Waiting for Forever (Hope Valley Book 8)

by Jessica Prince

  “You created a new recipe for Macie?”

  “Well . . .” She looked around the kitchen nervously. “Yeah.”

  “You created a recipe for my baby girl,” I semi-repeated, letting that heat in my chest spread throughout the rest of my body.

  “The ingredients aren’t that complicated, and she’s got the chops for it. I think—”

  “Do you have any clue how amazing you are?”

  Her lips parted in surprise as her gray eyes filled with something that was all Danika, sweet and warm and packed with emotion. “Leo.”

  I grabbed hold of her again, locking my fingers at the small of her back. She wasn’t very tall, about average height for a woman, but she fit me perfectly, like she was made to be right here in my arms.

  “What’s your schedule look like for tomorrow?”

  “I—what?”

  “Tomorrow. Are you working the kitchen or the front?”

  “Um . . .” she looked up and to the side like she was flipping through her mental calendar. “Kitchen. Why?”

  “Good, so you’ll get off at four. Means you’ll have time to get ready so I can take you out.”

  It was her turn to lock tight. “W-what do you mean? Like, on a date?”

  “Exactly like a date,” I murmured, bending my head to get close and inhale more of that vanilla and sugar scent. “I’m takin’ you to dinner. Tomorrow night.”

  “But I thought . . .”

  I knew what she thought, and it made me feel like an asshole. “Been together almost a month, darlin’. And it’s been nothin’ but great this whole time. I think it’s time to start discussin’ where this is going, don’t you?”

  “Honey,” she whispered, bracing her hands on my chest. “I really like hearing that, but are you sure? What if someone sees us?”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it. But I want us to talk tomorrow night and see if, together, we can think of a good way to tell the kids you’re a part of my life in a bigger way than they already think you are.”

  She hesitated for a second, but then her lips split into a blinding smile. “Yeah. Okay. Definitely. So, where are you taking me?”

  I chuckled and pulled her up, speaking against her lips as I answered, “That’s a surprise. All you need to do is be ready when I pick you up.” I gave her a hard press of the lips before taking a step back and turning for the door.

  “Wait. You can’t just say something like that and leave. I need to know so I can plan the right outfit.”

  I pushed open the door, but didn’t step through, stopping to look over my shoulder. “You got another dress like the one that had me fightin’ a constant hard-on when I picked you up from Whiskey Dolls, then you’re set.”

  She let out a little squeak. “So you’re taking me somewhere fancy?”

  I shot her a wink. “Have a good night, sweetness. I’ll see you tomorrow. Seven o’clock.”

  Then I left with the sound of her excited squeal in my ears and a smile on my face.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Leo

  “What do you have goin’ on tonight?” I shifted my attention from the report I’d been filling out and looked across my desk at Micah. He was kicked back in his seat, booted feet propped on the edge of his desk, his fingers locked and resting on his gut. “I don’t know about you, but I’m in the mood to hit The Tap Room, have a couple beers, maybe find some company for the night.”

  I shook my head good naturedly as he waggled his eyebrows. “You’re on your own, brother. I’ve got some shit I gotta take care of.”

  Specifically, I had to go home and change, then go pick up Danika for our date. We were still keeping things under wraps—for now—but there was a steakhouse a couple towns over in Hidalgo called The Groves that was the shit. The food was so damn good, and the atmosphere so cool, there was hardly any chance of getting in without a reservation unless you wanted to wait an hour or longer for a table. Plus there was the added benefit that the place was swanky as hell, so I’d get to see Danika all done up, sitting across from me.

  Micah sat up straight, dropping his feet to the ground. “Christ, man. You’re fallin’ down on the job. What happened to bein’ my wingman?”

  “If you can’t get yourself laid without my help, I think you might have bigger problems than me droppin’ the ball.”

  He tossed a pen across our desks, aiming for my head. I managed to duck just as my cell began to ring. Sitting up straight, I laughed at my partner as I reached into my pocket and pulled it out, taking a look at the screen.

  “Hey son,” I answered. “How’s it goin’? Everything good?”

  “No, Dad. Everything’s not good. In fact, it’s pretty freakin’ shitty.”

  My back shot straight. I wasn’t one to let my kids’ attitude or language slide, but there was something in my son’s voice that I was more focused on. “What’s going on, Hardin? Talk to me.”

  “What’s going on is that, right now, Mom’s in her room, cryin’ her eyes out because you’re bangin’ Dani.”

  What the fuck?

  “Where did you hear that?”

  “From Mom,” Hardin shouted hysterically. “Not who I should’ve heard it from, that being you.”

  My skin tightened and my stomach dropped. “Okay, bud, I understand you’re upset—”

  “You don’t understand shit!” he hissed.

  “Watch it,” I snapped into the phone. “I know you’re upset, but you don’t talk to me like that. Ever. You understand?”

  “What I understand is that I’ve got a mom who’s heartbroken because the man she was married to, the man she had a family with, the man she’s still in love with, is hookin’ up with a coffee shop owner in the kitchen of her shop!”

  There were so many things wrong with that sentence. So many things I needed to handle, but at that moment, there was only one I could take care of.

  I shot to my feet, moving from the bullpen in the middle of the station down the hall to the interrogation rooms. The first was empty, so I went in and shut the door so I could have this conversation without prying eyes or ears. “She actually told you that?”

  “She heard it from her friend Misty who gets her hair done at Ms. Nona’s salon. Misty overheard Ms. Sage tellin’ Ms. Nona all about it today. Now it’s spreadin’ all through town!”

  Jesus fucking Christ.

  “Not what I asked you, son. I asked if your mom was the one to tell you all of that.”

  Hardin went silent for several seconds—basically giving me the answer—before speaking again. “Yeah. She told me.”

  “All right. I’m gonna say somethin’, and I’m only gonna say it once. Your mom tellin’ you that shit was not right.”

  “But—”

  “No, you said your piece, now you’re gonna listen.” I began pacing the length of the room. “I haven’t said a word to you about what went down ’cause she’s your mom, and I didn’t want to speak ill of her. It wouldn’t be right to do that to you and your sister. You’re only fifteen, and it’s not your place to have to carry this shit. It’s also not your business. I’ve tried to protect you from the ugly stuff. Your mother, on the other hand, hasn’t. The things she’s told you go so far beyond inappropriate it’s not even funny. It isn’t your job to be the shoulder she leans on. It isn’t your job to try and make her happy. It’s your job to be a kid. I’ve dealt with you throwin’ attitude for a year now because I didn’t want to make this any harder on you than it already is, but she’s put me in a position that, now, I have to lay it out for you.”

  “Dad—”

  I talked over him. “First, and I can’t believe I have to say this because you know, but that was not a happy marriage. I stuck it out as long as I did for you and your sister. I didn’t want to tear our family apart, but I reached a point where I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t stand being that unhappy, and I wanted to give you kids a shot at somethin’ better. That better being two parents who don’t live
under the same roof because all they do is fight. I tried shieldin’ you from that as well, and it kills me to say this, but I know I failed in that, and you saw more of the ugly than I’d ever wanted you to see. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I made it because I didn’t want you and your sister growin’ up, thinkin’ that was what all relationships looked like and that you should expect to be treated the same by whoever you end up with. They don’t and you shouldn’t. Not ever. What your mom and I had was unhealthy, and I couldn’t sit by any longer, knowin’ I was teachin’ you something that was wrong.

  “Second, under no circumstances is it okay for your mom to lay that shit on you about wantin’ her family back and still bein’ in love with me. I’ll repeat; that is not on your shoulders to carry, and she shouldn’t have dumped it on you. If she had something to say, she needed to say it to me. Not you. But so you have the whole truth, your mom and I are done in a way that, if it doesn’t involve you kids, there’s nothing for us to talk about. And that’s not me bein’ a dick. That’s me putting boundaries up because she’s given me no other choice. We aren’t getting back together, son. I’m sorry if you don’t want to hear that, but it’s the truth. I’m your dad, but I’m also a person, and I have the right to be happy. If I’m not, I’m doin’ a disservice to you and your sister, because you aren’t getting your old man at the level you deserve.

  “And last, your mother had no right to tell you about any intimate details regarding my private life.”

  “No, you’re right. You should’ve told me about Dani,” he snapped.

  “And I would have,” I threw back. “When I felt it was going somewhere that you and your sister needed to know. I wasn’t tryin’ to keep secrets from you, Hardin. I made the decision not to say anything until I knew Danika and I were made for the long haul because I didn’t want to introduce a person into your life on a permanent basis until I knew for sure it was going to work out. That’s what parents do.

  “Now, I love you, bud. You’ll always have that from me, but this conversation is over. Not only because I’m at work, but also because you’re fifteen and this is not on you to handle.”

  “Yeah, Dad,” Hardin spit through the line, his anger still as strong as when the call first started. “Whatever. You do what you’re gonna do, and I’ll just deal with the crap that falls on me like always.”

  Then he hung up.

  It took me several minutes to calm myself down enough to walk out of the interrogation room, and I still wasn’t completely settled by then.

  “Everything good?” Micah asked hesitantly when I came back into the bullpen and sat behind my desk.

  “No, man. Everything’s not fuckin’ good. And before you ask, I don’t wanna talk about it.”

  His features were a mask of concern, but I knew he’d accept my answer and not push. “Well, all right then. You do your thing, and if you change your mind, I’ll be right here.”

  Danika

  I had thirty minutes before Leo showed up to take me on our first official date date, and I was so nervous my hands were shaking, making applying my makeup difficult. I’d managed foundation, blush, a bit of contouring, and some powder, but if I didn’t get these trembles under control, doing my eyes was going to be a problem.

  I stood tall and pulled in a deep breath while shaking my hands out. “You need to relax, Dani” I told my reflection. “This is Leo. You guys have been secretly seeing each other for a month. You’ve already slept with him, for crying out loud. A lot! You’ve got this. It’s just another night.”

  But it wasn’t just another night. Not really. Tonight was potentially the start of something big. We both knew we got along great and loved spending time together, we knew we were combustible in bed and laughed more than we had in years when we were together, but it felt like this date was going to be a big factor in whether or not what we were building had solid legs. If that was the case, it was only a matter of time before Leo told his kids about us.

  And that was major.

  I already knew I was more than half in love with this man. Hell, I’d been crazy about him since I was a kid, and I wanted so desperately for tonight to go well.

  That was why I’d given myself two hours to prepare. I wanted to knock him out the minute I opened that door, so I’d taken an extra-long shower, making sure to shave, exfoliate, and moisturize every single inch of my body.

  I then went to work on my hair. The locks had given me hell through adolescence right up until my early twenties when I finally figured out how to tame them. It didn’t know if it wanted to be curly, wavy, or straight, so it went with all three on different sections of my head, but it was all frizzy, meaning letting it air dry naturally with no product produced something that looked like I was a deranged mental patient who had escaped the hospital and had been sleeping under a bridge for weeks. Now I had a whole slew of stuff I used daily to keep it smooth, shiny, and manageable.

  After a quick towel dry, I pumped a couple squirts of macadamia oil into my hand and mixed it with a couple drops of blow dry lotion before running my fingers through my hair to coat the strands. Then I blow-dried it out smooth, using a huge round brush to give it some bounce. Once I was done with that, I hit it with heat protecting spray that made my tresses super shiny and silky, and twisted sections into pretty waves with my curling iron.

  My hair was flawless so I needed my makeup to be on point.

  Halfway through my attempt at a smoky eye, there was a knock on my door. Cinching the belt on my short, jersey-knit robe tight, I started out of my bathroom. A huge smile tugged at my lips and my heart did a little flutter when I lifted up on my toes and looked out the peep-hole.

  I quickly disengaged the lock and whipped the door open with a soft “Hey,” as I looked up at Leo in all his sexy glory. I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of looking at this man. “You’re early. I’m not done yet, but I can move a little faster. If you want—”

  “We need to talk,” he said in a flat, emotionless voice that made me pause. I took him in fully for the first time since opening the door and realized that his face was like thunder. His olive-colored eyes were dull, devoid of their usual light and smile, his lips were pressed into a thin line, and his jaw was like stone. Something was very wrong.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked, taking a step back so he could enter. I expected him to move to the living room and take a seat or head to the kitchen to grab a beer, so I didn’t know how to handle it when he remained in the entryway, his feet shoulder width apart and his arms crossed over his chest.

  “No, it’s not. This won’t take long, but I wanted to tell you in person, our date is off.”

  My stomach clenched with worry as I took a step closer. “Did something happen at work? Is it another case?”

  “No, it’s not that. I mean it’s off for good. This thing”—he waved a finger in the air between us—“it’s done.”

  “I-I don’t understand. Did something happen?”

  “You could say that,” he replied, the words slipping menacingly through gritted teeth. “Got a call from Hardin earlier. He was understandably upset after findin’ out from his mom that you and I have been seein’ each other in secret.”

  Oh God.

  My chin jerked back into my neck. “But . . . how?”

  “I don’t know, Dani. You tell me.”

  Something altogether unpleasant slithered across my skin just then. Not once in all these weeks had I been Dani to him. I was Danika. A unique and beautiful name for a unique and beautiful woman, he’d said. Or I was sweetness. But something had happened to make him take that away. Now I was just plain old Dani to him like I was to everyone else.

  “I . . . I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Leo. I haven’t said—”

  “Sure you haven’t,” he hissed, dropping his hands to his trim hips and leaning forward accusingly. “Then explain to me how the fuck your girls knew about our little make out in the kitchen at Muffin Top last night.”

/>   “What?”

  “One of Whitney’s bitch friends overheard Sage talkin’ to Nona, tellin’ her about it. So explain to me, if you didn’t say anything, how the fuck did she know details, huh?”

  “I-I don’t know,” I cried, throwing my arms out. “Honest to God, Leo.”

  “I asked you to keep this quiet. I’ve been bustin’ my ass for a year to get my boy back. I was fuckin’ finally getting in there. Now he thinks I’ve been lyin’ and deceivin’ him this whole time.”

  My eyes began to burn, and I had to blink rapidly to keep the tears at bay. “I know. That’s why I’d never—”

  “But you had to go tell your girls. A crew known for not bein’ able to keep their mouths shut. Now my boy’s hurting and there isn’t a goddamn thing I can do to make it better.”

  “Leo, please.” I stepped closer and lifted my hands to place them on his chest reassuringly, but before I could, he dropped his arms and stepped back. Away from my touch. That killed. “If you’d just let me—”

  “There’s nothin’ you have to say that I want hear. I could’ve led them to this knowledge gently. I was preparing to do just that. I just needed a little more time. I could’ve told them about me and you in a way that wouldn’t have hurt them, but you had to run your mouth. What? Are your deep-seeded issues about being a nerd in high school so damn bad, you had to go tell everyone you finally hooked up with the quarterback of the football team?”

  He might not have physically hit me just then, but that blow landed so true and so strong that I rocked back on my foot and the breath expelled from my lungs. “That’s not fair,” I whispered through the tightness in my throat. “That’s not fair, and it’s just plain mean.”

  He kept going, sticking the knife in deeper and twisting it for good measure. “I wanted to wait until I was sure what we had would stay good. Now I know it won’t, but that doesn’t even matter, ’cause everyone already fuckin’ knows.”

  “Leo, honey. Just listen—”