but she still had a few vulnerabilities. Last weekend he recognized there were a few issues within her
past relationships he hadn’t been aware of.
There were more layers to Bayleigh than he ever would have guessed. The realization of their
relationship being separate from their friendship was more realistic than he thought. He was curious
about details important to a relationship that weren’t vital to a friendship. Every time insecurity
flashed across her expression he wanted to soothe it away. For the most part, he’d been able to. His
biggest fear was pushing her too hard. In the years he had known Bayleigh she had become a
permanent fixture in his life. She shared a lot of the important firsts in his life over the last five
years.
“Uh-oh, the expression on your face right now usually means trouble.”
Dane put his rambling introspection aside, giving Isaac a blank stare. “What are you talking
about?”
Isaac chuckled. “The expression is hard to describe. You get this far away wistful look like
you want something you can’t have. Only it usually pertains to Bayleigh, and since you are dating her
now, there’s no reason for your expression.”
Dane took a sip of his beer. “Well my friend, just because I’m dating Bayleigh doesn’t mean
the hard work is over. It’s just beginning.”
Isaac gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
Dane leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been certain of my feeling for two years. Now, I have to
be patient and wait for Bayleigh to catch up.”
“True but you were patient enough to wait all this time. What's a few more months?”
Dane sighed. “My patience is wearing thin. Now that Bayleigh is within my grasp it’s hard
not to rush her.”
Isaac smiled. “You know you’re going to put yourself into an institution if you keep this up,
right?”
Dane chuckled. “I’m already there man,” he stated, then took a sip of his beer. “Enough
about Bayleigh. What’s new with you?”
Isaac shook his head. “Nothing new here. Just the same old mundane life.”
Dane laughed. “Isaac, I have known you forever, which is long enough to know your life
isn’t boring in the least. If nothing else, you have a girlfriend of the month keeping it exciting for
you.”
Isaac smirked “Yes, but I prefer to leave the falling in love part to you. I’ve been there
before and I don’t believe it’s everything everyone seems to think it is.”
Dane looked at Isaac in surprise. “I don’t recall you being in love with a woman.”
Isaac shrugged. “Trust me, I’ve been there. Having that someone you want to be with all the
time. You want to stay in control of the entire situation so that it’s perfect. Yet, you can’t and it runs
you ragged. You want her in your life twenty-four-seven, unfortunately you aren’t sure if she wants
the same.”
Dane stared at Isaac in shock. He couldn’t remember his friend ever mentioning a woman of
significance. The words Isaac just spoke couldn’t ring more true for Dane. How else would Isaac
know unless he had been there? True pain had laced Isaac’s words.
Isaac grinned at him. “Why the stunned expression?”
“Because I’m not feeling much like a friend right now.” Dane shook his head slowly. “When
did you fall in love and why didn’t I notice?”
Isaac’s expression turned somber. “It’s not your fault. I didn’t say anything. I had a
reputation to upkeep.”
“Who is she?”
Isaac stared at his bottle for a moment before looking at Dane. “It doesn’t matter. We didn’t
work out for a reason. I now also know love isn’t for me. I enjoy being single, experiencing the
variety life has to offer.”
Dane glanced around the bar at the women milling around. Several were looking in his
direction. They paled in comparison to Bayleigh. Isaac on the other hand was smiling broadly at the
voluptuous blonde on the other side of the bar. When Isaac’s gaze finally met Dane’s again, there
was a serious expression there.
“Just don’t make the same mistake I made. If you really want Bayleigh, make sure she never
doubts it. Everything else will fall into place.”
Dane nodded taking in Isaac’s words. He was seeing his friend in different way. Guilt ate
him. Shouldn’t a friend know when the other was head-over-heels for another woman?
Maybe that was how Isaac has picked on Dane’s attraction to Bayleigh. Dane smiled. Isaac
had known he was more than physically attracted to Bayleigh as soon as he mentioned her. Even
Dane hadn’t known it. Little did he know how right Isaac was at the time.
He couldn’t think of any other woman who made him feel the way Bayleigh did. She was
special. Dane could still remember the first day he met her five years ago. The Research and
Development Department had been abuzz with the news of a new bright employee coming to the
company. With the way he worked so closely with the department, his excitement level exceeded
most.
Laying eyes on Bayleigh the first time hadn’t been what he expected. Her shyness had come
through immediately, along with her high level of intelligence. After a week she smiled at one of his
corny jokes. From then on their friendship blossomed. He could understand why his relationships
with other women were lacking. They didn’t come close to anything he had with Bayleigh. He
looked up with Isaac chuckled. “What is it?”
Isaac shook his head. “You haven’t said what your family thinks about all of this.” Isaac
paused. “You did tell them didn’t you?”
Dane laughed. “Of course they know. Mom is already planning the wedding, not to mention
the grandkids.”
Isaac gave a full body shudder. “Vanquish the thought.”
Dane smiled. “There is nothing wrong with marriage and children.”
Isaac rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “If marriage and children are desired,
you’re right.”
Dane finished off his beer before signaling to the bartender that he wanted another. “Well,
marriage and children are what I desire. I have for a while now.”
A look of horror spread across Isaac’s face. “I know.
However, since the woman you’re fixated on is Bayleigh, I can deal.”
Dane grinned. “Enough to be my best man if it comes down to it?”
“If? Now, I’m not a betting man, but if I were I would put money on you and Bayleigh.”
Dane reached for his new beer. “Glad to know I have your vote of confidence.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Isaac slapped him on the shoulder. “I’m just glad our drinking
night hasn’t been weeded out.”
Dane glanced around the bar again. “I like being able to unwind with a few drinks after the
long work week. Besides, don’t forget Bayleigh hangs out with her friends on Friday.”
“So, you and Bayleigh have a date for tomorrow?”
Dane nodded. “Yes we do. I’m taking her to Tribeca Steakhouse.”
“Good choice.”
Dane smiled at Isaac. “I learned from the best.”
Isaac grinned and Dane enjoyed the rest of his beer while talking to Isaac. An hour later he
was headed home. The blonde chick Isaac had flirted with all night came over to introduce herself.
Dane had taken the opportunity to excuse
himself. He was past ready to leave anyway. His mind was
preoccupied with Bayleigh again.
Spending uninterrupted time with her was a luxury. So far things were okay but not exactly
what he wanted them to be. It was different trying to balance their friendship, relationship, and work
life all together. Bayleigh would panic if he wasn’t careful. He couldn’t figure out why the deer-in-
headlights look would come out on occasion. When he looked into her eyes sometimes, he could
read the uncertainty there. It puzzled him because Bayleigh had no reason to be unsure with him.
The close friendship they had was a solid starting point, or so he hoped.
Dane made the short drive home. Walking into his empty house, he sighed. Having Bayleigh
in his bed beside him would be a nice bonus. Unfortunately it would have to wait until tomorrow.
Once he had her there he didn’t plan on letting her out for a long time. Now he just had to perfect a
plan to keep her there.
* * * *
“You look more happy than usual. Is your mystery guy responsible for that?”
Bayleigh smiled as she cut into her swordfish. She was having an impromptu Saturday lunch
with Tasha. Over the years she and Tasha had always been close and her marriage to Jarvis hadn’t
changed that. They were still as close as ever. It bothered her not to tell her sister about her newly
forming relationship with Dane, but she wasn’t ready for the fallout. Not when everything was so
new. Still, she knew it was bound to come out eventually. She might as well do it on her terms.
Bayleigh looked up at her sister, a small smile on her face. “I guess you could say he is
responsible.”
Tasha grinned. “You guess? Okay, I’ll pretend to buy into your nonchalant attitude. I can’t
wait to find out more about him.”
Bayleigh cleared her throat. “He’s not a complete mystery.”
Tasha paused with her fork in mid-air. “What does that mean?”
Bayleigh couldn’t keep this from her sister any longer, nor did she want to. “It’s Dane.”
The look of shock on her sister’s face was comical. Tasha opened her mouth but no sound
came out. Her sister closed her mouth, cleared her throat, and tried again.
“Dane Holden? Your best friend, Dane?”
Bayleigh nodded, still amused at her sister’s reaction. To be honest, it was similar to her own
when Dane first told her of his attraction to her.
“The only Dane I know.”
Tasha sat her fork down. “Are you serious, Bayleigh?”
She rolled her eyes. “We both know I wouldn’t joke about this, Tasha.”
Tasha stared at her for another long moment before she spoke. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it
before now. The two of you are good together.”
It was Bayleigh’s turn to be shocked. “What do you mean?”
Tasha picked her fork back up, a huge smile on her face. “Bayleigh, it’s no secret that you
and Dane have a close friendship. One of the best foundations for a relationship, in case you didn’t
know.”
“If it doesn’t ruin the friendship,” Bayleigh murmured.
Tasha laughed. “Why would your friendship be ruined?”
Bayleigh sighed. “Because, if one of us hurts the other and our trial relationship ends, how
can we go back to being friends?”
Tasha frowned. “Trial relationship?”
Bayleigh nodded. “Dane suggested we give a trial relationship a try to see if we’re a good fit
for each other.”
“A trial relationship? The two of you are nuts.” Tasha shook her head in disbelief. “I
probably shouldn’t ask, but how long is this trial relationship supposed to last?”
Bayleigh gave her sister a small smile. “Six months, providing we don’t call it quits before
then.”
“What happens if you do make it to six months?”
Bayleigh shrugged. “We extend the relationship?”
Tasha rolled her eyes. “The two of you are certifiable. Good Lord, Bayleigh. Dane is nice,
attractive, he cares about you, and more importantly he isn’t a jackass like Erwin. You are insane to
be wasting time like this.” Tasha reached across the table. “Things don’t always turn out the way we
expect them to. Sometimes they turn out better.”
Tasha gave Bayleigh a look of understanding. “I’ll tell you a secret. For a long time I was
afraid to settle down. I think it was the reason I chose the guys I did before Jarvis.” Tasha smiled
sadly.
“Guys that didn’t treat me the way I was worth being treated.”
Bayleigh couldn’t hide her surprise. “I never knew you felt like that.”
Tasha shrugged. “I didn’t know either, until I met Jarvis. Do you remember how insane
Jarvis drove me in the beginning?”
Bayleigh smiled. She could recall, very clearly how irritated Tasha had been in the beginning
when her sister first mentioned Jarvis. “Yes, I do.”
Tasha released her hand. “I never told you how we met.”
Bayleigh shook her head. “No you didn’t”
Tasha sighed. “I met Jarvis the night of my messy breakup with Darius. I was a complete
mess, drunk and belligerent. Jarvis saw me, realized I was the ex-roommate of his friend’s girlfriend,
so he decided to come to my rescue. He kept the bartender from calling the police, and promised to
escort me home.”
Bayleigh chuckled. “So you made a good first impression?”
“It gets better. Jarvis had to pull over twice on the way home so I could throw up. When he
finally got me home, he put me to bed, where I made a pass at him. He thwarted my attempt before
making me take aspirin and drink two cups of water,”
Bayleigh looked at Tasha, amused. “Jarvis always had been a gentleman.”
“Oh, it gets better. Jarvis left for the night, but showed up early the next morning to nurse
me back to health because I had a massive hangover. After he fed me a light breakfast, he made me
drink this horrible concoction, which made me want to hurl again. He then escorted me into a cool
shower. Afterwards, I realized everything he was doing and it made me feel embarrassed.”
Bayleigh looked at her sister with puzzlement. “Why? He was taking care of you.”
Tasha nodded. “I know. I felt pitiful, but Jarvis stayed with me the whole day. He made me
lunch and dinner. I wanted to repay him, so I offered him sex.”
Bayleigh gasped. “Tasha!”
“Don’t worry. Jarvis turned me down, for four months to be exact. I thought I was going to
go crazy. Jarvis kept insisting he wanted to get to know me first. When we finally did it, I thought
the earth moved and that scared the hell out of me. I avoided him after that, but he wouldn’t let up.”
Bayleigh shook her head. “I had no idea.”
“That isn’t the end of it. My relationship with Jarvis was good. No, it was great. Even so
when he proposed to me a little over a year into our relationship, I broke up with him.”
Bayleigh’s mouth dropped open. Here she had been thinking she was feeling irrational when
it came to Dane. Her sister had her beat big time. “You what?”
Tasha nodded, pausing to take a sip of her tea. Bayleigh was stunned. As well as she knew
her sister all of this was news to her. How had she missed this? When she thought about it,
everything seemed perfect. Tasha must have read the question in her eyes. “I hid it well. Remember
the two month period when I stayed away, making up excuses about school, work, even Jarvis?”
Bayleigh nodded, recalling the time frame her sister referred to. “I remember.”
“I was hiding my break up with Jarvis. I was confused, embarrassed, upset, and basically an
emotional wreck. I was miserable. Realizing I made a mistake, I crawled back to Jarvis begging him
to take me back. Thankfully he took me back and here we are today, but it wasn’t easy.” Tasha
exhaled softly. “I know your fear Bayleigh, but don’t be afraid of your own happiness. Trust
yourself. Dane is good to you. He always has been. Don’t be afraid to admit you’re happy with him.
It won’t go away if you do.”
Bayleigh stared at her sister, wanting to give her a hug. She and her sister might not be alike
personality wise, but they seemed to be on the same wavelength when it came to emotional issues.
Looking into Tasha’s eyes, she knew her sister understood. Unfortunately, she had limited herself in
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