After Wade used his handkerchief to wipe tears from her eyes, she continued. “But it did happen again, two months later. He had lost a lot of money at one of those gaming conventions. And he had withdrawn money from our emergency savings that he wasn’t supposed to use. I confronted him about it. He told me to shut up, that he wasn’t in the mood to listen. When I kept talking, he slapped me. He didn’tsay he was sorry. Instead, he said I deserved it. He left the house, and when he returned, I had packed up my stuff and moved out.”
Wade fought back the anger that touched him to the core. Had he known this earlier, there was no way he’d have let the man drive away without a few broken bones. “Where did you go?”
“I checked into a hotel and stayed there until I could get an apartment. One day, when I knew he was out of town on business, I returned for the rest of my things. That was when he began calling, apologizing. But I’d had enough.”
“Did you press charges for domestic abuse?”
She shook her head. “No. I was too ashamed to have given Steve another chance. I honestly believed him when he said he wouldn’t touch me again.”
“And you’ve told no one?”
“Just you.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe he had the nerve to show up here, thinking I’ll take him back. I don’t trust him, and I haven’t loved him for a long time.”
Wade pushed a lock of hair back from her face. “Are you sure about that, Dani?”
“Absolutely positive. I would never have slept with you if I still cared for Steve.”
Wade wanted to believe that, because he’d definitely fallen for her - and fallen hard. “Did I hear right? He lost his job?”
“Yes. He’s jobless and broke, but that’s not my problem. He brought this on himself. I tried to persuade him to get professional help, but he wouldn’t. He said a person couldn’t get addicted to gaming, that it wasn’t the same as gambling. However, after conducting some research, I found that he’sincorrect. He’s definitely addicted, and now he has nothing. No job and no money.”
And no girl, Wade thought, tightening his arms around her. “I doubt he will come back here, but just to be on the safe side, I’ll call Sheriff Thornton and give him a description of Steve as well as the rental car he’s driving. I suggest that when you return to San Francisco, you get a restraining order, so he doesn’t harass you.”
“Alright.”
“Do you plan to tell your mom and sisters what he did?”
“Definitely. Once Libby gets back, I’ll be able to tell them when we’re all together. I don’t want to have to repeat it three times.”
He stood and eased her to the floor. “Come on. It’s been a long day. Let’s watch a movie and go to bed.”
He needed to hold her. Kiss her. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, but had to make sure she was truly through with her ex. The two of them had been together for almost four years. That meant that deep inside, she probably feltsomethingfor him. Still, right now, she was his. And though he’d give her time to be sure of her feelings, Wade wasn’t about to let her go.
Pulling her closer to him, he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her the way a man would kiss a woman he loved. With their bodies pressed so close together, could she feel the way his heart was beating, just for her? When the kiss ended, he whispered against her lips, “No more secrets. Alright, Dani?”
She nodded. “I promise.”
Sweeping her into his arms, he headed toward the stairs. Before they watched a movie, he needed to make love to her.
CHAPTER 25
Skylar and Haven
“Welcome to my childhood home, Skylar.”
Haven couldn’t believe he was here. Of course, Gramma Dora’s house was not nearly as large as the one he had grown up in, but it had been filled with plenty of love, and there hadn’t been a day that her grandmother hadn’t made her feel special. As special as Skylar had made her feel over the past four weeks.
Their weekend at the Grand Canyon had been something she’d remember forever. And afterward, the time she spent with him was like something out of a dream. News had spread quickly about the way Skylar had handled Chastain Gibbs. Now, everyone, including Carolyn and Janice, were looking at her with a new level of respect. Rumor had it that he had never claimed a woman as his before, and the fact that he’d done it, publicly, had to truly mean something.
Skylar had told her that it would be her decision when they shared a bed. And she didn’t think it would be long. It was getting harder and harder to maintain control, especially those times when, after sitting in his lap, talking for hours, he’d have to leave her room late at night to return to his penthouse,
She had certainly learned a lot about him over the past week or so. Then again, they’d spent most of their evenings together. He’d told her that he’d often rolled up his sleeves to work in his company’s soup kitchens, that he enjoyed playing tennis, he didn’t know the first thing about cooking, and that he’d set up a scholarship in memory of his father, the same way she’d done for her grandmother. And last weekend, he had asked her to go with him to check out his newest acquisition in Napa Valley. The resort, surrounded by beautiful vineyards, was stunning. It was currently undergoing extensive renovation and was expected to open for business next year. She honestly hadn’t seen anything wrong with its present condition, but he had explained that he wanted to modernize the resort and give it a different look and feel.
And now, they were here. In Gramma Dora’s house.
“I’m happy to be here, Haven,” he said, crossing the threshold and closing the door behind him. After glancing around, he said, “I can feel the love. I bet there was a lot of it within these walls.”
“Yes, there was,” she said, coming to stand beside him. “Like with you and your dad, there was never a time I didn’t feel loved.”
