He threw a hand up in frustration.“I know that, damn it.But because I love you, I want to help you.All that money I have that I don’t know what to do with?Well, here is something I can do with it.I can help you.I want to help you, because I love you.Can you understand that?”
Dana stared at him for another second before she laughed.
Grunting, he pulled her closer and landed a hard, wet kiss on her lips.“Anyone ever told you how difficult you can be?”
“I’m not difficult,” she whispered against his mouth.“I’m easy, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.”He grinned and kissed her again.
Her phone rang and, reluctantly, he let her go.It was Grant Simpson.He’d said he’d let her know about seeing them tonight.
Chapter Eighteen
David drove awayfrom Grant Simpson’s house, his thoughts racing through his head.It was already nearly eight o’clock, and he couldn’t wait to tell Dana what he’d found out.
Simpson had agreed to see them that night, but Dana had to stay behind to show the cleaners where everything should go.She wanted to come with him, but she also didn’t want to leave her place while someone else was there.And he missed her.
Desperately.
His phone rang.It was his mother.Grinning, he answered.Either Don or Caitlin or both probably told her he and Dana were in love.
“I’m just amazed it took you so long,” he greeted her.
“You could have told me first,” she scolded, but he could hear the smile.“What I want to know is why it took you so long to finally realize you’re in love with Dana.I could have told you that after your first meeting.”
“What do you mean?”David asked, amazed.
“The first time the Sutherlands came to lunch at Rosa’s, I noticed the way you looked at her.It was the same look I’ve seen on your father’s face for the past nearly forty years when he looks at me.”
David’s breath caught in his throat, and he had to swallow a few times.“I didn’t know then how I felt about her.I’ve always wanted what you and Dad have, you know?And I’ve been looking for someone who would touch my being, my core.And I’ve finally found her, Mom.”
His mother sniffed.“Now you have me in tears, and I still have a restaurant full of people to cook for.Bring her home, will you?We like your Dana.Your father says she has spunk.”
David smiled.That she had.In spades.
*
Dana smiled andturned around.The cleaners had just left and everything that hadn’t been broken had been put back into place.She was still so angry at whoever did this.Hopefully, David would have some answers when he returned.He’d been very vague about why he wanted to talk to Simpson about her dad’s client.
And strangely, she wasn’t nearly as upset about her trashed house as she would have been a few months ago.This had been her haven, her happy place for so long, but now she’d found another place she’d rather be, another very happy place—with David.Now home was with him.
He hadn’t said anything about marriage, and that was fine, she realized surprised.For so long, she thought she’d never meet someone who could love her, who’d want to be with her.Her mother hadn’t ever been happy with her, so why would anyone else?She’d always dreamed about finding that someone, though, the one who would know all there was to know about her but love her anyway.And now she had.Or rather, he’d found her.She wanted to be with him.Full stop.Nothing else mattered.
She heard footsteps on the porch and ran toward the front door.David would be so happy to see that the place had been put back into order.
Smiling, she switched on the porch light and opened the door.But it wasn’t David who was standing there.
*
Simpson’s house wason the opposite part of Hermanus from Dana’s house.The traffic was ridiculous, as it usually was with only a few days till Christmas.He should phone Dana to let her know he was on his way.
Swearing at a motorbike that cut in front of him, he dialed Dana’s number.But it only rang and rang.He frowned.That was strange.By now the cleaners should be gone, and she’d be alone.There was no reason why she shouldn’t hear her phone.
He looked for another number on his phone, stepping on the gas.Something was very wrong; he could feel it.He’d always trusted his instincts and they were screaming at him at the moment.
*
“Good evening, Mr.Johnson, I wasn’t expecting you.”Dana tried to sound cool but she didn’t like the way he was looking at her.
