If We Never Met by Barbara Freethy

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dante didn't takea full breath until he helped Keira into his guest room at the inn just before midnight. She'd been diagnosed with a minor fracture in her foot, which had been placed in a boot. Luckily, she hadn't needed surgery or a cast, and the pain was treatable with medication. It could have been a lot worse.

Keira got on the bed, resting her back against a pair of fluffy pillows. She stretched out her legs and let out a long sigh.

He sat on the edge of the bed next to her, seeing pain in her eyes. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thanks. I'm okay."

"You don't look it."

"You're supposed to lie and say I look beautiful." She smiled. "Just like you look handsome with chunks of plaster in your hair and soot on your face."

He grinned. "You do look beautiful. I'm hoping that smile means the medication is taking effect."

"My foot doesn't hurt too bad, but I feel exhausted."

"The adrenaline and shock are starting to wear off. You need to sleep."

"You must be feeling the same way." Her gaze moved from his face to his shoulder. "Are you sure the doctor said your shoulder is okay?"

"I'm sure." Hannah had come to the hospital and had the doc on duty take a look at his arm and shoulder while Keira was getting an x-ray. "If anything, I may have strained my arm, but it doesn't feel like a setback. I'll get it checked more thoroughly at the rehab center tomorrow."

"You better."

"And you don't need to worry about me." He grabbed his phone as it buzzed. "It's Adam."

"Hopefully, he has good news. Can you put it on speaker?"

"Of course. Hello? Adam?"

"Yes. Are you still with Keira?"

"She's right here. You're on speaker."

"Good. Lizzie gave me your number since Keira lost her phone in the fire. I wanted to let you know that Mandy has been taken into custody."

"That's great." He felt an intense wave of relief. "Where did you find her?"

"She made it to the north shore. She'll be transferred back here to the county jail tomorrow. We have video of her breaking into Keira's house from the neighbor's camera next door. We also have her buying gasoline earlier in the day on the north shore. The case against her will be strong. She won't get away with this."

"Thank you so much, Adam," Keira put in. "Have you spoken to my mother?"

"Yes. I spoke to her and also to Mr. Langley. Everyone is up to speed. I'm sorry about your house, Keira. Let me know what I can do to help you sort through all that."

"I will. I'll talk to my mother tomorrow and go from there. But I'm very relieved to know that Mandy is not still running loose. That's a huge relief. I didn't want to know what might come next."

"You don't need to worry anymore. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," Keira said.

"Thanks, Adam," he added, then set the phone down and exchanged a smile with Keira. "Mandy is done. There's evidence to prove she was in the house and set the fire. Plus, she also tried to kill you. The list of charges against her should be long."

Shadows passed through Keira's eyes. He'd just reminded her how close she'd come to not making it out of the house alive.

"It's strange to think that someone was willing to kill me. We'd never even met before last night. She didn't know me. She didn't know my mother," Keira said, a shaky note in her voice.

He put his hand on her leg. "Mandy clearly has mental health issues. It wasn't about you. It wasn't even about Mark."

She nodded as she met his gaze. "It was about her sister, a loss she couldn't get past."

"Which doesn't excuse anything."

Her expression hardened. "You don't have to worry about me wanting to go easy on her. She destroyed our home. I want her to pay for that."

"She will."

"I know. Adam will make sure of that." Keira blew out a breath. "I don't want to talk about Mandy. I'm so happy this is over now. I know that seeing my house in the light of day will hurt a lot. There were a lot of memories in those walls and things from several generations. I don't know if our family treasures survived. Although, we did move some boxes of albums and other knick-knacks into the garage a few years ago. Maybe they made it through the fire."

"I hope they did." He could see fresh pain in her eyes and wished he could do something to make it all better, but he couldn't change what had happened.

"If they didn't, we still have our memories. And we're alive to make more memories." She lifted her chin. "We'll bounce back."

He knew she would. "You have impressed me in so many ways tonight… Actually, not just tonight, but since I met you. You're a strong woman, Keira. Brave, loyal, fiercely protective of the people you love, incredibly unselfish, and you're a fighter. You never play the victim, even when it's warranted, like tonight. You just put your head up and square your shoulders and are ready to march on."

She blinked away a tear. "That's very sweet, Dante."

"It's not sweet. It's the truth."

"Well, you need to stop being so nice. You're going to make me cry. I don't know why I'm suddenly feeling emotional."

"You're feeling emotional because you've had a rough night. You're allowed to cry. I can offer you a shoulder."

She gave him a faint smile. "I might take you up on that. But I have to say, Dante, you've impressed me, too. The way you ran into my house and refused to leave…" She shook her head. "You could have been seriously hurt or worse. But you stayed with me."

"There was no way I was going to leave you."

He took her hand in his as she gazed back at him with her beautiful brown eyes. She was feeling emotional, and, damn, if he wasn't feeling the same way. He was trying to focus on the fact that they were both alive, but he was still acutely aware of how close he'd come to losing her.

"You should have left," she said. "But you're stubborn and very confident."

"I can't argue with that," he said lightly. "Sometimes it comes in handy."

"It did tonight. And I really hope your arm is okay."

"I told you not to worry about that. I'm fine. And I want you to feel better, so tell me what I can do for you?"

Her smile slowly lifted her lips. "Hold me?"

"I can do that." He took off her shoe and the awkward boot, careful not to jar her foot, which had been wrapped in a bandage. Then he kicked off his own shoes and turned off the light, finally stretching out next to her. He pulled her into his arms so she could rest her head on his chest.

As the dark quiet enveloped them, he realized how much time he'd spent thinking about where he needed to be, but he hadn't realized until just this moment that the only place he needed to be was right where he was: next to Keira. He had to find a way to make that happen after tonight.

Dante woke up to the sun streaming through the curtains. He was shocked that it was almost ten. Keira shifted away from him as her eyes fluttered open.

She gave him a sleepy smile. "Hey."

"Hey," he echoed, as he stole a kiss from her soft mouth. "How did you sleep?"

"Surprisingly well. What about you?"

"Best night's sleep I've had in a while. I like sleeping with you."

"Even if all we did was sleep?" she teased.

"Yes. Because I still got to hold you. How's your foot?"

"It aches a little, but nothing I can't tolerate."

"Tough girl."

"Not really."

"Don't deny it. I've seen how strong you are." He pulled her back to him, needing to have his arms around her, needing to kiss her again. But his phone started buzzing, and he was concerned it could be important news about the fire or Mandy, so he cut the kiss short and took the call. "Hello?"

"It's Lizzie. I hope I didn't wake you."

"No. We're up."

"Good. Because I'd love to bring you some breakfast. When is a good time?"

"Any time," he said. "Maybe twenty or thirty minutes."

"Perfect. I'll see you soon."

He set down the phone. "Lizzie is bringing us food."

"That's wonderful. I'm hungry," Keira added, as she sat up. "But I must look like a mess."

"An adorable mess." Her long brown hair was tangled with ashy dust throughout, her face was still smudged, and her clothes smelled like smoke. Or maybe that was his clothes. "We probably should have showered last night."

"I was too exhausted. But I need to pull myself together. There's a lot to do today."

"I'm available to help with whatever you need. In fact, I'm going to call the clinic and cancel my morning session."

She frowned. "You shouldn't do that."

"I want to go with you to your house."

"I appreciate that, but I want you to get your arm checked out."

"I'll keep the afternoon session," he said. "Do you want help getting into the shower? Or getting your clothes off?"

Her eyes sparked with amusement. "I think I can manage that myself and since we only have a short time until Lizzie arrives, I'll be quick, and then you can go after me."

"Together would be faster."

"I don't think so, Dante," she said with a laugh. She leaned forward and gave him a kiss. "Another time."

"Fine. There's a robe on the back of the door if you don’t want to put those clothes back on."

"I don't. I should ask Lizzie to bring me some clothes. Can you text her while I'm in the shower? Just tell her to bring me anything."

"Sure."

She slid off the bed and then limped into the bathroom.

He sent Lizzie a text, then got up and pulled the covers over the bed. He took a quick look in the mirror on the wall, realizing he looked as bad as Keira had. He didn't know if he had time to take a shower before their breakfast arrived, but he could at least change his clothes. As he finished putting on a pair of clean jeans and a T-shirt, his phone began to buzz. The GM's admin was texting him about his plans to join the team and if he needed help with his flights or transportation.

That answer was a little more difficult to answer now than it had been yesterday.

He couldn't leave Saturday. There was too much to say and do before then. Keira was homeless now. Her life was in shambles. He wanted to be there for her. He also wanted to figure out how they could take their love for each other and turn it into a relationship. Because the one thing he'd realized last night was that living without her wasn't an option.

He'd always been a man who shied away from commitment, especially to anything or anyone who might take him away from baseball. But he'd committed to her last night when he'd risked his arm and his life to save her. In doing so, he'd gotten a clarity he'd never had before.

He looked up as Keira came out of the bathroom in a white terry-cloth robe. Her hair was still damp, her cheeks pink from the moist heat of the shower, but her gaze was as bright as ever. She really was very good at bouncing back from adversity. "No longer a mess, but still beautiful," he said, walking over to give her a kiss.

"Thank you. It's your turn."

A knock came at the door. "I'll take a shower after breakfast. I'm starving."

He opened the door and Lizzie rolled in a small table, filled with covered dishes. She put it by the window and then threw her arms around Keira.

As the two women hugged for a long minute, he could see the love between them. Keira might be an only child, but her friends were as close as sisters.

"I am so glad you're all right," Lizzie said as they broke apart. "I brought you some clothes." She walked over to the table and pulled off the tote bag that was hanging from the handle. "This will get you through today, but you can come down and pick out whatever else you need for the next few days."

"That's so nice, Lizzie. Thanks. I have clothes at the shop I can wear, so I shouldn't need too much."

"I'm happy to share my closet with you. Now, tell me how you're feeling and what is going on with your foot?"

"A small fracture. It should heal quickly, and it doesn't hurt that much unless I put all my weight on it. The doctor gave me a walking boot. Hopefully, I won't have to wear it on Saturday. At the very least, I am hoping to skip it for the walk down the aisle and the photos. I may need it for the reception."

"No one cares about that, least of all, Hannah. We're just extremely thankful that you're…" Lizzie's mouth shook. "I don't even want to say it."

"Don't say it," Keira said. "Dante and I have made a pact to not think about what didn't happen, and we should make the same promise to each other."

"It will be difficult, but I'll try." Lizzie turned her gaze toward him, gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you for saving Keira. I still don't know all the details, but Adam said you saved her life."

"The firefighters were right behind me," he said.

"Don't listen to him," Keira said. "Dante did save me. He was amazing."

He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So, what did you bring us for breakfast?"

"I got a little carried away," Lizzie said with a laugh.

"You?" Keira joked. "Shocker."

Lizzie smiled. "I know. I can't help myself. Anyway, I brought you a ton of food: a veggie omelet, lemon-ricotta pancakes, waffles with blueberries, fruit, and a hash-brown scramble. I know it's going to be a difficult day for you, Keira, having to see your house and figure out your next move, so I wanted to make sure you had a good breakfast. Also, whatever I can do to help, I'm available."

"I appreciate that," Keira said. "But you didn't need to bring so much food. There are only two of us, and I still have to fit into my bridesmaid's dress."

"Oh, you'll be fine." Lizzie dismissed Keira's comment with a wave of her hand. "I'll let you two eat. But I am only a phone call away, and I want to help, so put me to work."

"I will probably take you up on that, but I'm still trying to pull myself together," Keira answered. "Once I see the house again and talk to my mother, we'll come up with a plan."

"Okay. Enjoy."

As Lizzie left, they pulled two chairs up to the table and sat down. They shared everything, not bothering to fill their own plates, just digging in with their forks to eat whatever took their fancy. Everything really was different with Keira. It was so easy, so comfortable, and so right. They could talk or not talk. The silence was effortless as the conversation. They were connected in a way that he'd never felt before. How had he ever thought he could just say goodbye and leave? That idea seemed ludicrous now.

When they were finally finished, Keira sat back, putting a hand on her stomach. "I'm stuffed. That was delicious."

"Lizzie outdid herself. Your friends really care about you, Keira."

"I'm very lucky."

"And very loved." He was struck again by how much Keira had in this town, her mom, her friends, her businesses—her whole life. How could he ask her to give any of it up? "Being in love is the easy part, isn't it?" he muttered.

Her eyes widened at his words and a gleam of wariness entered her gaze. "Yes, I guess it is."

"I meant what I said last night, Keira. I am in love with you."

"But…" she queried.

"I don't want you to sacrifice anything for me."

"I don't want you to sacrifice anything for me," she returned.

"Where does that leave us?"

She gave a helpless shrug. "I'm not sure. There's so much to think about. I need to talk to my mom and see the house and catch my breath. I need time, Dante."

"I understand. A lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours."

"It has. And I think you were right. Being in love is the easy part."

He hated the note of despair in her voice. "But neither of us has ever picked the easy way, have we? We're fighters. We like challenges—the bigger, the better."

She gave him a faint smile. "These challenges are a little bigger than I like."

"The bigger the obstacle, the sweeter the victory."

"You don't accept less than what you want, do you?"

"Not without a fight." He paused. "I know you're emotionally spent, Keira. I don't need anything from you right now. Just let me be there for you. Let me support you."

"That sounds really nice. I just need a minute, Dante, to get myself together. Although, we may not have that many minutes before you leave—"

He cut her off with a shake of his head. "We're not going to worry about anything that isn't happening within the next few hours. I'm going to grab a quick shower and then we'll go see your house and meet up with your mom. That's all we need to think about at the moment."

As he got up, she said, "Dante?"

He looked back at her, seeing the spark of light in her eyes. "What?"

"I just want you to know that I can fight, too. And I want to fight."

Relief flooded through him. "Then we'll see where we end up. With the two of us fighting together, I don't see how we can lose."

Keira thought she was ready to fight, but when Dante pulled up in front of the smoking remains of the burned structure that had once been her home, she felt overwhelmed by the battles ahead of her. Her relationship, her home, her life—there was a lot to consider. But for this first step, she was very glad she was not doing this alone.

She got out of the car and stood on the sidewalk, her insides churning. She felt sick at the sight of the destruction, and a wave of anger ran through her. Dante put his arm around her shoulders.

"Breathe," he said quietly.

She forced herself to do just that, because it was the only thing that kept her from screaming in pain and sorrow. And she was afraid that after the screams would come the tears, and she needed to put off that cry because her mom and Mark were walking across the grass from the house next door. She had to be strong for her mother. And focusing on that was what kept her upright. That and the fact that Dante's solid presence gave her added strength.

She felt mixed emotions as she looked at Mark. It wasn't his fault, but she still wished he'd come clean about Mandy earlier. Maybe they could have stopped things from getting this far. But they couldn't go back in time and blaming Mark wouldn't make things better. In fact, it would just make things more difficult for her mom.

"Keira," her mom said, her gaze running down her body and coming to rest on the boot on her foot. "How bad is it?"

"I told you last night it's a minor fracture."

"You always downplay your injuries. Dante? Is she telling me the truth?"

"She's not lying, but I think the pain is a little worse than she'll admit."

She frowned at him. "Whose side are you on?"

He smiled. "Yours. Always yours."

She turned back to her mother. "I'll be okay, Mom. What's going on around here?"

"I spoke to the fire marshal. His crew left about an hour ago," her mom replied. "He said we can go inside, but he warned me that it's not good and we won't be able to go up the stairs."

"Really? I was hoping the upstairs might have survived."

Her mom gave her a sad look. "I don't think it did, honey."

"Okay. Well, let's do this." She stepped away from Dante and slipped her arm through her mom's and they walked up to the house together, leaving Mark and Dante outside. They needed to do this on their own.

As soon as they entered, they came to an abrupt stop. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but the reality of the devastation was worse than she'd imagined. The ceiling had fallen through in several places. The steps were completely impassable, and the smell of gas and smoke was still thick in the air.

As her gaze moved down the hall, she could see the spot where she'd been trapped. That could have been where she died. That realization sped up her heart. She'd never been so close to losing her life. But she wasn't going to share that with her mother.

"This is awful," her mom said, her voice shaky.

She turned to face her mom. "It is awful, but we can rebuild. It won't be the same house, but it will be a new one. And you'll get to decorate it just the way you want. We've been talking about a kitchen remodel for years. Now, we'll have a new kitchen—a new everything."

Her mom gave her a weak smile. "You have always been such an optimist, Keira. When things get really dark is when you get the sunniest."

"Like you said last night, we're still alive, and we have each other. That's what matters. There might be some things to salvage in the garage."

"That's our best hope."

"Do you want to check it now?"

"In a minute. Mark and I talked most of the night."

"I thought he was going back to the Sunset Lodge."

"I didn’t let him. I didn't want him to be alone. And when we found out Mandy was in custody, it didn't make sense for him to go back to the motel. Erin and Peter were fine with him staying. Anyway, Mark is going to buy the house a couple of streets over. I'm thinking that I might stay there with him while this house is being rebuilt. You could stay there, too. It has three bedrooms. Or you could get an apartment if that's too awkward, but it's what I'd like to do."

She stared at her mom, seeing strength and confidence in the woman in front of her. "You really are okay now, aren't you?"

They both knew she wasn't talking about the fire.

"I've been trying to tell you that for a while," her mom said. "I don't want you to stay in Whisper Lake for me. I only want you to stay here if that's what you want. Is it, Keira?"

"I don't know. I have a lot here."

"But you don't have Dante."

"No. He can't stay, Mom. He's not like Justin or Zach. They could move their businesses here, but Dante's career doesn't happen in Whisper Lake."

Her mom gave her a compassionate look. "I understand. But yours could happen somewhere else. Has he asked you to go with him?"

"No. But he told me he loves me. He wants to find a way to make things work."

A smile lit up her mom's eyes. "I thought he might love you. How do you feel?"

"I love him, too. It's crazy. It's too fast, isn't it?"

"Not if it's right. Sometimes you just know."

"That's how I feel. I just know he's the one." She drew in a breath. "I'm thinking that it's time for me to make some changes, not just because I want to be with Dante, but because I've been drifting and spreading myself too thin for a long time. I thought I could do everything well, and it turns out I can't. I need to make some hard choices."

"Like what?"

"Put Brenda in charge of the realty business. Make Connie a full-time manager at the boutique. They're both more than capable. The money can continue to come in to help support your needs and mine. However, what no one else can do but me is the design work. It's what I love the most. I've been so stuck the last few years—not because of you."

"A little because of me," her mother said.

"Maybe a bit, but also just because I couldn't choose a lane. Now I feel like I can, like I have to."

"I feel that way, too. I've been restless the past year, Keira. I knew I needed more, but I didn't know more what, and I didn't know how to get it. Mark has reminded me of who I used to be, and I want to be that person again. I want to be independent and free and busy. I want to take care of people. I don't want them to take care of me." She paused. "Maybe we both needed this house to burn down in order to get unstuck."

She smiled at that thought. "It was a drastic event, but it does force some big decisions."

"I know you haven't asked for my advice, but I'm going to say one thing. Don't let Dante go, Keira. Not without trying to make it work. You owe it to yourself to find out if it can."

"I think you're right."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I'll let you know after I talk to Dante."

"All right. I can live with that." Her mom opened her arms. "Give me a hug."

She hugged her mom for a long minute, so many emotions of love and gratitude filling them both up. And then, a little teary-eyed, they left the house that was no longer their home. But there were brighter skies ahead, good changes, new people. It was an end, but also a beginning.

After they left the house, she asked Dante to drive down to the lake. She directed him to a quiet cove that was one of her favorite places. They parked on the side of the road and then walked down to the beach. Thankfully, it wasn't far, and with her walking boot, she was able to maneuver without too much pain.

There were only a few people about—a man walking his dog and a woman and two little children digging in the sand by the shoreline. Otherwise, they were alone.

She led Dante over to an outcropping of flat rocks where they sat down and looked at the water. "It's so peaceful here," she said, breathing in the clean lake air, relieved to be away from the smell of the fire. "Whenever I get worked up, I come here. It always relaxes me."

"I'm glad. You haven't said much since we left the house. Was it difficult to go inside?"

"Yes, but it made it easier to leave. There wasn't anything there to salvage except the few boxes in the garage that might have escaped."

"I'm sorry."

"Me, too. But my mom and I had a good conversation."

"You were gone a while," he murmured. "What's she thinking?"

"She has it all figured out. Mark is going to buy the home I showed him a few days ago. It's about three blocks away from our house. My mom will move in with him while she rebuilds. I don't know that she'll ever move back in, or maybe they both will. It seems like they might have something special."

"He does seem like he really cares about her, Keira."

"I know. It's going to take me time to forgive him for not being honest earlier, but I think I'll get there. If he treats her well, then I'll be happy for them."

"That's fair. What about you? Will you move back in when it's rebuilt?"

"No. I don't think I'll ever live there again." She gazed into his beautiful blue eyes. "I'm okay with that."

Surprise and wariness moved through his gaze. "It's early to make that final of a decision."

"I don't think so. I got a lot of clarity when I walked into the destruction. With everyone gone, it was easy to say goodbye to the past."

"Where do you think you'll live?"

"Well, I have some ideas I wanted to run by you."

"I'm listening."

"I need to back up a little. On Tuesday, before all the craziness happened, a woman came into my shop. She's the stylist for the actress Jessica Stillman. Jessica, apparently, fell in love with Chelsea's gown, and she has a couple of events she might want to hire me for. Her stylist asked me to go to LA next week to meet with her. It could be a really lucrative contract."

"That's great. Seriously great. You said yes, didn't you?"

"I told her I'd call her."

"Why would you hesitate?"

"Because I've gotten used to hesitating," she admitted. "To saying no to things that might disrupt my life and my mom's life. But now I can see that I've been using my mom as an excuse. I can't keep doing that. She's better, and I'm happy about that. I just have to accept it and look forward. So, I think I'll go to LA."

"You should definitely do that. Maybe Los Angeles is where your future is."

"I don't want to live in LA. I don't think I need to. I might have to make some trips there, but I can design from anywhere." She licked her suddenly dry lips. "Even from Miami."

His gaze lit up. "You'd come to Miami with me?"

"If you want me to."

"Of course I want you to go with me, Keira. But I don't want you to sacrifice anything for me."

"I don't want to do that, either. I want to be a little selfish, Dante."

"You deserve to be selfish. You've been taking care of your mom for years. It's your time, Keira. Look, I've been thinking, too. I'm up for a new contract at the end of this season. If we need to be somewhere that's better for you—LA, New York, anywhere—I can make a move to a team in a location that works for both of us."

She was surprised by his words. "Really? You'd do that?"

"In a second. Since I got injured, I've been terrified that I'd have to figure out a life without baseball, and I couldn't see one. Baseball became my happy place after my mom died, and I didn't think that happy place could be anywhere else, but I was wrong. Last night, when I held you in my arms while you slept, I felt happier than I've ever felt before. I can live anywhere, and I can do anything, as long as you're with me."

Her eyes teared up at his words. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"I mean every word, Keira."

"Being with you, Dante, has also given me some of my happiest moments. I think you're my happy place, too."

"Then let's keep the happy train going." He gently swept a tear off her cheek. "I found something real with you, Keira. I can't let you go."

"I'm not going to let you go, either. I've never been to Miami, but it sounds like a fun city. I bet you have a fancy apartment."

He gave her a grin. "I do. I also have a boat."

"Seriously? You never mentioned that, not even when we were on Adam's boat, although you did seem very comfortable on it."

"It didn't come up."

"Because you didn't bring it up. You didn't want to brag. I've always thought you were down-to-earth for being a superstar."

"Speaking of celebrity, I can't promise that photographers won't be following us around at times or that there won't be more made-up stories about us."

"I don't care about that. The world can think what they want. As long as you and I are honest with each other, I'm good."

He shook his head in bemusement. "I'm so used to being around people who care very much what the world thinks. You're one of a kind."

"So are you."

"This is going to be good, Keira. You and me. I want a forever deal, by the way, nothing short-term. I don't commit to much, but when I do, I give it everything I have."

"So do I. And I want to give you everything that I have." Her heart ached with love. "Can we start on forever now?"

"Absolutely." He wrapped his arms around her, and she opened her mouth to his hot, sexy kiss.