“The possibilities.”
The summer wind whips the strands of my hair, licking my face with its sweet southern heat as I consider his words. My mind begins to conjure up images of the future. All of them involve the man standing next to me.
He threads his fingers with mine, weaving them together in a tight bond before bringing our joined hands to his chest. With a sigh, his other hand caresses my face before coming to a possessive rest on the side of my neck. “I want to build a life with you, Sylvie. Here, on this dirt. I want to grow old with you and love you the way you deserve to be loved.”
“I don’t deserve it,” I say, tearing my burning eyes from his.
His fingers lift my chin, eyes burning with fierce determination. “You deserve the world, and I’m gonna do my best to give it to you. My career, my music, was just getting me by. It means nothing without you by my side. There will be times when I’ll have to leave but I’m always coming back. Back to this dirt, back to this life, back to you and Caroline. You’re my home, Sylvie.”
Linc suggests grabbing a bite to eat before we head back. His hand clasps mine, leading me into Emilio’s but my good mood quickly vanishes the moment we run into Dani, who is walking out. Her mouth is pressed into a hard line as she looks at our clasped hands, eyes snapping back to mine. They widen then narrow before she folds her arms with a disgusted huff. “So this is why you’re not returning my calls?”
No, I haven’t been returning her calls because I’m not ready to deal with her yet. She’s always been a source of negativity and dealing with her is so emotionally exhausting sometimes so I’ve been avoiding her.
“I’m sorry, Dani. I’ve just been really busy and—”
“So what? Are you going to keep me away from my niece like you tried to do with Dean? I’m her family too you know.”
I grit my teeth, trying to stomp down my anger bubbling just below the surface. Dani has always been flighty and unpredictable. I don’t feel comfortable letting Caroline go anywhere with her so each time she’s asked I always find some excuse not to let her go. I’ve told her numerous times she can come to the house anytime we are home and visit but that doesn’t seem to be good enough for her.
“I’ve told you plenty of times that you are more than welcome to see Caroline anytime you want.”
“Yeah…as long as you are there to supervise. I don’t need a babysitter to spend time with my niece.”
“It’s not that,” I lie. “The past year has been hard on her and she’s still adjusting.”
“Looks like you’re adjusting just fine though,” she says, snarling her lip.
Linc hasn’t said a word but I can feel his ire when he shifts his feet, squeezing my hand. He’s never cared for Dani either. They’ve only met once, but that single encounter was enough to put a bad taste in his mouth forever. And right now I can tell he wants to say something but he’s biting his tongue for me.
“My personal life is none of your business.”
“I can’t believe this. This is bullshit and you know it.” Dani takes a step forward, her fists clenched at her sides.
“All right, that’s enough,” Linc growls, pulling me toward the entrance.
“This isn’t over,” Dani snaps just as the door closes shut.
“I’m proud of you, baby. You did the right thing.” I nod, taking a seat in the booth.
I know I made the right choice, keeping my guard up around her, but it doesn’t make it any less painful. Dani is the only link to Caroline’s father besides me, and I pray that Dani will work toward a positive relationship with her.
