One Reckless Night (23 page)

sister.”

Bayleigh squirmed in her seat but was saved by the waiter returning with their drinks. He

took their orders and Bayleigh hoped the food would come quickly. Otherwise she was likely to

leave more crazed than she already was. Dinner with his parents last week only served to give her

more questions than answers.

“Now tell me about dinner with Dane’s family.”

Bayleigh smiled. “It was nice.”

Tasha groaned. “Fine? Nice? As intelligent as you are Bayleigh I would think you would be

able to find better adjectives.”

Bayleigh searched out the waiter. “I hope they hurry with our food. I’m starved.”

Tasha laughed. “And evasive. This may prove to be difficult, but I’m always up for a

challenge.”

“Good Lord, Tasha.”

Her exasperated tone didn’t deter her sister. Tasha reached across the table placing a

comforting hand on Bayleigh’s arm. “Trust me, Bayleigh, it will help because right now you look like

your brain is about to explode.”

Hearing her sister speak the words aloud made her brain thump harder. She wanted to

scream, instead she spoke softly. “I’m scared that I might be in love with Dane.”

Tasha’s eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. Bayleigh wanted to

slide under the table. What had she been thinking to say the words aloud? Give her rampant

thoughts validation? How could she undo what she had just done? It was too late. Tasha finally

found her voice.

“Wow. So…um…are you scared of being in love with Dane or just being in love?”

Bayleigh shook her head. “Is there a difference? Either way it ends up being the same. We

both know I don’t exactly have a good history when it comes to relationships.”

Tasha studied her silently for a few minutes. “Is Dane mean to you—mistreating you in any

way?”

Bayleigh looked at Tasha in surprise. “Of
course
not. Dane isn’t that kind of person. Even if

he were I wouldn’t stand for it. I vowed not to go through another relationship like that again.

Remember?”

Tasha gave her a small smile. “The question is, do you remember?”

Bayleigh’s mouth dropped open. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Before Tasha could answer, the waiter came back with their food. The waiter sat the food

down in front of her, but the chicken saltimbocca no longer held the appeal it had when she ordered

it. Strange, since the requested the dish every time she came to Ferre’s.

The Italian restaurant was her weekly lunch hangout.

Normally she ate at the restaurant on Wednesday or Friday, whichever day she could get

away for lunch. She could usually drag a co-worker with her. It tended to be Dane for the most part.

The food was so good she could eat at the restaurant daily. Bayleigh looked down at her food. Being

in love could be a good thing. She had managed to lose a few pounds since becoming involved with

Dane.

“So tell me what’s bad about being in love when it is with a man like Dane?”

Bayleigh exhaled softly. “It’s complicated.”

Tasha laughed. “I’m sure you have time to figure it out.”

Bayleigh rolled her eyes, hating that her sister was right. All Tasha needed was something

else to gloat about. “He’s too damn charming.”

Tasha laughed again and this time other customers looked their way. Bayleigh gave them an

apologetic look before giving her sister a warning one. “This isn’t funny, Tasha.”

Her sister shook her head. “I beg to differ. With the men you have dated in the past I would

think you’d like charming.”

Bayleigh glared at her sister. “I’m being serious here, Tasha.”

Her sister shrugged. “So am I. What is so bad about Dane being charming?”

Bayleigh released a pent up breath. “Because it makes him persuasive, too persuasive. I end

up doing things I don’t want to do.”

Tasha eyebrows rose. “Are these things illegal?”

Bayleigh shook her head. “And you wonder why I didn’t want to talk to you about this.”

Tasha sighed. “I’m glad you think I sound ridiculous. Now, if I could get you to hear

yourself, because I’m trying hard to understand your reasoning right now.” Tasha leaned closer to

her. “You and Dane are a good couple. He cares about you. Yes, he may be charming, even

persuasive, but he isn’t a bastard who calls you names, puts you down, or tries to hold you back.”

Tasha grinned. “I’m even willing to bet he
persuades
you into doing things that in the end you like

doing and want to again several times.”

“This is about more than sex, Tasha,” Bayleigh growled.

Her sister gave her a confused look. “Who said I was talking about sex? Is that all the two of

you do together?”

Bayleigh opened her mouth to respond but quickly snapped it closed, partially in

embarrassment, partially because her sister had a point. She and Dane were good in bed together but

it was more than that. Dane was insistent upon it. He made every effort he could to spend time with

her out of bed. They even had plans for dinner and a movie tonight. She looked at her sister across

the table.

“No, it’s not.”

Tasha smiled. “I know. So again, I ask what is wrong with being in love with Dane?”

Bayleigh shook her head. “I feel like he’s pushing me toward something I’m not ready for.

He keeps talking about love.”

Tasha’s eyes widened. “Dane told you he loved you?”

Bayleigh almost laughed at her sister’s response. But nothing was funny about this situation.

Nothing at all. “No Tasha, but he would if I let him.”

“Then why won’t you let him?” Tasha asked.

“Because I have never been this scared in my life, Tasha. Not even when we broke the head

off the cat to mom’s antique table.”

Tasha laughed. “Now that is
fear,
but you have nothing to be afraid of with him. I know how

Dane treats you. You’re right. He does love you. He has to. What other man do you know would

stand on the sideline all this time? Be there for you in every way he could except for the way he

wanted to be?”

Bayleigh couldn’t find the words to respond but there was no need. Tasha continued

speaking. “Dane cares about you. I’m willing to say he loves you. Despite your hesitance you love

him too. Trying to keep him saying the words doesn’t make it any less true. You can’t ignore this

either. It wouldn’t be fair to him, nor would it be fair to you. Both of you deserve to be in love with

someone who makes you happy.”

Bayleigh stared at her sister while the words sunk in. When had her sister become so wise?

She did deserve love and happiness, so did Dane. He had been trying to give her that. When she was

worried about trying to hold onto their friendship she was diminishing his attempts to show her so

much more.

So far, he had only shown her a relationship between them could work if she would let it.

Sure they might have a disagreement or two, but they would work through them the same way they

had in their friendship. Still she was deceiving herself if she thought she could down play her

feelings for him. Bayleigh loved spending time with him, loved talking to him, loved the way he

made her feel, and loved making love with him. It wasn’t sex, never had been even the first time.

She laughed aloud looking at her sister. “I love Dane.”

Tasha gave her an amused look. “And does it feel like the world is coming to an end?”

“No.” Bayleigh shook her head as a tear of happiness slipped from her eye. “It feels like it

just righted itself.”

“Good. I’ll get the waiter’s attention for our check and takeout containers.”

Bayleigh shook her head. “No. I want to finish our lunch. Dane and I have plans for later

tonight. Trust me, nothing will change before then.”

If anything she would be halfway out of her mind with anticipation. She couldn’t deny the

joy she felt. So joyous it was hard to sit through the rest of lunch with her sister. Bayleigh couldn’t

wait to see the look of his face when she told him those three words. When the server accepted their

payment she was almost beside herself.

Tasha laughed as she stood. “If I weren’t your sister I would be offended by this lunch, but

in light of your break through today I forgive you.”

Bayleigh gave her sister an apologetic look. “I’m sorry.”

“No need to be. You are in love.”

Bayleigh laughed before leading the way to the restaurant entrance. She couldn’t wait to see

Dane. Instantly, she regretted sitting toward the back of the restaurant, but she hadn’t know what

antics her sister would pull today. It felt like it was taking forever to get to the front. She and her

sister made their way through the maze of tables.

“You know Dane, I always hated that it didn’t work out between us.”

Bayleigh stopped dead in her tracks causing Tasha to run into the back of her.

“
Dammit
, Bayleigh, what’s wrong with you?”

Bayleigh stood there frozen, half hearing her sister’s grumble. Her eyes were on the man

who sat a few tables away in a booth with his ex-girlfriend, Marie. For a moment Bayleigh stood

there dazed. The scene before her didn’t make any sense. What was Dane doing here and with

another woman? Jealousy overtook her when she saw they were holding hands. Her heart sank.

Maybe she had misread his feelings or maybe he was giving up. She couldn’t blame him. The brick

wall she put up against him must have worked. Just at the time when she didn’t want it to.

Oh God, it hurt to see him sitting there with another woman.

A woman he had a prior relationship with. A woman who now sat telling Dane she wanted

him back. Wanted the relationship that Dane had been denied with her.

Tasha’s noise level rose catching the attention of the patrons nearby, including Dane’s. His

gaze turned to surprise when he spotted her. Her body was in motion before she took her next

breath. She darted through the rest of the tables.

“Bayleigh!”

Dane and Tasha’s voices combined as they called out to her. Bayleigh continued toward the

door. All she had to do was make it to her car, then home. Needed to be by herself so she could

think, digest what she had just seen. She moved quickly, almost mowing down a patron entering

Ferre’s. Mumbling an apology she continued toward the parking lot, racing toward her car. The heat

made it even harder for her to breathe. Bayleigh heard Dane shout her name but she didn’t stop.

Where the hell was her car?

She stopped for a second to gather herself, her bearings. After a quick look around she

spotted her car two rows over. Bayleigh sprinted towards it fumbling for her keys as she did so.

Tasha was probably beside herself trying to figure out what was going on. She slid in her car then

started the ignition. Let Dane explain it. He had a better idea of what was going on because she

didn’t and right now she didn’t care.

* * * *

Dane watched Bayleigh drive out of the parking lot, trying to figure out what the hell just

happened.

“What the
hell
is going on, Dane?”

He turned to see Tasha standing there looking as perplexed as he felt. “I have no idea.”

“Is everything okay, Dane?”

Tasha turned at the sound of the new voice. Marie stood there watching with open curiosity.

Tasha turned to look at him. “
Who is she?”

Dane was still half bewildered trying to comprehend what had just happened. “Tasha, meet

Marie. Marie, this is Tasha.”

Marie stuck her hand out but Tasha ignored it. “
Again
I ask
who
is
she
and
why
did Bayleigh

run off so distraught at the sight of you together?”

Dane sighed in frustration. He needed to go after Bayleigh and find out why she ran off like

she did. “Marie is my ex-girlfriend and I have no—”

“Your
ex-girlfriend
? You’re having lunch with your
ex-girlfriend
?”

Dane actually took a step back when Tasha moved closer to him. If the expression on her

face was anything to go by, he was in danger. He held his hands up. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

Tasha’s eyebrow’s rose impressively high. “Not what it
looks
like
?
Please
tell me what it should

look like
, Dane. Because from where I stand it looks like you are out
cheating
on my sister.”

Tasha took another step closer “Bayleigh may be the non-confrontational type but I’m not

and what I don’t get my father and brother will be happy to take care of.”

Marie rushed forward with her hand out. She dropped it at Tasha’s withering look. “I don’t

mean to interrupt, but as Dane said this isn’t what it looks like. I ran into Dane at the store across

the street and invited him to lunch. Just to catch up, nothing else. He’s told me about Bayleigh.”

Marie offered Tasha a kind smile. “Bayleigh is the only thing he had talked about for the last

hour.”

Marie chose that moment to hold up her left hand. Tasha’s eyes widened when she saw the

ring on it. Then they narrowed again.

“Married women have affairs,” Tasha said. She turned her heated gaze to Dane. “So do