Dangerous (17 page)

I couldn’t look at Dara. I closed my eyes, wishing that all the pain would go away, but knowing that it wouldn’t. This storm had brewed in my soul for so long, there was no escaping.

“Talk to me, Stone. Make me understand. I want to be here for you. I want to know what you’re feeling, but if you shut me out….”

“Do yourself a favor, Dara. Let me take you home. Then, stay away from me.”

“What if I don’t want to stay away?”

“Then you’re making a grave mistake.”

My eyes were riveted to a group of trees across the valley. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Dara, to know the kind of person that I was, to know the baggage that I had. She deserved better. Hell, her life had already been tough enough.

Her fingertips caressed the side of my face, but I held my gaze on the trees.

“Stone, I see the good in you,” she whispered. “Tell me what’s bothering you. Surely, it can’t be as bad as all of that.”

“You don’t know me, Dara.”

“I know enough. I know that you loved Luke and that he wouldn’t want you to hurt like this.”

I pressed my forehead against the cool windowpane.

“Talk to me, Stone,” she urged gently.

“Luke knew Tiffany liked him, and he knew that I liked Tiffany.”

“What about him? Did he like Tiffany?”

“Not as much as I did. I was so jealous, Dara. I wanted Tiffany for myself.”

“What happened?”

“I goaded him. I told him that he would never have the nerve to kiss her, and he told me that he would.

“So I dared him to kiss her that very night. I told him that if he didn’t, then I was going to kiss her the next day.”

“What happened?”

“Her family had rented a summer cabin not far from here. I dared him to ride his motorcycle to her house and kiss her. I never thought he’d do it.”

“But he did?”

“He did. On his way back home, he was going around a really bad curve around the mountain, and he was hit by a car that had crossed the center line. He died a few days later.”

“Stone, I’m so sorry.”

“So you see, Dara. If I had never dared him to do it, he would’ve been home that night.” Grief and guilt consumed me. I wished for the millionth time that I was the one who had died.

Her fingers were in my hair, and she cooed softly to me. “It’s not your fault, Stone.”

“It should’ve been me,” I whispered, unable to hide the agony in my voice. “Dara, I need to be alone. Let me take you home.”

Chapter 8

Dara

I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I held tightly to the curling iron, counted to twenty, and waited for the heat to turn my slightly curly hair into the perfect ringlet. My date with Stone ended somewhat abruptly after our discussion about his brother, Luke. I had been surprised that he had opened up about the accident, even if it was only briefly. While I hadn’t been ready to go home, I was pleased that he trusted me enough to speak to me about a very private matter, and I considered it to be a small victory.

I finished curling my hair, ran my fingers through it, and coated the finished style in a generous amount of hair spray. I checked my makeup one last time and left the bathroom to find my messenger bag.

“Granny, I’m leaving for work,” I called through the house as I went to the living room and picked the car keys up from the coffee table.

“Okay,” she yelled from the kitchen. “If I’m not here when you get home, then I’m with George.”

I smiled as I walked out the front door. Granny was spending more and more time with Mr. Milton. Seeing old people date was just so darn cute.

When I pulled Granny’s car into a parking spot at the bookstore, I wondered if Stone had already arrived. I entered the front door and saw Tom perched on his usual stool, his eyes focused on the computer screen. A pencil, presumably tucked behind his ear, disappeared into his shaggy hair.

“Morning, Tom!” I called, unable to hide the excitement of the day from my voice. I had been so thrilled that Stone had opened up to me last night, and I hoped that it meant that our relationship had just taken a more serious turn.

“Good morning, Dara,” he replied, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “I have good news. Our sales have been up the last few days.”

“That is good news. Does Stone know?”

“Yeah.
We discussed it earlier this morning.”

“So he’s already here?” I asked.

“He left. He was running a few errands for his parents, but he’ll be back in a little while.”

I sent him a text message to call me when he got a chance. Crimson and
Scarlet
were supposed to be at their shop across the street today, and I wanted to tell him. I had checked on bookmarkers and thought it would be a great way to advertise to their clientele.

As the morning progressed, I stocked inventory, cleaned the store, and checked out customers. Stone hadn’t answered my text message. I reasoned that he was probably spending much of the morning driving, but I was still a little disheartened that he hadn’t responded to me.

When it was time for me to take lunch, I ordered a pizza and had it delivered to Scarlet and Crimson’s shop across the street.

“How long do you think it will take to get the shop ready?” I asked them as we sat in the floor, devouring a pepperoni pizza.

“Dad’s supposed to come this evening and help us install our styling stations and arrange the barber chairs. The plumber will be here tomorrow to hook up our shampoo stations. I have a zebra print rug and several black chairs that should arrive tomorrow for our lobby. All of our general supplies should arrive by the end of the week. So, I think we could have everything ready to go in three weeks or so,” Scarlet answered.

“I brought some of our magazines from home,” Crimson told Scarlet. “I grabbed the hair style books, too.”

“Good deal,” Scarlet said. “We should be styling in no time.”

“So how’d your date go last night?” Crimson asked me.

“It went pretty well,” I replied. “I’m starting to feel a little more comfortable around him now, but there’s just something about him that makes me feel like I’ve been zapped by a lightning bolt, and I have tiny little shocks of electricity radiating through my body. Have y’all ever felt that before?”

“Can’t say that I have,” Crimson answered.

“Me, either,” Scarlet answered.

“I want to, though,” Crimson said.
“Maybe if I could ever get Mike to kiss me.”

“I told you, Crimson. You’d have to stop talking first, and the chances of that happening aren’t good,” Scarlet informed her.

Crimson rolled her eyes.

“I guess I’d better be getting back to work,” I said.

I stood and looked out the plate glass window. I could hear the hum of a motorcycle, and I searched the road until my eyes found Stone. “There he is now.”

He pulled into the parking lot and disappeared around the back of the building.

“If you hurry, you can engage in some serious lip-locking before he gets in the building,” Crimson suggested, her lips curving into a smile.

“Maybe I will,” I said, laughing. “And while I’m at it, I’m going to tell Stone to tell Mike that he should lay one on you.”

Crimson inhaled sharply. “You wouldn’t?”

“Do you want to get kissed or don’t you?” Scarlet asked.

“Don’t you dare,” Crimson warned as I walked out the building.

I waved bye and rushed off to greet Stone.

Walking around the outside of the building, I caught him standing by the bike and removing his helmet. “Hey!”

He looked up and smiled.
“Hey, Dara.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Fine.
Why?”

“No reason. Tom said you were running some errands. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Listen.
About last night.
I’d appreciate it if you kept our conversation between the two of us.”

“Of course.”

“Luke meant a lot to me. He still does, and I just don’t discuss him with many people.”

“Your secrets are safe with me, Stone.”

He brushed his fingertips across my cheek and smiled. “Thanks, Dara.” He gave me a chaste kiss on the lips and walked inside.

I had hoped to have him to myself for a few minutes, but I followed him into the building. “Tom told me that sales have been up the last few days.”

“Yeah,” Stone said. “Let’s hope the trend continues.”

“I priced some bookmarkers if you want to get some to put in Crimson and Scarlet’s salon.”

“Yeah, babe.
That’s a great idea. Why don’t we start with a thousand?”

“I’ll get them ordered today.”

“Tom can give you the phone number for Laura, our graphic designer. She already has our logo file. Once she designs the bookmarker, she’ll send you the file, and you can get them ordered,” Stone said.

“Okay. I’ll talk to Tom.” I trailed behind Stone as he went through the kitchen and into the front of the store. He seemed preoccupied. I had hoped that he might mention last night and how he thought our date went, but he seemed to be all business.

I talked to Tom briefly, and he gave me Laura’s phone number. I watched the cash register and worked on the bookmarker order while Tom went to lunch.

My mother was never far from my mind. I kept wondering whether she would make an appearance today, but I knew better than to get my hopes up. In all honesty, I couldn’t help but wonder what had made her drop by Granny’s the other day after all these years. Why now? I had accepted the fact that she was gone, that she would never be back. And yet, she
had
come back.

I scolded myself for wasting any time even worrying about it. I had wasted too much time thinking about her over the years. Unless she showed up again, then I wasn’t going to even consider the possibilities. That way, I didn’t set myself up for disappointment.

The doorbell chimed as more customers entered the bookstore. I could tell that business had picked up since we had started advertising, and I desperately hoped it would be enough to make Stone’s father happy.

The doorbell chimed again. I smiled as I glanced in the direction of the door, but my smile quickly dissipated when I realized that it was Jessie. I knew that she and Stone had been dating for a while, but I was a little shocked at the unexpected feelings of jealousy that bloomed in the pit of my stomach.

As always, she was dressed in an alluring miniskirt, and her long, slender legs ended in a pair of sexy high heels. I couldn’t keep myself from watching as she sashayed between two rows of shelves and went straight to Stone, who was putting out inventory and straightening merchandise. When she kissed him on the cheek, I turned my head. Stone had asked me to be his girlfriend, and I had declined. I knew I had no right to be jealous, but that didn’t stop the emotion from coursing through my body.

I checked out a customer and tried to focus on the fact that it was a great sale. The customer had bought several books and movies, and I knew that these types of sales would go a long way in getting the numbers up enough to please Stone’s father.

I glanced at Stone, and he was smiling at Jessie and apparently deep in conversation. I could never remember feeling jealous like this with Chance, and I hated the feeling. Jessie laughed, her attention focused solely on Stone. I desperately wished that I could go to the kitchen or out the back or anywhere where I didn’t have to watch them together, but since Tom was still at lunch and I was watching the cash register, I had no choice but to remain here.

Focusing on the buttons on the cash register, I refused to look at them again. I felt like an intruder, and I had no intention of allowing my jealousy to get the best of me. Stone was free to do as he pleased. And so was I.

I was more than a little relieved when she finally left. As the day progressed, a steady stream of customers continued to browse and make purchases. Stone had said little to me throughout the day, but I was due to get off in five minutes, and he now approached me.

“Do you have plans tonight?” he asked from the other side of the counter.

“Not really.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up at seven, and we’ll go eat at Awesome Sauce.”

His clear blue eyes studied me as he waited for me to agree. “Sounds good,” I said.

“See you at seven.” He rushed out the back of the store, while I went out the front door to climb in Granny’s old car. I wondered if my mother would be there when I got home.

If there was one thing about Tennessee in July, it had to be the horrible humidity and scorching temperatures. Having the windows down on the way home did little to keep me from perspiring.

When I pulled into the driveway, Granny was rocking on the front porch.

“Hey!” I called as I got out of the car. “You’re not with Mr. Milton?”

“He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

I climbed the porch steps. “Have you seen my mother today?”