Daniel's Desire (10 page)

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” she asked, even though she could count at least a dozen solid, rational reasons against it all on her own.

“There’s my wife, for one thing. There’s my brother for another. And the long arm of the law. It’s a bad idea all around, Molly.”

“I figured you’d say that,” she admitted.

“So you don’t intend to tie me up and hijack my boat?” he asked, only partially in jest.

“If I thought I could get away with it, I’d consider it, believe me,” she said. “But no. I’ll go back quietly.” She met his gaze. “Just not too soon, okay?”

“Good decision,” Patrick said, looking past her. “Especially since the boat that’s heading our way seems to be piloted by my brother, and he’s looking none too pleased with either one of us.”

Molly whirled around just as Daniel pulled alongside. The scowl on his face spoke volumes. Patrick was right. He was definitely not pleased. Even so, he looked incredibly handsome, with his cheeks colored by the wind and his hair mussed. She did love it when he was all rumpled. It reminded her that no one was as perfect as Daniel usually tried to be.

“Hello,” Molly called cheerfully, standing her ground even though her heart was pounding.

Still scowling at her, Daniel took a rope and tossed it to Patrick. “Tie me up,” he commanded.

Patrick complied without a word, then headed for the stern, where he spoke quietly to a wide-eyed Kendra, then led her below.

“You seem upset,” Molly said to Daniel.

“Upset?” His voice climbed in a very un-Daniel-like way. “You don’t have a clue. Retta’s upset. I’ve moved on to livid. What the
hell
were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that a day on the water would be good for me and good for Kendra.”

“That’s it?” he asked incredulously. “This is some little feel-good outing?”

“That’s it,” she said.

“You intended all along to come back?”

“Of course.”

His gaze narrowed. “Really?”

“Okay, there was a fleeting moment when I tried to persuade Patrick to sail us away to the ends of the earth, but he had all sorts of pesky objections.”

“Such as?”

“His wife. You. The cops.” She looked into Daniel’s stormy eyes and added again, “You. That one bothered me, too.”

He took a step closer until she could feel the heat radiating off him. “Then you did, at least for a moment, consider my feelings?”

She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, with him so close. He was deliberately crowding her, deliberately reminding her of the kiss the night before. All she could do was nod.

He reached out, traced the curve of her jaw and set off goose bumps. “How did you think I’d react when I discovered you were gone?”

She swallowed hard. “Furious,” she muttered, then cleared her throat and faced him squarely. “I thought you’d be furious.”

“But you left, anyway,” he said flatly.

“I had to.”

“Why? To protect Kendra?”

Now, she thought, now was the time to say it, to get it out and deal with it. “No,” she said softly. “To protect myself.”

She hadn’t realized it, but he’d apparently been holding his breath, because he released it now, and for the first time since he’d climbed aboard the
Katie G.,
there was a smile on his lips. It was so like Patrick’s, yet different. Charming. Compelling. Devastating.

“Ah,” he said, cupping her chin. “Is this what you were afraid of, Molly?”

He lowered his head until his mouth was a tantalizing breath away from hers. He made her wait, and then wait some more, before finally closing that infinitesimal gap and touching his lips to hers. Gently, then more persuasively, coaxing her to accept the kiss, to open her mouth to the sweep of his tongue.

Oh, hell, she thought as she felt the kiss right down to the tips of her toes. She clung to him, trying not to sigh with the sheer pleasure of it.

She’d kept him from saying the words the night before, but there was love in that kiss and maybe just a hint of desperation. She knew how that felt, that neediness, combined with a fear that what she wanted most in the world was something she could never have.

When he finally pulled away, he muttered a soft curse. “I wish we were alone out here.”

“Me, too,” she admitted, then glanced toward the boat he’d borrowed, rented or stolen to come after them. “There is that.”

Daniel chuckled when he realized she was actually considering the barely seaworthy vessel beside them as the appropriate place for a lover’s tryst.

“I don’t think so, darlin’.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” she asked.

“All used up just chasing after you in that thing,” he said. “I’m sailing back on my brother’s boat.”

“Maybe Patrick could take that one back to shore,” she said thoughtfully.

“And leave us with his precious trawler? Sweetheart, he doesn’t trust either one of us that much.”

Molly sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it up to you once we’re back on dry land,” he promised.

“Something tells me once we get back to dry land, we’re going to have other fish to fry,” she said dryly.

Daniel laughed. “No question about that. Joe was all for calling out the Coast Guard. I talked him into waiting at the docks himself.”

Molly took a step back. “He’s there waiting for Kendra?”

“Not to take her,” Daniel insisted. “To talk to her.”

“Are you sure? One hundred percent sure?”

“I trust him,” Daniel told her. “And I told him he could trust you and me to bring Kendra back. Don’t even consider doing anything that would make a liar out of me.”

If it was time to face her feelings about Daniel, it was also time to have a little faith in him. He knew he had a lot to prove to her. He wouldn’t risk letting her down.

“Okay, then,” she said, drawing herself up. “I’d better go below and talk to Kendra. I’ll send Patrick up. You two could try mending some fences, as well.”

“This is not the ship of miracles, darlin’. More like a ship of fools.”

She frowned at him. “Only if you let it be. Talk to him, Daniel. He doesn’t want to be so angry, not with you, not with your parents. Give him a reason not to be.”

“I’m not sure I have one.”

“You’ll find it,” she said. “That’s what you do. You find solutions for people. I have complete faith in you.”

His eyes widened at that. “You do?”

She nodded, probably almost as startled by the admission as he was. “When it comes to things like this, yes. Now it’s your turn not to make a liar or a fool out of me.”

D
aniel watched warily as Patrick walked onto the deck and came toward him. There was little question that what was said between them in the next few minutes could make all the difference in their strained relationship. “You looking to throw me overboard?” he asked.

“Not unless I have to,” Patrick replied.

“Molly thinks we should make peace.”

“Yeah, she would.”

“So do I.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible,” Patrick said, sounding resigned. “Every time I think we’re on that road, I see you take our parents’ side again, the way you did last night.”

Daniel chose his words carefully. He didn’t want to make things any worse than they already were. He needed to find the middle ground, assuming there was
one. Why was it he could negotiate a truce between rebellious kids and their families, but he couldn’t solve anything when it came to his own? He had to try, though, and now was the time.

He met his brother’s gaze. “Maybe there shouldn’t be sides, Patrick. We’re a family, after all. We’ve got our flaws, just like every other family.”

Patrick’s bark of laughter was derisive. “Is that how you see it? That there are a few little gnats in the ointment that keep us from having the perfect family?”

“I’m not going for perfect,” Daniel corrected. “You’re the one expecting that. I’ll settle for seven adults who at least try to communicate, who can seek some level of understanding and forgiveness. We’re not children anymore. We should be able to do this.”

Patrick shook his head. “I don’t know. For it to work, Mom and Dad would have to meet us halfway, and I don’t see that happening. Do you?”

Daniel considered the question with the careful thought it deserved. “It won’t be easy, but yes. I think they will. I think I can make them see that they’re losing out on more than the sons who should have been in their lives. Ryan, Sean and Michael have taken that hard first step. I can tell them that it’s up to them to take the next one. Maybe realizing that they’re missing out on getting to know their grandchildren will help, too.”

“And you think they’ll buy that?” Patrick scoffed.

“I do,” he said, needing to believe in the goodness he and Patrick had seen in their parents all their lives.

“With a baby of my own on the way, no one would like to believe that more than me,” Patrick responded. “Alice’s parents are dead. I’d like our child to have
one set of grandparents in their lives, but I don’t see it happening.”

“Maybe we’ll never have raucous, happy family reunions together,” Daniel said. “But we might be able to pull off the occasional holiday without risking an all-out war.”

“You’re a romantic dreamer,” Patrick said.

Daniel laughed. “No one’s ever accused me of that before. I’m the hardheaded, practical one, remember?”

“Not about this,” Patrick argued. “I know what you want, Daniel, and I know how badly you want it. I don’t even blame you. I just think it’s impossible.”

“Nothing’s impossible if you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get it.”

Patrick studied him intently. “Does that go for Molly, too? Do you want her back in your life badly enough to do whatever it takes?”

Daniel didn’t want to go there, not with Patrick. “Maybe we should leave Molly out of this,” he said. “You’re a little too protective where she’s concerned. And you’ve painted me as the bad guy.”

“You
were
the bad guy,” Patrick reminded him. “And someone had to look out for Molly.”

The barb struck home, just as his twin had obviously intended. “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I have some idea what a huge mistake I made?”

“Especially for a man who’s making such a big deal about the importance of family,” Patrick said.

“I know. I get it,” Daniel said impatiently. “I know what I did was stupid and wrong and unconscionable. I think Molly’s on the verge of forgiving me, though. Are you going to let her?”

Patrick gave him a hard, unrelenting stare, then shrugged. “It’s not up to me. Molly’s her own woman, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed. Believe me, I’ve noticed.” He studied his brother’s face. “Will we have your blessing if we do get back together?”

“Do you honestly care?”

Daniel nodded. “Whether you believe it or not, I’ve always cared what you thought of me.”

Patrick held his gaze, a challenge in his eyes, then finally released a sigh. “I love you,” he said simply. “Even when I’ve been mad as hell at you, I’ve loved you. We’re twins. How could I not?”

Daniel felt something ease deep inside him at his brother’s words. “That goes for me, too,” he told Patrick. “As long as we remember that, we can work out all the rest.”

They stood there awkwardly for a minute, neither of them quite ready to take the first step. It was Patrick who finally moved, muttering, “Ah, hell,” as he did so.

He pulled Daniel into a hard embrace, the first genuine show of forgiveness since they’d first begun speaking again months earlier. Daniel fought against the surprising sting of tears.

“Damn, I’ve missed you,” Daniel said, his voice choked.

“Me, too,” Patrick said. “You weren’t just my brother. You were my best friend. I want that back again. I always thought when I had kids, their uncle Daniel would be there to help me celebrate and look after them.”

“I will be,” Daniel promised. When Patrick stepped back, his eyes, too, were damp, Daniel noticed. “I
thought maybe after you’d met Ryan, Sean and Michael, I wouldn’t matter anymore.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Patrick said. “You always mattered. I wouldn’t have been so furious with you if what you did didn’t matter to me. You need to get to know our brothers. They’re good guys.”

“I got the impression they were fed up with me and the folks,” Daniel said.

“I can fix that,” Patrick said. “I’ll call them. It’s true that Ryan couldn’t persuade them to stay, but I’ll nudge them to try again.” He grinned. “Maybe I’ll call Maggie, Ryan’s wife, and enlist her help. She’s a steamroller when it comes to getting what she wants, and she wants to resolve things once and for all. When do you want them here?”

“The sooner, the better,” Daniel said.

Patrick shook his head. “First, you have to convince Mom and Dad to agree to get everything out in the open this time. You let me know when you’ve accomplished that miracle, and I’ll take the next step.”

Easier said than done, Daniel thought, but he had to try, for all of their sakes. Patrick was giving him—and their folks—an opening. “I’ll talk to them again as soon as I get this mess with Kendra straightened out,” he promised. “Sooner if it looks as if that’s not going to have a quick resolution.”

“Speaking of Kendra,” Patrick said worriedly, “how much trouble are Molly and I in for bringing her out here?”

Daniel gave him an innocent look. “To go fishing? What’s the harm in that.”

Patrick laughed. “None I can think of.”

“Then that’s our story and we’re sticking to it,”
Daniel said, his gaze drifting to the steps down into the cabin.

“Go on,” Patrick said, following the direction of his gaze. “I can get this boat back to Widow’s Cove. Seems to me you, Molly and Kendra have a lot to talk about.” He gave him a knowing look. “Unless you’d like me to give Kendra a fishing lesson and get her out from underfoot, so you two can…” He let his voice trail off on a teasing note.

“Thanks for the offer,” Daniel said. “And no offense, but I want something a little fancier when I seduce Molly. She deserves champagne and flowers and candlelight, not a cramped bed on this tub.”

“You’ll get no argument from me on that score, bro. Glad to know you see it, too.”

Daniel smiled sadly. “I always have. I just got a little mixed up for a while. Unfortunately, it happened at the worst possible time.”

But he wasn’t mixed up anymore. He knew what he wanted. He wanted Molly back in his life forever.

As the
Katie G.
approached the dock, Molly spotted Joe Sutton sitting on a piling, a deep frown etched in his forehead. He was not a happy man. She tightened her arm around Kendra’s shoulders.

“Don’t worry. He’s on your side,” Molly reassured the girl.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Kendra scoffed.

“Joe’s a good guy,” Daniel added. “And you’ve got Molly and me.”

Kendra stared at him with obvious surprise. “You’re on my side? Or are you just trying to score points with Molly?”

He winked at her. “Can’t I do both?”

Kendra shrugged, clearly not willing to be drawn into that discussion. “You can try,” she said, but her shoulders relaxed a little.

“My, my, this is a happy little group,” Joe said as Patrick tied up at the dock. “You running tours these days, Patrick?”

“Fishing charters,” Patrick said, his gaze level, daring Joe to challenge him.

The detective shrugged. “Whatever.” He turned to Daniel. “We need to talk…now.”

“You two go ahead,” Molly said. “I need to get back to Jess’s.”

Joe regarded her with amusement. “Nice try, Molly. I meant
all
of us. We’ll all go to Jess’s.” He turned to Kendra, who was trying to slip behind Patrick where she might be less conspicuous. “You, too.”

Kendra reached for Molly’s hand and clung tightly. Her chin thrust up, she stared directly into Joe’s eyes. “You don’t scare me.”

“I should,” he said, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that suggested he admired her brave show of defiance.

When Joe would have led the way to Jess’s, Kendra dragged her heels. “I need to ask you something.”

Joe turned back. “Anything.”

“Are you going to send me home?” she asked bluntly.

“That’s what we’re going to discuss.”

“Meaning you tell me what I have to do,” Kendra said.

“No. Meaning we all talk about it and reach a decision together,” Joe said.

“And I get a say?” she asked, clearly surprised and not entirely convinced.

He nodded. “An important say. Maybe not the deciding vote, but definitely a say.”

Kendra seemed to weigh his words before finally nodding. “Okay, then, let’s talk.”

Molly exchanged a look with Daniel, who gave her a brief nod, suggesting that he thought things were going okay so far. She felt the first faint stirring of relief. Maybe everyone was going to be reasonable, after all.

When they walked into Jess’s, Daniel and Joe headed for a booth as Retta flew out from behind the counter and hauled first Molly and then Kendra into an embrace. “You two scared the living daylights out of me,” she scolded. “Don’t ever do something like that again. Leave a note, even if you have to put it someplace
other
people won’t find it.” She cast a pointed look in Daniel’s direction.

Kendra stared at Retta with shock. “You were worried about me?”

“Well, of course I was,” Retta said.

Kendra immediately looked distraught. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“Oh, baby girl, it’s okay,” Retta said. “You’re here now and you’re safe. That’s all that matters.”

But Kendra didn’t look reassured. Molly tucked a hand under her chin and studied her expression. “What’s wrong?”

“I guess it just hit me,” Kendra said. “If Retta was that upset because we went off fishing without telling her, my parents must be really crazed by now.”

Molly nodded slowly. “I imagine they are. Does that mean you want to go home? Or at least call them?”

Kendra immediately shook her head. “No. Can’t
that cop call them and tell ’em I’m okay? Or Daniel? He could do it,” she said, clearly warming to that idea.

“Ask him. That can be one of the things we discuss as soon as I get everybody something to drink,” Molly said. She glanced at the booth where Daniel and Joe were clearly arguing, though trying hard not to raise their voices.

She put three cups of coffee and some hot chocolate on a tray, then carried it to the booth, Kendra trailing along behind.

“Okay, fellows, here you go,” she said, setting the coffee in front of them. She glanced at Daniel. “It’s still Retta’s. Nice and strong, just the way you liked it.”

Joe took a sip and nodded appreciatively. “Better than what I had in here the other day,” he said, then regarded her apologetically. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Molly said, resolving to get Retta to give her lessons in making coffee to suit impossible men.

As she slid into the booth next to Kendra, the girl sat up a little straighter and regarded Joe without flinching.

“I want you to call my parents,” she said.

Daniel choked on a sip of coffee, and Joe looked startled.

“That’s it? You’re ready to go home?” Joe asked.

Kendra shook her head. “No. And I don’t want them to know where I am, either. I just don’t want them worrying about me. Tell them I’m fine.”

Daniel gave her an understanding look. “That’s very thoughtful of you,” he said. “But it’s not that simple. If we let them know we’ve been in contact
with you, then we’re also obligated to take you home.”

Her eyes widened. “But you said…” She frowned at Joe. “And you, too. You said I’d get to have a say in what happened.”

Joe nodded. “Which is why I’m not calling anybody until we’ve heard your side of the story. Now’s your chance to get everything out in the open, Kendra. Why did you run away from home? What did your parents do that was so awful?”

Molly gave her hand a squeeze, but Kendra just sat there, biting on her lower lip.

“Did they hit you?” Joe asked.

“No,” she said at once.

“Punish you?”

“Not really.”

“What then?” Joe prodded. “Is there a boy in the picture, someone they don’t think you ought to see?”

Clearly, he was running through a litany of the usual reasons a teen might run away. Kendra maintained that none of them were the reason she’d left home.

“Kendra,” Daniel prodded. “Stop stalling. Tell Joe what you told me.”

“They’re sending me away,” she said, her voice catching. She looked imploringly at Molly. “Please, don’t make me go back. I don’t want them to send me away.”

Molly glanced at Daniel, praying that he would signal her what the right response would be, but his gaze was on Joe.