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  Dani heard him, but both were thinking another.

  A pause and Jonah asked, “Do you want to go or…?”

  She knew the possibilities if they stayed. Dani pushed herself up, knowing a hand-up would require skin contact.

  “Let’s go to Mae’s Grill.”

  The drive back was in silence and before long, Dani had pulled the car into a full parking lot. It looked like everyone and their third cousin had decided Mae’s Grill was the place to party.

  Then again, it was a Saturday night.

  “I didn’t know Mae’s Grill was the it place to be.”

  “Ever since Mae chewed out your aunt Kathryn at the Thanksgiving fest, people flocked to this place. Personally, I’m surprised she hasn’t hired official security. She relies on me and Jake, but we’re not here all the time.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. It was golden.”

  Dani was about to ask what the argument was about, but Jonah pushed the last door open and all they could hear was the music’s beat. Aunt Mae must’ve installed some soundproof barriers, because Dani nearly felt the beat through her feet.

  It wasn’t going to be a night for conversation, which suited Dani quite well. She tapped Jonah’s shoulder and gestured to the bar. Understanding, he led the way, a trail opening just for him. At the bar, Dani moved behind the counter and started filling orders as they came in. Which meant as fast as her brain and hands could work together because the orders were shouted one after another.

  A hand slapped down on the counter. Dani looked up in amusement and laughed when she saw Robbie, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows up and down and wearing a shirt with an opossum emblazoned in the front.

  Dani leaned across the counter and shouted into his ear, “What do you want?”

  “Three shots of jag.”

  Three shots it was and Dani sent him a quizzical look.

  He gestured to himself and their table where Kate and Lori were waiting.

  Dani nodded and put an extra shot in one as she mouthed Kate’s name.

  Robbie laughed again and nodded that he understood.

  He slipped a five for her tip as he left. Dani shook her head, but slipped the bill into her pocket. She couldn’t contain her own smile as she shook her head again, this time in fondness and appreciation. Friendship. She’d never had it before.

  She served Jonah twice as he carried drinks to a table where Hawk was with the same pigtailed blonde. She served Robbie another two times, Bubba three times (all drinks for Aiden since he drove), Stilts twice as he wore a flamingo t-shirt, and Kate once. Kate asked for water and Dani judged why from the plastered look in her eyes. Her hair was messed from dancing.

  Then Jake came in with a fierce frown. He veered straight to her. She swallowed, but there was no way. No way he could know. She raised her eyebrow in question for what he wanted. Jake mouthed coffee and she slipped a cup across the counter.

  A second later, Mae moved around and shooed Jake away. Dani didn’t question her. She was grateful, and then she found herself staring into the woman who’d had her hands down Boone’s pants.

  Dani thought two things. She was hyperventilating and she needed the backdoor. She needed air, right then and there, and she left Boone’s new woman. She sprinted through the kitchen and shoved her way out of the door. Outside, Dani gulped in the fresh air. Her chest heaved, up and down, and then again. She covered her face and slid down the wall and rested on her haunches. She curled in on herself, as if bracing herself against the storm within.

  A second later, the door opened and she heard footsteps crunch on the cement beside her. “Dani?”

  It was Jake.

  “Go away, Jake.” She groaned, “Go away.”

  “But—”

  “Go away! I can’t handle you too.”

  Jake fell quiet and a second later, he went inside.

  Dani concentrated on breathing. One, two, three. She repeated it twice more until she had it down and perfected.

  More would come out in search if she didn’t move, so Dani pushed herself to her feet and moved off the back walkway. She moved through the beachfront where the trees clouded the moonlight. Instead of walking to the docks, she moved to the back of Aunt Mae’s home and curled onto one of the loungers. Once she could breathe easier, she got up and grabbed some alcohol from the liquor cabinet inside.

  Two shots equaled…

  Dani realized the chair was fuzzy, like an animal, like with fur.

  No. That’s not right. She had more than two shots. How many? Her fingers would tell her, she knew it. They never lied. How many fingers did she have?

  They were hairy too.

  “There you are.”

  Jonah wasn’t hairy. She frowned as he came around the patio and bent down. “What are you doing?” He slid his arms underneath her and lifted her in the air. Her head fell against his chest. “You’re not hairy.”

  “No, but I’m sober.” He carried her back to the parking lot and put her in the front seat of his car. Then he pointed to the back seat where Kate was. “Unlike you and Kate. Come on, I’m driving you both home.”

  Kate groaned, her voice muffled against the car seat, “I love him. Why do I love him?”

  Dani mumbled, her head curled into her side in a fetal position, “Hi, Kate. Because he makes you laugh and because…”

  Jonah got in his seat and started the car. “Because Robbie is intelligent, good-looking, and he’s the yang to your ying. Right, Katey?”

  “That’s right.” She sniffed against the seat.

  Dani frowned. “What are you crying about?”

  “I love Robbie and he doesn’t love me back.”

  “Robbie doesn’t want Lori,” Jonah clarified. “He just thinks he does, but he doesn’t.”

  “What do I do, Jonah? What do I do?”

  “You flirt with him and then you flirt with someone else. You go on a date with someone else.”

  “I don’t want to go on a date with someone else. I want to go on a date with Robbie. I want to have sex, s.e.x, with Robbie.” She giggled.

  “Trust me, Katey. Date someone else and Robbie will wake up.”

  “You promise?”

  “I promise.”

  Kate sighed. “I’m so glad you’re around lately. You’ve been around a lot more than usual. Nights like these you’d be off getting s.e.x.” She giggled, hiccupped, and groaned, “Not again.”

  Dani laughed and then clamped her mouth shut in horror. Vomit. Vomit was coming. She couldn’t speak, but she patted Jonah’s arm.

  Jonah glanced once and swerved to the side.

  Dani shot through the door and emptied her stomach on the county highway’s pavement.

  “Whatz going on?”

  “Nothing. Sleep, Katey.” Jonah put the car in park and moved around the car. He knelt beside Dani’s and brushed her hair back.

  Dani continued emptying, over and over, until she was breathing raggedly.

  “Oh,” she moaned. “I feel awful.”

  “You’ll feel worse tomorrow.” Jonah ran a soothing hand up and down her back. “You got more in there?”

  “Yes.” Dani hung her head and Jonah sat with his back to the car. He pulled Dani’s onto his lap with her head hanging off to the side, far enough to not splatter either of them.

  After another round, she asked, spitting extras from her mouth, “What’s Kate doing?”

  “She’s passed out.”

  “That was fast.”

  “The booze helped.” Jonah rubbed her shoulders and arms.

  “I can’t feel my arms. I can’t feel my legs. I can’t feel my lips. Nothing.”

  “But you can still feel him, can’t you?”

  “Yes,” Dani relented. “God, yes.”

  She lurched again. Jonah asked when she’d finished and returned to his arms, “Is that why?”

  They both knew what he meant.

  “Yes.” She collapsed against Jonah’s chest and pulled his arms tig
ht around her. Boone was there, here in town, and he had company. “Why is he here? Why did he bring her? I yelled at Jake tonight. I pushed him away and it was déjà vu from our relationship. Aunt Mae thinks I never needed Jake and that’s why he fell in love with Erica. She needed him, but I didn’t. I did need him, I just…I couldn’t let him know that. I keep people away.”

  Jonah’s arms tightened.

  “I’m drunk and telling you everything. There’s probably cows over there.”

  Jonah stroked her hair, kissing her forehead. “You’re telling me because I know all the other secrets. What’s a few more?”

  “I barfed.” Dani closed her eyes as he kissed her cheek, her jaw.

  “I know,” Jonah replied. “You’re drunk and I’m going to put you to bed after we drop Kate off. You’re going to sleep it off and you’re going to hurt so much tomorrow that you won’t want to move.”

  “Sounds heavenly.”

  “I’ll bring you hangover food tomorrow.”

  “Ugh. Food. No.” Dani lurched forward and Jonah let her go. When she was done, he helped her back into the car. As he pulled the car back onto the road, Dani murmured, “Jonah?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m messed up when it comes to guys.” It needed to be painted on a billboard.

  Jonah took her hand and entwined their fingers. “You just got some of the puzzle pieces messed up. That’s all.”

  “I mean…I can’t…” She fell silent. The words escaped her.

  “I’m not asking, Dani.”

  “Okay,” she breathed out, her fingers still entwined with his, and fell asleep.

  Dani woke, gagged, and immediately covered a pillow over her face. She wanted sleep, but not due to a too-good dream with sex or winning the lottery. She felt her entire body had been rubbed raw against a tree. Her throat had digested the bark. Beside her, she heard a low chuckle as Jonah turned and pulled her against his side. He hid his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder.

  “Not funny,” Dani rasped out into the pillow.

  “It is.” Jonah lifted the pillow away and grabbed Dani’s hand as she tried to cover herself. He lifted his head and grinned down at her. “This is your first hangover, isn’t it?”

  Dani curled away from him and hugged her pillow.

  Jonah fitted himself behind her, entangling his legs with hers and leaned over so his face was beside hers.

  Dani’s breath escaped her form as Jonah’s body blanketed her.

  “Isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Dani breathed on him, letting him have the full force of her hangover breath.

  Jonah chuckled, “I brushed your teeth last night so good try.”

  “What time is it?” She glanced at the clock and saw it was seven thirty. “What time did we go to bed?”

  “Around three.”

  Oh god. Dani groaned and tried to pull her blanket over her. Jonah blocked her efforts and tucked her underneath him. Dani caught her breath, but found herself captivated by the joy in his eyes. Jonah moved to straddle her. He braced himself with an arm on each side and looked down at her.

  “What are you doing?” She held her breath. Dani felt the tingles starting. Her fingers enclosed over his as he touched one of her hips. It was an inviting touch, asking for permission. Dani held his eyes and gave it.

  He bent and pressed a kiss to her stomach.

  Dani closed her eyes and sucked in her breath.

  Jonah lifted her shirt and pressed another kiss to her flat stomach. He shifted so he lay between her legs. He glanced up, held her eyes, and lifted underneath her waist to fit her against him.

  Dani sighed and slid down. It felt right and she didn’t think about it. She answered his body’s urgings because her own had moved to autopilot. She didn’t want to think of the ramifications, consequences, or what-ifs.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Jonah pushed her shirt the rest of the way and Dani lifted, letting him slip it off. They both paused, suspended in the air chest to chest, face to face and Jonah dipped his head to take her lips in a soft kiss. They breathed into each other and his tongue swept in to caress her own.

  Dani laid her arms on his shoulders and fell to the bed with his guiding hand. She felt his breath as he kissed her neck, the corner of her eye, and her lips. His fingers swept around her breast as another caressed her leg.

  Jonah wove a spell that held her captive.

  Dani closed her eyes and welcomed the enveloping warmth that spread from his touch. The aches and pains vanished and was replaced with a throbbing. Desire and pleasure had her meeting Jonah’s lips and his body’s urgings.

  When he slid inside, time stood still. Dani gasped and grasped his shoulders as he thrust. As the rhythm built, she blindly turned to him, seeking his mouth. Jonah met her and their mouths fused together. Trembling, she arched her back as Jonah thrust. Both reached the pinnacle and climaxed and Jonah pulled her tight against him. She clasped to him and both shuttered as the quakes spread throughout their bodies. Dani sighed a deep breath and curled into Jonah’s soft caress as he ran his hands along her body. He smoothed away her hair.

  Everything had fled her mind. Dani was grateful. Everything had fled, but pleasure and heat. She moaned and reached for his hand. She entwined their fingers as Jonah laid his arm across her body, one leg rested over hers. She let the satiation take over her body and slipped into a peaceful sleep, her body hummed as her mind dreamt.

  Later, much later, Dani woke. The bed was empty as she glanced behind her. Jonah’s welcoming weight no longer sheltered her. She yawned, her body felt alive. A soft grin tugged at the corners of her mouth, as if she’d been given a secret no other was worthy for.

  A soft chuckle escaped her.

  Inside the kitchen, Dani found a note from Jonah. He’d gone to the canal to resume working. He’d also left coffee for her. The secretive grin returned.

  Dani filled a mug and returned to her bed. She pulled the comforter over her and could still feel the heat of their bodies. Her eyes moved to her dresser and she smiled as she saw her mother’s picture. Studying it, she remembered Mrs. Bensfield’s comments. She took a deep breath. A decision was made and it wasn’t long before she was dressed and back in her car. This time, she knew exactly where she was going. She stopped in town, got a phone, and then headed back out until she came to Petersburg and to St. Francis.

  Walking inside the main entrance, Dani was surprised to find three employees sitting behind a large counter. Her sandals echoed against the tiled flooring and a middle-aged woman with graying hair looked up with a pleasant smile. “Good morning. How may I help you?”

  “I’m here to see my grandmother.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Sandra O’Hara.”

  Marge turned to the computer and a moment later, she murmured, “And your name?”

  “Dani—Danielle O’Hara.”

  “Right.” She placed a blank nametag onto the counter alongside a black marker. “You need to put your name on here. The staff will know you’re a visitor then. Then you will head straight back down the hall and at the elevator, you’re going to want to go to the second floor. Phyllis should be at the front desk. She’ll help you