Newport/Aftport #2: Danea

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  “You talk as if it were so…”

  “Normal?”

  “Right. As if it all just neatly fits together,” Danea realized where she was and slowly backed away, her hands up and raking her hair back.

  “When you allow yourself, you’re relaxed and talking and laughing with us as if it had been happening a great deal longer than three days.” Wade tipped his head to the side to catch her eye. “Are you ashamed of what you’re feeling?”

  “I don’t know what I feel. No, I do know what I feel and it’s scary,” she ended in a whisper.

  “Then all we’re asking is give us time. Let us show you it’s not frightening and it can be right…for the right people,” Wade kissed her forehead and went to the door, pulling it open and grinning at her. “Good night, angel.”

  “Good night, Wade,” Danea touched the doorknob after it closed, turning her back to it and leaning heavily.

  Chapter Nine

  She wore the new black leggings she’d bought several weeks back. She really liked the tunic she found with it and she wasn’t really sure why she was hesitating. Debuting a new style was traumatic, she thought, yanking the tunic from the hanger and dropping it over her head before some other voice popped into her head.

  Danea stood before the mirror, head tilted. She’d pulled her hair into a small tail at the top of her head and it dangled slightly to the side as she appraised the effect. It was crème colored, a tie belt at her waist and dropped to mid-thigh. The neckline scooped but what she really loved was the way the shoulders had been cutout, betraying skin before the loose sleeves fell just past her elbows. She found her black flats and set them near the door with her purse before going into the kitchen.

  She’d set out what she wanted the night before and the chuck roast was nicely thawed. The large oval crock pot was pulled from the cabinet and readied with two cups of water, soup mix, chuck roast, carrots and potatoes before she put the lid in place and turned it on. The broccoli was frozen and poured into a large bowl with a plate on top, waiting beside the microwave. There, she thought, dinner for three.

  She felt her stomach jump.

  Three. Three of them. And the more she was with them, the more natural it was beginning to feel. They didn’t make her feel uncomfortable or out of place. So…what? The doubt was only there when she was alone and thinking too hard? Like that’s never been a problem before, she thought with a sigh.

  She grabbed up her purse, slipped into her shoes and went below, the comforting sound of the lock behind her the last thing she heard before stepping into a morning that promised to be another breezy early fall day. Already heat was rising with the bit of lingering fog that drifted over the water in the distance. She sighed and opened the front entrance to the daycare. It made her wish she could swim every day.

  But that wasn’t the least bit practical. Maybe someday she’d find a house really close to the water. She had the local agent watching in case any of the houses on her list came up for sale, but no luck.

  She had all the lights up, the register ready on the front desk and coffee perking before Tess and Marty came laughing through the front door.

  “Boss, you are the best,” Tess announced to the large entry way, heading straight in the direction her nose took her.

  “Good coffee…” Marty groaned and poured a cup, emptying the dishwasher as she sipped. “Mrs. Carter is disturbed ‘cause I wouldn’t take Hank from her in the parking lot.”

  “Always someone who wants to push the rules…and they’re always running late,” Danea recited with a chuckle. “Refer her to me or the sign on the front window.”

  “Wow, boss…looking hot today,” Kelly came through the door and went straight to her post at the front desk, winking at the quiet looks from the other two. “Must be that hunk of a sheriff…”

  “I don’t know…the brains on the prof are really…really sexy,” Marty commented, opening all the doors to the play rooms and making sure things were ready.

  “Terry says he was in the ER last night,” Tess commented as she worked at powering up the little computers and TV.

  “Who?” Danea snapped up at the comment, the look on Noah’s face as he left still in her mind. “Who was in the ER?”

  “Uh-oh…” Tess gulped some coffee and went to take an incoming child. “Hi, Tommy…” she waited while the dad signed the little boy in before taking him to the side room to play.

  “Tess!” Danea accepted the six month old against her, watching her mother sign her in before gently kissing her and leaving the center. “Talk to me,” she said, carefully keeping her voice level.

  “My cousin was working the ER last night,” Tess said with a slight wince flexing her young face.

  “I heard there was a big fight at Tully’s last night,” Marty looked at her younger boss with concern. “Some fishermen and a few loggers from up the coast.”

  “Noah was called in about nine,” Danea said quietly, handing off the baby to Tess and pulling a smile to her lips when the door opened. The first hour was always non-stop deliveries with little talking for the most part. The parents busy on their phones or just plain tired looking. Wednesday morning continued on steady for thirty minutes before Tess came out from the small child room. She’d left Debbie with the kids.

  “Yancy said the sheriff had a few bruises and they’d made him go in ‘cause the EMT guys thought he might have a broken rib, but it ended up just being bruised,” Tess pushed the words out and let them all run almost in a long stream. She watched Danea’s eyes get bigger and bigger. “But they’re okay.”

  “Them?” The word squeaked out and Danea gripped the edge of the counter.

  “Umm…the professor was there, too,” Tess winced at the expression on her boss’s face. “Sit down, Danea…please…”

  Marty brought a large bottle from the inner office filled with ice and water and thrust it into Danea’s hand. “Drink…and think…she said they’re okay.”

  Danea downed half the bottle and inhaled a deep breath. “They’re okay and I have a business to run,” she put the water on the back shelf and greeted the kids being escorted into the building.

  Somehow she managed to occupy herself until lunch before her mind went back to the comments about the fight. She made sure things were calm before wandering up the back stairs into her apartment, checked the food and went to the open window. Five minutes passed before Galileo landed on the perch she’d built on the window ledge.

  “Do you know about the fight last night?” Danea asked quietly. “Find me answers.” She said gravely, turning and going back to the daycare.

  She kept telling herself he was trained for law enforcement. He was doing his job and he was damned good at it. How and why Wade was there in the fight was a whole different story. When she wasn’t playing, she was pacing her office, arguing with herself about why she shouldn’t call and check on him like she was his mother.

  Oh, god. His mother. Did they have parents? What would they think of this…this…relationship? By the time it was five-forty-five, she was positive she’d imagined all the worst and Noah was lying in ICU with tubes in him and priests standing by.

  She’d slapped herself a few times when she climbed the stairs to her apartment. They could heal themselves. What was she worried about? She’d completely forgotten that part. So…that meant they were alright.

  They were fine, she repeated, filled a pitcher with water and ice and set it on the table. Okay, that was good. They could heal themselves, she repeated, pacing the floor.

  Not a sign of Galileo. No one was knocking on her door and it was six already. They’d always been there before now. Always? She grumbled to herself. The whole last two nights was the extent of her always, but still…

  The quiet, polite tapping on her door had her across the room faster than she thought possible, the doorknob cold beneath her fingers. She pulled it inward swiftly, almost banging herself in the head to get out of the way. Brown eyes that threatened to spill the m
oisture inside took in the two men on the other side before she flung herself in the center, an arm around each of their necks and her face buried in their shoulders.

  “I think she heard about the brawl,” Noah sighed tiredly, his arm out to circle her at the same time Wade’s came to the other side.

  They just held her for a long minute.

  “You’re okay,” she whispered.

  “We’re okay, Danea,” Wade agreed, gently untangling her and turning her toward the apartment. “We should have…”

  But that was as far as he got.

  Now that she was certain they were unhurt, that she could see, she rationalize, she spun on them furiously.

  “You should have called me!” She stabbed a finger out at them both, the ponytail at the back of her head swinging wildly as she paced.

  “I…” Noah started.

  “Did you think I wouldn’t know? That I wouldn’t hear? That everyone who came with a child and my staff wouldn’t be very keen to ask if you were all right? Because god knows, they’ve got friends in all the departments and businesses in the area from the EMT’s to the dishwashers at Tully’s!”

  “Danea…” Wade closed the door, his shoulders hitting the thick wood when she stabbed her finger into his chest.

  “And what the hell were you doing in a bar brawl? That’s his job! You…you…”

  “I stopped to help,” Wade said quickly, grabbing her wrist and giving it a quick pull, turning her at the same time and letting her fall back against him. He held her wrist down at her side, his other hand taking her other wrist the same way, holding her so she couldn’t move. “We’re alright, Danea,” he said against her throat, right above her ear. “Look at Noah. Shh…just look…”

  Danea felt Wade solidly behind her, his hands slowly bringing hers up and crossing them in front of her. She looked through the mist of tears at Noah, his head tipped patiently. His dark hair was tied neatly at his throat, like always; his t-shirt fitting over the broad shoulders and tucked into his jeans. There wasn’t a trace of a bruise or mark on him.

  “You’re alright,” she whispered, relief in each breath.

  “Baby…we were in a stupid fight,” Noah brought his hand up, fingers curled as they stroked over her cheek. “We just happened to get an EMT who didn’t know what type people he was dealing with. A shift and an hour and it was gone. The…damage…wasn’t anything serious. But I did snap you a photo of Wade with a black eye.”

  Danea heard the soft snort behind her but still couldn’t see as she worked to make the tears stop threatening and allowed them to fall. She turned her face into her shoulder and struggled to breathe.

  “I was on my way home and thought I could help. Our sheriff’s office is only so big,” Wade said against the side of her head, his arms tightening when her body shook. “And some logger got in a good punch.”

  She lifted her head and dragged in a shuddering breath. “Let me go.”

  Wade looked at Noah and slowly opened his arms, releasing her and watching as she crossed into the kitchen and found the paper towels. They moved more cautiously toward the dining area, noticing the table set and ready for dinner.

  “It smells delicious,” Noah said in the center of the silence.

  Danea put the broccoli into the microwave and tapped numbers.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t call,” Wade offered carefully. “I think we’re still feeling our way around in this and…it honestly never occurred to me that people would…”

  “We have been the center of talk the last few days,” she said quietly. “People watch for your cars in the parking lot. They watch from other businesses and the parents and grandparents who bring kids in, have opinions that aren’t always favorable. According to one, I have their business because I’m the only daycare in town who will take babies.”

  “Danea, we never meant to…” Wade wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. The insensitivity of residents? Now that wasn’t exactly a surprise. Most were shifters, some Fae and some just plain annoying. Regardless of the species, opinions varied and weren’t always accepting.

  “No,” she said abruptly, straightening her shoulders and pacing. “I don’t care about them. I don’t care about people with little minds. If the daycare flops, I’ll find something else. Most of my parents were quiet, but they smiled like they knew and I haven’t even done anything yet!” She threw her hands into the air and widened her pace into the dining area. “That’s not important. That part I mostly understand.”

  “Tell us what you don’t understand,” Noah shot the words out in between her breaths.

  “I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to feel. What am I allowed to think or feel? Is it okay if I worry? Is it alright if I call the office to check? Tess was ready to go flirt with guys in your office just for information,” she shook her head. “I don’t know the rules,” she declared in frustration. “I don’t know what I’m allowed to feel or…or if it’s alright. I don’t want to…I am not the possessive…I’m not sure I’d know the answers if it was just one of you, let alone two of you! I know you’re grownups. I know you’ve been taking care of yourself for a long time but…”

  “All of that is okay, Danea,” Wade stepped into the middle of the pace and took firm hold of her shoulders, lifting until she was on her toes. “Stop and look at us.” He waited until her eyes rose from the floor. “Alright?”

  “Not really,” she murmured but offered no protest when he lowered her. He walked her to the chair and pushed gently until she was sitting at the table.

  “Is this stuff done?” Noah opened the microwave, tested with the spoon lying on the counter and used the towel to carry the bowl to the table.

  “I can…”

  “No, you sit and breathe for a few minutes,” Noah said without looking. He scanned the kitchen, found mitts and opened the crock pot, releasing the fragrance and making both men’s stomachs growl in anticipation. “Just set this on the table?”

  “Yes. On the mat,” Danea closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t…I’m not usually as…crazy…as I must have come across. I’m usually much more stable and…and calm. You learn that when you work with children. They react to the crazy in a bad way…” she looked up to see them both watching her. They’d each taken a seat and were waiting, quietly watching her. “Sorry. You can eat. That’s why I cooked it.”

  “First, we don’t think you’re crazy,” Wade said quickly, using the large spoon to load his plate before reaching for the bright green broccoli. “It honestly just never occurred to me to give you a call and I’m sorry about that. Considering the attention we’ve drawn the last few days, it should have registered that you’d know what had happened last night and we should have reacted better.”

  “Where’s your phone, Danea?” Noah held out his palm, waiting for a chance at the large spoon. He looked up at Wade, the other man’s phone already pulled from a pocket and waiting. He tapped in the number Wade read out and slid it away. “Now you have both of our numbers and unrestricted access, okay? We goofed on this one. I’m sorry. We’re not perfect, babe.”

  “I’m okay now,” she said softly, holding the glass filled with iced water between both hands. Her head nodded slowly as she sipped. “I’m okay now.”

  “Is it alright to say I think you’re looking really nice this evening,” Wade said as he took a forkful of vegetables and meat dripping with deep brown gravy. “And dinner is delicious, thank you.”

  “Well, now that he’s already taken all my lines,” Noah was relieved to see a little smile forming on her face. “We really are alright, Danea. Don’t know why there were so many idiots in Tully’s last night or what even started the brawl,” he shook his head. “Our department is big enough normally when it’s off season. I’m just glad I haven’t released all the auxiliary deputies yet.”

  “Why were you there?” Danea looked at Wade, puzzled when he exchanged a look with Noah.

  Wade puffed up his cheeks and took a long d
rink of water. “After the hospital, we sat around trying to figure that one out. I was headed home.”

  “Danea, remember what your mother tried explaining about a triad being more of a circle than a triangle?” Noah spooned some broccoli onto his plate.

  “I understand that part,” Danea said patiently. “But we’re just friends.” She watched each of them raise an eyebrow and stare at her. It didn’t take long before her cheeks flamed red. “Okay…maybe a little more…”

  “The thing is…you’re the pivot point,” Wade said carefully. “Because of you, the bond between Noah and I has shifted slightly.”

  Noah groaned. “Prof, you’re going the wrong direction. Dani, it’s like we’re brothers. Whether you like your brother or not, you don’t let anyone else pound on them.”

  “You don’t like each other?”

  “This isn’t going right,” Noah continued eating, frowning as he wrestled with how to explain the dynamics. “We’ve been friends for almost five years.”

  “And now…because of me…” Danea cleared her throat and tried to sound casual and even cosmopolitan. “You’re…you and him…together?”

  “I…no.” Wade said firmly, glaring at Noah. “And you’re doing a better job explaining, how?”

  Danea sighed and spooned some carrots onto her plate, picking at them slowly as she ate. “You aren’t romantic with one another and are only interested in romance with me.” She watched relief flow into them both. “Okay. I got that part. But why did you feel compelled to get into a fight? That’s his job! You…you’re a teacher!”

  “Because it’s as if we’re bonded because of you,” Wade said in between bites. “Logically, I knew I could and should have kept going. Just go home and that’s it. But I couldn’t. It was as though I were being pulled there just because Noah was in the middle of the fray and needed help. I’ve heard the same thing occurs with litter mates or siblings.”