Then There Was You

by D L Lane

  Yes, her life was full. She had a beautiful family, a lovely home, and anything she could ever ask for, given by a man who’d gift-wrap the world for her if he could. But even with her handsome husband looking on from the crowd, and regardless of where they were, the entire universe seemed to fade away as she stared into Gage’s eyes.

  He was always able to do that, make everything around her disappear when he looked at her. And for a moment, however brief, he saw her. Then the mask came down, and he stared forward, the magic that couldn’t be one-sided, broken.

  He’d perfected that, too—the ability to shatter her heart, and like an idiot, she would fall right back into the same old loop, letting him.

  Getting her mind back on the celebration, Breckin and Mason were holding each other as they swayed to Alicia Key’s singing, “That’s When I Knew.” They looked at one another with abiding love and a sizzling heat so visible a blind man could have seen it.

  When Mason whispered something in Breck’s ear, then gently placed his lips on hers, Danica put her hand to her mouth, fighting back the happy tears.

  This was a long time coming, but the two of them were finally where they needed to be.

  “Danica?” Marcus called, striding to her with a drink in hand, which he offered, and she took. “I’m sorry, honey, but I have to head out to the hospital. Emergency heart surgery.”

  Her face fell. “Oh, no. We haven’t even danced yet.”

  Bending to place a kiss to her cheek, he said, “I’ll make it up to you later.”

  Brushing her fingertips down his lapel, she sighed. “You better.”

  Danica knew marrying a sought-after surgeon would have its challenges, like all the time he spent away, but lately, he was gone more than he was home.

  Marcus winked, and she couldn’t help it, she grinned. “Make sure to thank Dixie for taking care of the twins during this shindig, and have your Dad take you all home.”

  “I will,” she said, “but maybe we should start taking two cars to things since it seems we can’t do anything anymore without the interruption of the hospital calling.”

  A scowl formed on his brow. “I can’t help this, Danny, so don’t give me grief.”

  “I’m not trying to.”

  His whiskey-colored eyes sparked. “But yet, you are.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, not wanting to upset him.

  “It’s all right, just stop pouting, okay?” Marcus scrubbed his jaw with his fingers.

  She nodded and attempted to act like the thirty-seven-year-old grown up she was.

  “Thank you.” He placed a quick peck on her forehead. “Don’t wait up. I’ll be late with this one.”

  As he turned to go, she stopped him with a hand on his tense arm. “I love you.”

  He glanced back and smiled, then Marcus weaved his way into the sea of people, leaving her standing there alone—her prior good mood taking a nosedive.

  He didn’t even take the time to say, I love you, too.

  ~

  “You’re looking as handsome as ever, Gage,” Krystin Jennings Gunthery/Salinger, now Porter said, batting her feathery lashes.

  “Uh…thanks.” Gage lifted his glass of punch and took a sip.

  “Black is your color.” She laughed. “You should wear a tux more often.”

  “No real need for that,” he said, gaze darting around the gym, catching his waving mother. “If you will excuse me, Mom is summoning.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, it was great seeing you.”

  Krystin’s little sex-kitten voice might have been a draw to other men, but it made him itch like he had a bad case of the hives.

  “Yeah. Nice seeing you, too,” he lied, pushing back the urge to scratch his neck, leaving the maneater and making a beeline for freedom, only to stop when he saw Danny in a less populated corner of the gym.

  Since she was the maid of honor and he the best man, the two of them had walked arm and arm down the center aisle of the church. He had to admit; it was hard to keep his eyes off her.

  It still was.

  His gaze meandered over her in that light, blush-pink dress, fitted lace bodice, the long, chiffon skirt flowing but cut with a slit showing off her shapely leg—those sparkling, peep-toe spiked heels.

  Her dress was a little bit different than the other brides’ maids, making her stand out, however, her garment would have been eye-catching on any woman, he suspected. But on her, the formal attire showcased every single dangerous curve she possessed. And while she’d put on what his mother called a pashmina, covering up some, she was elegantly gorgeous.

  With a pinched brow, Gage knew something wasn’t right. Danica was the life of the party. A social butterfly. So, why is she by herself?

  “Hi, Chief Harrison, would you like a new drink?” Jake and Maggie’s oldest daughter, Alli, asked, always so polite.

  “Oh…” He glanced at the tumbler then at her. “No. I’m good. But would you mind getting rid of this for me?”

  “Happy to.” She snagged the empty glass with a smile.

  “And tell Berta those little bacon-wrapped hors d'oeuvres you served were fantastic.”

  Breckin and Mason had asked Berta, the owner of The Snack Shack for as long as he could remember, to cater their big event. And, of course, she’d jumped at the chance, closing down the restaurant for the day, bringing all her staff as servers.

  “Will do.”

  “Thanks, Alli,” he said, then started in a new direction.

  Keeping his attention on Danica, he wondered where her husband was, though the thought wasn’t anything new. Marcus had been at the wedding, but the last time he’d seen the two together was when Breckin threw Danny a baby shower months ago. Other than that, he was like a ghost. The man wasn’t even around when he and Mason went to visit her in the hospital after having twins, for cripes sake. Not to mention being a no-show at other family get-together’s Mase had invited him to, and all of the pre-wedding activities like the rehearsal dinner, and such.

  It seemed the hotshot surgeon was M.I.A. quite a bit, or at least it appeared that way to him.

  “Hey there,” he said, coming to her side. “What are you doing over here all by your lonesome?”

  “Feeling sorry for myself, I suppose.”

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  “Marcus was called away again.” She glanced up, sucker-punching him with those sad eyes. “But I should be used to it by now.”

  Gage wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to cheer her up. To pull her into his arms. He wanted… “I hear dancing is good for the soul. Do you want to?”

  “Dance?”

  “Yeah.”

  His gaze dropped to her lush lips as she gave him a slow, sleepy smile. “Really?”

  “Really.” He placed his palm on her lower back. “Come on.”

  “Danny-girl!”

  The familiar scratchy voice made him stiffen.

  “Don’t you look stunning this evening,” Matt said, stepping around them, his smarmy smile in place.

  Why had Breck and Mase invited him? Well, maybe they hadn’t specifically since the whole town had been extended a general invitation to the reception in the local paper.

  Danica didn’t give the perv a response, just stepped into Gage’s side.

  Curling a protective arm around her, he snarled, “Alderman Jordan.”

  “Chief Harrison,” the scumbag returned, then ogled Danny, licking his thin lips, proving he had a death wish.

  Reminding himself this was a celebration, he kept himself restrained. “Excuse us.” Gage took the object of the man’s desire with him.

  As if she’d been holding her breath, Danny’s body relaxed when they’d joined the others who were dancing. She looked up at him. “Thank you.”

  Pulling her into his chest, he bobbed his head, willing away the need to turn around, go back and give Jordan a beating he wouldn’t forget, though since the man used his position on the town council as a thorn in Gage’s side, he doub
ted Matt had forgotten the first one.

  Chapter Six

  Before

  Lights dim, balloons floating, music mixing into the chatter around him, Gage didn’t know why he’d come to the homecoming dance. It wasn’t as if he liked dancing or even had a date. Oh, he could have had one, he just didn’t want one. Well, he did, but—

  “Hey,” Phillip Granger greeted, striding up.

  “Hi.”

  Gage and Phillip bumped fists. “The game was a close one tonight, but we pulled it together in the end.”

  “Yeah, it was too close.”

  “Sorry you were benched. How are your ribs doing?”

  “Better. Another week, and I’ll be back on the field.”

  “I just don’t get it,” Phillip said, tweaking his stubbled chin between his fingers.

  With a frown, Gage asked, “Get what, man?”

  “J.J.,” he said, taking their conversation in an unexpected direction. “I asked her to this dance, and she said no, she didn’t ‘do’ the dancing thing, but there she is, over there with Danny.”

  Danny? That perked him up. “Where?”

  Phillip pointed.

  Gage looked in that direction. Breck and Mase were cuddling on the dance floor, Krystin was with Jerry the jerk, and…”

  There she is, looking like an angel in red.

  “Girls are complicated,” he said, keeping his attention locked on Danica Lorry as she talked animatedly with a group of friends.

  “Tell me about it. I’ve been trying to get Jill’s attention forever…”

  Phillip was still saying something, but Gage had stopped listening, focused on the guy in the corner who was staring at Danny in a way he didn’t like.

  “Gotta go,” he said abruptly, hearing Granger’s, “Uh, okay, dude.”

  His first thought was to go smash Matt’s face in, again, but doing that on school property would cost him, so he directed all his attention and energy into maintaining his temper and getting to Danica.

  “Excuse me.” Gage tapped her bare shoulder then smiled as she turned, glanced up at him with parted lips, eyes rounded in surprise.

  “Hi,” she finally said.

  “Would you like to dance?”

  She blinked, once, twice, three times. “You want to dance with me?”

  “I do.” When he gave her his grin, a pretty blush overtook her cheeks.

  “Go on, Danny,” Jillian encouraged.

  Gage extended his hand.

  Danica’s gaze went from it to his face, then carefully she slipped her smooth, warm palm into his, the slide of flesh against flesh feeling extraordinary to him. “I’d love to.”

  He curled his fingers around hers and led them out to the section of the gym used as the dance floor—Mason giving him a lift of head greeting, which he returned.

  The song changed, and the D.J. said, “Were going to slow it down with this one.”

  A second later, “How Do I Live Without You” by Trisha Yearwood started.

  “Ready?” he asked, pulling her supple body into him, hoping he didn’t step on her feet.

  “Yeah.” When her palm slipped up his arm, those long lashes lifted.

  Lost in the color of Danny’s eyes, they started swaying, so any worry he had about flubbing up faded away, thinking of nothing but her.

  Chapter Seven

  Was she floating on cloud nine? Oh yes. Yes, she was, but Danica figured she needed to put some distance between her and Gage. It was the right thing to do.

  When the third song came to an end, she said, “Thanks for getting me away from Matt and for dancing with me, but we should probably call it good.”

  Then the fourth song since they’d been on the dance floor started, and her heart twisted. It was the first song she’d ever danced to. Well, that wasn’t technically correct. Her mom enrolled her in dance classes when she was eight, but that was the first she’d ever danced to with a boy.

  “You can’t go yet.” Gage’s sandpaper-smooth voice strummed her like a physical touch. “This is our song.”

  As Trisha Yearwood sang the question, “How do I get through one night without you?” her shoulders relaxed, and she melted back into the warmth of Gage’s big body, a place she felt secure.

  His palm slipped along the curve of her back.

  “All right. One more dance,” Danica conceded, breathing in the scent of him, never sure what brand of cologne he wore—leather, freshwater, and hints of the summer sun, it hadn’t changed.

  ~

  “It’s that time,” The D.J. said. “Time to toast the bride and groom. Best Man. Maid of Honor, come on up.”

  Gage placed a claiming hand on Danica’s back. Though he didn’t have the right to lay claim, he had no intention of moving it as he directed their path to the microphone, then glanced down at her. “Would you like to go first?”

  “You go ahead,” she said in her sweet voice.

  One of Berta’s staff came over with a silver serving dish, two sparkling flutes of champagne on display, offering him a glass, then Danica, which they took.

  Stepping up to the mic, he smiled. “Hello, everyone. I’m not a public speaker, so I hope I don’t mess this up.”

  “You can do it. Just go for it!” someone, he thought Jake, yelled, a chuckle rolling through the crowd.

  “Right. Just go for it,” he said, then glanced down at Danny, who was smiling up at him encouragingly. “Well, Mason is like a brother to me, and so it follows Breckin is like a sister. Since back in the day, it has always been Mase and Breck. Breck and Mase. You couldn’t think of one without thinking of the other.”

  Gage shifted his attention to the glowing couple. “Growing up, I remember watching you two, thinking how extraordinary your connection was. How much you both loved each other, and I’ll admit, a part of me hoped I would one day find what you two shared. What you still share. You guys are an inspiration.”

  Mason grinned, and Breckin held her hand to her heart.

  “It took us all a while to get here, but tonight everything is exactly right. So, I guess what I’m saying is, I’m honored to be a part of this celebration with you. And I wish you both all the happiness in the world.”

  “Love you, brother!” Mason shouted.

  “Back at you,” Gage responded, then turned his attention to the crowd, lifting his flute. “Please join me in raising your glass to the happy couple!”

  Arms rose as a collective, “To the happy couple!” rang out, then he and Danica pinged their glasses together before they took a sip of the bubbly.

  “That was lovely,” Danny whispered as he moved aside so she could take the spotlight, knowing without a doubt, she would shine.

  C hapter Eight

  Before

  Chatting quietly with Mason, they sat in the second row of the large auditorium at the performing arts center with Breckin, Jillian, Danny’s grandparents who flew in from Colorado, and Mr. and Mrs. Lorry rounding up the entourage of supporters.

  “And now, for our first competitor in the singles jazz category, coming from our very own Vibe Studio here in Seattle, please welcome, Danica Dawn Lorry,” the announcer’s deep voice rang out from hidden speakers.

  The clapping echoed around him, then died down.

  Gage sat up when the lights on the stage dimmed some, taking on a blue hue, and the intro to, “I Put A Spell On You,” started.

  Then, there she was, hips swaying, foot in front of foot strutting down the middle of the stage—the blue/black sequined top she wore adhered to her like a second skin, sparkling.

  Wow!

  His eyes went wide when she put her hands into her lengthy hair, mussing it up in a sexy tussle with a look on her face that was nothing but pure seduction. She stopped walking, but her body never quit moving, her tight hip-hugging leggings thingy devoid of shine, but it was her bare midriff that snagged his laser-focus next.

  When Danny started circling her hips, as if she was spinning an invisible hula-hoop around her wai
st, Mr. Lorry cleared his throat. “Ahem…I’m not happy about this,” he complained in not quite a whisper.

  “Hush, Samuel,” Mrs. Lorry said, “watch our daughter shine.”

  Oh, and she did. Popping her chest, shaking her hips, going down into the splits, then rolling into a sitting position, knees up, palms on the floor behind her, body arched.

  Holy…

  Gage squirmed but didn’t pull his eyes from her as she shot a leg up in the air, put it down, then did some type of body wave up to her feet, undulating, then spun across the stage in a mix of ballet and modern dance moves that worked in rhythm with the sultry jazz song.

  He'd seen her dance before, having gone with Mase and Breck to some recitals, but what Danny was doing up there was a whole new level of remarkable.

  Then came a few wolf whistles when she shook her perfect booty, making him scowl—Mr. Lorry starting in again on his fatherly complaints, Danica’s mother smacking him in the arm and telling him to be quiet. He tuned them out. Fire could have consumed the building, and he wouldn’t have moved a muscle. Gage was mesmerized by Danica. She was a dichotomy, the innocence of a girl appearing to be a sensual goddess of a woman.

  ~

  Not sure when she’d last been so ecstatic, Danica gripped her first-place trophy and skipped her way to her smiling mother.

  “Ooo…” Mom held her arms out wide, allowing her to step into the embrace. “You were wonderful, baby-girl.”

  “So fantastic,” Breckin said, turning the hug into a three-way stretch of swaying joy.

  “Let me in there.” Her grandmother wiggled her way between them.

  “Me, too,” Jillian added, the hug expanding into a huddle. “You rocked it, sister!”

  Danica chuckled. “Thanks, you guys.”

  “I’m so proud of you,” Mom said, making her feel as if she could fly.

  When she stepped back, she noticed her father’s unhappy face as he took off his brown suit coat. “Daddy?”

  “I’m going to be talking to your dance instructor.” He stepped up and tossed the jacket over her shoulders, making sure he covered her up.