“Come here,” he said pulling her down beside him after they were alone. “Dani, I’m sorry about today. I know it’s going to make the papers.”
“It’s okay Luke.”
“Ty’s right, I apologize, and you always say that.”
“I know but it is. Yes, it means the reporters are going to be noising around but I have Brad, he keeps them at bay.”
“How is it possible that I didn’t know you were seeing a therapist and that the reporters haven’t figured it out either?” he asked a bit later as they laid together.
“Because Brad puts up a decoy, you remember the actress we hired to throw off the photographers after Chance had…and you announced the engagement? She’ll slip into my coat and sunglasses while I’m out shopping, and Brad will escort her to the car while I take another from the car service to my appointment.”
“Is that where part of your money goes to?”
“Yeah.”
“Remind me to thank her next time I see her,” Luke said kissing the top of her head.
“We have a standing appointment on Mondays when I’m in town; at least we have for the last six months.”
“That’s why you were always in such a rush to get home? For your therapist appointments?”
“I figured if you knew I was going you’d try something to get me to admit the truth, and then after what I told you in London, I didn’t want you to worry that I was further gone than I was.”
“Dani, I wish we were at home right now,” he groaned pulling her tighter against his body. “I’d love to show you how much I want you; want you to stay with me.”
“I know Luke.” Dani sighed snuggling down beside him. Her heart was breaking…she wished he loved her, but yet, she was glad he didn’t because it’d just make it worse when the truth finally came out. That’s when she’d really need her therapist.
She let herself relax and when she woke, she was still wrapped in his arms in the hospital bed, but they weren’t alone.
“Why didn’t you say anything to us, Luke?” Wren asked softly.
“If we’d known Dani was going through all of that we would have made sure to keep things quieter. All of these parties, dinners, trips…they couldn’t have been easy on her,” Joan added.
Luke ran his hand down her back dropping a kiss on her head before answering, “Dani would have hated you knowing, that I’d went behind her back and said anything. I was already worried about her; I didn’t want her madder than she already was.”
“Luke,” she said softly struggling upwards.
“Dani, we didn’t mean to wake you,” he said letting her up glad he didn’t see the panic in her eyes the way he had in London.
“I’m not the one who should be resting,” she countered sitting up against the pillows when he refused to let her move off the bed.
“Honey, are you okay, really?” Joan asked leaning over towards them.
“I am. Every word I said last week is true. Yes, we had some rough spots but it’s nothing we haven’t been able to work out. I should have told Luke I was going back to the therapist, but I didn’t want him worrying or blaming himself more than he was.”
“But this can’t possibly help,” Wren stated.
“It’s not going to destroy us. We’ve dealt with the issues for years and it’s only made us stronger, hasn’t it Luke?” she said turning to him.
“It has,” he agreed stopping when the door opened. “Ah please tell me you’re here to spring me,” he said spying the doctor.
“You can go home as long as you take it easy. Your head’s going to be sore for a bit and that bandage needs to stay dry.”
“Absolutely,” he stated.
“He’s really okay?” Dani asked still worried about the amount of blood loss.
“He’ll be just fine. Although if you do have any blurry or double vision, extreme headaches, mood swings or such call me.”