“Sorry, no deal.” She laid her hand on his arm. “But we’ll always be friends, right, Jake?” She swiped furiously at the tears that rolled freely down her cheeks. “Please promise me that.”
He nodded as he flipped the pages, signing his name ten times. When he was done, he met her gaze, his eyes moist, too. “I know we need to do this, but I’ll always love you, Dani. I’ve never had a better friend, and I’m afraid I might never have another like you again.” He cleared the huskiness from his throat. “So you can tell Michael he’d better get used to the fact that I’ll always be there for you and will always care about you, no matter what.”
God, he could be so sweet sometimes. But they both needed to move on. So she needed to pull herself together.
“Same here, Jake.” She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “And now that you’ve signed these, I feel obligated to tell you that Darlene, the dispatcher at your station, thinks you’re incredibly hot. She’s a nice woman, and you should give her a call.”
Boy, that hurt to tell him that, but she wanted Jake to be happy. She’d always known Darlene was attracted to Jake and used to laugh it off while she and Jake were married. She couldn’t blame the woman. Jake was damn cute.
He wiped his eyes and grinned. “How long have you known?”
“Awhile.”
“And you didn’t tell me until now . . . because?”
Sighing, she reached for his hand. “I wasn’t ready to let her have you quite yet.”
Dani was holding on to her sanity by a thread as she parked Michael’s car in front of Zoe’s house. Emma had bawled in the back seat, asking for her mother ever since their visit to the doctor for her DNA test, while Jerry the bodyguard trailed close behind. Worse, she was wired. Jerry had commanded her to wear a homing device along with an earpiece like the FBI used, so she could communicate with him as he followed her in his car. The guy was bossy and rude. And he wouldn’t even let her stop for some ice cream for Emma because it was a public place.
She lifted her wrist to her mouth. “I’m going inside to visit my friend. You are not invited.” Dani hopped out of the car to get Emma and nearly ran into Jerry. She lifted her chin and met his hard stare. He looked like Rocky, and of all the bodyguards she’d had over the years, he was the worst. The guy was a real hard-ass, and she was quickly growing tired of him. “What?” she asked as she broke their staring competition and leaned in to get Emma out of the car seat before Dani’s eardrums practically ruptured from the crying.
He crossed his massive arms. “You need an attitude adjustment, lady. I’m in charge of your safety, and your mother’s paying me. Not you. You don’t give the commands. I do!”
Dani thrust Emma into his arms and leaned back inside for Wilbur and the diaper bag. “Fine. Do what you like but hurry up about it.” She didn’t give him a chance to argue and stormed to Zoe’s front door.
As if she were a ticking time bomb, Jerry held Emma as far away from his body as he could manage. She couldn’t blame him. Emma wasn’t smelling so good.
When Zoe opened the door, Jerry thrust Emma at her. Then he sneered at Dani. “I’ll secure the perimeter. Don’t leave the house without informing me.” He turned and beat a fast retreat.
“A bodyguard? This is just like old times, huh, Dan?” Zoe laughed as she tucked Emma against her hip. “Come on in. I was just about to feed Lindsey some lunch. My other two monsters are in school.”
Zoe wiped Emma’s tears with a Kleenex that appeared out of nowhere. “This must be the gorgeous Miss Emma I’ve heard all about. What’s the matter? Has the mean old Dani forgotten to feed you today? I’ll bet you’d like to meet Lindsey and have some mac and cheese, wouldn’t you?”
When Emma sniffed pathetically and nodded, Dani wanted to pull her own hair out by the roots. “I didn’t forget to feed her today. We had snack cakes for breakfast.” Suddenly, she felt a little foolish.
Zoe glanced over her shoulder, staring at Dani with a very Annalisa-like expression. “Emma’s diaper needs to be changed, too.”
“That just happened a few blocks away.” Dani caught up with Zoe and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “Because you’re my very best friend, I was hoping you’d want to give me a break and offer to change her. She’s never had a diaper smell quite so . . . pungent before. I figured you must be immune to that by now, and I’m afraid I might pass out.”
“Maybe you should rethink what you feed her for breakfast,” Zoe said, but took mercy on her and carried Emma into Lindsey’s bedroom. In the time it took an Indy race car team to change a tire, Zoe strode into the kitchen and plopped Emma into a high chair right alongside Lindsey’s. “There. All better now.”
Dani sank into a chair in the cozy nook and waited while Zoe washed her hands, doled out globs of mac and cheese into two bowls, and placed them in front of the kids.
Zoe wore her usual uniform when painting, of ripped jeans and an old football jersey splattered with twenty-five different hues of paint. The temperature had dropped a bit now that October had finally arrived, so Zoe actually had a pair of sneakers on, but without socks. Her feet were usually bare from March to the end of September. She used to say it was because she spent half her childhood in a nudist colony while growing up with her hippie parents.
As scraggly as Zoe’s clothes were, her beauty still shone through. Zoe’s long, jet-black hair framed a face with fierce cheekbones and a wide mouth with full lips most women could only achieve with injections. She was half-Cherokee, half-Hispanic and was the most exotic-looking person Dani had ever met. Men stopped and stared at her when she walked down the street. And what she took most pride in wasn’t her appearance, her successful painting career, or even her solid marriage, but being a mother. That was something Dani could never picture for herself.
Zoe secured the bibs in place, then beamed her perfect smile at the girls. “Okay, ladies, dig in.”
Emma squealed with delight as both girls, ignoring their rubberized forks, ate with their hands. After about thirty seconds their faces were covered in yellow slime.
Dani sighed, enjoying her few moments of peace without any kid responsibilities, before Zoe joined her holding two plates with turkey sandwiches and chips.
Dani took a bite and grinned. “You know what? You’re incredible. I never knew how much work a kid could be, and you have three.”
“You just aren’t trained.” Zoe waved a hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.”
Zoe took a bite of her sandwich, then took a swig of iced tea that Dani hadn’t even seen her put in front of them. “Now, after your earlier call, I’m still a little confused. So what else is wrong, other than the fact that you’ve got a very big handprint bruise on your face, you’re stuck with someone else’s kid, and a crazy guy is after you, which probably explains the bodyguard?”
“Jake finally signed the divorce papers, and I kissed Michael. Three times.”
Zoe laid her sandwich down and leaned closer. “I’m sorry about Jake, but you both know it needed to be done. And which Michael did you kiss?”
Before Dani could answer, the girls threw their bowls and forks on the floor, laughing like loons. “Hold that thought.” Zoe rose to clean up the mess.
After the girls were tucked away in the nearby playroom, she sat across from Dani again. “Okay, now which Michael are we talking about?”
Dani pushed the plate that held her half-eaten sandwich away and whispered, “Michael Reilly.”
Zoe’s brows jumped to life. “That Michael? He’s not married anymore?”
“No, he and Heather got a divorce about a year and a half ago.”
Zoe’s grin grew mischievous. “Then I’m guessing your celibate streak is about to end. We both know you have trouble saying no to Michael.”
“Tell me about it.” She laid her head on the table and moaned. “He’s not the one with the scar from my dream, and yet I really want to sleep with him. I’ve turned into a slut.”
Chuckling, Zoe ran a soothing hand down Dani’s back. “I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but technically speaking, any thirty-year-old woman who has only slept with three men in her entire life and is contemplating sleeping with the first one again can’t qualify for slut status. Sleeping with Michael won’t even increase the number of men you’ve been with. I think you’ll have to settle for the title of ‘Horny Woman.’”
Dani snorted out a laugh. “God, that’s pathetic. It’s only been three and a half weeks. I should be stronger than this.”
“Oh, stop.” Zoe stood and cleared their dishes away. “You know you’ve always liked Michael even when you were insulting him. Especially then, because he’s one of the few people who truly challenges you. Michael’s smart, nice, and damn good-looking. If I weren’t married and still madly in love with Will, I’d jump his bones in a heartbeat. Just sleep with him, Dani, and enjoy it.”
Dani’s heart warmed as her lips tilted into a grin. Zoe always got to the root of the matter, cutting through the flack, making her feel better. “He’s really annoyed with me at the moment, which is nothing new, so I don’t think the sleeping together is imminent. Just inevitable.”
Lindsey ran into the room and tugged on Zoe’s shirt. “Wan appa juu, peezz.”
“Okay, but you need to have it in sippy cups so we don’t have any spills in the playroom.”
Dani quickly sat up. “Wait. You understood that? That sounds just like the noise that comes out of Emma’s mouth.”
Zoe handed Lindsey two cups of apple juice with goofy lids on top, and she ran back to the playroom. “Again, you’re just not trained.”
“I wish Em was old enough to talk properly. I need some clues to find her mother so I can give her back. And what’s weird is, when I touch Em, I don’t get any visions, or even colors in my mind. Everyone I touch has a color.” Dani explained the whole Ron situation.
“Maybe kids have to be a certain age before the wacky Botelli women can do their thing?” Zoe frowned and sat beside Dani again. “I’ll bet your grandmother could talk to Em. You said just last week that you’d been meaning to go see her. Here’s your excuse.”
Maybe it was time to visit her grandmother in Taos. She could go the next day and be out of town when the crazy, scary Carlos person was released from jail. Her grandmother could sort through Emma’s limited vocabulary to see if it held any clues, then maybe she could track down Julia’s mother. She’d have to call Jake and see if he’d found out if her grandmother knew Emma’s grandmother.
She felt better now that she had a plan. One that kept her out of Carlos’s reach.
Dani hopped up from her seat. “Thanks for lunch. I have to go.” She wrapped her friend up in a tight hug. “Call you later.”
When she headed for the door, Zoe called out, “Dan? Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What?”
“Emma?”
“Oh yeah. Man, I really suck at this.” Dani walked toward the playroom, where Emma and Lindsey were having a tea party with colorful rag dolls. Their game was so sweet that Dani leaned against the doorjamb to enjoy it. For just a bit.
After watching them for a few moments, she called out, “Hey, Em? Want to hit the road?”
Emma’s little blue eyes turned toward Dani’s, and then she waved at her new friend. “Bye-bye. Go Daaaani.” Emma picked up the rabbit and tucked it under her pudgy little arm. When she grinned and held out her free hand, Dani took it and led her toward the front door where Emma’s diaper bag lay. She smiled at the absolute trust Emma had in her. If the poor kid only knew she’d been stuck with the absolute worst babysitter on earth.
Michael threw his briefcase in the direction of his desk, then picked up the phone to dial Dani’s number. He needed to tell her about the new problem with her car. He wasn’t looking forward to her reaction.
As the phone rang in his ear, he glanced at his mother, who sat across from him. He’d reconsidered and told her about Emma. Just in case his mom got cold feet and needed another reason to go through with the divorce from Ron. The good thing was she’d taken it like the trooper she’d always been. Then for some unknown reason, he’d spilled his guts about his confusing feelings for Dani. He’d left out the part about finding Jake at her house that morning, though.
He’d hoped his mother would talk some sense into him, but she only laughed and said it was about time he’d figured out how much he still cared for her.
What the hell was wrong with him? That Dani had lied about Jake spending the night meant he should bury the feelings he still had for her. And he really shouldn’t be discussing them with his mother.
He hated that it felt as if his life was spinning out of control again. Like when his world had been turned upside down after his father’s death, after Dani had suddenly abandoned their friendship, after the accident that ended his NFL career, and then by his divorce. Dani would surely have something to do with the next disaster in his life.
Worse, he and Dani were supposed to look at houses later. And the thought of seeing her again was already heating his blood.
When Dani answered her phone, she saved the niceties. “Are we still on for four o’clock?”
How should he break the bad news? Direct was probably best. “Yes, but your car threw a rod this morning about three blocks from the courthouse. I had it towed to a garage.”
“Oh.” Dani hesitated for a moment. “And?”
“The guy said the engine was a total loss. I’m not sure we can save it from the junkyard this time.”
He expected her to scream and throw a fit, but she only sighed.
“I always hated that car. Maybe I can sell it for scraps. Where are you? Do you need a ride?”
She was being calm and reasonable after learning news like that? Had he been transported to a parallel universe? One where Dani had finally grown up? “I’m at my office. My mom gave me a ride.”
“Oh good, is she still there? Why don’t I pick you guys up? If she’s going to be living with you, she may as well have a say in the house you choose.” Then she quickly added, “Wait. She doesn’t know about Emma. That might not be such a good idea.”
“She knows. I told her.” Michael slumped back into his chair, rubbing at the pain radiating behind his forehead. “What about Carlos? Maybe we should hold off looking for houses until that’s all settled.”
“No worries. Jake is on it. Carlos is still locked down. And to be extra safe, per my mother’s requirements, I now have Jerry the bodyguard tailing me. He’ll kill anyone dead who tries to hurt us. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” His phone went silent.
He met his mother’s amused gaze. “Do you want to look at houses with us this afternoon?”
His mom picked up her purse. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, honey.”
Chapter Seven
Dani pulled up in front of Ron’s swanky office building, where Maeve and Michael stood at the curb waiting for her. Her ear still hurt from the dressing down she’d just received from Jerry for not using her blinker at a four-way stop. She’d been the only car in the intersection, for goodness’ sake. The man needed to take a chill pill.
She hit a few buttons, finally finding the right one, and the window whirred down. “Hi, you guys, hop in.”
Michael yanked open the door. “I’ll drive. You can ride in the back.” Then he glanced at Maeve. “Mom, why don’t you take shotgun?”
Dani gave him a testy shrug, then slipped into the back seat next to Emma. He was obviously still angry with her.
Her bodyguard’s voice shouted in her earpiece, “I’m glad you let him take over. You drive like shit!”
To show Jerry what she thought of his opinion, she lifted her hand behind Emma’s car seat and flipped him off.
“Oh jeez, now you’ve gone and hurt my feelings.”
“Butthead,” Dani muttered before she gave Michael directions. After he pulled away from the curb, silence enveloped the car.
&n
bsp; Emma must’ve felt the tension and, trying to be helpful, took the opportunity to show off the new word she’d learned that morning. With a big grin, she proclaimed, “Shit!” clear as a bell.
The look on Emma’s face was so hopeful. It was as if she’d just learned a new color, and it took all Dani could do to curtail the laugh that bubbled inside of her. That is, until she noticed Michael’s emerald-green eyes staring at her in the rearview mirror.
She smiled at his reflection. “That was your fault, you know.”
“You’re the one who used profanity in front of a child. Not me.” Michael shifted his focus back to the road.
“Yeah, but I knew you’d jump to the wrong conclusion. You’re just so . . .”—she glanced in Emma’s direction, censoring her words—“tightly wound when it comes to Jake. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for what happened.”
“Can we do this later?” Michael said with a sigh. “I don’t think my mother is interested in hearing about how you spent your morning.”
Maeve grinned. “On the contrary, Michael. This is fascinating.”
He sent his mom a sideways glance that included a heavy-duty scowl. “So what conclusion was I supposed to draw when I saw Jake strolling around in nothing but a towel?”
“That he’d just had a shower?” Dani replied and crossed her arms.
He met her gaze again in the mirror. “Alone?”
“Yes, alone. I was busy feeding Emma her nutritious breakfast, remember?”
“You kissed him,” Michael snapped back, “and in my world, it’s only proper to kiss one person at a time.”
“Wait a minute. You kissed me last night, remember?”
His eyes narrowed in the mirror.
“Okay, I definitely participated in our kiss, but I didn’t kiss Jake yesterday.” Then she remembered she had. More than once, but all on the cheek. “Oh, wait. I guess I did. But those kisses weren’t like ours. They were just . . .” How was she going to get out of the hole she was digging herself deeper into?
Seeing Double (A Heartbreaker Novel Book 1) Page 11
