I hadn't seen Danny in a few days, and he wouldn't return my call. It was driving me nuts. I finally decided to call my brother as I drove out to Danny's place. I had to see him. I didn't care what kind of fool I looked like.

"Terra. How are you? You holding up okay?" My brother sounded far too concerned for a normal Thursday afternoon.

"Yeah. I'm worried about Danny. Have you heard from him in the last two days? We have a game on Saturday that he's supposed to pitch." I rolled the window up and tried to not sound as fucked up as I was.

"I'm not sure if he's going to be there. I talked to him yesterday and he lost his dad Tuesday night really late.

I swerved to the side of the road as the air was sucked from the car. "What? Lost his dad where?"

"His dad died at the hospital."

"Oh, my God." I put the car in park as a million emotions raped my insides. "Why didn't he call me?"

"He's pretty fucked up about it right now, Ter. You know he and his father were close. Just like you and Daddy were."

I leaned back and closed my eyes as tears burned me. "I should have known. I would have gone to the hospital with him. He needed me, Lance. Why didn't he call?"

"He's a hard shell to crack, Sis. You know this. You've been trying for years. Just go to him and help him out. I'll be flying in later tomorrow."

"Do you know what the arrangements are?"

"Not really. I would assume they're having a small family gathering this weekend. His dad wanted to be cremated, so there isn't really going to be a funeral."

I pulled back on the road, driving even faster than before. "Just because you're cremated doesn't mean you don't have a funeral."

"I realize that, but he and his mom aren't interested. After losing Jannie, I think they both swore they would do a simple celebration of life for everyone else in the family."

I could understand that. "I'm going to try and find him. I'll call you later."

"Sounds good. I'll grab a cab at the airport. Dad's house still ours?"

"Yeah. I kept the staff and stuff, but I rarely go out there. I'm sure they'll be happy to see someone."

"Okay. Be safe and good luck. He's pretty fucking broken."

"Thanks, Lance. See you soon." I dropped the call and tossed the phone in my passenger seat as I turned a corner a little too fast and almost hit an oncoming car. I screamed and hit the breaks. "Slow the fuck down, Terra. No one needs another tragedy in their lives. Period."

After catching my breath, I pulled back onto the road and concentrated on slowing my racing heart as I made my way over to Danny's house.

I was sure he'd had plenty of memories of other women in his bed to suffice for a lifetime. I parked in front of the house, grateful to see his bike and his truck in the driveway. I took a shaky breath and got out of the car. The last time I'd seen him a few days before, we'd been in the middle of a full-on fight. I didn't want to upset him in the middle of his grief, but there was no damn way I was standing on the sidelines while he was hurting.

Reaching up with a shaky hand, I knocked on the door and held my breath.

A cute little blond with Jannie's big eyes and innocent face opened the door. "Hi. Do you have our pizza?"

I smiled and knelt. "I don't, but I can surely order you one if you're hungry."

She tilted her head to the side and reached out to touch my cheek with her tiny hand. "I know you."

"Do you?" I glanced up as Danny jogged to the door in a pair of shorts and nothing else.

"Lyndsay! What did I tell you about answering the door, Peanut? Someone could snatch you up." He scooped her up and held her tightly as he opened the door further. "Terra."

"I do know her!" Lyndsay slid down the front of her daddy and moved to me, hugging my legs and looking up at me. "Mimi said you were going to be the queen in my daddy's castle."

"I like the sound of that." I picked her up and put her on my hip, feeling almost too comfortable with her. "Can I come in for a few minutes?"

"Yeah. I'd like that." He moved back and closed the door behind us. "Lyndsay. Go grab your new teddy bear that Mimi got you and come show Miss Terra, okay?"

I put her down and smiled as she took a shallow breath and looked up at me as if I were something special. "You’re so much prettier out of the pictures."

"Peanut. Go do what I said." Danny reached out and ran his hand down my forearm to grip my hand tightly. "I'm so fucking sorry for what happened on Tuesday."

"Danny." I moved closer but didn't slip into his arms like I wanted to. "I just heard about your dad."

"I don't know what to say about that." He looked so tired, so beaten by life. "I left the game after getting in that fight with you and Paul and-" His voice broke as his face crumbled.

"Baby." I closed the gap between us and pulled him into my arms as he wrapped me in an almost too-tight hug. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"My mom is so fucked up right now. She's not even talking, Ter." He pressed his face against my neck.

I held him as his large body shook against me. "She'll get better. We'll help her too, okay?" I kissed the side of his face as Lyndsay walked around the corner holding a little teddy bear.

Her eyes were red and tears were streaking down her cheeks. "What's wrong with my daddy?"

"He's just tired, sweetheart. Go sit on the couch for me, and I'll put him to bed and make us something delicious to snack on while we play with your dolls, okay?" I smiled and offered her every ounce of calm I had.

"Okay." She walked over and wrapped her arms around Danny, leaning in to kiss his leg. "Get some sleep, daddy. I'll spend some time with Terra. We need to do some girl things, okay?"

He chuckled and moved back to wipe his eyes. "I like the sound of that." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head before standing back up and touching my cheek. "Thanks for coming. I certainly don't deserve you being here."

"Hush." I pulled his hand down and gripped it tightly before turning and leading him down a long hallway to his bedroom.

"The last one at the end." He moved behind me slowly, his breathing labored. "I thought losing Jannie was the worst thing I could suffer, but I'm not so sure that's true anymore, Ter."

"We're going to get through this." I waited until he stepped into the room to close the door. It was decorated in dark blues and silvers. It reminded me of the harbor, Danny's favorite place to go on date nights when we were kids.

"Are we?" He reached for me and pulled me close to him. "Stay with me tonight. Please? I don't want to sleep alone."

"Then I'll stay." I ran my hands up his back and held him against my chest. "Get some sleep now and I'll take care of your Peanut."

He leaned in and brushed his nose against mine. "Did you know that even though I'm a horrible asshole from hell that I love you so much? That you're all I think about, Ter? Did you know?"

"I do now," I whispered and cupped his face as I moved in for a long, loving kiss. The feeling of his body against mine, his pain becoming mine, our hearts reaching for the others was simply right. No matter what was or would be, he belonged to me and me to him.

We would figure things out. No matter how long it took or how hard it was.

He kissed me again and turned, walking to the bed. "Thank you for being you."

"No problem." I walked to the door, wanting to turn around and watch him strip off his shorts, but it wasn't the right time for lust. It was all about love. I opened the door and stopped, needing him to know.

"You okay?" He whispered from the darkness.

"I am now." I glanced over my shoulder. "I love you too. I always have."

He chuckled. "How could you not? I played hard to get and you fell for it."

My turn to laugh. "Get some rest, baby. I'll be here when you get up."

All the shit from the last week was gone. Obliterated in a moment. We didn't have to cling to the should have's and would have's and should have done's. He was broken and I was too. Maybe together we could rediscover ourselves and find healing.

Something told me that was the new path we were on.

I couldn't wait to take the next step.