Love, Chocolate, and Beer (Cactus Creek #1)(65)

“You make that all sound like a bad thing.”

“No, it was a great thing. By the time you were twenty-one, you were practically running this place by yourself.” His smile was filled with pride. “Everyone said you were just like dad.”

“Again, where’s the ‘but’ in all this memory lane bliss?” She had no idea why she was sounding so snarly. It was like she knew something was coming...

“Dad thought you becoming ‘just like him’ was your deep-seated fear.” Derek ignored the red-hot denial ready on her lips and bulldozed on. “The only reason he let you miss out on Valentine’s each year and focus on his love life instead was because he thought you needed it.”

“What are you talking about?” Now, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to know.

“You made Valentine’s a day for absolutely everyone else but you, hon. You still do.”

“Big deal. So I don’t believe in the magic of Valentine’s. I also don’t believe in Santa either.” Dani immediately felt contrite, knowing Derek did believe in the magic of the holiday. After all, Valentine’s had been the day Dani introduced him to Jonathan.

Fiddling with his wedding band, Derek sighed. “Okay, say for argument’s sake it’s all that simple. So what do you do now that you can’t play matchmaker for me or dad anymore? Why are you so hell-bent on fixing everyone else’s love life but your own? When is it going to be your turn for the happily ever after?”

She blinked, not having an answer for him. Or herself.

He hugged her tight. “To answer your original question, no, there is nothing wrong with you in terms of love. You have more love in you than anyone I’ve ever known. Do you look at love the same way others do? Definitely not. But that’s what makes you special.”

Dani felt the tears welling up again.

But the unexpected jangling of her phone stopped the deluge from flowing free.

Reluctantly, she read through the urgent text message. “Crap! I’m sorry, Derek. They need me in the back.” She gazed at her brother, not ready for their talk to end.

“You better go,” said Derek, reading her thoughts.

“If I didn’t have to get all these musicians settled...” She lingered on the chair.

“Go on. We’ll talk more later, I promise.”

Torn between sadness and something she couldn’t yet define, she hugged him again, finding it hard to let go. “Give Jonathan a hug for me. I’ll send wine and the sweetheart’s meal over.” She gave him a watery smile. “You two enjoy Valentine’s Day double for me, okay?”

“Nope,” he replied cryptically, his eyes focused over her shoulder.

Standing, she regarded him quizzically and followed his gaze. Her eyes widened when she saw Luke standing not six feet from them.

“How long have you been there?” she asked in a hushed voice reserved for a ghost.

“The whole time,” came his gentle reply.

She turned back to her brother. “Why?”

Derek squeezed her hand. “He deserved to know.”

Her phone rang again and she looked down at it helplessly.

“Go,” said Luke softly. “Call me. Even if it’s late. I’ll be waiting.”

The weight of the last statement hung in the air, not lost on either of them.




“YOU LOVE MY SISTER, don’t you?”

“Yes,” replied Luke simply as they both watched Dani leave.

“Good. She needs that. She needs you.”

Thank god. One Dobson down, one more to go. Luke sighed. “Can you tell her that?”

Derek barked out a laugh. “Nice try. I’m not getting involved in this.” He shot him an appraising look. “You’re different from what she’s used to.”

Luke’s grin took on a hint of pride. “She hates my views on romance.”

“Ah, that she would.” He tilted his head. “Has anyone told you she’s never gotten or given a Valentine gift? Despite that, deep down, I know the holiday is special to her. Ask anyone around town. She’s played cupid for her fair share of couples.” Derek pointed to a waitress who’d just winked at one of the assistant managers. “Hands down the most romantic Valentine proposal I’ve ever seen was the one Dani planned for those two.”

Luke believed it. “I’ve been trying to get her to admit she’s a closet romantic.”

“Ha! Good luck with that. Honestly, it’s not Dani’s fault that she’s the way she is. Considering the whole mom-abandonment thing, she is actually more normal than most. And though I’m sure she never talks about it, Dani has in fact been hurt by love before. Once. But it was enough hurt to last a weaker person several lifetimes to come back from. It’s not my story to tell, but you have to know that with everything she’s gone through, she just needs time. If you can give her that—”

Luke didn’t even have to turn around to know the reason for Derek’s abrupt pause. Only the man’s husband could make Derek’s eyes light up and go hazy with emotion like that.

Jonathan Dobson approached their table and hmmm’d Luke up and down with overt approval. “I swear, everywhere I turn lately, there’s my husband talking with a gorgeous man.”