Robert's chuckle cut him off. "Come on, I saw the way you hugged each other a couple weeks ago, and Jake told me he caught you guys kissing under the oak tree. You can't tell me nothing's going on between you and Riley."
He definitely couldn't tell Robert now, because Riley walked out of the bathroom.
"Ri's coming. Gotta go. Let Jake know we won't be home until tomorrow." He hung up on another peal of laughter from Robert.
Amy arrived back at the table with his credit card at the same moment Riley did.
Daniel quickly added a tip, signed the receipt, and thanked Amy before getting to his feet.
"Bye you two. I hope you enjoy the rest of your date." Amy collected their dirty plates.
"We're not?—"
Daniel grabbed Riley's arm, cutting her off. He hurried her toward the door. "Don't bother."
Everyone knew Amy said things without thinking them through first. Setting her straight would only draw more attention to them, and Daniel didn't want that right now.
Silence filled the cab of the truck as they drove back toward the Double Diamond. He'd expected Riley to demand he tell her about his past as soon as they got into his truck, but she didn't. Either she didn'twant to hear the things he had to say, or she didn't want to be distracted while driving.
Daniel was more than happy to put off their discussion. However, the wide gates of the Double Diamond came into view all too soon, and Riley started to slow the truck.
"Keep driving."
"What? Why?"
"I'm not ready to go home yet. We need to talk, and I'd rather not do it here." He motioned out the window toward the ranch.
"Where do you want to go?"
"Out to the lake."
"The lake? That's twenty minutes away. Jake will be expecting us back soon."
"No, he won't. I told him I was kidnapping you for the day." Another lie.
"You're kidnapping me?" Her lips quirked. "How exactly does that work when I'm the one driving?"
Daniel reached across his body and took her hand that rested on the console and pressed his lips to the back of it. "Please, Pockets, keep driving."
He swore he heard her breath hitch before she grinned. "Well, when you ask like that, I can't possibly say no."
Daniel wished persuading her was truly that easy. He feared she wouldn't have a problem saying, "no," after he explained all the reasons she didn't belong with him.
CHAPTER 20
Riley's stomach grew increasingly tighter the closer they got to the lake, making her nauseous. Her turkey, bacon club sandwich and fries sat in her stomach like concrete. Not even the majestic view of towering trees, emerald water, or the weathered dock that held so many memories could soothe her fears.
She didn't know what Daniel needed to tell her, but it was serious enough to make him repeatedly swipe a hand across his jaw and mouth. He hadn't said a word since kissing her hand and begging her to keep driving, but his posture grew more and more rigid.
As soon as she brought the truck to a stop beside the cabin her grandpa and grandma Whittaker bought decades ago, Daniel opened his door and jumped out as though he'd been fighting claustrophobia for the last twenty minutes.
Riley slid down from the truck at a much slower pace and followed him across the small clearing to the water's edge. She doubted there was anything he could tell her that would change the way she felt about him. She loved him. She always had, and she always would. Despite all the horrible things he felt he'd done, he deserved to be loved. He needed someone by his side who could see beyond hisweaknesses and faults to the amazing, hardworking, patient man he was.
She didn't want that someone to be anyone but her. So that meant accepting the bad with the good. And because she grew up with Daniel, she knew how good life could be with him. Sure, he was damaged, but so was she.
He kept talking about how he wished he'd made different choices. Well, so did she. The way she saw it, if she hadn't walked away three years ago, Daniel might never have been in that accident and started drinking. At the very least, she would have been there to help him through the difficult times. And she wouldn’t have accepted a date with Collin if she was married to Daniel.
She stood beside him at the water's edge, waiting for him to speak. When he didn't, she found several smooth, flat rocks, perfect for skipping. Handing one to him, she squinted out across the still lake, studied the size of the rock in her hand, and said, "Six."
