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“Lisa! The sun woke up. And we are making pancakes. Want some?Papiis Maui, and he knows how to make them. He can make some for you.”
I walked to the chair she kneeled on and leaned down to kiss her head. “Good morning, Ms. Delgado. I’d love some pancakes from Chef Maui.” I looked up at my mythical hero. “Morning, Danny.” He just nodded, a shy smile on his lips. “What can I do to help?”
Regaining his ability to answer me, he shook his head. “You’re our guest today. Just sit down and enjoy our little feast.” He poured me a cup of coffee, added cream and sugar just the way I liked it, and handed it to me.
“Can I bring Moana to eat with us?”
“Of course, Princess.” He helped her down the chair. “Go grab her. No need to run,” he added as she sprinted to her bedroom.
Taking advantage of her being away, I approached the subject I was too embarrassed to discuss but needed to clarify. “I’m so sorry for overstepping. I have no idea how I’ve woken up in your bed. I even had a mattress for me to sleep with Sofia.”
“No need to feel sorry. I put you there.” At my quizzical expression, he explained, “You should sleep with me. In my bedroom, I mean. I wanted you in my bed last night. That didn’t...what I mean is, that you should sleep there more often. Not when I’m there. I’m not saying I wouldn’t want to sleep in the same bed with you. I’d love that. Damn it—”
I laughed, making me relax a little. “So where did you sleep?”
“With Sofia. I came home late; you were both asleep in her bed. That couldn’t be comfortable for you. So, I took you to my bed and slept on the mattress beside her bed. I needed some Sofia-time.”
Just then, I noticed the dark circles around his eyes and how tense he seemed to be, besides his singing.
“Everything okay? Was everything all right last night?”
Before he could answer, Sofia came back with her little arms full of stuffed toys and dolls. As Danny finished cooking, she and I placed them all around the table for breakfast.
It felt domesticated and right. Sofia made a point of making me sit next to her, but she never lost sight of her father. We cleaned everything, and I knew I needed to head home and leave them be. Unless he wanted me to stay for the day.
I wasn't ready to go home, for reasons I couldn’t pinpoint just yet.
While Sofia was playing with the many toys scattered in the living room, Danny called me. “Thank you so much for staying the night.” He handed me more money than we’d agreed on and added before I could argue, “It’s fair. You stayed the whole night, and I know she loved every second of it. She spent the morning talking about your many activities.”
“I had a lot of fun. What time do you need me today?”
“Don’t worry about it. Since we worked late last night, I’m not going to the company until later today. And I’ll take Fee with me. I texted Haley to bring Gabe as well, so we’re all set with the kids.”
My heart constricted at her name. I wasn’t close to them all, but I knew who she was and heard enough to learn she was grieving Zach’s loss. “How is she?”
He sighed and looked down like the weight of the world had fallen upon him. “She’s trying. We all are. It’s just so unbelievable. Sometimes it doesn’t even seem real. Like this is some sort of evil joke or a terrible mistake.” He leaned against the wall, and for the first time, I didn’t see the loving father, the strong fighter, the vulnerable and sexy hunk. I saw a tired man. “And sometimes it just seems we can’t catch a break.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “When will this all end?”
I touched his arm, worried about this new version of the man consuming me, then whispered, “What happened last night?”
I knew he couldn’t tell me details, but maybe he could vent enough to let go of some of the turmoil weighing him down.
He took in a deep breath, and I thought he wouldn’t answer me. I was about to apologize for overstepping when he surprised me. “We had a close call. We were in a dangerous situation, and Mia almost got caught. Well, shewascaught. I think we might get something from the things she uncovered—we’ll work on it later—but it was almost at her expense. Again.”
His dark eyes met mine, but instead of being comforting as usual, they were distressed. “I feel like we’re all losing control. Ben isn’t the assertive, take-action guy he used to be. He talks in riddles like he wants to say things but doesn’t know how. Mia is so consumed with grief and guilt that she took it upon herself to challenge death. Sometimes I feel like shewantssomethingto happen to her. Gabe still believes Zach’s coming back, and Haley is in a perpetual state of distraughtness.
“So much is changing. So many things were forced upon us, and we weren’t ready for any of them. I can’t help feeling like I lost more than Zach that day. If that wasn’t enough, I found something yesterday that...it’s just so much bigger than all of us.”
With no care for where we were, and for our nanny/boss dynamics, I touched his face, trying to comfort him. “You don’t need to carry it all alone. I’m not suggesting I could grab a gun and run after the ones bothering you, but I can do more than play with Fee. I know the scenario is different, but I understand having your life turned upside down. So, you can count on me if you need anything. If you want me to spend more time with Sofia, even if you’re not working, so you could rest. If you need to talk to someone and just vent. Or even if you want someone to stay silent with. You know my number, and you know where I live.”
He stared into my eyes, but that time it was different. Gone was the devoted father who sometimes spewed embarrassing words to talk to me. Gone was the tortured hero who was carrying the grief of his family.
That look was of a predator. His pupils were dilated, and his breathing became heavy. On instinct, I squeezed the arm I was touching and licked my lips, and he leaned in closer as if entranced. Despite the rawness of his stare, his touch on my cheek was featherlight as he curled a lock of hair behind my ear.
Never breaking the connection, he placed his big hand on the back of my neck, urging me closer to him. Even though I was on the taller side for a woman, Danny still towered over me, and I loved that. I was no damsel in distress by any means, but being surrounded by such a powerful man was inebriating.
He touched his nose to the tip of mine, and I opened my lips, waiting for the next step, craving a taste of him, yearning to know if he was as intoxicating as he seemed to be. I had a feeling he’d be even more than I expected.
Danny had barely touched his lips in the corner of mine when someone rang the doorbell, making us both jump away from each other.
