— SIXTEEN —
RESTLESS was a definite understatement for how Jake felt. Dani had kicked him out of the house mid-afternoon so she could get ready for the Valentine’s Day Regimental Ball. He had an important stop to make, but first he wanted to be in uniform. And before that, he was long overdue for another visit at the Howard house.
Gavin and Jack were playing ball hockey when he pulled up. He grabbed a stick and joined in, only stopping when their dad stuck his head out and called them in to do their homework.
“Gavin’s getting quick with the stick out there,” Jake commented as they all stripped off their outerwear in the kitchen.
Ryan nodded. “Thinking of putting him in some camps this summer.”
“Yeah?” That was a huge step, but Jake didn’t call attention to it.
“And I’m going to dance camp,” Maya announced, balancing on top of a chair. “To be a ballerina.”
“I bet you are.” In the last few months, the tiny blonde whirlwind had sprouted, and now she looked like a prettier version of her brothers. No more baby left in her. He glanced at Ryan, who just picked his daughter up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled close. Well, maybe not totally grown up. “How old are you now, Maya? Seven?”
She giggled.
“Ten?” Jake scratched his chin when she peeked back at him. “Ninety-five?”
She shook her head and held out four fingers. “Almost four.”
“Wow. I hear that’s the best age ever.”
A nod. “And I’ll have a cake.”
“Are you having a party?”
Nodding again, she wiggled her legs. Ryan understood the unasked request and set her down again. “You can come to my party.”
“Okay.”
“It’s for ballerinas.”
Ryan snorted. “We’ll have to make Jake a special tutu. He probably doesn’t have one.”
“I’d wear one for Maya.”
She dashed off, followed by her brothers who were making rude comments about farting on tutus, but Ryan just ignored them. “I’m going to hold you to that, by the way.”
“I’ll come to her party.”
“I meant the tutu wearing part.”
Jake shrugged. There were worse things in the world than a bit of tulle and ribbon.
“So you and Dani, huh?”
He couldn’t hold back a grin. “Yep.”
“How long has that been going on?”
“Christmas.”
Ryan nodded. “Good. You making her happy?”
“I’m trying. I bought her a ring.”
“Holy shit. She say yes?”
“Haven’t asked her yet.” But she would. There was so much love between them it was ridiculous.
“You guys have gotten over that drama with your girl from Tobermory, eh?”
Jake bristled. “Tasha wasn’t my girl.”
“Sorry.”
He waved it off. “Nah, my own fault. So you heard about that. Great.”
Ryan laughed. “Sorry, again. Nothing escapes the Pine Harbour grapevine.”
“Including that you’re not going back to work. Dani said you’ve given your notice.”
Ryan scrubbed his palm up across his jaw. “The end of my leave of absence is coming up and I just can’t be away from my kids thirty-six hours a week right now.”
“Hey, no judgement from me. You want to pick up some school-time work from me? I can always use another set of strong arms.”
“Nah, I’m good. We don’t need much, and I’m coming back to the unit for weekly parade. Going to be an Army bum for a bit. Olivia’s agreed to watch the kids on parade nights, and it’ll keep me shaving at least once a week, anyway. Plus there’s the movie people…they’ll be showing up in a month.”
“The Fenichs leave you holding the ball on that?” The film stars were going to be staying in the cottages Jake had helped build up and down Jake’s lane, heading toward the lake. It had been something Gloria and Lynn had been excited about. Jake had forgotten about it since the funeral.
“I don’t mind. They’re tenants like anyone else.”
Ryan was the least star-struck person Jake knew—which made him a perfect go-to guy should any of them have problems with their accommodations. “You know you can call me if something needs fixing?”
His friend laughed. “You know I know how to use a hammer, right?”
“Wouldn’t have offered you a job if you didn’t.”
It was tempting to just sit there and pretend all was fine and ordinary. Like Ryan’s wife hadn’t been murdered a few months earlier. But Jake didn’t think doing that would make him a good friend. So even though he knew it wouldn’t go over well, he opened the can of worms. “You still seeing a counsellor?”
“Yeah.” No additional information offered.
“The kids?”
“No…they didn’t like it. We’ll try again in a month or two.”
“You liking it?”
“Not even a little bit.” He let out a heavy sigh. “If I didn’t have so much trouble leaving the kids with other people, I wouldn’t go at all. But I know I need to get over that. So…there you go.”
“I wasn’t digging.” Jake rocked back on his chair. “We could babysit, too.”
“Yeah…Dani offered.”
“We love the kids.” And you, you big lug, but he didn’t add that. “Keep us in mind.”
“Will. Now don’t you have to go climb into an uncomfortable uniform?”
Jake laughed. “Nice. Get me to promise to wear a tutu, then kick me out of your house.”
“You going to ask Dani to marry you tonight?”
“Think so, yep.”
“Then yeah, I’m kicking you out. Get to it.” Ryan stood and offered his hand, wishing him luck.
Since Jake was headed to Dani’s parents’ house next, he’d need it.
A quick pit stop at Dean’s place to get into his uniform—and get one last pep talk from his bachelor-for-life older brother, which he didn’t really listen to—and then he found himself walking up the steps of the Minelli home. It was damn cold, but one didn’t wear a parka over a dress uniform, no matter what. He knocked, then stood tall, as if good posture might ease the nervous ache in his gut. It didn’t.
“Jake, what a surprise,” Anne Minelli said dryly. They hadn’t actually seen each other since Dani had confirmed for her parents that they were dating, although she’d promised the conversation had been easy and uneventful.
“I hope it’s okay that I dropped in.”
“Of course.” Anne was still wearing the catering company branded shirt that Jake was quite familiar with. Dani wore the same shirt every summer for years as she worked for her mother throughout high school and college.
“You just get off work, or are you heading out?”
“I have a dinner I’m catering tonight, but there’s lots of time before I need to leave. I understand you and Dani are heading to the armouries tonight for a fancy do.”
“We are. Is Alessandro around?”
Awareness dawned in her eyes. “Ah. Yes, he’s in the back room, reading. Why don’t you wait in the sitting room?”
He nodded curtly and headed for the formal living room at the front of the house. No television, uncomfortable furniture. No fun.
“So, a soldier has come calling, eh?” Dani’s father’s voice rumbled behind him, and Jake spun.
“Yes, sir.”
“Sit.” It was an order. Jake sat, carefully perching on the edge of an occasional chair. Alessandro Minelli—businessman, father, immigrant, and complete enigma—sat across the room on the sofa. Anne poured them each a drink of scotch, then sat beside her husband.
“I understand that Dani told you we’ve fallen in love,” Jake started, but that was as far as he got.
“She did. And then my sons reported that after you started taking up with my daughter—my only daughter, my baby, the light of my life—that you found out an ex-girlfriend was pregnant.”
Jake nodded, keeping his cool. No way would Rafe and Tom tell their father that and not share the entire story. He wouldn’t have made it in the door if they had. So this was a test, one he intended to pass with flying colours. “I did, but as I hope you’re aware, sir, the child wasn’t mine. And if it had been, that wouldn’t change anything.”
The older man grunted. “That doesn’t impress me much.”
“There are some conversations that aren’t meant to take place between generations, sir.”
“Such as?”
“Such as the details of former relationships. Or current ones. But I’d like to reassure you that my relationship with that other woman was brief, and ended long before Dani and I started seeing each other.” Jake took a deep breath, then leaned forward, looking Dani’s parents in the eye with earnest intent. “I love your daughter. Very much. She is the only woman I have eyes for—and will have eyes for, for the rest of my life.”
“Is that what you came here for? To reassure us of your affection for Daniella?” Anne asked softly.
“No.” Brave and bold, man. ”I’m going to ask Dani to marry me. And I’d like to tell her I have your blessing when I do.”
Two blank faces stared back at him for the world’s longest minute. But he hadn’t grown up one of four boys without learning a thing or two about staring contests.
Finally Anne sighed and looked down at her hands. “This is going to come out wrong, so bear with me. I know that I can be a bit…fierce when it comes to my children. But you need to understand that marriage is—or at least it should be—a permanent decision. Building a life with someone shouldn’t be done because of an infatuation.”
“I’m not…this is not an infatuation.” He said the words slowly and carefully, not wanting to leave any room for doubt. “I love everything about Dani. Her heart, her generous spirit, her sense of loyalty and how much she values her family. Her skill as an EMT and the steady way she powers through almost any adversity. The way she laughs. That she likes to sleep in and hates to do dishes. I think about my life five or ten years down the road and she’s by my side. I want her to be the mother of my children. This is not an infatuation.”
“For you.” Anne shook her head. “I believe it’s not for you.”
No. He wasn’t on his own at the edge of this cliff. “I believe Dani loves me too.”
“And it’s her question to answer, not ours,” her father said gruffly. “But you’ve only been dating a very short time. Other than when she was at college, she’s always lived with us. And now she’s staying with you? Without any time on her own? Without a normal build-up toward a serious relationship?”
Anne took her husband’s hand and sighed. “Rafe and Olivia struggled so much when they rushed into their marriage. They were the same age as Dani. Maybe you don’t see that because you’re…” She trailed off and shrugged. “We love you, Jake. And we hope you two are very happy together. But don’t rush into something because it’s new and exciting.”
Shit. “I will take that under advisement.”
Dani’s father laughed, and it wasn’t without mirth. Jake blinked at him, and he waved his hand. “If you do, it’ll be a first for us. You’ll understand when you’re a parent…offering advice usually is an exercise in futility.”
— —
Jake had said he’d be back to pick her up at six. Dani was pacing back and forth in his room—their room, for all intents and purposes—at quarter to the hour. She’d had a long bath and shaved her legs—and a bit more, because hey, it was Valentine’s Day—then practically rolled around in moisturizing lotion because it was winter. She’d paid careful attention to her makeup—sleek and dark—and her hair—up and sexy. And she was still done early. The whole girly routine wasn’t for her. Except for the part where she felt like a million bucks—she liked that part.
He’d told her that he’d take care of her jewelry, and Olivia had disclosed that she’d been pumped for details about Dani’s dress neckline, so she trusted he’d put thought into that. Which made her ready to go…she just needed a soldier to go with.
Right on command, the front door opened. She grabbed her heels off the bed and scampered to the landing at the top of the stairs.
“Over here,” she said with a little laugh, loving the way his eyes lit up as he took in her dress. The skirt swirled around her legs as she descended and the whole world narrowed to the space between them.
“You take my breath away,” he said quietly. “I’m not sure I want to share you with anyone.”
She knew the feeling. “I’m all yours.”
He carefully eased against her, cupping her face as he kissed her softly. She pressed into him, loving how he barely moved, even as she wound her arms around his neck and gave herself into the kiss. But he wasn’t unaffected—his hands roved over her as the rest of him held stock-still. He skimmed her breasts, her hips, her bottom, tugging her closer with each caress, and for a minute, she thought he really might just take her upstairs. He seemed hungrier than usual for her tonight, his grip a little more possessive—not that she was complaining. “I’m going to look forward to unwrapping you at the end of the night.”
“Me, too.”
He held her gaze with a long, heated, and surprising heavy look of his own for a moment before pulling back. “Time for your promised bling.”
She followed him into his office, where he hesitated beside his desk for a moment before pulling open a drawer.
The jewellery box he pulled out was long and slim, and for a moment she had a flash of him holding a smaller, square box instead. Ever since Olivia had put that image in her head, she’d been turning over in her head what kind of wedding she’d like. What kind of marriage she’d like, because if her brother’s experience had taught her anything, it was that the wedding was just the start. The easy part, for all the fuss and bother.
But she understood Olivia’s point too, that Jake would want that fuss and bother because he’d had to keep his feelings to himself for so long.
She wanted to show him she was ready to be his partner in life, however he needed to her be, be it an evening of her on his arm, or when the time was right, throwing the biggest, glitziest wedding Pine Harbour would ever see.
With trembling fingers she lifted the delicate necklace off its velvet bed. Small bezel set rubies and diamonds dotted the thin gold chain. She fumbled at the clasp, then gave up, just holding it in her hand as she held it up. Jake’s office was lit with pot lights and a desk lamp, and the light from all different directions seemed to bounce off the tiny gems, making the whole thing sparkle in the prettiest way.
“I thought it would match your dress,” he said, moving around her body, his hand trailing across her hip and up her back. When his fingers hit the bare skin at the top of her dress, she shivered.
“Olivia gave up the colour, too?”
“I was persuasive.”
“What did you say?”
“Never you mind.” He kissed her shoulder, then her neck, before bringing his lips to the curve of her ear. “I thought it would match you naked, too.”
She shuddered and tipped her head to the side, baring her neck to him.
“Your ears look bare.” He mock sighed, and she smiled to herself. She was being spoiled tonight.
“I didn’t get you anything.”
“You have no idea how much you’ve given me, Dani.” He pulled a matching pair of earrings from his pocket, and she put them on as he did up the necklace around her neck. Each brush of his fingertips—against her collarbone, the side of her neck, then lingering at her nape even after he’d secured the clasp—felt electric and special.
She turned slowly, bringing her hands to his chest. She traced his service medals, then brought her hand to his face, giving him back some of the magic he’d just stirred in her. “I’ve never thanked you for kissing me that night at the Hedgehog.”
“Pretty sure it wasn’t a favour, gorgeous.” He thumbed her lower lip, now completely devoid of lipstick. She couldn’t care less. “Did I thank you for coming over the next morning and rocking my world?”
She laughed. “Again…not a selfless act.”
“Well, then let’s go to a ball, and be thankful together.” He offered her his arm and pointed for the door.