He got back on the highway, set his GPS, and continued driving.
NOTHING WAS GOING as Lacy had hoped. The cab took forever to arrive at the hospital, the employee at Sprint moved slower than molasses, and it had cost her a fortune for the cab to wait, although she was glad to have a replacement phone. Once she charged it, she’d put her plan into action. Thankfully, the employee at the car rental company moved quicker than the Sprint employee. By six o’clock, she was back at home and charging her new phone.
She picked out three outfits and tossed them into a backpack, then headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. She didn’t want to waste time, but she couldn’t make her big entrance with dried blood smeared on her arm. She stripped off her dirty clothes and glanced in the mirror. Her breath caught in her throat. Her hair looked like she’d been caught in a wind tunnel, all frizz and no curl. Her forehead was streaked with dirt and blood, and her chest and upper arms were already showing black-and-blue marks. Combine that with the bags under her eyes from a week of no sleep, and she would surely frighten small children. She’d been so frenzied to get her errands done and get to Dane that showering hadn’t even crossed her mind.
Her cell phone buzzed like it was on steroids. It’s finally charged. Lacy hurried to the bedside table and watched as messages came in one after another. She scrolled through the messages, grateful that the mediocre Sprint employee had been able to transfer her contacts from her broken phone. Danica, Fred, Danica, Kaylie, Danica, Danica, Kaylie, Kaylie, Fred, Dane, Danica, Danica, Dane, Dane. Dane? She scrolled back up and stared at his number. Her pulse raced as she read the messages.
I’m an ass. Can we talk? I miss u. Lacy lowered herself to the bed. He misses me. He misses me!
Half an hour later, Lace, I’m sorry. I haven’t slept in a wk. Have you?
Her lower lip trembled as she shook her head. She checked the time the next text had arrived. Forty minutes after the last. I’m not giving up on us. I know ur mad and hurt, but I love u more than sharks.
Lacy laughed. She began texting back, Sorry my phone broke. I miss u 2. I’m not ma—
A knock at the door interrupted her text. She peered out the window and saw Dane’s car parked on the street. Lacy reached up and touched her hair. She rushed to the mirror and tried to pull her hair back. Shitshitshit. Goose bumps rose on her arms. Fluttering started in her stomach and found its way to her chest. She carried the phone out of the bedroom, her hair, her pain, the accident forgotten, and she reached a trembling hand toward the doorknob. As she pulled it open, Dane’s voice filtered in.
Dane stood before her with sorrow in his eyes, and behind that sorrow she saw hope and an immeasurable amount of love. “I’m here, Lace.”
Hearing his voice after being without him for so long weakened her knees, and she fumbled for the doorknob for support.
“Me too. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere,” she said. She couldn’t believe he was there. The last week felt like a year, and just like that, she was thrown back to when they’d spoken every night, and the rush of excitement hadn’t faded. If anything, it had grown stronger, as evident by her inability to stop her hands from shaking.
“I miss you.” Dane took a step forward. “I’m so sorry, Lace, and I know you don’t have to forgive me for sending you away, but I wasn’t myself, babe. I was so lost with everything that happened to Rob and what Sheila was going through, and I couldn’t imagine you in her place.”
She wanted to fall into his arms, but she couldn’t move. It was all she could do to speak. “I know. I shouldn’t have left. I should have stood up for us, but I was in shock or something. I don’t know.” She took a deep breath. “Dane, I lied, too.”
Dane’s eyes filled with pain. He drew his eyebrows together and shook his head.
“I fell in love with you, too,” she said.
He closed his eyes and smiled, and when he opened them, his eyes were damp. Dane opened his arms. His eyes never left hers as she walked forward and met his embrace. She breathed in the scent of him, and it felt like she’d come home. Her chest hurt as he held her, but she didn’t dare move. She’d never move away from him again.
“I love you, Lace. I’ve made all kinds of mistakes, but that’s all done.” He leaned back and looked at her; then he cupped her cheeks in his palms. His eyes searched her face, as if he had only just seen her bruises. “Baby, what happened?” He kissed her forehead.
Her heart soared. “You love me?”
“More than I can express. Yes. I love you, every spec of you, from your kinky hair to the birthmark on the heel of your left foot,” he said.
“You noticed?” she asked. God, I love you.
“The first time you wore flip-flops. It’s adorable.”
“You love me.” He does; he really does. “It was one thing to hear it when you were asking me to leave, but it’s a whole other thing to hear it now,” she said. “Tell me again.”
He looked into her eyes, and before the words came out, she could feel his love surrounding her like a cloak. “Lacy Snow, I love you, now and always. I adore you.”
“Oh, Dane. I love you, too,” she said. She kissed him then, wincing when he held her too tightly.
“Tell me what happened,” he said.
“A car ran into mine when I was leaving work this afternoon.”
“Oh, baby. Why didn’t you call me? Are you okay? Look at you. Let’s get you inside.” He guided her inside, his hand never leaving the small of her back. “I wish you would have called me. I hate thinking of you being scared and hurt without me there.”
“I’m okay. Besides, it was at the hospital that I realized how much I wanted to be with you. I still can’t believe you’re here,” she said. “I was going to shower and come to you. Oh no, the shower. I left it on.” She hurried into her bedroom.
“I spent a year and a half wondering what it would feel like to be in your apartment. It feels right, Lace. It feels good,” he said as he followed her into the bedroom.
“You really were coming to see me?” He held up the backpack.
Lacy came out of the bathroom wearing a robe. “Yes, I was really coming to see you.” She draped her arms around his neck. “And I spent all those months wondering what it would feel like to have you in my bedroom, and you know what? It does feel right.” She kissed him lightly. “I realized when that car hit me that you were right. I was just driving down the street and wham. It happened so fast. I didn’t even have time to think, and then I saw it all so clearly.”
Dane sat on the bed and pulled Lacy onto his lap. She ran her finger along the dark, sexy stubble that speckled his cheeks.
“It doesn’t matter if we have a day, a week, or a year together, Dane. Whatever’s possible, I want it. All of it. Every scary, risky second of it.”
“Oh, Lace, so do I.” He brought his lips to hers and kissed her gently. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you,” he said.
“I’m okay, just sore. I still can’t believe you’re here. This last week has been like a nightmare.”
“No more nightmares, Lace. Not ever.”
“My eyes are open. I know the risks of being with you, and I know the way it feels not to be with you. I’ll take the risks any day of the week,” she said.
“I had two hours to think on the way over here, and I want you to know that I don’t expect you to give up your job. I’ll work my schedule around yours, and if you want us to be together every other week, then we’ll make it happen. My job matters, Lace, but without you, nothing has much meaning.”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think, too. I don’t want visits every other week. After spending every day with you and then being yanked apart, I know how it would feel to be separated, and it’s not a feeling I want to experience again,” she said. “I want…”
“What are you asking?”
“I’m not asking, Dane. I’m offering. If the friendship proposal still stands, I would like to accept it,” she said with a smile.
He searched her eyes, and she knew he was searching for surety.
“I’m certain, Dane. I want to be your friend-with-benefits.” I want to be so much more.
He pulled her to him.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch.”
“I’m sorry. Oh, Lace, you’ve just made me the happiest guy on earth. But I want more than friends-with-benefits. Can’t you at least be my girlfriend?”
The sparkle in his eyes told her he was teasing. She kissed his lips. “I suppose I can do that.”
“I almost forgot.” He lifted Lacy up and set her on the bed beside him. “I’ll be right back.” Lacy listened as he crossed the floor and went out the front door, then returned a minute later and sat beside her.
“It occurred to me when we were in Wellfleet that you really are my shining light, Lacy. I love you and I wanted to give you something so you would always remember our first night together.”
“Do you really think I’d ever forget our first night together?”
He handed her an eight-by-ten envelope. She withdrew a certificate from the International Star Registry, and as she read it, she ran her finger over the embossed gold star at the top.