Fringe Benefits (23 page)

All of her worry and concern were quickly being trumped by anger. Couldn’t he feel how violently her hands were shaking? How could he not know she’d hate this? “Please, Nate,” she whispered. “We should talk in private.”

His eyes narrowed. “Talk? About what? I love you, Dani. I want to marry you. You want to marry me. Why wait?”

If he wasn’t going to keep his voice down, neither was she. “Why wait? Are you serious?”

He had the gall to nod.

She pulled her hands back and folded her arms under her breasts. “Because we have a bunch we should discuss first.”

“We’ll have plenty of time to talk driving to Indiana. Plus, we have three whole days together out there. You said you loved me… You do, don’t you?”

The annoyance in his voice was as big a surprise as this stupid party. “I do love you. I’m just not ready to hop in the car and go get married.”

“Why not?” Since the crowd now stood stone silent, Nate’s shouts echoed through the hall. “If you love me, it shouldn’t matter when we get married.”

“It does matter, and you damn well know it. What about kids, Nate?”

“What about them?” His nonchalant shrug was directly opposed to the anger in his eyes. “We’ve got
years
to decide that.” He’d dropped his voice back to a whisper.

Too late. Her temper was in full flight. “There’s nothing to be decided. I’m not having children. If you want some, you’re gonna have to marry someone else.”

“Dani, be reasonable…”

When he reached for her, she took a step back. Her jaw ached from clenching it. “How dare you do this to me?”

“Do what?”

“Embarrass me like this!”

“I didn’t want to embarrass you. I wanted to marry you!” Nate looked out at the audience as if just realizing they were there. Then he glanced back at her. “Let’s go outside and talk. Okay?”

She shook her head, not bothering to tell him she’d put the same request to him not a full minute ago. Now there was no way to fix this. Nate couldn’t make this humiliation right with a couple of words. Her heart hurt as she began to truly open her eyes. For Nate to pull a stunt like this meant he wasn’t the man she thought he was. And the fact that he wouldn’t accept her choice of remaining childless told her this relationship was doomed anyway.

She might as well end it now.

Tears spilled over her lashes, but she swiped them away with the back of her hands. The new diamond scratched her cheek. She jerked the ring from her finger and held it out to him. “I love you, Nate. I do. But I can’t marry you. Ever.”

Nate shook his head. “Stop it, Dani. We need to talk about this.”

“Take the ring back! Please! Just take it!”

“No!”

Dani let out a frustrated growl, jumped off the dais, and marched right up to Robert. “Take this. Please.”

Robert opened his hand and let her drop the ring onto his palm.

“Please see that he gets a refund.” Then she faced the people who stood as quiet as corpses. “I’m sorry you had to witness this, everyone. I really am.” She took a steadying breath so she could end this. “Please drink, dance, and have fun. I’ll pick up the bar tab. Go get drunk. It’s what I’m planning to do.”

With as much dignity as she could manage, Dani walked through the double doors and out into the night.

Nate sat on the dais while the DJ finished packing up his equipment. He was on his fourth beer, one that he realized was empty when he tried to take another pull. While he wanted to fling the empty bottle against the wall and savor it smashing into shards—just like Dani had slammed his heart against the same wall and broken it into a million pieces—he refrained. Instead, he looked around the empty room and sighed.

The crowd had fled quickly after Dani’s rather regal exit. She’d marched out of the hall like a queen—back as straight as an arrow, head held high. Not a single glance back at what she was leaving behind. And why would she? She’d been in the right. His own stupidity and impatience had created this entire debacle.

The only people left were the clearly rattled DJ, Ben, Connor, Mark, Jackie, and a septuagenarian janitor who peeked out of his office door every now and then, probably to see if they’d finally left. The Ladies and Robert had gone to help a visibly upset Beth, which probably meant it had been too soon for her to be out after her bout of severe morning sickness. That, or she was so disgusted with Nate she didn’t even want to talk to him. She was, after all, Dani’s best friend. No doubt she’d be privy to a whole lot of rehashing about this fiasco for years to come.

“Hey.” Connor leaned back against the platform, crossing his arms over his chest. “You okay?”

Ben took Nate’s other side. “Need a ride home?”

Nate shrugged. “If she took the car, I guess I do.”

Striding over to stand in front of him, his mother set her hands on her hips, glaring at him exactly like she had when he’d been younger and had done something naughty. “No worries. I’ll make sure he gets home.”

“Stupid question,” Connor said, “but does he even
have
a home now?”

Ben winced. “Hadn’t thought about that.” His gaze caught Nate’s. “Think she’ll kick you out?”

“
I
would,” Nate replied. “But knowing Dani, she’ll have my stuff back in the basement before I can get back to the house. Then she’ll want to pretend we’re nothing more than colleagues.”

“There’s the rub,” Jackie said.

“You mean still having to work together?”

“No,” Jackie said. “What I mean is do you really know her as well as you think you do?”

Mark joined the impromptu gathering. “I’d say after tonight the answer to that is a resounding
no
.”

“All done here,” the DJ said.

Since Nate had already paid the guy, he simply nodded and then watched him use a dolly to roll the last of his junk out the door.

After popping off a text message, Connor slid his phone into his pocket. “I should be going. Jules will need help with the twins. You okay, Nate?”

Not really
. “Fine.”

“We should all get together soon. Okay?”

Although he doubted the Ladies would appreciate their men remaining his friends, Nate nodded.

Ben had been staring at Jackie since she’d planted herself in front of them. No doubt she was every bit as intimidating to him as she had been to her former students. God knew that withering frown had set Nate’s stomach churning on far too many occasions.

It was clear Jackie was going to dive right into a major scold, one Nate believed he deserved, so he gave Ben an out. “I’m sure Mallory’s waiting for you.”

As he rubbed the back of his neck, he said, “This is all my fault. Maybe I should call Dani or something…”

Nate shook his head. “This was my idea, Ben.”

“But I was the one who encouraged you. I guess I’d hoped that things would work out for you two the way they did for Mallory and me.”

“Not everyone gets a happy ending,” Nate said.

“Is there anything I can do?” Ben asked.

“Nah.”

“Just give her some time. I’m sure this will blow over.”

Scoffing, Nate shook his head.

“It will,” Ben insisted. “Every one of us has screwed up at one time or another, but the Ladies forgave us. Dani will forgive you, too.”

Afraid to let even a spark of hope flare in his heart, Nate frowned. “I’ll see you later, Ben.”

With a hangdog expression, Ben left Nate alone with his mother and stepfather. “You guys should probably get on the road. It’s getting awfully late and—”

“Nathaniel,” Jackie said in that tone that instantly made him feel as though he were nine years old again, “if you think we’re going anywhere right now, you’re not nearly as smart as I always thought.”

Mark just shook his head.

“You know what, Mom? I’m not up for getting scolded any more tonight.” Nate raked his fingers through his hair. “I screwed up, and I know it. You don’t need to rub my nose in it.”

“For pity’s sake…” She held her hand out for him to grasp; then she tugged him to his feet. “It seems you’re having all sorts of trouble understanding women lately. I suppose I should blame myself. First…” Pulling him into her arms, she hugged him. “I’m sorry things turned out so shitty.”

A grown man shouldn’t have tears pool in his eyes just from having his mother hug him, but damn if that wasn’t exactly what happened. Nate hugged her back. “Thanks, Mom.”

Pushing him back to arm’s length, Jackie leveled a determined smile at him. “Next, we see what we can do to fix this.”

“Fix this?” Mark knit his brows. “Dani is too much like you.”

“Exactly,” Jackie said with a decisive nod that brought a smile to her husband’s lips.

Whatever the two of them were sharing through a simple look, Nate couldn’t comprehend, although he’d always hoped that he and Dani could have that kind of relationship—one where the partners could communicate without words. “I’m confused. Care to explain what you two seem to know that I don’t?”

“You’re marrying someone a lot like your mom,” Mark replied. “God help you.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve felt like Sisyphus from the moment Hurricane Dani blew into my life.”

“That’s a whole lotta metaphors,” Jackie said.

Nate shrugged. “Yeah, well, what can I say? I teach literature.”

Since Mark hated to be left out of a conversation, it was no surprise when he asked, “Who is this Sissy Face?”

“Sisyphus,” Nate clarified. “He’s a poor guy stuck rolling a stone uphill forever.”

After he barked a laugh, Mark smiled at his wife. “Sounds as if Nate has a pretty good understanding of what being married to a woman like you will be like. God only knows why we love you both as much as we do.”

Her scowl was pure bluster. “Watch it there, Brennan, or you’re going to be sleeping in the guest room for an entire month.”

While he normally enjoyed their lighthearted teasing, Nate needed them to focus. “I love Dani because I only feel alive when I’m with her. I need her spirit and her comfort and her friendship. She’s my other half.”

“Like I said,” Mark said, affectionately cuffing Nate’s neck, “sounds like you understand what marrying a woman like her will be like.”

“She won’t take me back,” Nate insisted. “Not after this stupid stunt.”

“Your heart was in the right place, honey,” his mom said. “You and Dani are meant to be together.”

“I should remind you two,” Mark said, “that every time people poke their noses into relationship trouble, they only make things worse.”

“Not this time,” Jackie said with a shake of her head. “Nate needs us. So does Dani. And if you think I’m going to let these two break up without doing a single thing to stop it, you’ve got another think coming.”

“Mom’s right,” Nate admitted. “Especially about you, Mark.”

His stepfather merely arched an eyebrow.

“Dani
is
a lot like Mom. I figure you know how to handle her, so maybe you’ll have some good ideas on how to make this right with Dani.”

Mark let out a heavy sigh before he nodded. “I’ll tell you this, Nate… Getting that woman back in your life isn’t going to be easy. But it’s more than worth it.”

When the men got to their feet, Jackie stopped them with an outstretched palm. “I do need to ask you one thing first, Nate.”

“Ask away.”

“What about this baby stuff? From what I gathered, Dani doesn’t want any kids, right?”

Nate nodded.

“Is that something you can live with?”

“Much as I hate to say this,” Mark said with a wink at his wife. “Your mom’s right. That’s a big decision to make, and you should know what you want before you put Dani through any more heartache.”

“You know what’s funny?” Nate asked. “The moment I realized she was really walking out, that she wasn’t going to marry me, I had my answer.” It had suddenly been crystal clear, as though all his uncertainty had vanished at the thought of Dani not being in his life.

“Well?” Jackie flipped her wrist. “Spill!”

“I don’t want to be a father if it means losing Dani. Without her, I don’t even have a life.”

Mark clapped him hard on the shoulder. “Spoken like a man in love.”

“Now,” Jackie added, “you just need to tell
her
that.”

“But first, you need to get something to eat and then get some sleep,” Mark said. “We’ve got a great place to stay for tonight. If there’s no extra room in that hotel, you can sleep on the couch in our suite.”

“I should go see how Dani’s doing,” Nate insisted.

Mark shook his head. “If I’ve learned anything from being married to your mom it’s that the best thing to do when her temper has skyrocketed is give her time. Let her cool off. Until then, talking is a waste of your breath.”

*   *   *

After she’d carried the last pile of Nate’s clean clothes to the basement, Dani stopped to take a good look around. She hadn’t been down there in just about forever. Nate was responsible for keeping it clean, so she didn’t venture into the basement at all anymore.

Setting the clothes next to the other folded garments she’d already brought down, she wished she hadn’t finished all the laundry. Although it was a stupid thought, she wanted to still have a shirt he’d worn. Then she could comfort herself with his scent on the long, lonely nights that she would be facing for the rest of her life.

The sheets
. She breathed a sigh of relief. His pillowcase would bear his pleasant smell.

He’d be back in this basement soon. Having already resigned herself to sharing the house with him, Dani had to admit—if only to herself—that she would still enjoy spending time with him. At least she would once the agony eased.

It’s like a Band-Aid, Dani. You ripped it off; now the pain will stop
.

A snort slipped out. Now she was lying to herself.

Eyes burning with tears, she whirled around and ran up the stairs, slamming the door she’d seen him walk through a thousand times. Then she leaned back against it and chewed hard on her bottom lip so she wouldn’t cry.

After the stunt Nate pulled, no one would fault her if she kicked him out. Between Jules and Connor, one of them could find him a place to rent. If she had any sense at all, Dani would have already set all his stuff out on the driveway. Shit, some women would’ve poured gasoline on the pile and set it ablaze.

Easy there
.
He didn’t do anything wrong
.

She kept reminding herself that. Some women surely thought she was the stupidest female in the whole world. Who wouldn’t love a romantic proposal followed by a whirlwind wedding and honeymoon in the country?

Me. That’s who
.

None of it mattered anyway. Nate surely hated her now. After all, she’d marched right out of there, snubbing him in front of family and friends. How could he ever forgive her for that? Had his shoes been on her feet, she would carry that grudge for the rest of her life—would probably leave some mean comment in her will just to have one last lick at him.

Sorrow weighed heavily on her shoulders. In her typical fashion, she’d overreacted and made a dicey situation so much worse than it had to be. Why couldn’t she be more like the other Ladies?

Every single one of them had struggled through what seemed like impossible difficulties finding their mates. Dani had been there all along, watching the three of them resist like fish caught on hooks. Their men had been patient and given them time to adjust, to get used to the idea of going from being a single to being a couple.

And what had Nate done?

He’d sprung a trap on her, and Dani had wiggled free before she was caught forever.

So why was she so damned sad?

Because she loved Nate Ryan with every piece of her heart. And she’d showed him exactly how much she cared by running away like a frightened rabbit when she should have thrown her arms around him, kissed him, and then driven straight to Indiana.

No, no, no
. She couldn’t marry him. Especially not now. There were too many obstacles between them, too many problems that had absolutely no solutions.

Or were those “problems” actually nothing more than excuses to allow her to blame something other than herself for her current predicament?

For the first time since she got home, Dani checked her cell phone. There were thirty-six text messages. Not a single one from Nate. Of course, she hadn’t expected him to text. Or call. Or ever talk to her again. Even though she was going to allow him to stay in the basement, he would most likely want to put as much distance between the two of them as he could.

“Fucked your life up something royal, eh, Dani girl?” she said to herself.

One by one, she read and deleted the texts. Colleagues were worried about her, and there was no doubt that gossip was burning up the wireless networks in Cloverleaf. Some friends shared sentiments ranging from concern to dismay to amusement. Several offered prayers in support, which probably couldn’t hurt.

Mallory left a long voice mail and a couple of texts, as did Juliana. Beth left five voice mails and ten increasingly frantic text messages. After firing off quick texts to Mallory and Jules, Dani focused on Beth. If anyone could talk her down off the ledge, it was Beth.

“Dani!” Beth’s voice buzzed in her ear. “Robert and I have been so worried.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Want me to come over?”

“Why?”

“So we can talk.”

“I told you, Beth. I’m fine.”