Lorelei nodded, then sent him a sweet smile. “We all have to do our best to make sure the world we inhabit is a good one. We all have a part in it.”
Amen! Daniel thought.
By the time Daniel dropped Lorelei off at her house, he was smitten. He didn’t know if there would be another date—he prayed there would be—but he felt thankful to have spent tonight getting to know her better. It was a gift.
Thank you, God, for giving me this evening with Lorelei. I’m not sure where things are headed with us, but tonight served to show me that my heart is still in working order. It’s still beating and pulsing and waiting to love and be loved. I’m still in the game.
**
When Lorelei entered her house she turned around to wave at Daniel before entering the code on her security panel. Within seconds she was safe and sound inside her house. And she had spent a wonderful evening with Daniel. They had gotten along so well, Lorelei thought. Maybe too well. There she went again doubting things. Why couldn’t she just sit back and revel in the events of this evening? Why was she always waiting for the other shoe to drop? Why was it so hard to believe that she could relate to a man so wonderfully? Not all men were bogeymen waiting to commit bad acts. Matter of fact, some were absolute gentlemen who made her laugh till her side hurt with tales from a rambunctious childhood growing up in Pelican Bay. Some men held doors open and pulled out chairs for women. Some men had the sensitivity to not push when you gave them tidbits of a painful past.
She smiled as she went into the kitchen and reached into the fridge for a cold water. Suddenly, her entire body tensed up. A thud rang out from upstairs. Lorelei froze. Maybe she was hearing things! Her breathing was shallow as she stood still and listened for further noises. Creak. Was that a door opening? Dear Lord! Someone was upstairs. She could hear the heavy trod of feet. Strangely, the intruder wasn’t even trying to hide their presence in her house.
Fear held her rooted to the spot. She couldn’t even move a muscle. For a moment all she could see were flashes of the past. An intruder dressed in black. A knife pressed against her jugular vein. Pure terror.
Footsteps rang out. Closer and closer toward where she was standing in the kitchen. Lorelei couldn’t move a muscle. Fear prevented her from running. Despite everything she knew about keeping herself safe, Lorelei felt helpless.
“Lorelei. What’s wrong?” The voice came to her through a haze. “Lorelei, it’s me. Bethany.”
“Bethany, you scared me,” she said, her breathing shallow and uneven. “I-I thought someone had broken in.” Her hand was resting at her throat. She knew she look wild-eyed and out of control. It was how she felt on the inside.
Bethany came over and hugged her, squeezing her tightly. “Oh honey, I’m so sorry I startled you. Don’t you remember asking me to stay over so we can leave for the airport together in the morning?”
Oh, goodness. How had she forgotten?
Tears pricked Lorelei’s eyes. Tonight had been so magnificent and she’d ruined it with her own foolishness. “Of course I did, Bethany. I didn’t see your car in the driveway so I forgot. I’m being ridiculous.”
“No, you’re not. After what you went through it’s only normal to feel skittish from time to time. And you must have had a great time with Daniel because my car is parked right outside. Clearly, you had stars in your eyes when you came home because you didn’t see it,” she said in a teasing voice.
At the mention of Daniel, Lorelei’s breathing began to calm down. She mustered a smile for her friend, happy the danger had been all in her mind. “Bethany, I had the best time. He was really great. A true gentleman. We talked the whole night long and he took me to this fabulous restaurant, the Grotto, and then we walked along the marina. The weather was perfect and everything was just amazing.”
Bethany grinned at her best friend. “Sounds like he’s a keeper.”
“I don’t know about that, but I really like him.” Lorelei had a feeling Daniel was a keeper, but it was way too soon to tell her best friend that. If she did, she would never drop it. Lorelei wanted a little time to savor Daniel without anyone else knowing about how she felt.
“And I bet he likes you too. Who could resist that face and smile?” Bethany asked, reaching out and tweaking her nose.
Lorelei made a goofy face. “A face only a best friend could love.”
Bethany let out a snort. “Yeah, right. You know you’re a showstopper.”
Lorelei shook her head and laughed. “I think I’m going to head upstairs to take a shower then get into my pajamas. We’ve got an early flight to catch in the morning.”
“I’m ready to turn in myself,” Bethany said, walking side by side with Lorelei as they headed upstairs. When Bethany reached the guest room door she turned toward Lorelei. “Let’s both set our alarms for five a.m. so there’s no chance of us oversleeping.”
Lorelei groaned. “Ouch. That’s early. Will do.”
“Sweet dreams,” Bethany said in a sing song voice. “I know who you’ll be dreaming of.”
Before Lorelei could respond, Bethany had darted into the guest room and shut the door.
With a shake of her head, Lorelei headed into her bedroom and walked into the master bathroom, quickly shedding her clothing before jumping into the shower. After a few minutes, Lorelei was finished and drying herself off with an over-sized towel. Not long afterwards, she was in her pjs and settling down for the night under her covers. As she drifted off to sleep, Lorelei’s last thoughts were about Daniel Donahue being a keeper.
“Falling in love with a Donahue means falling in love with the Donahue family.”
Nash Donahue
Chapter Six