You Can't Go Home Again (28 page)

She didn’t sleep. She tried, lying in bed all night. The
last time she looked at the clock on the nightstand, it was already after four.
Needless to say, when she finally dozed off, she really didn’t want to get back
up.

When she headed in for coffee, she was surprised to see both
Jenn and Bri standing there.

“Hey, not that I’m not happy to see you, but don’t you
people have jobs or something? Somewhere you should be?”

Jenn chuckled, smiling over at Brian. “Told ya she was
cranky in the mornings.”

Dani grimaced a little and turned toward the coffeepot.
After her first few sips and one long, deep sigh, she turned back again to see
them sitting at the table reading the paper.

“Okay, less cranky now…still confused. Seriously, don’t you
have to go to work?” She glanced over at the clock, noting that it was after
nine already.

“We took the day off,” Jenn answered.

“Why? I’m not here to socialize—this is just a quick,
turn-around trip. You didn’t need to do that.”

Jenn raised her eyebrows, quirking her mouth in a look Dani
was quite familiar with. “Dani, you’re selling your family home today. I think
this is going to be harder on you than you think it is. So…we’re going with
you.”

“Jenn, I told you I’ll be fine. Really. This guy just wants
to meet me face to face before this closes. Something about trust, and wanting
to hear about the house from someone who lived there. It’s just a formality
type thing. No biggie. I’m going to meet him at the house, walk him through and
then he’ll go sign the final papers. My lawyer and realtor will take it from
there.”

Jenn was nodding. “I know, I know. We’ve already talked
about all this. But, it will make me…no, it will make us both feel better, if
you have some support there in case this is tougher than you’re expecting.”

Dani rolled her eyes, smiling in spite of herself. She
wasn’t going to talk them out of this. “Fine. Then let’s go get some breakfast
first. I’m hungry.”

* * * * *

As they pulled up in front of the house, Dani felt her
breath catch, just a little. As Brian pulled to a stop, she climbed out,
looking at the porch, empty now except for a welcome mat. Had the realtor put
that there? Maybe as a selling feature?

Since they were the only ones there, she figured the buyer
must be running a little late. As she stepped away from the truck, heading over
to sit on the porch steps, the front door opened.

And Dani’s heart fell straight to her feet.

“Danielle.”

Jace’s voice rumbled through her, making her nerves tingle
and her eyes burn. After a few deep breaths, she pushed the anger to the front,
forcing the pain back into hiding.

“You’re the buyer.” At his nod of confirmation, she started
shaking her head. “I should have known. I should have known you wouldn’t just
let it go. You’d have to do something else to hurt me.”

She didn’t even realize she was stepping forward as she
spoke, her voice escalating as five years of pain and frustration finally
boiled over. “You couldn’t just let me sell my house, move on with my life.
Couldn’t let me even try to forget you. Oh no! This time, just ignoring me
wasn’t enough! No, this time you had to buy my house. And then, you had to drag
me back here so I could see you in it, to know that you’re living in my home!
What, Jace, was this your last-ditch effort to make damn sure I never come back
to Austin?”

She was up on the porch, just a couple feet away from him.
Jenn surged forward, trying to get to Dani, but Brian grabbed her arm, stopping
her before she could go. Dani never saw it, never saw the look of confusion on
Jenn’s face, nor heard the whispered, “You knew?” she directed at Brian. She
never saw his quick nod. She was too lost in fury and pain. Nothing was going
to stop her from finally venting her wrath.

“Please stay.”

Nothing…except that.

She froze, backing up a step at his whispered words. Even as
her eyes welled with tears, the venom kept coming. “No… I tried that last time,
remember. I thought we had decided that on my next visit it was Zack’s turn.
Didn’t you want me to give you some notes? Some pointers? Maybe I’ll give him a
call right now.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket, turning to head back
down the stairs. “You can take your meeting, your ‘cash buy’ for that matter,
and go fuck yourself!”

She never saw him move.

* * * * *

At the mention of Zack, Jace finally lost the tenuous grip
he had on his temper. He’d known she’d be furious, had expected it, but this
was beyond fury. She was lashing out, absolutely irate. She wouldn’t hear
anything he said. So, he sprung into action.

He knocked the phone out of her hand, sending it skittering
into the grass. When she spun around, her hand lifted to strike, he grabbed her
wrist, bending down and throwing her over his shoulder in one lightning-fast
move.

He turned, marching back to the house while she screamed and
pounded on his back. While Jenn and Bri stared in shock, Jace slammed the door
behind him.

Then he dropped her, unceremoniously, onto her ass.

The short humph sound she made when she landed brought a
quick grin to Jace’s face. He leaned against the wall and watched as she
scrambled to her feet, her face letting him know that more screaming was
forthcoming.

He watched…as she searched for the words that would verbally
eviscerate him.

He watched…as she finally began to notice her surroundings.

Dani finally noticed the house. There was a little table in
the entryway. A little white table shoved against the wall with a dish for
keys. The entry and hallway were freshly painted, a warm yellow, just a shade
off from how it had been when her parents died. She spun on her heel, seeing
the couch in the living room—a sofa and love seat, looking homey and inviting,
with a rustic white coffee table in the middle.

The furniture was clearly new, but homey and warm in the
shabby chic style she loved. The hardwood floors had been buffed and polished,
gleaming like new, but with all the dings and scratches she had made over the
years. When she looked up the stairs, she saw pictures, framed and lining the
walls.

She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder and saw Jace leaning
against the wall with a smirk on his face.

“What is this?” she asked while she walked up the stairs,
looking at each of the photos. When she saw them, really saw them, she felt the
tears starting to surface again. She turned back to Jace, running her finger
along the edge of one picture. “These are all of us?”

Jace kind of nodded and shrugged all at the same time.

She kept going, up the stairs.

He knew he had her attention when he heard the soft intake
of breath, followed by a whimper.

She turned, walking down a few steps before collapsing
backwards as her knees gave way. “My parents. You have a picture of my parents
up there.”

He smiled softly, nodding as he finally moved away from the
wall and stepped toward her.

“How did you even get that?”

“Brian gave it to me.”

Only then did Dani remember that Jenn and Bri had driven her
over here. She ran to the front door, glancing out the window. When she saw
their car was gone, she walked back to Jace. Brian had known? Had helped him?

She turned to Jace, confusion pushing aside all other
emotions. “Jace, I… I just don’t understand.”

* * * * *

Jace sat down on the stairs just below Dani. She was finally
ready to listen.

“Dani, I asked you to stay. Not for the night, not even for
a week. I was asking you to move home.” He saw the total shock on her face. She
was blank, completely blank. So, he kept going, trying to put what he was
feeling into words, knowing he only had one chance.

“Look, I know that you have a life in L.A. I know that you
belong there, in the movie industry, making a name for yourself. I know that
I’m no prize. I’m angry, I suck at actually saying what I feel, I cuss too
much, yell even more. I own a bar, for God’s sake. You could do so much better.
You at least deserve someone who can give you happy dreams, not nightmares,
but…”

“Wait…what?”

Something he’d said had finally made it through the fog… too
bad he didn’t know what it was. “What…what?”

“The nightmares… What did you mean? Is that why you walked
out?”

“Walked out?”

“When I was here last time. You walked out that front door
after the most amazing sex of my life. Is that why you left? Because I can see
your dreams?”

Jace shrugged, running his hands over his face, while he
tried to collect his thoughts.

“Well…yeah. Kind of.” He took a deep breath. He didn’t want
to talk about this. “You shouldn’t have to see that. No one should, but
especially not you. And…it’s bad enough that I have to relive it, but to make
you see it too… It’s not right.”

“So you didn’t leave because you hated me?”

His gaze whipped around, meeting hers. He could see the pain
in her eyes, the tears lurking behind them, making them glassy without ever
spilling over. He’d obviously hurt her again, but this time, he really had no
idea how. “Why would I hate you?”

“Because I could have stopped it…could have saved your
friend…could have saved you.”

* * * * *

With the words, her tears finally broke over, spilling down
her cheeks. Damn him! She’d been dry eyed for months, but every time she came
back here she cried like a baby! Furiously swiping at her face, she jerked her
hand back when he tried to grab it. After a moment, he got back up, pacing the
entryway.

She saw his quick, jerky movements and knew he was waging a
war within himself. She just had no idea what the war was about. She wanted to
call back the words, once again wishing they could just start over, with a
clean slate. But this was her battle to win or lose. And whatever he said next,
it was hers to live with. She had to know.

When Jace finally turned to face her again, she saw his jaw
clenching, his eyes tight. He was angry. She held her breath, waiting for the
final blow.

His voice was steady, quiet almost, when he finally spoke.
“Listen to me, very carefully. There is nothing that you, or anyone else, could
have done to stop that. If you had been able to reach me, which is unlikely, I
wouldn’t have taken the call, or opened the e-mail. If I had read it, I would
have thought you were cracked. Psychics aren’t real, or at least, I didn’t
think they were then. And if, by some miracle I had believed you, I would have
gone anyway.”

“What?”

As he looked straight into her eyes, he nodded once, firmly.
He needed her to believe what he was about to tell her. To understand it was
absolute truth.

“I would have gone anyway. I pulled out four men. Three
lived to go home to their families. Only one died, and his body was buried with
military honors because we got him out, brought him home. I wouldn’t change
that, even if I could.”

Dani heard the truth ringing clear in his words, the resolve
in his voice. She looked at Jace. Here in front of her was a man who thought so
little of himself; thought that she would be better off without him. Thought
she should be in L.A. She scanned through her memories, trying to see it from
his side. Remembering his words as he left that last morning, trying to
understand why he would have said that. He had told her he loved her; she had
felt how much in her kitchen during their kiss. It was true, real.

When it finally registered that he hadn’t really been trying
to hurt her, had in fact been trying to do what he thought was honorable, she
thought she might…finally…understand him. She only had one more question.

“Jace, why did you buy this house?”

It was long, silent moments before he finally answered.
“Because I had to. I couldn’t believe you actually listed it to sell, not
really. No one else could live here. So, I bought it.”

She jumped, flying off the stairs as fast as her feet could
move. She threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing
her lips against his before he even had time to breathe. When she felt his arms
close around her waist, she knew. She was finally home.

* * * * *

Jace let himself fall into the kiss, desperate to feel her
in his arms again. As her lips softened, melting against his, he wanted nothing
more than to stay this way, to lose himself in her. But there was one more
thing he had to do first.

He loosened his grip, letting her slide down to her feet
before gently pushing her away. “No, wait. We’re going to do this right this
time. No misunderstandings, no confusion. I can’t make love to you and watch
you walk out the door. Not again. So…”

Jace fell down on one knee, looking up at Dani as he reached
into his pocket. He heard her gasp and smiled a little.

She watched the smile spread, reaching all the way to his
eyes. He looked years younger, happy and carefree. More like the boy she’d
known in school. Her heart swelled as she realized that he was hers. She was
going to have a life with him, if she wanted it.

She knew her answer before he ever spoke the words.

“Dani, will you marry me?”

Simple. No extra words, no poetry, no flowers. It was so
much like him, so true to character. Just a smirky little grin and five little
words. And it was perfect.

“Yes.”

While he slid the ring on her finger, he started talking
again. “You know, we’ll fight. I’m not the easiest person to live with. And,
you can’t do movies here. You’re giving up your career, and…”

As he stood in front of her, she looked down at her left
hand, smiling a little, before she smacked him in the chest. “Trying to talk me
out of it?”

“No, just making sure you know what you’re getting yourself
into. This is forever, Dani. I’m not going to let you go.”