***
Dani left the store Monday afternoon, her dress for the anniversary party that weekend would be delivered to their house later today, and she carried a few new items as she looked down the street for the driver.
“Dani…Danielle…is the report true…Dani, over here….Danielle…”
She put a hand up to shield herself from the unexpected ambush. There were nearly fifteen photographers there more than she’d had following her in over a year.What the hell were they up to now?
“Sorry Dani,” Brad said hurrying over to her side using his body to block the photographers from closing in on her. He knew she was claustrophobic, but he had a way of shielding her without it pressing in on her. The car pulled up and he helped her in as the photographers continued to throw out questions.
“Is it true your husband caused the miscarriage?” one said, and her face lost all its color.
Brad shut the door before the photographer could get any more pictures and she felt blood rush to her head.
“What’s going on?” she asked opening the partition in the car.
“I’m sorry Dani,” he said handing a copy of the paper through to her. “I took it off one of the rats out there.”
Dani saw the headline and her stomach churned. ‘Miscarriage Ruins Marriage?’ it read followed by several photos of her and Luke throughout the last few months.
“Can you take me to the office?” It would be less covered than the house. They wanted pictures of her and her reaction not Luke’s.
Brad got out and opened the door for her following her into the building and standing guard at the door as she hurried up the stairs towards Luke’s office. She pushed open the door to his office suite, but it was empty.
A check of his schedule told her he was in a meeting, and she debated about waiting but the meeting was scheduled to last for another hour. Dani knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it together that long, so she turned around and walked back towards the stairs. She could feel the stares of the other workers coming at her from the glass windows surrounding the walkways of each floor and she hastened her steps wanting to go home and curl up in a ball.
“Dani…” Luke’s voice called out her name and she saw him hurrying down the stairs after her. She paused on the floor of the lobby and waited.
“Baby I’m sorry,” he whispered gathering her up into his arms and the dam holding back her tears broke. He held her while the tears streaked down her face and into his shirt.
Once they stopped, he loosened his grip on her and wiped away the traces of tears as he dropped a kiss onto her lips. “Dani, I’m sorry baby. I don’t know how they got the story.”
“That’s not the worst part of it Luke,” she admitted once she could speak again. “One of them asked if you caused it and now your parents…”
Luke cursed under his breath and pulled Dani back into his arms praying this wouldn’t undo everything they’d managed to build the last few weeks.
“Mr. Nolan, perhaps you could be kind enough to return to our meeting?” a voice sounded from the middle of the stairs and Dani felt him tense.
“I’m afraid our meeting will have to be rescheduled,” Luke replied, his voice as hard as steel and she was glad it wasn’t directed at her for once.
“You used to be known as a businessman Mr. Nolan, not someone who would drop everything every time his spouse broke a nail.”
“Do not speak to me like that inside my company,” Luke ordered his voice harsher than the night he’d threatened to turn her in for stealing from him. “My wife and I have just had some very personal details come out and she is upset.Ido not need your business to survive, Mr. Lewis. I suggest you get out before I throw you out and if youeverspeak about my wife like that again, I will ensure that no one does business with you ever. Is that clear?”
The man slunk away and the hardness in Luke disappeared as he turned back to her. “Let’s go home.”
She gave him a nod not trusting her voice. He led her towards the front door, stopping when it opened, and Tyler walked in holding a copy of the paper. The look on his face spoke volumes and Luke dropped his hold on her and advanced on his brother.
“You son of a…”
“Watch it bro, that’s Mom you’re talking about,” Tyler said trying to diffuse the tension.
“Dani confides in you, and you sell her out? Jesus Christ Tyler, did you once think how this would affect her? Or were you thinking it would be the perfect way to put that rut between us you so badly want?”
“Luke, stop,” she said but he ignored her.
“Jeez Luke everything’s not about you. I didn’t sell her out, I swear. I wouldn’t do that to Dani. Come on Luke, I love her too.”
“Too much,” he threw out shoving him. “So, if you didn’t talk who did? Other than me and Dani the only ones who knew were the doctor and the nurse at the hospital…”