Guardian (The Guardian Trilogy) (31 page)

He nods. 
“Mission accomplished.”

I look
down and swirl my drink around with my straw.

“When
do you think it might be completely healed?” Dane asks, staring at his glass.

Good
question.  I can’t tell him that James was just taken from me a second time. 
“Eventually,” I say in a small voice.  It’s the best answer I can give him.

He nods
again, still focused on his glass, and takes another drink.  “There’s no set
time for grief, is there?”

I shake
my head.  “I wish I could explain it to you.”

“Oh, I
don’t know,” he says and gives me a slight smile.  “I might understand it more
than you think.”

My
eyebrows shoot up.  This is news.  “How so?”

“I lost
my mom when I was 14.”

I
physically wince.  “I’m so sorry.”

He
surprises me by smiling.  “She had cancer, but she was a fighter.  And so stubborn,”
he looks at me pointedly.  “Kind of like someone else I know.”

I give
him a sheepish look.

“Still,
she had the best attitude toward everything in life, even her disease.  She
always found the time to laugh.  If she was upset, she didn’t show it much.” He
looks back across the bar.  “It was a long time ago, but you never completely get
over something like that, you know?”

I nod
with sympathy and understanding.  Yeah, I know.

We sit
in silence for a few minutes.  Dane finally turns to me.  “I didn’t mean to
bring down the party.”

I smile. 
“You didn’t.  Thanks for sharing that with me.  You didn’t have to.”

He holds
his glass to his lips.  “It just goes to show you we have more in common than
you think.”  He takes a swig of his beer.  “One of the many lessons my mom
taught me is that you can’t let too many things pass you by.  You have to be
willing to take risks.  If it’s a mistake, it’s a mistake.  Learn from it and
move on.”

“Sounds
like she was a very wise woman.”

“Well,”
he hesitates.  “She was in most things.”  He winks at me.

I sense
there is another story there.

Dane
looks over at the dancing couple.  “Care to join them?”

Yes!
my
mind answers, but “Um, no I don’t think so,” comes out of my mouth.

He nods
like he knew that was coming.  “Promise me one thing,” he says, looking
directly at me.

“What’s
that?”

“I get
one dance with you before you leave town.”

That’s
a weird request.  My brow furrows.  When will we be somewhere together to
dance?  Probably nowhere.  But then again, I never imagined us in this
particular place tonight.

He
looks at me expectantly, tilting his head in anticipation of my answer.

“Okaaay,”
I fake annoyance.  “I promise.”

He
seems satisfied with this.  He finishes his beer and sets the glass down.  “Ready
to go?  Or would you like your other half a Coke?”  He points to my barely
touched drink.

I pull
the cherry out of the glass and eat it.  “Nope.  Ready to go.”  I put a $20 on
the bar to cover our drinks and Long John’s tip.  It’s probably way more than
necessary, but he did dress up my lame order.

When we
reach Dane’s place, he asks me to pull alongside the building instead of
parking.  He’ll get out by the door.

“Thanks
for tonight,” I say sincerely.  “I really needed it.”

He
smiles.  “You’re very welcome.”  He opens the door and steps out of the car,
then peeks back in.  “You owe me a Go Kart rematch and one dance.”

I shake
my head.  “I only committed to the dance.”

He grins. 
“Just making sure you remember.”

It’s
been four days since I started back to work.  Leslie is nice and all, but it’s
not the same as working with Dane.  I miss our bantering and sarcasm.  It made the
days go by faster.  I decide to let him know and send him a text.

Work
sucks without you.

A few
minutes later he responds. 
Miss you too.

His
response makes me smile.  Then I think of James and my smile vanishes.  I wish
I could send him a message.  I picture it in my head. 
Life sucks without
you.

“Emma?”

Leslie’s
voice brings me back to reality.  “Yes?”

“Could
you be a dear and hand me two waters from the cooler?”

I nod
and grab what she needs.  I look at the clock and sigh.  Four more hours to go. 
I’m so bored.  I decide to text Shel.

What
are you doing?

She
responds. 
Not what, who ;)

Gross! 
TMI!  Never mind.

Something
up?

No. 
Just bored at work.

Text
Dane.

Already
done.

Good
girl.

I roll
my eyes.  Three hours and 56 minutes to go.  I look over to see Leslie humming
while she wipes the already clean slicer.  Hmmm.  I text Dane again.

What
are you doing?

Working
, he
responds.

Am I
interrupting you?

It’s a
welcome interruption.

I need
something to pass the time.

Something
or someone?

I’m
braver behind my phone. 
Are you volunteering?

Maybe. 
What do you have in mind?

Think,
think, think.  Ah ha! 
Don’t I owe you something?

Yes you
do.

So?

You’re
killing me.  Can’t tonight.  Busy
.

My
heart sinks.  Bummer.  I was getting brave there for a second. 
Rain check?

Absolutely.

Shel is
leaving for Ann Arbor next week.  I can’t believe our summer together is
ending.  The realization that I will be completely on my own back at school in
a couple of weeks is hitting me harder than I thought it would.  Sure, I have a
few friends on campus.  But, my close friends from home are the ones I will
want around me.  I know we can call and email, but it won’t be the same.  I’m
already looking forward to the holiday break.

It also
doesn’t help that my parents are less than thrilled with my leaving and living
on my own so far away after what happened with Patrick.  Their anxiety feeds
mine.  I know Patrick is no longer a threat; he’s in jail awaiting trial and
has been denied bail.  But, I’ve always had James by my side.  It almost feels
like I’m starting college for the very first time.

Since
this is our last weekend together, Shel, Matt, Dane, and I are headed out for
dinner.  We’re supposed to meet up at Logan’s Roadhouse, the scene of the
infamous drunk guy fight from earlier this summer.  Shel claims that night was
the first time she realized she was attracted to Matt.  I claim it was the
drunken make-out session that pushed her over the edge.  Regardless, we’re
headed to Logan’s to celebrate.  I rush to the restaurant after stopping home
to change out of my work clothes into something cuter.  I seriously can’t wait
to be done with Bay Woods.  I have one more week left.

Entering
the restaurant, I spot Shel waving me over.  I make it to the table with a
smile.  “I see you managed to get a table for four this time,” I say
sarcastically, then change focus.  “Hi, Matt.”

“Hey,”
he smiles.

“Listen,”
Shel says.  “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be where you are with Dane.”

“Which
is where?” I ask her, making a face.

She
sighs.  “You know what I mean.”

“Speaking
of,” I look around.  “Where is he?”  I had hoped to see him tonight.  We
haven’t been able to connect since the night at Adventure Land.  We’ve text
each other a few times, but he’s usually working or otherwise namelessly busy. 
Paranoia has been slowly invading my brain for days.  I’m starting to think
he’s avoiding me.

“He
should be here any minute,” Matt says looking around as well.

Our
waitress comes by to check on us.  When she steps away, I catch sight of Dane
entering the restaurant and breathe a sigh of relief.

Shel
kicks me under the table.

“Ow!” I
glare at her and rub my leg.

“Sorry,”
she says unapologetically.  Then she mouths “I saw that!”

I close
my eyes.  Apparently I need to be more careful.

“Sorry
I’m late,” Dane says as he slides into the seat next to me.  He turns and
smiles.  “Long time no see.”

Before
I can say anything, Matt distracts him with a question.  “How’s the project
going?”

Dane
looks tense.  “It’s turning out to be a little more challenging than I
anticipated.”

“I
thought you liked a challenge?” I ask while I pick up a menu.

“Some
more than others,” he says with resignation.

Something
about his tone makes me curious, and I catch his eyes dart to Matt then back to
me.  He leans close and looks over my shoulder at the menu.  “So, what are you
all having?”

When
our food arrives, the conversation turns to our last time at this restaurant. 
Shel and Matt give a hilarious play-by-play of the fight with the drunk guy
that has Dane and me rolling.  Shel even reaches back into the vault to bring
up the eating-strawberries-dipped-in-ketchup dare issued to her by Matt all
those years ago.  I haven’t laughed like this is in awhile.  We talk about
returning to school, our upcoming moves back to campus, and our wanting to be
finished with it all.  We tease Dane about being an old man since he finished with
college two years ago.  After dinner, Shel and I can’t resist and order this
amazing brownie covered in ice cream covered in hot fudge to share.  By the
time it’s gone I’m thoroughly stuffed.

“I
can’t move,” I complain, holding my stomach.

“You
have a few minutes,” she says.  “The DJ doesn’t start playing until ten.”

“We’re
dancing?” I ask with surprise.  I guess it didn’t dawn on me because there
wasn’t a band playing tonight.  I smile.  This will be fun.  I haven’t been
dancing with Shel in years.  She immediately drags me to the dance floor as
soon as the DJ starts.  As I pass Dane to get out of our table, he grabs my
arm.

“Remember
what you promised me.”  He cocks an eyebrow.

“I
know.  I haven’t forgotten.”  My heart does a flip.  I hadn’t forgotten, but
I’m just now putting two and two together.  Man I’m slow.

Shel
and I have a blast dancing.  And we don’t stop.  Matt and Dane watch us from
the table, Shel waving to Matt every once and a while.

I yell
at her over the music, “I take it he doesn’t dance?”

She
makes a sad face and shakes her head.  “His only downfall!”

After
about a half hour, when the song changes to something slow, I immediately
decide it’s time for a bathroom break.  It’s clear what I’m avoiding; I just
need a minute to pull myself together.  I tell Shel where I’m headed and turn. 
Halfway to the bathroom I’m intercepted.  Someone grabs my hand from behind.

“Oh no,
you don’t,” Dane says as I turn to face him.

“I have
to pee,” I tell him and try to keep a straight face.

“You’re
stalling,” he says as he pulls me away from the restrooms and leads me back
toward the dance floor.

I
actually do kinda have to pee.  Whatever.  Let’s get this over with.

He
leads me into the sea of people that already occupies the floor.  I look for
Shel, but can’t find her.  Dane turns and faces me, placing the hand he holds
on his shoulder.  He releases it and wraps his hands around my waist as I place
my other hand on his other shoulder.  A small space remains between us as we
start to move.

“Does
this make you uncomfortable?” he asks, wearing that smirk of his.  The one that
makes me want to hug him and slap him at the same time.

Is that
his plan?  To make me uncomfortable just to watch me squirm?  Two can play at
this game.  “No,” I say with confidence.  I try to act indifferent as I wrap my
arms higher around his neck and take a step forward pressing my body against
his.  He instinctively wraps his arms tightly around my waist.  “Does
this
make
you
uncomfortable?” I challenge.

I actually
see his breathing hitch.  He rearranges his features; he knows what I’m doing. 
“No.”  He gives me a sly smile.

“Okay
then.”  I rest my head against him, under his chin.  Through his shirt, I can
feel his heartbeat pick up, and it makes me smile.  I may actually win this
little game.

His
arms loosen around me a little, and I feel his hands start to play against my
lower back.  My heart jumps.  Dang!  He probably felt that.  As I try to calm
my pulse, I move my fingers to his neck and start to play with the hair at his
hairline.  His hands stop moving against me in surprise.  Ha!  Another point
for me.

We
continue to move slowly with the music.  I feel his hands start to move at my
back again and then one leaves rank and starts to travel to my backside.  I
jerk my head up so I can look at him.  He freezes.  “What?”

“Don’t
look so innocent!  I know what you’re doing!”

“What
am I doing?”  He suppresses a smile.

“You’re
trying to grab my ass.”

He
feigns confusion.  “You mean like this?”  He slides both his hands down and
grabs two handfuls of my behind.

I jump,
but resist the urge to slap his hands away.  He’s wearing that grin of his as I
try to look impassive.  I calmly remove my hands from his neck and place them
on his, picking them up and moving them back to my waist.  I don’t say anything
as I wrap my arms back around him and place my head under his chin.  I can feel
his chest shake with laughter.

We
finish the song wrapped around each other.  I try not to feel comfortable in
his arms, but it doesn’t work.  If I could’ve melted, I probably would have.  I
can lie to other people, but I can’t lie to myself.  I’ve missed this.  Strong
arms to hold me, arms that are real.  When he steps away, I have to resist the
need to hang on to him.

The
music picks up again and Shel finds me out of nowhere.  Dane smiles.  “Ladies,”
he says as he leaves my side.  I give him a small smile as I watch him go.

“Really?”
Shel looks at me with a sarcastic expression.  “‘
Nothing’s going on’
,”
she says as she mimics my voice.

“Nothing
is going on,” I sigh.

“It looks
mighty on from over here,” she says as she starts to dance.

I try
to hide my smile as I lose myself in the music, the dancing, and our laughter. 
I catch Dane’s eye from time to time as he sits with Matt at our table.  I know
he’s watching me, and I’m not sure if I can describe how I feel about that. 
But I know it’s a good feeling, and I like it.

I hold
out as long as I can, but eventually I need the bathroom.  Shel and I head that
way.  As we pass our table, she stops and gives Matt a kiss.  I roll my eyes at
Dane.  He grins as he tries to catch me around my waist, but I jump out of the
way.  When I look back to see if Shel is following me I catch his expression.  I
think he looks hurt.  What’s that all about?  I plan to ask him when I return
but when we get back from our break, he’s gone.

“Where’d
he go?” I ask Matt confused.

Matt
looks at me sympathetically, which is surprising.  “He, um, had to leave.”

“Why?”

Matt shrugs
as Shel looks between us confused.

What
the hell?  He’s just going to leave without saying goodbye?  Not acceptable.  I
reach for my phone and send him a text message.

Why did
you leave???

I wait
impatiently for his reply.  Minutes later my phone buzzes in my hand. 
I
can’t handle watching something I can’t have.

I
frown. 
Are you calling me a tease?

If the
shoe fits
.

Anger
wells up in my chest.  That was not what I was doing!  Who does he think he is? 
I grab my stuff.

“What
did he say?” Shel asks, concerned.

“A
lot,” I snap.

“Well,
where are you going?”

“To
straighten out a certain someone.”  I give her a hug and then Matt.  “I’ll call
you,” I tell Shel as I head for the door.

“Be
careful,” she says as I leave.

“I’m
not the one you need to worry about,” I mutter under my breath as I step out
into the night air.