AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He’d made the offer to get Dani a plane ticket again, but she refused. She was not ready to leave. She wanted to do it all on her own, which he understood and admired. He just wasn’t sure where that would leave them.
He took in a deep breath. The salty sea air made him itch to go into the water. He’d been good the last few days, relaxing and letting his knee heal, but right now all he wanted to do was let the waves hit his feet.
“Want to take a walk with me?” He waited to see what Dani would say.
“Sure.”
“I want to wade in the ocean.”
Dani smiled and stood. “That sounds like fun.”
They walked around the resort to the boardwalk, and then down to the sandy beach. Austin pulled off his shoes and socks and placed them by the sign that reminded people there was no lifeguard on the beach. Dani took off her sandals and placed them beside his shoes. For some reason, looking at their shoes together like that made a wave of emotion swell in Austin.
It was kind of dumb, but the shoes sitting together made them look like they were a family. He could imagine a small pair of shoes sitting there as well. The mental image made his heart thump in his chest. It was sappy, but he didn’t care.
Having Claire almost take away what he’d had with Dani had made him see that life was too short to sit back and let things happen. He didn’t want to stay silent anymore about his feelings. If Dani wasn’t ready for a relationship, then he’d wait for her. But he was done pretending he wasn’t in love with her.
The cold water rippled over his feet and he sucked in a breath. Dani giggled. “Yeah, that’s a bit frigid. But it feels good, too. Doesn’t it?”
“Yes. I just wasn’t expecting it to be that cold.”
They walked along the water’s edge making footprints in the sand that would fill up with water when the waves came in, and then back out. Austin itched to reach out and take Dani’s hand. Finally, after a few moments, he gathered up his courage and did so. Her skin was warm and soft, and she didn’t pull away.
He wondered what he could say to express how he was feeling. All of the words that came to mind didn’t even begin to touch the surface. He wanted to be with Dani. He wanted to be the one who took care of her, to keep her safe from all the crazies in the world. He adored everything about her. How does a person say that, though?
Dani’s thumb grazed over his, and he took courage. He slowed his footsteps. He opened his mouth to start the conversation, but Dani spoke first.
“Kay called me into her office this morning.”
“Oh?” He peered at her, bathed in moonlight. “What did she want?”
“She gave me my paycheck.” Dani hid a smile.
“That’s good.” Why was she acting funny?
“It was a lot more than I thought it would be.”
“Really? Why?”
“I had given Kay a ring that I found in a room. I guess the woman who lost it was so thankful she gave me some reward money.” Dani grinned. “I got over a thousand dollars.”
“Whoa, seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s enough for a plane ticket.”
“I know.” Dani examined her fingernails. “I’ve been thinking a lot about my future and what you’ve been saying.”
“And?”
“I’m going to find my own place in LA and enroll in college.”
A swell of emotion closed his throat. She was going to break off from her father’s money. Danica Jordan was going to make it on her own. He knew she could do it. He squeezed her hand. He knew she could do it.
He stopped and turned to her. The moonlight made her look even more beautiful, if that was possible. He wasn’t sure. She was radiant on her own. But something about the waves of the sea and the mood of the evening made his heart leap. He reached up and brushed his fingers down the side of her face. “You’re amazing.”
She shook her head. “Not really. I’m nothing special.”
