Dance Like Nobody's Watching (Summer Lake 3) (21 page)

If it was just about her, she'd happily be swept
along by the excitement she felt, jump in both feet first and see
where they ended up. But it was about Scotty too. She'd been so
grateful to see his friendship with Dan grow these last few months.
So happy to see the way he was growing in confidence, coming out of
his shell more every day. The last few weeks, she'd noticed the way
he'd been growing emotionally attached too. She hadn't missed all the
hugs, or the way Scot turned to Dan whenever he was unsure of
himself. She loved the relationship the two of them were building,
but she was afraid of damaging it. If she and Dan got together and it
didn't work out between the two of them, what effect would it have on
Scot? Was it a risk work taking? She pursed her lips. What was the
alternative? Her and Dan not getting together? Not even trying? That
really wasn't an option. She loved Dan. Scot loved Dan. And he loved
them. Between the three of them they'd work it out. It was a risk,
but so was life. You didn't get anywhere good by not taking risks,
she knew that much. If they were all honest with each other they'd be
okay, whether it worked out or not. She hated the idea of Scot
getting hurt, but more than that, she hated the idea of not even
trying for something that could be so good for all three of them. All
they could do was talk about it. She didn't like to hide anything
from Scot; she felt it was important to involve him in decisions that
affected him. He was smart enough, and after all he was becoming a
young man in his own right.

Dan reached across and drew her towards him,
sleepy eyes tender as his smile spread. “Good morning,
beautiful.”

She found herself pressed against his warm body,
looking into deep brown eyes. “Good morning.”

His hand closed around the back of her neck and
she felt herself go limp. “C'mere little kitten, I need you.”
His eyes may be sleepy, but his body was wide awake as he pulled her
on top of him.

“I need you too, Dan,” she murmured as
he ran his hands down her back. And it was true. She needed him in so
many ways. As he rocked her against his arousal, she knew he could
satisfy this immediate need. She could only hope that he might be
able to meet her other needs even half as well.

“So, Mr. Planner,” Ben looked at Pete,
“what's the plan for your bachelor party? I know you've got all
the scheduling figured out for the big spring wedding, but I've not
heard anything about the guys’ night. Please tell me we get to
go to Vegas this time?”

Pete laughed. “Don't look at me. That's
Jack's department. I'll go along with whatever my partner decides.”
He grinned at Holly. “That way, my bride can't hold
me
responsible.”

Holly laughed. “Do what you like, Bigshot.
Just don't ask about our weekend!”

Pete's cocky grin faded a little. “
Weekend?
What's the plan? This is the first I've heard!”

Holly was still laughing. “Never you mind.
You take care of your own party.”

Dan liked Holly. She was fun and confident. Until
Holly came along he'd never known anyone but Jack and Missy who could
put Pete in his place.

“In that case,” said Ben, “my
vote is definitely for Vegas. What do you say, Jack?”

Jack looked at Dan. “We'll have to watch
this one if we go there.”

Dan smiled as the whole group turned towards him.
With this bunch, he didn't feel uncomfortable, or self-conscious at
being the center of attention. Missy looked up at him enquiringly.
“We'd come home a bit richer.” He smiled.

“Oh, my God!” cried Holly. “You
play the tables?”

He nodded. “It's just a numbers game.”

“Yeah,” said Jack. “And you
should see the numbers he pockets!”

Dan looked at Missy, hoping she wouldn't
disapprove. Olivia had given him hell when she'd found out he and
Steven had been spending their weekends at the Bellagio. They weren't
exactly wild party guys—to them it had been an interesting
exercise in math and probability. To Olivia it had been
unacceptable—until she found out how much they'd won.

Missy wrinkled her nose at him, but said nothing.
He needed to know that she wasn't cross with him. “Do you like
Vegas?”

She shrugged. “I've never been. I always
thought it would be fun though. I don't know how to gamble, but one
day I want to go see the shows. That would be cool.”

She'd never been to Vegas? He'd have to fix that.
She'd love it. He smiled at her, but the conversation had already
moved on. Ben was trying to convince Jack that Vegas was the only
option for Pete's bachelor party. She smiled back at him and leaned a
little closer. He'd love to take her to Vegas, even take her to a
show. Give her a chance to get all dressed up. He realized that this
was one of their many differences. As much as he loved this place,
the beautiful lake, the great group of friends, breakfasts out on the
Boathouse deck like this, nights spent listening and dancing to the
band, to him it was all new and novel. To her, it was her everyday
life and she craved the chance to get away from it sometimes. He put
an arm around her shoulders, determined to give her all the chances
she wanted.

“Whatever you guys decide,” Pete was
saying, “I'm up for it, but for now, we need to get going.”
He and Holly were heading back to LA for a few days.

As they stood to leave, Dan rose too. He wanted to
talk to Holly. He was relieved when Emma turned to Missy to ask her
about some recipe. “I'll be back,” he said, and followed
Pete and Holly out into the square.”

“S'up, Dan?” asked Pete.

Dan looked back over his shoulder to make sure
they were out of earshot. “I wanted to ask Holly a favor.”

“Of course,” she said. “What can
I do?”

Dan shifted from one foot to the other. He'd been
so sure of this, but as Holly looked at him expectantly, he wasn't so
convinced. Maybe it was a bad idea?

Pete saved him “Was it about the
fundraiser?”

“Kind of.”

Holly raised an eyebrow.

“If Missy and I come, she'll need something
to wear and I'd like to buy it. I wondered if you might help?”

The last of his hesitation dissolved at Holly's
response. “Damn, Dan! You surprised me, sweetie. You're not as
clueless as I thought!”

Dan grinned. This was why he liked her. She was
straightforward, just like Missy. She wasn't mocking him, she was
genuinely surprised, and pleased.

“I'd love to help, and I know her taste and
what suits her. In fact I can probably get her into the store between
now and then to try stuff on.”

“That'd be great,” said, Dan, “But
do you think you could find her something this week too?”

Holly looked puzzled.

“Something she could wear to do dinner and a
show in Vegas?”

Holly grinned. “I'd love to. You're really
not the clueless geek you make out to be, are you?”

“Holly!” Pete scowled at her.

Dan laughed. “I hope not, but I have a lot
to learn, I'm hoping you guys will help me figure it all out.”

“I'll do anything I can, anytime. But I'm
not so sure Bigshot here can help, he's pretty clueless himself. It
would never occur to him to get
me
a dress.” Holly gave
Pete a pointed look, before turning back to Dan. “We'll be back
midweek and I have the perfect one in mind for a little trip to
Vegas. I'll call you, okay?”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“No problem at all.”

Pete smiled. “Though it may become a problem
if you keep showing me up!”

Dan grinned, “Don't worry, big guy, I'll
give you tips on how to treat your lady right.”

Holly laughed, delighted at the look on Pete's
face. “Oh, Dan, you are priceless! You can help me keep this
one in line.”

Dan shrugged at Pete with a smile. “Thanks
guys.”

“Yeah, thanks a lot,” Pete said with a
rueful grin as he went to get in his truck.

“I'll call you,” said Holly.

Dan made his way back to the table where Missy
still chatted with Emma. Jack stood by the railing over the lake,
talking into his cell phone.

Ben came out from the restaurant. “Here's
the key, bud. You can go over any time.”

“Thanks, we're going to go straight from
here.”

“We?”

Dan nodded.

Ben smiled. “Okay. They told me to let you
know that they'd be happy to rent it to you. They really want to see
some return on it soon. So even if you want to buy it, they'd be
happy to rent it to you ’til you close.”

Dan thought about that. “And the sale
includes all the furnishings?”

“Right down to linens and cutlery. It's all
good quality too. I love it. You could move in today if you wanted
to. All you'd need is your toothbrush.”

Dan liked that idea. “We'd better go take a
look then.”

***

Dan opened the front gate and let Missy walk up
the path ahead of him. He was glad she'd agreed to come see the place
with him. He already knew he wanted it. He didn't care what it was
like inside. It was her favorite house. He wanted it for her. If she
didn't like the way it was inside, he'd change it to whatever she
wanted. He only hoped she would agree to come and live here with him.
She started up the front steps then turned back to look at him.

“I can't believe this, Dan! I loved this
house as a kid. I love it now. To think you might live here is
crazy.”

He smiled and put his arms around her. “You
know that what I want most is for
us
to live here. You, me,
and Scotty. That's my hope.”

She nodded, her eyes liquid silver, strengthening
his hope.

“Come on, then.” He led her up the
last few steps and unlocked the front door. “After you.”

She stepped inside and he followed, into a grand
entrance hall with a sweeping staircase. Missy looked at him, her
face unreadable. She walked past the staircase, through to a huge
living area. A row of French doors gave a beautiful view of the lake.
They opened up to a brick patio area, filled with hanging baskets and
edged by trellises with climbing flowers. Beyond the patio, lawns led
down to the water’s edge. There was a little sandy beach and
what looked like a boat shed; the large dock had a boat-lift and a
little screened-in room. Dan took it all in, loving what he saw.

He turned to Missy. She looked sad. “What it
it, Miss?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. It's
beautiful, isn't it?”

“It is, but what's wrong?”

“It's just me. It makes me sad that its soul
has gone. I used to love coming here when it was the DeWinters'
place. It was such a friendly place, full of laughter and love. Right
now, it feels like your apartment. It is beautiful, but it's so
impersonal. It's not a home, it's a showpiece.”

He came to stand before her. “But we can
change that, Miss. We can make it
our
home. Fill it with our
life and our laughter. Fill it with our love, the three of us. What
do you say?”

“I don't know, Dan. I can't see me and
Scotty here. Can you imagine how long that rug would stay
cream-colored? I couldn't relax around all this expensive furniture.
I'd be too worried about breaking something.”

“But it'll be our furniture, if we want to
keep it, it won't matter if we break it. Or we can get rid of it all,
furnish it how we want it, make it comfortable and homey.” She
looked so uncertain. He didn't know what else to say. He'd hoped she
would be happy and excited. He needed to walk away again, just for a
minute. He walked through to the kitchen and, seeing it, his need to
be alone evaporated. He called back to her. “You have to see
this, Miss.”

She appeared in the doorway and grinned. “This
hasn't changed much. This was the heart of the place.”

“I can see why.” It was an old-style
country kitchen, now given the best of modern finishes. There was one
of those big ranges and a double fridge, sub-zero. Sturdy pine
cabinets lined the walls and a large island stood in the middle with
bar stools along one side. Double sinks stood under a window that
looked out onto a side yard with apple trees and a little herb
garden. A sturdy farmhouse table stood in front of a bay window, with
more French doors leading out to a pool. Dan went and sat at the
table. This felt like a homey space.

“Can't you just see Scot sitting here doing
his homework?” He knew from the smile on her face that she
could, and that she loved the idea. He pushed his advantage. “And
I'll bet his homework would get done a lot quicker if he knew we
couldn't go in the pool ’til it was finished.

She laughed at that.

“Life would be a lot different for him here,
Miss. It would be different for all of us. Better for all of us,
don't you think?”

Her eyes were troubled now, but still light gray,
not dark. “I think it would be, Danny.” She'd called him
Danny! That felt like a good omen. He relaxed a little as she
continued. “I just don't know though. I mean, it's all so fast.
Maybe we should take it slow? See how well we work together over
time. I don't want you to buy a place for a family if we're not going
to become one. I don't want you to become an even bigger part of
Scotty's life if it's not going to work out.” She came and sat
on his lap at the table. “I want you. I want this. I want us,
more than I've ever wanted anything, but it's all so fast. What if
it's not real?”

He closed his hand around the back of her neck and
felt her relax against him. “It's not really that fast Miss.
We've known each other for months. We got to know each other as
friends. There was no putting on a front to impress each other. You
know me. You've seen who I am. You know I'm quiet, I'm messy, I don't
cook, or clean. You know that sometimes I don't talk for hours on
end. You know I need more alone time than anyone you've ever met.”
He bit his lip, but needed to say it, “You also know that
sometimes, when there's too much emotion or it all gets confusing, I
need to walk away for a while to clear my head.”