She was tempted to step in and take over, but was equally interested in letting Sheree spread her wings and handle the issue. The stronger she was in the job, the more freedom Tabatha would have in her schedule. She'd come to realize, after a few more chats with her mom and her dad when he'd woken up, that she needed a little more fun and a little less work in her schedule.
“I only know what's on the truck. The packing slip clearly shows they were loaded, but the manager who signed off on it called in sick this morning. I have a call in to the warehouse. As soon as she gets in we'll get the lighting situation handled.”
The wedding wasn't scheduled to start until later in the afternoon, but the setup was extensive and they would need to get the lights strung before they could put the tent flooring down. Before Tabatha could step forward saying as much, Sheree stated the same to the man.
“I understand, believe me. And if I don't hear from the manager in the next thirty minutes I will figure something out. In the meantime, the rest of the crew will set up the tent and the arbor for the ceremony. We'll get the tables and chairs ready so we only have to move things into place once the floor is down. We still have time.”
It was a reasonable approach, and Tabatha had worked with the rental company enough times to know they would make things right. Somehow, though, Tabatha knew the lights weren't in the warehouse. After a year of putting sites together she'd developed a sense. Pulling her phone out, she sent off a tweet.
Missing 2000 white twinkle lights and the install crew only matters if the reception is outside at night. #backupneeded
Tabatha pocketed her phone and settled in to work. In thirty minutes, if she didn't have an answer on the twinkle lights, she would go shopping.
Twenty minutes later, Joe approached her and Sheree to tell them the lights had been sent to another venue. “I will personally go get the lights you need, Tabatha. This is our mistake and we'll make it right.”
“I know, Joe.” In the current case, making it right was looking like it would be a complete refund on the lights and their installation charges. She'd deal with that after the wedding. “But you oversee the crew. I'll go get the lights.”
Joe, used to working with her enough to know not to argue, returned to work. Tabatha got on her tablet and began looking for retailers with enough lights on hand. A few phone calls later she had the lights pulled aside and waiting for her to pick them up. She only needed to manifest a crew to hang them and things would go off smoothly.
“I can go get the lights,” Sheree said as two cars pulled up. One of them was Danny's.
Tabatha was suddenly on board with Sheree leaving the site if it meant keeping Danny's existence a secret from the Tulle and Tulips gals a little longer.
“After I shoo these playboys down the beach,” Sheree said.
“No.” Tabatha held up a hand to stop her. “You stay here and keep things running. I'll deal with these guys and get the lights.”
Before Sheree could argue, Tabatha turned and walked to Danny, Will, Drake and Logan. Sheree had taken in their tank tops and athletic shorts and judged them pretty accurately. They were out of place playboys, but there was more to the story.
Zeroing in on Danny, Tabatha approached the men. “What are you doing here?”
Danny smiled. “You need
twinkle lights
I think you called them. And help hanging them.”
“Yes, but we have it under control. Or will as soon as I go get them.”
“No need. We're here with two thousand twinkle lights.” He motioned toward Drake, Logan and Will who had each pulled a box from the cars. “Do you not want them? Or is white not okay?”
“Where'd you get those so fast?”
“Norma's. She changes out the lights once a month for a different color scheme. This month she has blue lights up, which means the white ones were in storage.”
“Don't you guys have practice today?”
“That was my argument,” Will said as he moved closer. “Your husband said this was more important.”
Tabatha glanced back to make sure the Tulle and Tulips women on site were far enough away that they wouldn't have heard Will's statement. Relieved that they were, she closed her eyes for a breath before giving in.
“Fine. I'm not fool enough to turn away your help.” She looked at all four men to make sure she had their attention. “Do me a favor while you're here and don't mention that marriage thing.”
Danny jerked like she'd slapped him, which she kind of just had, but she could deal with that.
“Fine by me,” Will said.
Drake saluted. “You're the boss.”
“Just tell us where you want us,” Logan said.
“Sheree can get you started.” Tabatha pointed to Sheree who was watching with too much interest. “Danny, can I have a minute?”
“Sure.” The tightness in his tone wasn't normal, but she remembered it from the time or two she'd hurt his feelings.
Oh yeah, she'd hurt him with her request and she felt like crap for it. When his friends had walked away she moved close enough to touch his arm. He slowly pulled away.
She sighed. “I didn't mean to hurt you.”
“It's fine.”
“No. It isn't.” She reached out again and rested her fingers against his. “The women I work with are meddlesome busy bodies and they'll be here throughout the day setting up for this wedding. Having you and your friends here is already going to send them into matchmaking mode. If they know you're anything more than a friend they'll spend more time grilling you and me than they will working. I need them focused.”
“So you haven't told the people you work with about me? Do they even know you've been married?”
Tabatha wanted this conversation to be over quickly so they could get to work, but Danny didn't seem to be in a hurry. He was saving her with the lights and skipping a practice so she owed him a little time.
“Lori, the founder of Tulle and Tulips, knows. If she shows up and hears your name she'll know who you are. No one else knows though.”
“And she hasn't blown your secret?”
“You remember that former spy I mentioned? That's Lori and she knows a thing or two about secrets and why we might keep them.”
“But as far as your other friends know, I don't exist.”
“At most they would know you as the bad date I had a few weeks ago in Sam's bar. But only if I mentioned your name.” She didn't think she had, but remembering every detail of every conversation she had with her friends wasn't possible.
“Answer me one question, yes or no, and then I'll do whatever you ask.”
“Okay.”
“Is there any chance this will end with you taking me back and telling your friends about us?”
“Not a chance.” She'd known the answer even before she heard the question. She'd known it since she woke up that morning with the knowledge of what he'd done for her when she needed him. Now, with him showing up to rescue a bride's wedding, which was something she cared more about than he did, she knew with complete certainty he was a different man. “A guarantee.”
He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. His fingers squeezed hers and his throat bobbed with a swallow.
His eyes filled with tears he didn't shed, and damn if hers didn't do the same. She was at work, with a thousand things to accomplish before the bridal party began arriving. Dealing with the drama of her own marriage shouldn't be on the list, but it was impossible to ignore.
“Then we have a deal.” Sweeping his tongue across his lips, he looked behind her. “No one's looking. Can I kiss you?”
He asked instead of assumed. Though she'd hurt his feelings, he was still willing to indulge her charade. The unexpected kindness revealed what a jerk she'd been. She'd villainized Danny to the point of being ashamed of having fallen for him. Owing him an apology, she stepped closer. “Please.”
Grinning like he had when he'd hit the winning spike on that game she'd watched, he bent down and kissed her cheek. Then he lingered to whisper, “When you wrap up here tonight, I'll meet you at your place.”
“I look forward to it.”
“There's one more box in the car,” Danny said. “I'll be right back.”
Looking for any excuse to prolong their time together, she followed. “Do you need any help?”
“Nope. There's just the one.”
She met him behind the car. “Danny.”
He looked down with the box in his arms. “Yeah?”
“I missed you.” She reached up and pulled him down for another kiss. The demand of work and the noises coming from the site they were constructing kept her from dragging him into the car. Instead, she kept the kiss brief, but not brief enough to prevent her arousal from kicking into gear.
When they pulled apart, with him still holding the box, he brushed his chin along her temple. “I missed you too. More than I can ever say.”
“You can show me later.” Tabatha winked as she closed the trunk.
“What time are you finished here?”
“Not soon enough.” She wished for the first time in a year that she wasn't a responsible adult. “Hey, Danny,” she asked as they walked back to the tent, “how'd you know where I needed the lights?”
“I called your office and pretended to be the lighting crew. I said we'd missed getting you the lights and could they verify the location.”
“How can you be the same man and yet so different?”
“I told you your leaving had been the best thing. I needed to learn the hard way what I'd screwed up.”
That's what he'd meant. It had given them both the space to learn who they needed to be for themselves, because only when they knew themselves could they work as a team.
Pulling her phone from her pocket, she sent a quick tweet.
Where's Romeo? He's here with 2000 lights and friends to help install. #sexybackup
“Hey, Danny?”
“Tabatha?”
“Put that box down.”
He stopped and looked down at her with his brows narrowed in curiosity. Without questioning her, he did as she asked. When his arms were empty she stepped in front of him, wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pulled his head down.
In front of anyone who wanted to watch, not caring in the least what kind of distraction it caused or how much her friends questioned her, she kissed him. He was her husband, the man she loved more than ever before, and she'd been pretty crazy about him to begin with.
They were both breathless when he pulled away. “So much for keeping me a secret.”
“Eh. I'd hate to have to kick a friend's ass because she hit on my husband.”
“So you're marking your territory?”
“It's territory I love. Do you mind?”
“Not a damn bit.” He rested a hand on her hip and kissed her again. “Do you need to mark it again?”
“I do.” Holding an index finger up, she smiled. “Wait here.”
Grabbing the box he'd set down, she called for Sheree who predictably hustled over.
“What's up? Who are these guys?”
“They're friends who are going to help with these lights.” She passed Sheree the box. “Have Joe call his manager to get some more crew out here to help you.”
“You talk like you're leaving.” Sheree looked behind Tabatha to where Danny still stood. “Who's that?”
“I am leaving. Only call if there is a dire emergency you can't handle.”
“But...”
Tabatha wasn't good at relinquishing control, but Sheree had more than proven herself capable. Trusting Sheree made indulging in fun easier. “The full commission is yours if you handle everything without calling me, which I think you can do without a problem.”
Sheree's eyes bulged and her mouth gaped. “Seriously, who's that guy? This isn't like you.”
“He's my husband.” And she was going to borrow a page from his old playbook. She was going to play hookie from responsibility.
“What?” Sheree shrieked.
“Answers later.” Tabatha placed her hands on Sheree's shoulders and turned her toward the tent. “Work now.”
Ready for some fun, and major catching up, Tabatha jogged back to Danny, grabbed his hand and headed for his car. Every ounce of negativity that used to fill their time together disappeared and in its place was peace and happiness deeper reaching than previously experienced.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“Anywhere you want, though, I'd prefer a bed this time.”
Confusion clouded his gaze as he opened the passenger door for her. He wasn't arguing though. “You're skipping work?”
“If we're going to make this work, I need to meet you half way.” When he was in the car beside her, she leaned over and kissed him again. “I love you, Danny. I never stopped loving you.”
“We're going to my place. It's closer.” He framed her face in his hands and sighed. “I love you too.”
Chapter Eight
Danny drove home as quickly as safely possible. He'd pleased some Karma God somewhere because he caught every green light and only got stuck behind one pokey driver. The drive took seven minutes instead of the normal twelve, but those seven minutes spanned into endlessness every time he glanced at Tabatha.
They didn't speak or touch, but judging by the way she shifted in the seat, her anxiety was ramping up as badly as his. She leaned forward at every light they approached as if she was begging it to be green, and drummed her fingers on her knees. In his driveway, waiting for the garage door to raise took an interminably long time. He'd pushed the button to put it back down before he turned off the car and they were out the doors.
“You bought a house?”
“Rented. It felt more permanent than an apartment, but not too big a decision to make without you.”
“You just keep getting better.”
They made it as far as the hood of the car before they had their hands on each other. Like no time had passed they moved with perfect synchronization as they removed clothes and tossed them into a pile on the concrete. Panting heavily, Tabatha slid her gaze and hands down Danny's torso, ending with his arousal in the palm of her hand.
It was suitable, since she held the rest of him as easily.
“I don't mean to rush things,” he said with a gravelly scrape to his voice.
She guided him closer while she moved to the hood. “Sometimes there's nothing wrong with going fast.”
He pulled away long enough to grab his t-shirt to lay on the hood behind her and then eased her down. They'd done the quickie in the car thing already. Now she'd skipped work, giving him all the time he could need to go slow. He'd dreamed of spending hours making love to her. All he wanted, more than he wanted oxygen, was to devour her.
Reading him perfectly, she lifted her feet to the bumper and rubbed herself against him. He took the signal and eased into the wet haven awaiting him. She bucked, setting the pace instantly.
Quick or not, he wanted the connection he'd visualized for a year. Leaning over her, he linked his fingers with hers and held her hands over her head. “I love you, Tabatha.”
“I love you, too.”
“You're never going to doubt me again.”
“Good, cuz life sucks without you.”
Smiling the wide smile of victory he'd felt so often since moving to Miami, especially since seeing Tabatha again, Danny did exactly what he'd wanted. He devoured his wife, meeting her demand for a fast pace, until they were both tense and sweaty from the mounting orgasm.
He held himself back, barely, until she gave in. When she did, he pulled her against him and held her head to his heart until the rush subsided.
Only then, when the first madness of hunger had passed, did he lead her into the house. He stopped in the kitchen long enough to grab a couple of drinks for them, but then he continued straight to the bedroom where he intended to keep her all day.
“What turned the tides in my favor?” He asked as he tossed the covers on the bed back.
“A lot of little things, but ultimately it was the lights.” She traced a finger along his spine, making him arch his back and sigh. “I love that you cared enough to drag your friends away from practice to help me.”
“Not having your love made me desperate.” He turned and took her into his arms. “I meant what I said. You'll never doubt me again. I hope you can trust that.”
“I do.”
“Will you marry me again?”
“I will.” She rose up and kissed the corner of his lips. “And I'll try to be better at indulging your need for fun.”
“Between the runway quickie and the garage a few minutes ago, you're off to a damn good start.”
“There are so many more ways we're going to have fun.”
They were laughing as they fell onto the mattress together.
He'd moved to Miami with one primary goal: win back Tabatha. Victory was so much sweeter than he'd imagined.
He was still laughing an hour later when she returned from the garage with her phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Tweeting.” Grinning wildly she turned the phone to show him.
Romeo, Romeo, our parting was no sweet sorrow. #welcomeback #Ilovethisman