December (The Page Sisters Book 1) (20 page)

Danny moves subtly between her legs, as if he isn’t moving at all. The major sign that he is thrusting gently between her legs, is Piper’s open mouth and the way she clutches to his powerful shoulders with each pump of his hips. She seizes his shoulders like she needs him to breathe.

Maybe she does.

Danny is making love to Piper.

He’s making the sweet and slow kind of love to her.

Danny and Piper are making the kind of passionate love where they would be happy to die under each other if the world suddenly ended.

Something deep inside of me cracks and shatters and can never be undone again.

It’s my birthday, and he left me to come here to make love to her.

I watch them in an agonizing trance, unable to turn away.

I never understand why people are transfixed from turning away from a devastating tragedy.

Now I do as stand here and watch Danny and Piper from outside.

They’re a tangled web of beautiful limbs.

He lifts her up until she’s fully straddling him.

Piper runs her fingers through his thick hair, delirious as their hips slowly grind together.

The boxed cake slips from my hands as my heart cracks.

It’s as powerful as a horse kick to my chest.

I take an unsteady step and bump into someone, but my gaze is fixed on the window and the excruciating sight in it.

“December.”

“What?” I say to the concerned voice behind me.

“Let’s go ride the horses.”

“I don’t want to.”

A warm hand clasps mine. “Let’s go the movies. It’s your birthday. Fuck them. Let’s go.”

I shift my gaze up to Josh’s handsome face and stare into serine blue eyes. “Okay.”

He gives me a tender closed-mouthed smile, then throws his arms around my shoulders and kisses my hair. “We’ll have fun tonight. Forget about them.”

I nod numbly, leaning into him with all my weight.

Josh asks for impossible things.

I can’t forget about them.

The sight of their naked, tangled bodies and their faces slacked with passion is burned into my brain.

The first of my tears shed when Josh and I sit inside his truck.

I hate Danny Oliver.

T
HE
P
RESENT

The past week and a half has been the time of my life. Danny and I have grown closer. My sisters are all together. I get to spend time with Bliss. And Chloe is living it up, chasing squirrels in the snow. This has been good for us. We needed to get away for a while. A group of cabins nestled into a small clearing in the forest is the perfect vacation.

Danny and I are in the bathroom. He holds a pregnancy test box in his hands. I roll my eyes at him. “You want me to take it now?”

“Absolutely.”

“But what if I’m pregnant?”

“We’ll work it out, December.”

Overwhelming fear ripples through me. “I’m scared.”

He moves to me instantly, embracing me tightly. “We will make it through this. I promise. Either way, we’ll be stronger. You can do this.”

I nod against his neck, breathing deeply. “Okay.”

He holds me at arm’s length, staring into my eyes. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

“Please.”

God, I’m terrified.

I feel like a little girl again.

He went all out. Danny got the high-tech pregnancy test where it can detect the early stages of pregnancy.

I force myself to swallow. I pray I don’t have a baby inside of me. I’ve been drinking. And I haven’t necessarily stopped. I didn’t think about the possibility of being with child when I was drinking. Now that is my only thought.

“Let’s get this over with,” I mumble on the verge of tears.  

Danny nods, releasing me. He opens the box and hands me the stick. I squat on the toilet. Danny moves in front of me and holds my free hand. I lift my gaze up to him, grinning nervously.

“Sorry. This might take a while. I’m not used to peeing in front of others.”

He gives me a gentle smile, then he lowers his butt on the tile floor and leans his back against the wall. “Take your time.”

His gaze drifts to his leather boots. I think he’s giving the most privacy he can at the moment. He seems lost in deep thought. Danny doesn’t look angry or upset. He looks attentive. If I am pregnant, I know Danny will love this child. I know we will be the best parents we can. And I know he won’t abandon me or our baby, but the fear and pressure of it all is like massive boulder on my chest.

It’s crushing me.

He’s right.

We aren’t ready for a child.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn.

I stare at Danny and feel guilty. This beautiful man is sitting on the bathroom floor, holding my hand, going through every step with me.

Tears hit my cheeks without permission.

He reaches up and begins to wipe tears from my face. “Why are you crying?”

Instead of answering, a steady stream splashes against water. I’m beyond embarrassment at this point. There is no room for shyness. I don’t care that he can hear me pee. He doesn’t seem concerned about me relieving myself, either. But he is concerned about me. He dries my face and wipes my nose as I pee on this fucking stick.

I pass it to him as I wipe myself and flush the toilet. He glances down at the time on his phone, then back at the stick as I pump floral smelling liquid soap in my palms and wash my hands.

Danny sits on the countertop of the tub. “Come here.”

I move to his side, leaning my head on his shoulder.

He holds me as we wait together.

“I’ll love you no matter what,” he whispers. “I’m not angry with you. I need you to know that. This isn’t your fault, December. I have a big part to play, as well.”

“You’ll stay with me?”

His jaw suddenly ticks. “Yes. But I understand why you would ask that. I’m not going anywhere, December,”–he touches the gold band around my neck–“I’m yours for life.”

“I’m keeping you to that.”

“I hope you do.” He checks the time on his phone again. “You ready to know your future?”

“No,” I frown, looking at him.

He presses his mouth to mine and kisses me deeply. I lose every thought, except his lips on mine. His tongue slides between my lips and strokes, tangling with mine. His fingers sink into my hair as he licks and bites at my trebling mouth. “I’m not going to leave you again. You have me, December. What I did before was fucked, and it hurt you. I thought I could justify it in my mind. It made sense at the time. My intention wasn’t to hurt you, little lady. I will never abandon you again. I plan to love you for the rest of my life.”

His brutal honesty shines in his deep brown eyes. “I believe you, Danny.”

He kisses the corner of my mouth and we both glance down at the stick in his hands. After a single glance my gaze wanders, my mind spinning.

Danny cups my jaw, guiding my gaze to his. “It’s negative.”

He doesn’t seem too thrilled like I thought he would be, but I am flooded with relief.

“We get to build a life together first,” I say, throwing my arms around him and burying my face in his chest.

***

We have Bliss today. Danny and I volunteered to babysit while May and Miles go on a skiing date. After watching Frozen for the third time, we decide to go outside and build Olaf. Bliss helps Danny and I pack snow together. She is adorable in her gray and pink mittens, ear warmers, pink bubble coat and little boots. We all sort of match thanks to Bliss. I have my dreaded Pepto-colored bubble coat on and Danny is wearing Bliss’s hot pink HelloKitty hat and scarf. She offered it to him since he had nothing pink or bright.

“This is so cool,” she says as Danny hands her the carrot. “We’re giving him a nose and Olaf is super tall.”

I glance at Danny and laugh.

He shrugs, grinning.

Olaf is Danny’s height, which means he’s over six foot. I don’t think Danny wasn’t going for regular-size Olaf. He went super-sized Olaf, and managed to blow a mind of a six-year-old girl.

“Do you like it, Bliss?” Danny asks. He looks at her like she makes his world spin.

My heart thuds heavily and I sigh inwardly.

She nods, vigorously. Her doll-like hazel eyes glittering. “I love our Olaf. He’s so tall. Can we add his nose now?”

“Let’s do it,” he says, picking Bliss up and placing her around his neck.

She adds his nose, clapping in joy.

I pass her two black buttons for his eyes and then two thin branches for his arms. “He’s looking good.”

“I know,” Bliss murmurs in a daze, staring at our creation. “Now only if he would talk and sing.”

“I don’t think that’ll happen, Bliss,” Danny replies, laughing.

“I know,” she pouts. “Can we knock him down?”

“But we just built him,” I snort, amused. It’s definite that she has Oliver blood running through her veins. She likes to tear things apart as well as build things. She reminds me of her Uncle Danny.

“Yeah, but I want to smash Olaf now.”

“I thought you loved Olaf,” I say, smiling hard.

Bliss tilts her head as she stares at the snowman. “I do, but since he can’t talk or sing, I think we should put him to rest.”

“I’ll give you five bucks if you knock his head off in one clean punch of your fist,” Danny challenges.

Bliss smile takes over her face. “You’re on!”

I watch as she balls her little fist and punches a big hole where Olaf’s nose used to be. My mouth drops open. “That’s nice, guys. You’re killing Olaf.”

“Let’s kill Olaf!” Bliss roars, hysterically punching Olaf’s head until there is no head to punch.

“I’m giving you five bucks anyway. You’re brutal. I like it,” Danny’s says in approval, smiling.

He puts her on her feet and she karate kicks a massive hole in Olaf’s stomach. Danny cheers her on, shouting commands at her like
double side kick
. Bliss doesn’t miss a beat. I watch her, stunned. I didn’t know my niece knew kickass martial arts. Bliss does another kick, sending an explosion of snow through the air. She’s completely destroyed Olaf. Damn she’s good.

I have to lift my jaw from the ground. “When the hell did you learn martial arts?”

Her fists are still in front of her face, her feet spread apart. “Uncle Danny taught me. And you shouldn’t curse, Auntie December. Curse words are bad.”

Danny puts his hand on her shoulder. “At ease, soldier.”

She instantly releases her fighter stance, grinning up at Danny with all the admiration on the world.

I stare at Danny, half confused and half thrilled. “You’re teaching our niece how to kick ass?”

“She’s a great learner,” he says, laughing at my expression.

“No cursing, Auntie,” she says sternly, her little brows knitted together. Then she looks at Danny. “If she curses again, can we make her do a hundred pushups for each bad word?”

“You got it, little birdie,” he responds, picking her up for the biggest bear hug in history.

“What? A hundred for each bad word? I won’t survive.”

“The cursing ends while Bliss is here. Can you handle it?” Danny counters, wiggling his brows at me.

The smug shithead.

I can curse in my head all I want.

“We have a deal,” I say through a smirk. “Can I join in the hug here? Or am I going to be left out of the group?”

Bliss looks at Danny, gracing him with a smile. “She can join because we love her.”

“You’re right, little birdie. Let’s give December some love.”

They hold open their arms and I’m helpless when I move to them. I smother both of their faces in kisses. “I love you guys, even if you want to punish me for a having a pouty-mouth.”

“We love you, too, Auntie,” she says, kissing my cheek.

“Yeah, we love you, December,” he whispers, pressing his soft lips to mine.

Once we’re all inside and our hats and boots are removed and our bodies warmed from the fireplace, we hang out in the kitchen. Bliss and I sip from our big mugs of hot chocolate while we watch Danny fix us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He shaves the crust off Bliss’s bread and cuts her sandwich in four little triangles. He fixes mine just how I like it: two slices of my bread slathered in peanut butter and jelly only on one side. Danny is very considerate. He makes our sandwiches just how we like them. He remembers all the little things. I can’t stop smiling at him.

He cares so much.

Bliss chomps on her lunch and then reaches out to grab a bunch of mini marshmallows from a small white bowl. She adds loads of marshmallows to her cup of hot chocolate. My gaze shifts to the ceiling and I pray for mercy.

Sugar and chocolate.

Double check again.

May is going to have our heads.

We all sit on wooden barstools at the granite island munching on our sandwiches. I have never been more content. My life is almost full. I have a part still missing. Josh. Josh is missing. There is a nagging little voice in the back of my head, reminding me that he doesn’t want anything to do with me and might not ever once this trip is over…

Danny turns on the radio and Bliss jumps off her barstool, a piece of her sandwich in her grip. “Oh my God. This is Taylor Swift’s new song. I love Taylor Swift.” She grabs Danny’s hand, dragging him off his stool. “Let’s dance!”

He doesn’t deny her. They move to the living, dancing on the rug in front of the fireplace. The rug is their makeshift dance floor. Danny spins her until she’s giggling in his big arms. Chloe gets in on the action, wagging her tail and running in circles around them.

Laughing, I sit back and watch them fondly. He loves her. It shines through his eyes when he looks at her, and she definitely loves her uncle.

They wave me over. I join them on the thick antique rug. We hold hands and jump and dance. We wear all the sugar out of her with a dancing competition. After a while she collapses in Danny’s arms. He lowers to the rug with Bliss cradled in his arms as I turn the radio off. I join them and press close to Danny’s side while Bliss takes up resident on his chest.

He wraps an arm around both of us, sighing in Bliss’s hair. “I could have done this, December.”

My brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

His solemn gaze shifts to mine, then at the sleeping child cradled in his arms. “If you were pregnant, I could have done it. I would’ve been there every step of the way. I would have never left you alone to deal with things. We would have done it together.”

“I know,” I whisper, cuddling closer. “Are you disappointed I’m not?”

“A little,” he admits, kissing my forehead. “I’m not going to lie. I was prepared for it. In my mind you were already pregnant. It was just about confirming it.”

“I thought you said you wanted us to mature as a couple first.”