by Leah Atwood
Inside, they were escorted to a table in a corner, as he’d requested. He didn’t want any interference during dinner. Although Bryce got the majority of attention in public since he was the front man, Rob and the others were still approached often enough to use precautions.
“When are you leaving?” Dani asked a half hour later after their food arrived.
“There are obligations here from now until mid-November.” He cut off a piece of seared catfish. “Caroline arranged the schedule so I can go from Thanksgiving through New Year’s.”
“You’ll be in California for the holidays?” She didn’t lower her eyes quick enough for him to miss the flash of disappointment.
“Not all of them. Gram and I talked last night, and we made plans. If you’re okay with them of course.” Taking a bite, he sat back and enjoyed watching her wheels spins, trying to figure out what had been planned.
“How would I be okay with them if I don’t know?” A fork full of her collard greens entered a playful smile.
He took another bite and chewed slowly, noticing Dani inching toward the edge of her seat. “Gram offered me a spot at Thanksgiving dinner. Since taking I-10 instead of I-40 only adds a few hours to the trip, I couldn’t find any reason to turn down the invitation.”
A broad smile lit her face. “You’re coming to Oden Bridge for Thanksgiving?”
“I told you we’re going to find a way to make this work, long-distance or not.” If he had to move to Louisiana and only be in Tennessee as needed for the next year, he’d do that, too. Anything to be with her.
“I had my doubts, but not anymore. I would volunteer to move here and start a new restaurant if that’s what it took.” She pushed her plate away.
“You would do that for me?” The idea had occurred to him before, but he’d never given it credence.
“The words spilled out before I really thought about what I was saying.” She stared off in the distance then riveted her gaze on him. “But yes, if that’s what was needed. It would be hard leaving what I’ve always known, but Sophie did it for Bryce—I’m sure I could as well.”
How’d he get so lucky to find her? He took her hand and wove their fingers. “When we first met, I realized that any chance I’d have of being with you would require me being the one to move. You love your restaurant, and it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to forsake it. It’s easier for me to move, especially now that I’m leaving the band.”
“Wow.” She had several false starts of speaking again. “I can’t believe you thought about us that far back.”
“I did.”
Pink dotted her cheeks. “I did, too.”
He laughed and raised a doubtful brow. “You could have fooled me.”
“It’s true, even further back than you did, but in obscure terms.”
“Oh?” His curiosity was piqued.
“It must have been about seven years ago, right around the time you started playing with Bryce. For some reason or another, I called him and you answered his phone.”
Rubbing his chin, he tried to remember when that could have been. “What did I say?”
“You asked who I was and told me I had the voice of an angel.” Her cheeks twitched, no doubt amused at the pathetic line.
His jaw dropped. “I remember that. We exchanged a few comments, but before you could reply to the angel line, Bryce grabbed his phone from me. A few seconds later I heard him tell you, ‘that’s just Rob, you don’t want anything to do with him.’”
“That’s right.” Nodding her head she let out a laugh. “And to think, we could have been together years ago if Bryce hadn’t warned me away.”
“It’s a nice thought, but it never would have worked.” He’d been a different person then, incapable of caring, let alone loving. “I would have hurt you, and you would have hated me in the end.”
“You’re probably right. I was pretty naïve back in those days and would have fallen for any line you fed me.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
“Sad, but true. Over the next month, I must have replayed our brief conversation over a thousand times in my memory.” Mirth danced in her eyes. “I asked Bryce about you a few more times, but then I started dating someone and the fascination wore off.”
“Bryce must not remember or he never would have brought me within a mile of you.” The fight they’d had on tour relived itself. They’d put it behind them but on a bad day, the words still stung if he allowed them.
“But aren’t you glad he did?” Her lashes fluttered in demure flirtation.
“Very much so.” He gave her hand a final squeeze before releasing it.
Their waiter approached the table. “Are you finished with your plates?” They nodded yes, and the server removed them. “Can I return with the dessert tray?”
Rob didn’t care for any, but conferred with Dani in case she did. “No, thank you.”
“Do you ever eat sweets?” she asked after the waiter left.
“Rarely. I’ve always preferred savory.”
“Lucky,” she muttered. “I wouldn’t have to run so much if I could learn to control my sweet tooth.”
In his opinion, she was perfect, and would look so even if she gained a few pounds, but he’d learned early in his sister’s teen years never to refer to a woman’s weight, even in a positive manner. “I do have one weakness—peanut butter cookies. Give me a batch of them and I’ll have to be running alongside you.”
“I’ll make a note of that. Nothing else?”
“Not really, not even straight peanut butter. Mom would get frustrated packing my lunch when I was in elementary school and tell me I was the only child she knew who wouldn’t eat peanut butter and jelly.”
Dani laughed again. “You were a strange child.”
He gave a slight shrug. “A boy wants what a boy wants.”
The waiter returned and laid a narrow black bill-holder on the table. “Your check when you’re ready.”
Opening it, Rob scanned the paper for the total, took a card out of his wallet, and stuck it inside the plastic tab. Dani reached in her purse, pulling out several bills.
“Don’t even think about it.” Call him old-fashioned, but he was paying for their date.
She hesitated but put the money away. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” The check rested at the edge of the table, waiting for the waiter to return. “What next? Is there anything else you want to see?”
“I feel like a horrible guest for leaving Gram and Bryce all day. Would you mind if we go back there and spend the last of the evening with them?”
Why did she seem nervous all of a sudden?
“That’s fine with me. Do you want me to stay or did you want some time alone with them? You haven’t had much.” Maybe that was the problem.
“No, stay, please.” The quick response answered that question, but not the nervousness.
His eyebrows furrowed. “What’s wrong?”
“Silly girl stuff.” She wouldn’t look at him.
“Talk to me, Dani.”
Eventually she met his eyes again. “Sometimes when I get outside my comfort zone, I need to surround myself with familiar things to regroup.”
“And you’re outside of it now?” Fair enough, so was he.
“In the best way possible.” She grabbed hold of his arm. “This week, today, you, the kiss—every last bit of it was amazing, but my head is in a cloud. You probably think I’m talking crazy.”
“Not at all. Believe it or not, I understand completely.” He signed the final credit card slip the waiter had returned. “Let’s go. Maybe we’ll even catch Gracie before she goes to bed.”
Dani’s shoulders relaxed, and in turn, so did he.
FIVE A.M. CAME way too early for his liking on Friday morning. He hit the alarm, rolled out of bed and checked his phone, only to realize he must have hit snooze a few times already. 5:30. Go figure, the one time he’d slept late, he needed to be somewhere. Dani and Gram were leaving in a half
hour for their trip back to Oden Bridge. If he left now, he’d barely make it on time, though he knew Dani wouldn’t leave without saying bye.
He rushed through getting dressed, putting on the first pair of jeans and shirt he found, didn’t bother with socks, and pulled on a pair of work boots that he barely took the time to tie. So much for a final impression. He ran a toothbrush over his teeth and did a quick gargle with mouthwash.
There wasn’t time for coffee, so he’d have to do without. He grabbed his keys and wallet, then ran down to the Jeep. While backing out of his spot, he caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror. It wasn’t a pretty sight. He rubbed his eyes. Man, he hoped Bryce had some coffee going. Starting the morning this early without it should be illegal.
When he pulled in the driveway, the clock flashed 6:07. Not too bad for how late he’d overslept. He got out of his vehicle at the same time Bryce came out the front door, carrying a suitcase.
Bryce took one look at him and laughed. “Dude, what happened? You look terrible.”
“Overslept. Rushed to get here.” Caffeine. Now.
“This is the last of their bags,” Bryce said, closing the rear door of Dani’s Explorer. “I’ll tell Dani you’re here.”
He was glad they’d have privacy to say their goodbyes. While he waited, he looked at his reflection in the car window and finger-combed his hair, salvaging what he could of his ragged appearance.
Dani walked out, carrying a mug of coffee with waves of steam flowing upward. She handed it to him. “Bryce said you needed this.”
“Thanks.” He took a sip, not caring that it burned. “He was right.”
“You’re adorable.” She brushed a hair from his forehead.
“You’re lying, but that’s okay.” Another drink and his brain began to function. Or maybe it was being around Dani that had that effect. “I’m sorry I look a wreck. I didn’t want to make you leave late.”
“We would have waited.” She hitched her shoulders, shrugging it off. “But I like this side of you. It’s cute, unencumbered.”
He set the half-empty cup of coffee down on the hood and held out his arms. Dani came into them, and he held her in a loose embrace.
“I couldn’t sleep last night, dreading this moment.” Her bottom lip quivered, and he placed a finger on it.
“It won’t always be like this, I promise.” He swallowed, realizing he’d underestimated how difficult this morning would be. “Thanksgiving isn’t so very far away.”
“You’re right.” She put on a brave face, but it wasn’t a very effective disguise. “This week together was unexpected anyway so I’ll just be thankful for it.”
Moving a hand to cup her chin, he let a thumb caress her cheek. “That’s my girl.”
“I should go in and get Gram,” she said but didn’t move.
“One more minute.” He lowered his head and kissed her. Pulling back, they stared at each other, inches apart, until he found the strength to say goodbye.
After he’d said farewell to Gram, he watched them load into the SUV and drive away. His heart hurt. Sharp pains traveled from his stomach to his chest, making it hard to breathe. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there when Bryce came out and put a hand to his shoulder.
“I know how you feel, man.” Bryce glanced toward the house where Sophie still was. “Last year this time, I was in your shoes.”
He stared numbly down the long driveway. “Does it get easier?”
“The leaving—no.”
“A lot of help you are.”
“Come on inside.” Bryce gave his arm a quick pat. “Why don’t you hang out here today? We can go over some of the songs.”
“Yeah, sure,” he answered, distracted in his thoughts.
Chapter 21
“Calm down, dear, or you’re going to spill everything,” Gram chided with a gentle tone.
“Sorry, Gram.” Dani dumped the pot of rice dressing into a serving bowl and carried it to the dining room. She bumped into her mom on the way back into the kitchen.
Her mom gave her a patronizing smile. “Mom and I will handle the rest of dinner. Why don’t you go wait for Rob out on the porch?”
“I’m fine, Mom. I want to help.”
Putting a hand on each of her shoulders, Dani’s mom gave her a firm gaze. “Danica Trahan, for the sake of everyone, please, get out of the kitchen. I love you dearly, but you’re a walking hazard and will continue to be so until Rob gets here.”
She arched an eyebrow. “That bad?”
“Yes.” Her mom laughed and pointed toward the door. “Go.”
Banished to the outdoors, she dropped into a rocking chair that had aged with grace and had hosted many heartfelt conversations over the years. Her fingers itched to call Rob, find out where he was, but she didn’t want to distract him while he was driving. He’d texted a half hour ago that he was filling up with a final tank of gas and would be there in the hour. The anticipation gave her too much restless energy.
“Trying to make the chair take flight?”
Turning around, she saw her dad standing at the door. She put her feet flat on the porch, stopping the rocker’s sway. “I didn’t even realize I was doing that.”
“Can you spare a minute for your old man?”
“Have a seat?” She swept an arm over the chair next to her.
He sat down, filling out the chair. Gil Trahan was a large man, and when Dani was a child, she’d always felt protected by his sheer size. It wasn’t until she was older that she realized the sense of safety came from his unwavering love and support.
“Your mom tells me to brace myself for wedding bells in the near future.” He rocked in slow, methodical motions.
“That might be premature, but I could easily see it going in that direction,” she admitted honestly.
“Does he treat you well?”
“Yes.” True to his word, Rob had gone out of his way to make the distance bearable. A card or short note came every day in the mail, their days started and ended on the phone. He asked about her, he listened to her, he did everything he could to show he cared.
“Do you love him?”
She nodded. It had been happening for some time, slowly building since the early summer. She and Gram hadn’t crossed over the Tennessee state-line on their way home before she knew it without a doubt.
“You’ll always be my little girl, no matter how old you are.” He stood and dusted her hair with a kiss. “I think your man is here.” Sure enough, Rob’s Jeep was ambling down the drive. “I’ll see you two inside.”
Dani stood and gripped the railing, waiting for him to complete the last hundred feet. Unable to wait, she ran to where he had just parked. Rob opened the door and stepped out, a bouquet of fall-colored flowers in hand.
He gave them to her with a sheepish smile. “I didn’t want to come empty-handed.”
Indigo cushion poms were sparsely dispersed among orange lilies and roses. Raising them to her nose, she took a sniff—they smelled as good as they looked. “They’re beautiful, and my two favorite colors. Thank you.”
His gaze never wavered from her and his eyes darkened to a midnight blue. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” The flowers almost fell from her hands.
Rob took them and laid them on the front seat before drawing her into a long-awaited embrace. He smelled better than the flowers.
“I was afraid I’d get a speeding ticket trying to get here.”
“I was banished from the kitchen.”
Looking down at her, Rob flashed a magnetic grin. “I like you better here.”
“Me too, but we should go in.” She glanced back at the house, content to stay outside. “The last of dinner should be on the table.”
“This is the first time in years I’ve had a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal.” He leaned inside the Jeep and grabbed her flowers plus two smaller bouquets.
“That’s so sad.” She took her flowers back from him.
“Not really.” Shifting the two remaining bouquets to one hand, he slid an arm around her waist. “They were spent with friends, but usually at a restaurant. I think the last time I had a non-commercial one was the year on tour with a stop near Adam’s family on Thanksgiving. His mom invited us, and we spent the day there.”
That produced a much happier vision than the one she’d had of him eating a lonely meal. They walked to the house. “Gram, Mom, and I made more than enough. Gram will probably send you off tomorrow with an ice chest full of leftovers.”
“She won’t hear a complaint from me.” Reaching the door, they paused. “How is Gram? I’ve been thinking of her, with this being the first major holiday without Gramps.”
“As well as can be expected, but it’s still difficult.” Dani frowned. “There’ve been numerous times I’ve caught her tearing up. She tries to hide it, but she’s never been very good at lying, even for what she thinks is a noble reason.”
“The first one’s the worst, but they get less difficult in time.”
His statement made her stop and think. She’d known Gram and Rob had bonded, for which she was happy, but she’d never stopped to consider why. Only then did she realize her grandmother and boyfriend shared a connection she couldn’t understand and, Lord willing, would never have to experience. They’d both lost someone with whom they’d pledged to share their lives, only Gram had had the opportunity while Rob’s had been cut short.
Little things he’d done for Gram in the last few months floated to the front of her mind, In light of her revelation, she fell even more in love with him. “I’m really glad you’re here.”
Gram came to the screen door and opened it, an unabashed smile beaming from ear to ear. “We’re so happy you could join us.” She tweaked Rob’s cheek then waved them in. “Come in, come in. Dinner’s ready and waiting.”
ROB STOOD ACROSS the counter at Bayou Bits, his stare fixed on Dani as it had been for the last ten minutes. Occasionally she’d look up at him through lowered lashes with a shy smile. His observation of her sent butterflies through her, and she worried she’d get distracted and mess up their food. This was the first time she’d made a meal specifically for him.
