ve stood next to Derek as his best man.
Derek reached down to wipe away her tears. “Shhh, no crying at your wedding, sweets. Not about this.” Unshed tears were in his eyes as well. “Jonathan and I got to spend a lot of time with him as a family. Even if it was only for a short while, I’ll always have those memories to cherish. So I didn’t need a letter from him like you did, hon.”
Dani held him tighter. “You’re still holding strong as the best brother I could ask for.”
He kissed her forehead. “And I’d still trade you in for a puppy,” he replied, his voice pitched low and heavy as he said the token threat he’d lovingly given her since they were little.
She hugged the stuffing out of him for the remainder of their dance as they shared their favorite memories of their father.
Afterward, Derek led her back over to Luke, who was waiting at the edge of the dance floor. Dani imagined if her dad were alive today, he’d be wearing an expression similar to the one her brother had on right now. She nearly lost it as the two most important men in her life shook hands and exchanged a silent look, father figure to husband, then hugged for the first time as brothers.
“Thanks for giving her away, Derek.” Luke’s voice was rough with emotion.
“Thanks for taking her,” joked Derek, equally affected. “No returns, now.”
Gazing at Dani, Luke replied softly, “Never.”
Derek gave Dani one final kiss on the cheek before releasing her into Luke’s arms.
A soft melodic guitar intro rang out from the stage and a lilting, romantic tune wafted through the air. Although it was a thoroughly oddball thing for her to say to her husband during their first dance, she just wouldn’t be Dani Dobson-Bradford if she didn’t mention it: “Hey, look how perfect our exes look together.”
Luke almost stepped on her feet. When he looked over to see, indeed, how well-matched and happy Eric and Angie looked, Luke turned back to Dani, eyebrows raised in question. “The two last-minute guests you wanted to invite to our reception were our ex-fiancees?”
She grinned. “Yep.”
“Well, Eric was easy. You’d be amazed at what a guy will agree to do after having almost destroyed your business.” Dani shook her head in admiration. “Angie was a tougher nut to crack though. The whole leaving you at the altar thing? Didn’t even earn me a maybe. She maintained her decision was the best for all parties involved. And then she just waited until I upped the offer. It was impressive, really. Total respect.”
Luke rolled his eyes at that. “So how’d you finally get her to cave?”
“I tricked her! I got her to come to one of the Meddling Cupid mixers.” She beamed. “After dominating in all the cooking competitions, Angie and Eric went on to decimate everyone in the couple video game rallies.”
Luke burst out into laughter and pulled Dani in close. “You are something else.”
“Why thank you.” Dani preened.
At the sound of the two gorgeously twined voices coming over the sound system in perfect harmony, Luke and Dani looked up onto the stage where Rylan and Quinn, aka Mr. and Mrs. Grey, were performing the beautiful duet they’d composed for Luke and Dani’s first dance.
“Married life suits them,” said Luke, looking at the happy couple singing on stage together. “I didn’t even know Quinn could smile like that, let alone sing like that.”
Dani chuckled. “Rylan’s taking credit for the smiles but he said the singing is all her.”
With a content sigh, Dani rested her head against Luke’s chest and listened to Rylan and Quinn’s perfectly harmonized voices weave fairytale-ending magic all around them.
Just one more thing to add to make this a true happily ever after…
“Come with me,” she said eagerly, the moment the song ended.
* * * * *
LUKE SMILED at the excitement flittering across Dani’s expression as the waiter brought over a small glass. Yep, his romantic little bride had something planned, alright. His eyebrows arched in amusement as he looked at the little lowball glass she’d slid in front of him with the two-layered liquid in it. “Is this a Black and Tan?” He picked it up. “In a kiddie cup?”
