“Yeah, I know how it went. I’ve heard all about it before I promised Danni that I’d ride up here. Why did you give up your necklace?”
“Because…” It sounds stupid to say it out loud. “Because Lindsay was the one, I knew it twenty years ago, and Shay made sure I stayed here instead of going home. When she kicked me out of bed, I didn’t see any point in keeping it. I’m not going back with anyone else.”
Oran shakes his head and resumes plucking. “And now?”
Lindsay is pregnant with my baby. I want to get on my bike and ride to her door. “What makes you think she’s changed her mind? She probably hates me extra.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” He yanks out more quills and flicks them into the bin. “If you don’t fix it up, Danni will make you wish you were dead.”
“I won’t beg her to come to faery. Nor will I kidnap her.”
“No one is asking you to. But you owe her the chance.”
Twenty years isn’t long in my life, but for a human every year matters—until she goes to faery. I don’t have another twenty years to make it right. “I don’t have a way home.”
Oran taps his necklace. “I told Danni I’d give you mine.”
“What will you do?”
“Apparently I’m going to learn how to make banana bread and help run the café.”
I glance at him. “You?”
“And Danni, we’ll take it over. It’s too important to lose…that is if you convince Lindsay that you do want her for forever.”
For so long she’s all I’ve wanted, yet all I’ve avoided at the same time because I didn’t want to risk being hurt. When she kicked me out, everything I hoped for was destroyed. But now I had a third chance.
My last chance.
“I’ll ride back with you.”
Oran shakes his head. “Not tonight, besides, you look an absolute sight, you want to look your best when you beg her for forgiveness.”
9
Lindsay
Iknow as soon as Daire walks into the café that Danni didn’t keep the secret to herself. She told Oran and Oran can keep a secret about as well as a sieve holds water.
There are human customers enjoying afternoon tea, so I bite my tongue and smile like he’s just another customer. But my jeans are too tight around the middle, and I’m less than a week away from needing bigger pants and looser tops to hide the swelling of my belly. “What can I get you?”
One side of Daire’s face is mottled with red, and there’s no smile on his lips, but he doesn’t have that closed expression I’ve seen too many times either. He glances over his shoulder at the humans. “Coffee, whatever cake is on special, and a few minutes with you.”
I consider him for several seconds and ignore the fluttering of my heart. “You’re only here because you were told.”
“Told what?” he frowns, but I don’t believe his act.
I lower my voice. “That I’m pregnant, asshole.”
His lips curve into a grin. “I just wanted to hear you say it.”
“I’m working. I’ll get you your cake and coffee, but you’ll have to wait until the café closes.” I turn away and get busy. I don’t want to be happy that he’s here because he didn’t come back for me, he only came back because now he has an obligation and I want more than that. Hell, I deserve more.
He takes a seat in the corner and flicks through the newspaper left on the table. I walk over and set down his order.
“Lindsay, take a moment.” He reaches for my hand and I pull away.
I can’t do this here with people who might watch. “You left. You don’t get to make demands now.” I can feel my eyes heating. I will not cry in front of him.
