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“Saw you two dancing earlier. Nice moves,” Bob said. “Enjoy your evening.”
The waitress brought their drinks as he moved back into the crowd.
“He seems nice,” Dani said.
Aaron nodded. “He’s a good partner,” and then he picked up his drink. “A toast,” he said. “To strong women with gentle hearts.”
“And to heroes everywhere,” Dani said, her eyes welling as their glasses clinked, and then they both took a drink.
Dani looked away as she put down her glass, but Aaron had seen the sudden shimmer in her eyes and knew she was battling back tears.
Aaron held out his hand, palm up.
Dani looked up at him and then slipped her hand in his, shivering slightly as his grasp tightened.
“It’s all good,” Aaron said. “No pressure. No demands. If all you need is a friend, then I’m up for the job. Just me enjoying your beautiful self and your fine company, okay?”
She looked up at him and sighed. “Yes, itisall good, thanks to you. As for whatever you’re offering, you already drew a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card, passed Go, and are well on your way to winning the game.”
Aaron shook his head, then leaned forward so that only she could hear.
“I don’t play games, sweetheart, and the only thing I want to win is your trust…and maybe one day, your heart.”
The words were still ringing in Dani’s ears when the band returned. The first song they played was a ballad. Moments later, she was in Aaron’s arms, moving around the floor. And the longer he held her, the more certain she was that it was where she belonged.
When she finally laid her head on Aaron’s shoulder, it was like levitating. She was as happy at that moment as she’d ever been.
It was after 1:00 a.m. when Aaron pulled up into Dani’s drive. They got out, walking hand in hand to the door, then inside.
“I’m going to do a walk-through to make sure you’re secure,” Aaron said.
“You don’t have to—”
“Shh,” he said softly, and stopped her words with a brief kiss. “Yes, I do,” he said and left her standing in the hall.
Dani’s heart was pounding. All she had to do was say the word and they’d be in bed. That much she knew. But it still felt like too soon, so she waited, listening to his footsteps moving from room to room, and then back again to where she was standing.
“You’re good to go, darlin’, and from that sleepy look in your eyes, I think you’re just about done for the night…or should I say, morning.”
“It was the most wonderful night ever,” she said. “It feels like I’ve known you forever, when it hasn’t even been a month.”
“When you face danger together with someone, it kind of cuts through the bullshit of life and gets down to what matters. That’s what happened to us. You keep saying I saved your life, but what you don’t realize is that you saved me, as well. I came here feeling bitter and rejected. You changed that. Knowing everything there was to know about me, you still accepted me. You accepted my whole family. I treasure your presence in my life. We have weeks behind us now, and a lot oftomorrows to look forward to. How do you feel about having dinner with us one day soon?” Aaron asked.
“At your home?” Dani asked.
He nodded. “Yes, if it sounds okay.”
“Yes, very okay. I would love it,” she said, and knew from the look in his eyes that he was going to kiss her.
And he did.
Long after he was gone and she was lying in bed, she could still feel his arms around her, and the pressure of his lips, and the thunder of her heart, and wished she hadn’t been a coward. She wanted him. In her bed. Inside her. And it would have to wait.
Aaron was in bed, staring up at the ceiling, listening to Sean snoring in the room across the hall, and hearing the old clock downstairs striking 3:00 a.m. He sighed, aching for her. But there was no deadline on how long he was willing to wait. Things that matter are forever.
Up on the mountain, the revelation of Brendan Pope’s missing wife was spreading through the families, while down in Bowling Green, the county sheriff’s office wasdeep into the Charlie Raines case, still running down every lead and following up on tips from the last bulletin they’d released.
After airing the story one more time with the added security footage of the shooter, it had given viewers more to look at than just a composite sketch. They could see mannerisms, like the tilt of one shoulder as he walked and the lanky build of his body. Hundreds of leads had come in from all over the country, but so far none had panned out.
