Chapter 17
As before, Daniel woke up with his girl in his arms.
He knew he was pushing his luck spending another night with her, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to let her go.
It had been some evening, what with dancing so hot and heavy that his balls were aching by the time they’d gone to chill out by the pool. Then that ape with the dirty mouth had insulted his girl. His knuckles stung slightly as he remembered that the fucker had gone down with one punch. Pussy. And then the surprising and unexpected car sex that Lisanne had initiated.
He could definitely have gone for round two when they’d arrived back, but he’d been happy to settle for just sleeping together.
Sighing, he glanced at the Mickey Mouse clock and eased himself out of bed. Lisanne was sleeping soundly. She was wearing his gray t-shirt, but he could still see the locket’s chain. He’d had that in his pocket ever since the day after the beach, and he’d been waiting for the right moment to give it to her. He rubbed his chest, surprised by the ache he felt when he thought about it.
Shaking his head, he pulled on his pants and scooped up his t-shirt, heading for Harry’s room. It was only when he’d closed her door that he remembered he’d left his socks and sneakers with Lisanne.
To hell with it—he’d get them later.
He opened the door and slipped inside, only to meet Harry’s curious face.
“Did you just get back from the party?”
Daniel smiled. “Yeah, great party.”
He dropped his jeans again and stretched out on the cot, falling into a light sleep.
Twenty minutes, later he woke up with a start.
Monica was standing over him with a cup of coffee in her hand.
He nearly tipped the cot over as he struggled to sit up.
“Sorry!” she said, obviously trying not to laugh. “I need all hands on deck this morning, so I thought I’d better wake you boys.”
Harry was sitting up, scowling at his mom.
“Mom! It’s only 7 AM!”
“I know, honey, but we’ve got a lot to do.” She passed Daniel the coffee. “Three sugars,” she said, with a wink.”
“Thanks,” he mumbled.
“Breakfast in 10 minutes,” she said, too cheerfully. “If you’re not there, you’ll have to wait until lunchtime. Happy Thanksgiving!”
Harry lay back, but Daniel was wide awake. Jeez, that had been close. Thank fuck he’d woken up when he had. If Monica had found him with Lisanne, Thanksgiving would have more closely resembled the Valentine’s Day Massacre.
At least Monica could report back to Ernie that all bodies were present and correct.
He drank down the coffee and wandered off to the shower, absentmindedly jerking off. As he’d told Harry, it was part of the routine.
He decided against shaving: twice in two days was bordering on fanatical. He ambled back to the room, where Harry was still apparently unconscious. He rooted through his bag, but no t-shirt had miraculously leapt out, washed itself, and scurried back in, neatly folded. He swore to himself softly and decided to see if yesterday’s t-shirt would pass the sniff test.
“Problem, Daniel?”
Ernie realized too late that he was speaking to Daniel’s back.
He tapped him on the shoulder, and the younger man jumped.
“Fuck!” he said loudly, waking Harry with a start.
“Sorry,” said Ernie, looking slightly sheepish. “Just wondering if everything’s okay in here. Have you lost something?”
“Yeah,” said Daniel, irritated that Lisanne’s father had been creeping around like some weirdo stalker and scared the shit out of him. “Baby d … Lis stole my t-shirt to sleep in. I was just checking out the alternatives.”
He shrugged. He didn’t care whether or not Ernie knew that Lisanne wore his clothes.
“Oh, I see. Right, well … fine. Breakfast is ready. Harry—up, now.”
Harry finally hauled his skinny ass out of bed, and Daniel sat back to check his phone messages.
There was one from Zef.
* How’s life in Hicksville, you sad fucker? Happy Thanksgiving. *
And three from Cori.
* Where are you? Answer your damn messages *
He hadn’t felt the need to contact her, especially since she told him he was selling out by dating Lisanne.
* Zef says you out of town but won’t say where. Are you ok? *
And most recently:
* text me, asshole! *
He tapped out a short reply:
* I’m fine. Happy TG *
And pressed ‘send’ before he regretted acting like a pussy.
Monica interrupted him by tossing a shirt onto his bed.
“Here, wear this today—you don’t want to frighten my mother. And tell my daughter to do some darn laundry.”
She disappeared before he could say anything.
The shirt was soft, brushed cotton, very white. It smelled of clean linen and for a moment Daniel was taken back two years, to a time when his parents were still alive. His mother yelling at him to put his clothes in the hamper … the way she used to stand in the kitchen while she was ironing … the way she’d sing when she was happy.
He pulled on the shirt with mixed feelings. And it was obviously too big to be Harry’s.
Daniel shrugged. Clothes were clothes.
He headed downstairs and made his way to the kitchen. Alluring aromas were already drifting through the house and his stomach rumbled appreciatively.
“Oh my,” said Monica, “you do look handsome. Pancakes okay for you?”
“Um, yeah, thanks,” said Daniel, his cheeks tinged with a faint pink.
Monica glanced over her shoulder and smiled. He really was a very good looking boy. Ernie’s button down shirt suited him. Pity about that ridiculous ring in his eyebrow. Thank goodness his other piercings were covered up—however many of them he had.
Daniel focused on eating the pancakes Monica placed in front of him, and wondered what the day would bring.
Lisanne had said her family made a big deal out of Thanksgiving, so he was apprehensive about how he’d fit in—meeting new people like that was something he generally avoided.
He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He guessed it was from Cori so he didn’t bother to look at it.
He was relieved when Lisanne wandered into the room, looking soft and sleepy, despite having showered. She looked cute in her pale yellow sweater and sensible skirt. He smiled to see that she was wearing the locket.
“Hey, baby doll,” he grinned at her. “Sleep well?”
“Uh-huh. Nice shirt!”
“Thanks. Your mom took pity on me—after you stole my t-shirt.”
“Oh! I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“I don’t,” he said, quietly. “It fucking turns me on to think of you wearing it.”
Lisanne smiled happily, glancing at her mom, who was beating more pancake mix with unnecessary violence.
“Good!” and she leaned down to kiss him.
He circled his hands around her waist and returned her kiss enthusiastically.
“Did you finish your breakfast?” she said, fingering the collar of his shirt.
“Yeah, why?”
“Dad says could you help him in the living room? He’s shifting the table around to make more room—he could use a hand.”
“Sure,” he said helpfully, and kissed her hair before heading for the living room.
Soon, the sound of heavy furniture being moved reached the kitchen. Lisanne heard a thud and Daniel cursed loudly. She held back a giggle as her mom’s eyebrows shot up.
“Goodness!” Monica said. “That was colorful.”
Lisanne sighed. “I know. He’s trying to keep it down.”
“Hmm, well. I hope he tries harder in front of the rest of the family!”
“Don’t bet on it,” Lisanne muttered to herself, as she stood at the sink and started preparing vegetables.
After a while she ran out of potatoes to peel.
“What’s next, Mom?”
“Could you start taking the picnic chairs through and then you can set the table? Thanks, honey.”
Lisanne carried in four of the folded up picnic chairs, while Daniel and her father fought with a trestle table. Then she returned to the kitchen for the next four.
Daniel’s eyes widened slightly and Lisanne could see that he was counting the number of seats. A look of panic crossed his face.
“Lis?” he said. “How many people are coming today?”
“There’ll be 15 of us around the table, and the kids can go outside on the patio,” Ernie answered for her.
Lisanne saw the blood draining from Daniel’s face.
“I gotta …I can’t … I gotta go…”
He was nearly at the front door when Lisanne caught up with him.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him to face her.
“I can’t,” he gasped, rubbing his hands over his face. “It’s too many people. I can’t do it, Lis. Fuck, I can’t do it.”
“Ssh,” she said, stroking his cheek, and trying to quell her own panic at his obvious distress.
“I’ve gotta go. I’ve gotta get out of here. I’m sorry, Lis. I can’t. I can’t.”
“Just … just come and sit down for a minute. Come on. Come with me.”
She tugged his arm and for a moment she thought he’d refuse and make a run for it, but with dragging steps he followed her upstairs.
Even though her father had expressly forbidden her from having Daniel alone in her room, she drew him inside.
He paced the small area, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and breathing heavily.
“Daniel, it’ll be fine,” Lisanne said, trying to sound confident.
In truth, his growing panic was infecting her so badly, her bones rattled.
“It won’t be fine!” he gasped. “It’ll be a fucking nightmare. I can’t, Lis. Please, just let me go.”
The desperation in his voice made her heart stutter.
“Daniel, just … just sit with me. Come here … come and sit down.”
Gently, she led him toward her bed and forced him to sit. He bent forward and rested his forearms on his knees, his breathing too fast.
Lisanne sat next to him and rubbed his back, trying to let her touch calm him. She didn’t know what to say that would help him. She felt wretched. She should have realized how hard this would be. So selfish. The words throbbed through her, but they didn’t make one cent’s worth of difference.
There was a knock at the door, followed immediately by Ernie’s entrance.
“Fucking great,” muttered Daniel, knowing that the newest diktat decreed he wasn’t supposed to be alone in his girlfriend’s room.
He stood up and wiped his hands over his eyes.
Lisanne was devastated to see his fingers were wet with tears.
“Lisanne,” said Ernie, “if you could wait downstairs, I’d like to have a word with Daniel.”
“But, Dad…”
“Now, please, Lisanne.”
There was no arguing with her father when he had that tone in his voice.
As she closed the door, Daniel seemed so miserable, her heart ached.
Daniel stared at Lisanne’s father, fully expecting to be kicked out and told not to come back.
“Sit, please, Daniel,” Ernie said.
“We weren’t doing anything,” said Daniel, angrily.
“I know. Please, just sit for a moment and hear what I have to say.”
It had been two years since Daniel had had to endure a parental lecture—and this man was not his father. He felt angry and resentful as he sat on the edge of Lisanne’s bed.
“Why are you here, Daniel?”
“We were just talking. That’s all!”
“No, I mean, why did you agree to come home with Lisanne for Thanksgiving?”
Okay, so not the opening he’d expected.
Daniel shrugged. “She invited me.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“Why do you care?” Daniel said rudely, already anxious, and irritated further by the interrogation.
“I care because she’s my daughter,” said Ernie, evenly.
Daniel twitched a shoulder.
“I wanted to be with her.”
“So why are you thinking of leaving?”
Daniel’s eyes flicked toward Ernie.
“You heard?”
“Yes.”
“So you know why.”
“I want to hear it from you.”
Daniel’s hands automatically reached for his cigarettes to relieve the stress, then realized that he wasn’t going to be allowed to smoke. At least Ernie didn’t look mad.
“It’s hard,” he muttered, his hands stabbing the air to express the futility of the situation. “I can only concentrate on one person at a time. You don’t know what it’s like when the conversation goes around the table and everyone laughs, and you’re the sad fucker who has no clue what’s going on. Or someone asks a question, and everyone’s staring, waiting for you to answer. I’ll look like a fucking idiot.”
He stood up and started pacing.
Ernie waited patiently for him to calm down enough to look at him.
“Son, if that’s the worst that can happen, then I’m really not seeing the problem.”
Daniel stared at him.
“I just don’t do this shit!” he shouted, frustrated that he couldn’t make Ernie understand. “It’s really tiring. Even being with people I know, I have to watch all the time to see what they’re saying, I have to guess half of it. People get bent out of shape because they’re being all nice and shit, and I just smile and nod because I haven’t got what they’ve said. And with new people, it’s so much fucking harder. I just…” his words petered out. “And because I can’t stand people looking at me the way you’re looking at me now—like I’m some puppy that’s been whipped.”
Ernie grimaced, acknowledging the truth of what Daniel was saying. He had been pitying him.
Daniel took a deep breath. “And I’m here because … Lisanne makes me feel like I’m not alone.
Ernie’s face was a confused mixture of pride in his daughter, and concern that the two of them were even closer than he’d realized.
“Look, Daniel, I won’t pretend that I know what you’ve been through in the last few years, but you’ve done well: you’ve stayed in school, you’re going to college—you’re moving your life forward. And we’ve all done or said foolish things in public, but in the grand scheme of things, a meal with our family isn’t a big deal.”
“It’s every fucking time,” snarled Daniel. “They’ll all wonder what the fuck she’s doing with me.”
He faced the wall, resting his weight on his hands, and leaned his forehead against it. Without warning, he slammed his head hard.
Ernie leapt up and grabbed his arm.
“Hey! That won’t help. Sit down, Daniel. Come on.”
Daniel shook him off. “I’ve gotta get out of here.”
Ernie tried again. “Just sit for a minute—if you still want to go, I won’t stop you.”
Daniel eyed him warily.
“My dad and Grandma Olsen already know. Harry knows and has obviously taken quite a liking to you. Lisanne’s mother and I know, of course. We’ll all help you. You’re a guest in our home, Daniel, and that matters to me. I’m not happy about … some aspects of my daughter’s relationship with you, but I can see how much she cares for you. And I can see you care for her, as well.”
He paused, examining Daniel’s face.
“Look, I know we haven’t gotten off to the best start and I’ve said and done some things that I’m not very proud of—and my wife is giving me hell for it—but I’d like you to stay, too. Lisanne wants you to be with her, with her family at Thanksgiving. Will you do it for her?”
Daniel took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
“Good man,” said Ernie. “Come and join the family—Lisanne will be out there building up a head of steam if I know my daughter.”
Daniel attempted a smile and Ernie winked at him.
He followed Ernie out of the room, and saw Lisanne’s anxious face peering up from the bottom of the stairs.
“Daniel is going to stay,” replied Ernie to Lisanne’s unspoken question.
Considerately, he left them alone together.
Daniel stared at Lisanne’s face, full of love and concern, and felt like shit for making her look so sad.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded slowly.
“Yeah.”
She laid her head against his chest and his arms circled her small shoulders. They stood together in silence for a long, peaceful minute.
A knock at the front door had Lisanne tugging on Daniel’s arm.
“Let’s go into the backyard—you can have a cigarette.”
He smiled crookedly.
“I thought you hated smoking.”
“I do, but right now you need to relax more than you need me bitching at you—although I can multitask—I am a woman.”
He smiled softly. “Yeah, you are,” and leaned down to kiss her. “Come on, woman—I need a smoke.”
They sat on the porch, while Daniel sucked hard on his cigarette, clinging to it with the fervent desperation of a condemned man. But it couldn’t save him from Lisanne’s aunt who came hurrying out, intrigued to meet Lisanne’s first ever boyfriend.
It would be fair to say that subtlety didn’t run in the Olsen side of Lisanne’s family.
“Oh my goodness!” shrieked Aunt Jean. “Is this him?”
Lisanne tapped Daniel’s arm and he looked over his shoulder. He stood up, tossing the stub into an empty flowerpot.
“Hi Aunty Jean,” said Lisanne, doing her best to fake a sincere smile, “this is Daniel. Daniel, my Aunty Jean—Mom’s older sister.”
Daniel held out his hand but Jean enveloped him in a bone cracking hug.
“Oh Lisanne! Less of the ‘older’! Everyone says I look years younger than Monica. But, my! However did a girl as plain as you land such a handsome boy?”
Lisanne shriveled and Daniel looked at her quizzically, not having heard the unpleasant remark.
Jean was followed by her eldest daughter Ashley who, thankfully, had inherited calm genes from her father. She greeted Daniel more formally and smiled, then yelled at two kids of seven and nine who came barreling onto the porch.
“And those two monsters are Ryan and Morgan. Don’t let them pester you to play football with them. They think every guy they see wants to.”
Daniel smiled. “I don’t mind. I like kids.”
Ashley raised her eyebrows and looked at Lisanne. “Hang onto this one, honey, he’s a keeper—if he means what he says.”
Daniel laughed at Lisanne’s blush.
Ashley was right about her boys. They ambushed Daniel immediately, and soon he was throwing balls for them to run after and catch.
Ashley’s two eldest girls, Kelly and Lacey, made their appearance. They were only a few years younger than Lisanne and determined to be bored with, and superior to, everything they saw. Lisanne didn’t have much in common with them—she wore her heart on her sleeve and always had done.
But their eyes brightened when they saw Daniel.
“No way!” hissed Kelly. “No way he’s your date, Lisanne. He’s like, hot!”
“That’s Daniel,” Lisanne said, coolly. “My boyfriend. We go to school together.”
Kelly raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows at Lisanne’s tone, then rudely proceeded to whisper to her sister.
Lisanne ignored them—something she’d been doing for years.
Three more boys ran out into the yard—her Uncle Malcolm’s kids, Kellan, Marty and Joseph. They headed straight for the football action. Harry arrived on the scene, muttering about it being a dumb game, but he joined in anyway.
Ernie followed, looking relaxed, and sat down on the porch with a beer in his hand. Behind him was a tall, bearded man—his younger brother Malcolm—similarly accessorized.
“Think I’ll go play some ball,” said Malcolm, after watching for a while.
He ambled down the steps into the yard and joined in, which evened out the numbers and upped the ante as far as the older kids were concerned.
Ernie watched the impromptu game with a smile.
“He’s got a good arm,” he said, gesturing in Daniel’s direction.
“He was his school’s quarterback,” Lisanne said, proudly.
“Really?” said Ernie, sounding impressed. “But he didn’t try out for the college team?”
Lisanne rolled her eyes at her father, even though a few weeks ago she’d asked exactly the same question.
“Dad, you really want me to answer that?”
Ernie looked embarrassed. “Of course. Right.”
To Lisanne’s surprise, Daniel dropped out of the game after just a few more minutes, unmoved by the shouts of disappointment that he couldn’t hear. He sat on the porch with her, looking rattled.
“What’s the matter?” she said, quietly.
Daniel jerked his head at Uncle Malcolm.
“I can’t read him.”
“What?”
“I can’t lip read him, Lis. He’s got a fucking beard. I can’t see his mouth for all the fucking fur!”
“Oh,” she said, helplessly. “Oh, okay. Do you want me to say something to him?”
Daniel shook his head with an irritated gesture.
“Well, let’s go see if Mom needs any help.”
He stood up immediately and pulled Lisanne to her feet.
In the kitchen, Monica was looking harassed as her own mother followed her around, offering the kind of unwanted advice that could be classified as criticism, at every step.
“Those potatoes will boil dry like that, Monica. Did you remember to salt them? The turkey won’t be ready in time unless you turn up the heat—you don’t want it to be soggy and half raw like it was last year.”
Monica fumed silently.
“You really don’t deal with people well, do you, Mon?”
“That’s because you’re so critical!”
“Critical? Me? No I’m not critical. I could be and I could constantly tell you what you should do with your life, but you’re lucky I’m not like my friends with their children—I let you live your own life.” She took a breath. “And I really think you should turn the heat up on the stove.”
“It’s all fine, Mom,” Monica snapped.
“Well, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, didn’t they?” She turned her attention to Daniel. “I do like a man in an ironed shirt. Now why don’t you take out that silly ring you’ve got in your eyebrow? Here, I’ll do it for you.”
“Grandma!” said Lisanne, sharply. “He’s fine—leave him alone.”
Daniel smirked and leaned down to whisper in Lisanne’s ear. “Should I show her my other rings?”
She dragged him out of the kitchen, knowing full well he’d be prepared to do exactly that if challenged.
Pops was sitting in the TV den watching the news.
“Happy Thanksgiving. You two hiding out already?” he said.
“Something like that,” said Lisanne, with a sigh.
“Huh, me, too,” said the old man, then glanced over at Daniel. “Bet you’re wondering why you signed up for this, aren’t you, son?”
Daniel smiled, collapsing onto a sofa and pulling Lisanne to his lap. “Nope, not really,” he said.
Pops laughed. “Good for you.”
Lisanne snuggled into him, surprised that she didn’t feel embarrassed to show Daniel affection in front of Pops.
Lunch was loud and chaotic. The under 12s ate outside, running in and out with plates of food, leaving a trail of crumbs behind them. Ernie and Malcolm were becoming increasingly convivial as the beer continued to flow. Lisanne snagged a couple of cans for Daniel and shielded him as much as she could from Grandma Olsen and Aunt Jean.
Grandma Olsen had entertained the table with a thorough, if highly imaginative description of Daniel’s tattoos, ending in a request that he take off his shirt to show everyone. Monica vetoed that suggestion and began an interrogation of her own about how much wine her mother had drunk. Harry snickered until Monica sent him to refresh the water jugs.
Kelly and Lacey had begun a coordinated campaign of flirtation with Daniel, who remained patient and stoic in the face of their increasingly lubricious display.
Then Ashley noticed Lisanne’s locket.
“That’s pretty, Lis. Where’d you get that from?”
Lisanne’s hand automatically rose to her throat as half the table stared at her.
“It was a Thanksgiving gift from Daniel.”
“Wow!” said Kelly. “Is it real gold?”
Lisanne looked at Daniel for confirmation, and he nodded.
“That’s very sweet of you, Daniel,” said Monica, sounding rather severe, “but a boy at college shouldn’t be spending his money on expensive jewelry like that.”
Daniel looked annoyed but didn’t say anything.
Then Grandma Olsen stuck in her two pennies worth. “In my day, a young man wouldn’t waste his money unless he was serious about a girl.”
Lisanne winced.
“You shouldn’t have accepted such an expensive gift, Lisanne,” said Ernie, frowning at his daughter.
Daniel reached his limit. “I didn’t spend anything,” he said, quietly but firmly. “It was my mom’s.”
There was a lull in the conversation and all eyes were fixed on Daniel. Kelly and Lacey almost swooned.
Lisanne took Daniel’s hand. “Cigarette break?”
He nodded stiffly and followed her outside.
“Still glad you came?” she asked, anxiously.
He ran his hands through his hair before smiling at her and lighting a cigarette.
“I might need some more awesome car sex to make up for it.”
“Maybe you should get a car.”
“Nah. Sirona would be jealous. You know what females are like.”
“Finally, something Sirona and I have in common,” smiled Lisanne. “Other than you, of course.”
Then she heard her name being called.
“Ugh, I have to go,” she sighed. “It’s a family tradition. You stay here and finish your smoke. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Lisanne left him sitting outside as she ventured back to the living room.
“Where’s Daniel?” whispered her mom.
“Halfway to Texas if he’s got any sense,” snapped Lisanne.
Monica looked embarrassed. “Yes, that must have been quite an ordeal. I hope you explained to him about grandma.”
“Not just that—you and Dad getting on his case as well.”
“If only you’d told us about the necklace, honey, we wouldn’t have said anything.”
“I was going to tell you, Mom. I just wanted to have it myself for a while, okay?”
Her mom didn’t seem to know what to do with that answer.
“Well, grandma and Pops have been asking for your party piece,” she said. “Better get it over and done with.”
Ever since she’d been a little girl, Lisanne had sung for her family. It had become a Thanksgiving tradition. It was always the same, the Skye Boat Song, to celebrate, so Pops said, their Scottish roots.
Kelly and Lacey acted bored, and were sitting huddled together looking for all the world like they just needed a cauldron to complete the picture.
Grandma was sitting up expectantly, a little lopsided due to the industrial quantities of wine that had disappeared down her throat over the last two hours.
Aunty Jean was already looking emotional, even though she wasn’t a Maclaine, and Ashley was sitting calmly, with an encouraging expression.
Lisanne stood next to her father, who proudly put his arm around her waist.
Speed bonny boat, like a bird on a wing
Onward! the sailors cry.
Carry the lad that’s born to be King
Over the sea to Skye.
“Oh, it’s so lovely,” barked Grandma Olsen, loudly.
Loud the winds howl,
loud the waves roar,
hunderclaps rend the air;
Baffled, our foes stand by the shore,
Follow they will not dare.
Lisanne was unaware that Daniel was standing nearby, watching her intently.
Though the waves leap,
soft shall ye sleep,
Ocean’s a royal bed.
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head.
“Have you ever heard anything so lovely, Daniel?” asked Ashley, meaning to be kind.
“No,” he said, tightly.
“You must be so proud of her.”
He nodded, but didn’t speak. Ashley looked at him oddly, but didn’t say anything more.
After she’d finished singing, Lisanne couldn’t help noticing that Daniel was unnaturally quiet. He seemed more like the distant, arrogant guy she’d first met, and nothing like the playful, adorable boyfriend she’d fallen in love with.
He deflected all attempts at conversation, and wouldn’t say anything to her except that he was ‘fine’. In the end, he’d disappeared up to Harry’s room and re-emerged wearing his oil stained t-shirt, saying he had work to do on Sirona before they headed back in the morning. She watched him crouched down next to his bike, quiet, absorbed, alone.
“Just leave him be,” said Pops. “It’s been a lot for him to take in the last few days. I love your mom and dad, but they drive me crazy sometimes—and they’re my family. It’s even harder for your young man, what with having lost his own parents. I’m pretty certain he’s done his share of biting back the truth this holiday. Let him have his time alone—he’ll be fine.”
Lisanne wasn’t so sure. Up until that moment, she’d felt like it was the two of them against everyone, against the world. Suddenly, she was on the outside. It was a cold place to be.
It was well into the evening when everyone finally started to leave. Daniel avoided that drama fest by taking Sirona ‘for a test drive’. When he returned, over an hour later, it was just the Maclaines and Pops left. Grandma Olsen was spreading her affection between her children, and now it was Jean’s turn. The house was considerably quieter.
Lisanne realized that Daniel must have retrieved the bottle of Jack from her mom’s car, although she hadn’t seen him do it. She could smell the whiskey on his breath when he kissed her goodnight.
Checking they weren’t being watched, she ran her hands over his tight butt and tucked them into the back pockets of his jeans.
“See you later,” she whispered.
Daniel shook his head and gave her a small smile. “Not tonight, baby doll. We’ve got a long ride tomorrow and I’m kinda wasted.”
“But…”
“Sleep well, baby,” he said, and kissed her forehead before disappearing into Harry’s room.
Lisanne felt like crying.