up. With success, I might add.”
“Please don’t feel like you have to go.” He had to find a way to put the brakes on his daughter’s growing fondness for Danielle. Yet something squeezed at his heart at the thought of telling Ava she’d have to miss selling her crafts. She had worked so hard. “I’ll try to get out of work early.”
“Let me take her.”
“You’re busy.”
Danielle stood and glared at him, the moonlight reflected in the whites of her eyes. “Is this you speaking or your mother?” Without waiting for an answer, she strode toward the steps.
Patrick followed her down the steps. “Wait.”
Danielle spun around. “I’m not good enough to keep your daughter company?”
He jerked his head back. “What? I never said that.”
Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes as she jutted her chin out in defiance. “You didn’t have to.”
Patrick raked a hand through his hair. He turned and stared toward the street, then back at Danielle. Something in his heart shifted. “You’re not talking about my daughter. You’re talking about me. Us.”
She snorted. “There was never an us . Just a foolish little girl.”
“You were just a girl. You had to carve out your own life. Go to college.” He lifted his palm toward her. “You’re a successful lawyer.”
She crossed her arms and ground her teeth.
“You would have resented me. You needed to spread your wings.” He stretched out his hand, daring to stroke her smooth cheek with his fingers, but she stepped back, out of his reach.
“You never gave me a chance.” She lowered her gaze.
Patrick moved closer and tilted his head, trying to see into her eyes. “We were kids.”
“You got married the very next year.” Danielle’s eyes narrowed.
“I was being deployed.”
She lifted her hands in a surrender gesture. “I don’t care anymore. It’s not relevant to my life now.” She pointed at him. “I am taking Ava to the fall festival. I am not going to disappoint that little girl. I’d never do that to her.”
She spun around and Patrick caught her arm. “Please, don’t leave mad.”
Danielle froze and shook her head. Tears on her cheeks glimmered under the white light. He swept his thumb across the wetness and cupped her cheek. Her breath hitched. That was all the invitation he needed. Lowering his face, he brushed a kiss across her soft lips. The heat of the contact sent a keen awareness flowing through his body.
Danielle’s dark lashes swept her fair cheeks. She let out a shaky breath. Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed his wrist, forcing his hand away from her face. She shook her head and took a few steps backward. “I can’t.” She spun around to leave.
“Wait, I know Bunny fixed a plate for Gram,” Patrick said, hoping Danielle would stay long enough to calm down.
Danielle shook her head. “I made Gram dinner before I left. Thanks anyway.” Her voice cracked. “I really have to go.” She lifted her hand in a quick wave and ran across the yard.
A wind whipped up, sending a chill down his spine. He glanced around as an uneasy feeling dogged him. What was he doing? Rooted in place, he watched until he saw lights come on in Danielle’s home. She was safe.
He supposed that’s all that mattered for now.
Chapter Nine
Danielle’s heart jackhammered when she saw Patrick’s police cruiser in Gram’s driveway. Had something happened to Jenny? Or Gram? Fear welled up in her throat. She climbed out of the cab and handed the fare to the driver through the open window, nearly missing his hand in the exchange. The hundred-dollar bill would more than cover the fare plus tip.
Without a backward glance at the departing cab, Danielle strode across the gravel, immediately annoyed with herself for leaving Mayport for her trip to Atlanta. At the last minute, the bank had postponed Tina Welch’s foreclosure hearing until next week. The urgency of the trip had been lost before the landing gear of the Boeing 747 had hit the
“Please don’t feel like you have to go.” He had to find a way to put the brakes on his daughter’s growing fondness for Danielle. Yet something squeezed at his heart at the thought of telling Ava she’d have to miss selling her crafts. She had worked so hard. “I’ll try to get out of work early.”
“Let me take her.”
“You’re busy.”
Danielle stood and glared at him, the moonlight reflected in the whites of her eyes. “Is this you speaking or your mother?” Without waiting for an answer, she strode toward the steps.
Patrick followed her down the steps. “Wait.”
Danielle spun around. “I’m not good enough to keep your daughter company?”
He jerked his head back. “What? I never said that.”
Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes as she jutted her chin out in defiance. “You didn’t have to.”
Patrick raked a hand through his hair. He turned and stared toward the street, then back at Danielle. Something in his heart shifted. “You’re not talking about my daughter. You’re talking about me. Us.”
She snorted. “There was never an us . Just a foolish little girl.”
“You were just a girl. You had to carve out your own life. Go to college.” He lifted his palm toward her. “You’re a successful lawyer.”
She crossed her arms and ground her teeth.
“You would have resented me. You needed to spread your wings.” He stretched out his hand, daring to stroke her smooth cheek with his fingers, but she stepped back, out of his reach.
“You never gave me a chance.” She lowered her gaze.
Patrick moved closer and tilted his head, trying to see into her eyes. “We were kids.”
“You got married the very next year.” Danielle’s eyes narrowed.
“I was being deployed.”
She lifted her hands in a surrender gesture. “I don’t care anymore. It’s not relevant to my life now.” She pointed at him. “I am taking Ava to the fall festival. I am not going to disappoint that little girl. I’d never do that to her.”
She spun around and Patrick caught her arm. “Please, don’t leave mad.”
Danielle froze and shook her head. Tears on her cheeks glimmered under the white light. He swept his thumb across the wetness and cupped her cheek. Her breath hitched. That was all the invitation he needed. Lowering his face, he brushed a kiss across her soft lips. The heat of the contact sent a keen awareness flowing through his body.
Danielle’s dark lashes swept her fair cheeks. She let out a shaky breath. Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed his wrist, forcing his hand away from her face. She shook her head and took a few steps backward. “I can’t.” She spun around to leave.
“Wait, I know Bunny fixed a plate for Gram,” Patrick said, hoping Danielle would stay long enough to calm down.
Danielle shook her head. “I made Gram dinner before I left. Thanks anyway.” Her voice cracked. “I really have to go.” She lifted her hand in a quick wave and ran across the yard.
A wind whipped up, sending a chill down his spine. He glanced around as an uneasy feeling dogged him. What was he doing? Rooted in place, he watched until he saw lights come on in Danielle’s home. She was safe.
He supposed that’s all that mattered for now.
Chapter Nine
Danielle’s heart jackhammered when she saw Patrick’s police cruiser in Gram’s driveway. Had something happened to Jenny? Or Gram? Fear welled up in her throat. She climbed out of the cab and handed the fare to the driver through the open window, nearly missing his hand in the exchange. The hundred-dollar bill would more than cover the fare plus tip.
Without a backward glance at the departing cab, Danielle strode across the gravel, immediately annoyed with herself for leaving Mayport for her trip to Atlanta. At the last minute, the bank had postponed Tina Welch’s foreclosure hearing until next week. The urgency of the trip had been lost before the landing gear of the Boeing 747 had hit the
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