Chapter 8
Kit wanted to be anywhere else but here, sitting in the dark, doing nothing. He couldn’t go home. Kit couldn’t take his mother’s cries or his father’s silence. Kat and AJ were no better. AJ took care of their son as Kat stared at the wall. There wasn’t anywhere else for him to be. There wasn’t much he could do, but he definitely didn’t want to a spectator to his family’s pain.
It had been a month since the train crash. Kit felt lost and Danny was his only anchor. He had just come back from digging through the rubble left behind. Kit was ready to accept that his brother was dead, but that was once he saw and held his lifeless body in his arms. One could call it a twin instinct or denial, but something inside Kit told him that his brother was still alive.
However, if he was, why wouldn’t he contact his family? Chris knew how it was, not knowing if Kit was alive or not. Kit had to believe he wouldn’t intentionally do that to his family. Kit wanted to believe that Chris was throwing one of his tantrums, he would soon get over it and come home. There was that possibility, but then, it could be that Chris was lying under that rubble. That was a more painful thought. No one knew where Chris and Danny had been heading to that night, or why Chris had decided to take public transportation. Why was it that the first time he got on the subway, it crashed?
Where had they been going? It didn’t matter now, anyway. And why the train crashed didn’t matter to Kit, either. There were two things he wanted to happen: for Danny to wake up and for Chris to come through the door, demanding that Kit leave his girl alone. Coming back to life had cost him Chris; Kit was sure he would die if Danny didn’t make it.
So, he sat at Danny’s bedside and watched as her eyes fluttered open. Kit jumped to his feet, leaning over Danny. His heart, stuck in his throat, kept him from screaming out loud. At least he had one left. Kit leaned in closer as Danny blinked furiously.
“Hey, Danny.” Through his clouded gaze he could see Danny’s brown eyes get brighter by the second. She really was alive. “Do you want me to turn on the light?”
Danny shook her head slightly no.
“I’m going to call the doctor.”
Danny shook her head once more, feebly grabbing his hand. Her eyes searched his face.
“It’s Kit,” he said. Please don’t ask me where Chris is.
Danny’s hand shook as she lifted it to his face. Kit took it, kissed her palm, and cupped his cheek with it. With her thumb, Danny wiped his tear. “How do you feel? Are you in pain? Let me call the doctor.”
“Kit,” she repeated with absolutely no recognition.
Kit pressed the call button on her bed. He would have rather dragged the doctor in there himself, but he didn’t like the scared look in Danny’s eyes. He held on to her hand and stroked her hair back. “It’s okay.”
The doctor and nurses rushed in. Kit was about to take a step back when Danny held on to his hand and whimpered.
“Is it all right if I just stand here?”
“It’s fine,” the doctor said.
“Do you want us to notify your family?” a nurse asked.
It was the middle of the night and Danny didn’t seem to like crowds or too much attention. He could feel her grip tighten with each person that entered the room. They would be pissed about not knowing, but Danny was his priority for now. “No, do it in the morning.”
“Daniela,” Kit heard the doctor call. “Do you know where you are? Do you know who you are?”
“Danny,” she said.
“Good girl.” The doctor turned to Kit. “She is responsive. Her reaction is a little slow, but that is to be expected. We will monitor her through the night. This is good news. Your wife should be fine now. We will do more tests in the morning.”
***
Wife?
For the past few minutes, she had been Danny and he was Kit. When the doctor had asked her who she was, she’d responded Danny, because according to Kit, that was who she was. She didn’t know if she should tell them, she didn’t know what her last name was. However, considering the doctor had said she was Kit’s wife, it was probably the same as his. Everything was a blank. She didn’t know why she’d fallen asleep and didn’t know why she didn’t dream. The reason why she was in hospital, surrounded by doctors, must have been important.
But why didn’t Kit want their family to be called? Was he really her husband, or had he kidnapped her? Just in case, she held the call button in her palm. In case he tried something he shouldn’t. When the doctor and the nurses left, the fear was back, that of not knowing. She followed Kit with her gaze, watched his hands as he tucked her in, as he stroked her cheek. She tried not to freak but instead, embrace the calming feeling it gave her. One look in his eyes and even a blank slate like her could see the adoration he had for her. But why was she in hospital?
“You should get some rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Comforting words, from a stranger. She intended to hold on to them for as long as she could. Danny decided to push back the fear of the unknown for when the sun rose. Kit climbed in the bed with her, and her heart beat out of her chest.
“If I don’t hold you, I won’t believe you are here.”
Danny created space for him. She wasn’t easy, but this was the equivalent of going to bed with a man she’d just met. It all seemed natural, though, to hide in his arms as he held her tightly to his chest. It felt right, beautiful, safe and loved. Danny wanted to pat herself on the back. She apparently had a handsome, muscular, and caring husband.
“Kit?” her voice rasped out of her scratchy throat.
“Yes.”
Go for it. “Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation. That’s great.
“I’m scared,” she admitted.
“You don’t have to be. I’m here. I won’t leave you again.”
Again? Did we break up? Are we divorced, or on the road to divorce?
Danny had more questions than answers at that point. In an effort not to confuse herself further, she decided to stay silent. His hug was way better than any information he could give her about herself. Danny snuggled in closer and closed her eyes. Just for now, she promised herself. Tomorrow she would get the answers she needed.
When Danny woke up, it wasn’t like waking up from the sleep of the night before. This time, she had warmth around her, and beautiful dreams to rise from. She had something and not just nothing from the night before. Kit wasn’t there, though. Danny sat up on the bed and looked around for clues about who she was. She didn’t get much from the plain white room. She hoped that Kit would hurry up.
Danny gave herself a once-over. Her left arm was in a cast and so was her right foot. She seemed to be covered by scratches. She touched her face and felt a Band-Aid on her forehead. What was it, an accident? Or was it an earthquake and the entire…where am I, anyway? Danny was about to hop off the bed and check out her window when the hospital door opened.
“Oh my God,” a woman screamed then rushed toward her. The three men she was with came at her, too. Danny jumped of the bed and hid in the corner. She had a bed between her and them, but just in case, she pulled the food tray in front of her.
“Daniela?” the older man asked.
“Danny,” she corrected. “My name is Danny.”
“Where the hell is Kit?” The tanned-looking man asked the one next to him.
“I have no idea,” the other responded.
They know Kit. I guess that’s a good sign. But Danny still didn’t move from her hiding place. They all stood there, four pairs of eyes staring at her as she stared right back at them.
“Mom, Dad, step back. You are scaring her,” the tanned man said.
Danny was just about to let her guard down when the room filled with a half dozen other people. They were all coming for her until the tanned man and his friend blocked their path. What the hell is going on?
Feeling suffocated and overwhelmed, Danny grabbed at her non-existent collar. This was all getting too much for her brain to handle. Where the hell is Kit?
“Don’t come any closer, please,” Danny begged. She sank to the ground, her knees hugged to her chest. “Kit, where is Kit?”
“Where the hell is Christian?” the older man bellowed.
“Who the hell is Christian? I want Kit!” Danny snapped. “Why the hell are all of you in my room?”
“Danny?” She turned her attention to the tanned man. “Who am I?”
“What about me, baby girl?” his friend asked.
“I have a husband, apparently, so you are not that.” Danny got to her feet, rubbing her temples as a headache crept up on her. “I don’t know who you are. You are both good-looking…my ex-boyfriends?”
“No, sweetheart, we are your brothers, Reno and DJ. And these two here are your parents. Everyone else is your family,” Reno said.
She wanted to know who she was. That was why they said be careful what you wished for. Danny cringed as her headache became worse. She doubled over and they all rushed for her.
“No!” She yelled. “Stay away.”
“Danny?” Reno squatted before her as she sat on the floor. “I’m Reno and this is DJ.”
“I don’t know who you all are,” she cried.
“Do you want us to leave?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Reno looked back at DJ, and immediately he started clearing the room.
“Does your head hurt?” Reno asked.
“Yes.”
It hadn’t even been a moment after DJ had asked them to leave that they all came back in, this time with more nurses and doctors. Danny didn’t want anyone to touch her. When the nurses went for her, DJ and Reno stopped them. Maybe they really were her brothers. They seemed older than she was, so Danny surmised she must be the baby of the family. They didn’t seem so bad. They looked like they cared for her, and all of them did. Danny wasn’t ready to take all of them in at the same time.
“What’s going on here?”
Kit!
Danny rose to her feet when she heard his voice. “Kit!” She called for him just in case he couldn’t trace her in this crowd. He rushed toward her, and she hid behind him. It was a relief, not being able to see everyone and no longer having everyone stare at her. “You said you wouldn’t leave.”
“You guys are overwhelming her,” Kit said.
“Out, all of you,” Reno bellowed.
Danny peeked from behind Kit and watched as they all followed Reno’s order. He was a little scary and very authoritative. Kit helped Danny on the bed, and soon, it was just her parents, her brothers, and Kit in the room. They all stood around the bed, watching her. This is how zoo animals feel.
“Danny, who is this?” Reno asked as he pointed at Kit.
“What kind of question is that?” Kit asked.
“He’s Kit, my husband,” Danny said, smiling.
“Who is Christian?” DJ asked.
Danny shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Why?”
Kit turned to her, shock evident in his eyes. “Who’s Christian?”
“I don’t know. Someone famous? Why do you keep on asking me that?”
A knock on the door sounded and an African American man walked in. He looked tired, and out of it. He seemed to need the hospital bed more than Danny did.
“Hey, little girl, welcome back to the land of the living,” he said as he smiled at her.
“Who is he, Danny?” Reno asked.
“I don’t want to play this game anymore,” Danny responded, annoyed. It should have been obvious to all of them that she didn’t know who they were or who the hell Christian was.
The African American man walked up to her, the momentary cheer and exhaustion gone from his face. He reached into his pocket and took out something that looked like a ball pen.
“Lie back for me,” he ordered as he pushed her back on the bed. “Look at me.” He shined the light in her eyes, then pressed the call button and a nurse came in. “Get her a head CT, immediately.”
“Are you a doctor?” Danny asked.
“Yes, Danny. I’m AJ. We grew up together.” When he smiled this time, Danny could tell that he was trying to hide his worry from the rest of the room.
“I have no memory of who anyone is. The only reason I know my name is Danny is because Kit called me that.” It was then that she realized the gravity of the situation. She couldn’t hold back the tears as it all sank in. “I don’t know who I am. I don’t know who Christian is. I can’t recognize my parents or my brothers, and I don’t even know why I’m here.”
“You don’t need to know all that, sweetie,” AJ said. “You should rest for now. And this guy right here,” AJ put his hand on Kit’s shoulder, “this one, with the worried frown, is Christian. We call him Kit for short. I’m going to borrow all of them for a moment.”
“You are going to tell them about my broken head?”
“Yes. But don’t worry. I won’t make fun of you too much. Are you going to be okay alone?”
Danny nodded.
***
Who is Christian? That question had haunted him from the moment he’d heard it. He didn’t understand what was happening. Here he was, thanking God that he at least had Danny, when in truth, he didn’t have her at all.
“I don’t understand,” Kit said.
“When did she wake up?” AJ asked.
“Last night. I should have known something was wrong when she didn’t ask for her brothers. I thought she wanted to be alone with me. We even slept in her bed last night.” Kit pushed his long hair out of his face. He sat down on the bench, thinking he was going insane. “How does she let a stranger in her bed?”
“Did she say anything?” AJ asked.
“She said she was scared and asked me if I loved her. But that was after the doctor called her my wife.”
“Her name?”
“I called out to her when she woke up. I said ‘Danny, it’s Kit.’”
“It’s not unheard of for someone to lose her memory after a head trauma. Sometimes it’s temporary but it could be permanent. You need to prepare yourselves for that possibility. I would advise that you limit the number of strange faces she sees in a day. Kit was the first person she saw when she woke up and hearing that he is her husband, she automatically latched on to him. He is the only one she trusts right now.”
“No,” Kit found himself saying.
“What do you mean ‘no’?” Reno asked.
“I shouldn’t be with her. I can’t be with her. You are her family. You should stay with her.”
“But you are the one she is attached to,” DJ said.
“And she can easily attach herself to her brothers. I need to go look for my brother.”
“Is that where you were all morning, at the subway?” Reno pushed him back when Kit tried to walk past him. “You aren’t going anywhere. My sister needs you.”
“I can’t be that guy for her.”
“Why?”
“Because if I hadn’t come back, she would probably be happily married to my brother!” he yelled.
Kit had that thought, ever since he’d come back home. For a while, when he would fight with Chris, he told himself that it was his right to take his happiness back. He was tired of giving everything up for Chris. It didn’t matter to him who’d met her first. Danny was his wife—even though he’d married her under false pretences, which had been entirely his fault—he loved her and wanted her. But then if Kit hadn’t forced Danny to go back to Chris in the first place, things might have turned out differently.
“Say that a little louder. I don’t think my sister heard you,” DJ bellowed.
“Fine. You should leave,” AJ said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Maybe it would be a good idea for Aunt Isadora to stay with her. Develop a bond before she has to go home.”
“AJ, Kit is her husband. It’s his job—”
“A job he doesn’t want. I have to go back to Kat after the CT scan, because as her husband, I know my duty is to be by her side right now. Call me if something turns up.”
“Doctor Ross, they are ready for her,” a nurse said before he pushed a wheelchair into Danny’s room. Kit left before they came back with Danny. He didn’t want to explain why he would rather go digging through rubble instead of being there with her.
Walking away, he felt like an ass, but his present state of mind wasn’t something Danny should be around. Guilt was driving him away. When Kit got to his car, he turned it on then turned it off. He couldn’t leave, no matter how many times he told himself that he should. His phone buzzed and it was Danny’s father. He hesitated for a moment before picking up.
“Don’t come back.”
The line went dead after that.
Kit couldn’t help but laugh. Somehow, Danny’s father’s call was the push that he’d needed. Kit turned on his car and drove out of the hospital parking lot without looking back.
***
Danny told herself countless times that there was no need to panic. The people who had filled up her room were her family, her brothers and her parents. There was no need to be afraid, therefore no need to find an exit and run through it. That didn’t stop her heart from racing, the monitor picking up her erratic pulse and causing the nurses to frown with worry. Danny wanted to cry, and at the same time she was so mad at herself, and Kit. Herself because she could see the pain she was causing her family by not remembering, and at Kit because he’d just left her with them.
Danny stared at each one of her family members, trying to pick up something familiar, hoping that a sense of kinship would come over her. It had been so easy to trust Kit at first sight. The way he’d spoken to her, held her and kissed her forehead, seemed to seal the trust, and had curbed her fear of waking up in a strange place. Should she have her family do that? It would be a little bit weird, though.
Dennis Kent paced the room from one end to the other, a worried frown wrinkling his already lined face. He left the room every couple of minutes, to talk to the doctors, was Danny’s guess. It wasn’t actually a guess, considering she could hear him shout at them from the other side of the door. Dennis Senior, Dad, obviously panicked when he was worried, and anger was probably the only way he could soothe the panic. There was something strange about his relationship with his sons. It wasn’t distant, but…she couldn’t figure it out.
Isadora Kent sat next to her bed with her prayer beads in her hands. So, I’m Catholic? The woman seemed so passive and weak. The possibility of her breaking at any moment kept Danny sending her little smiles. The last thing she wanted was to see the woman go hysterical. She was going to make her mother look at the situation in a different light: that her daughter was alive. She might not have her memories, but she had her life. Her hand trembled as she lay her hand over her mother’s. Like a shock wave coursing through her body, there it was—familiarity. How could she not feel anything toward the woman who’d brought her into the world? But when her mother broke down, Danny rethought her actions.
“Oh no! Don’t cry!” They all rushed to the bed at the same time. “I didn’t do anything.” Danny tried to take her hand away, but her mother held on tight.
“Mama,” DJ’s soft voice filled the room. “It’s okay. Danny is going to be fine. Right, Reno?”
“Right,” Reno said with a smile that said he was totally convinced but still had some doubts.
Her brothers, DJ and Reno? Their relationship seemed to be the closest in the room.
DJ was soft-spoken, from what she could see. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a fierceness burning within him. He kept checking his phone every hour. Both he and Reno did. DJ obviously leaned on Reno when things were tough, like he needed some reassurance from his big brother. That was the other thing. If Reno was older than DJ, then why wasn’t he the junior to Dennis’ senior? It made her wonder.
Reno oozed strength and safety. It was no wonder DJ leaned on him. Danny had no doubt that he’d been her support when she’d had problems. He seemed to have everything in control. No one could tell he was worried, that was, unless you knew him and could tell from looking in his eyes. Maybe that was how she could recognize the anxiety behind the tough exterior he was putting on for his family. He did look like DJ and their father a little, but not like their mother. His skin was darker than the rest of theirs, and his features resembled more of an Asian decent than it did Italian. Maybe he was his father’s love child? That would explain a lot, including the estranged relationships in the room.
“You guys keep checking your phones. Is anything wrong? You know, besides having a sister who’s got half her brain?”
They all chuckled. Maybe I’m the comedic relief in this tense family.
“I’m checking on Lisette and the kids. They have been worried about you,” Reno said.
“Evie keeps wanting to come down here, but I told her you weren’t ready yet,” DJ added.
“Ah, okay,” Danny nodded as if she understood. “And they are?”
“Our wives,” they said in unison, as they flashed their wedding bands.
“That’s awesome, and I am guessing you are both fathers?” Danny asked.
“We each have three,” DJ said.
“Four boys and two girls between us. We each have two boys and a girl,” Reno filled in.
“Just like us?” Danny asked. It was then she noticed the temperature in the room drop and the tension rise. Time to change the subject. “I heard we were rich. The nurses are pretty loud.”
“We do well,” her father said modestly.
“Kit’s family is also rich?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“So, are we all in arranged marriages?” This had been Danny’s thought process for the past hours that Kit had been absent. Both their families were rich, so to keep the wealth going, they had arranged marriages. Business marriages. Why would Kit leave her alone if he loved her?
“Kit loves you kiddo and no, our wives may be from rich families—”
“Mine isn’t,” DJ interrupted Reno.
“Technically, DJ. You were able to find a woman with both McCrery and Ross attached to her identity. She is rich—if not in the bank, in name.”
“Boys!” her father silenced them. “Your marriage with Christian Henry wasn’t arranged. We found out about it a month ago. The two of you had already been married a year and three months.”
“We eloped!” Danny laughed. “And you let us. You don’t seem the type to have an unruly daughter,” she said to her father.
“You were special, Danny. My last born. How could I not give my baby anything she wanted?” Danny noticed the tears that gleamed in his eyes when he cupped her cheek.
“I kind of like being the last born. Did I always get my way?”
“Actually, I’m your favourite brother. That guy over there was tough on you,” DJ teased.
“I had to be, when the situation needed me to be. But I was your favourite. You would cry each time I had to leave.”
“She cried for me, too.”
Danny burst out laughing. Was this how her family was? It was exciting. For a moment, they were able to fil the aching void in her heart. She must really be in love with Kit if she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
“Lies, all lies. I was your favourite.” AJ flashed a smile at her as he walked in. “How’s our girl doing?”
“I still don’t remember anything.”
AJ nodded as he scribbled on her chart. “Any headaches, dizziness?”
“No, although I feel a little nauseous.”
AJ nodded as if he understood. “I’m going to steal these guys for a moment and give you some time with Mom. Then later I’m going to come and tell you why I was your favourite.”
Something was wrong, her heart feared. Her body didn’t feel normal. Danny could sense something strange ever since she woke up. She didn’t have the guts to ask and worry everyone.
***
“She’s what?” Kat yelled on the phone.
Kit watched as his sister paced the small baby room, shooting daggers in his direction. Kit rocked his tiny nephew in his arms. Kit had been to the site of the accident. He had been able to confirm that there were still bodies trapped down there. However, the structure wasn’t secure, and they didn’t want to risk a collapse and loss of more lives to just recover dead bodies. It was hard to hear, but Kit understood the logic. He had no right to ask another man to risk his life, so that his own could be lifted, even slightly.
Kat hang up the phone and sat next to him. She watched him for a moment before saying, “How do you like holding that baby?”
“He’s okay, why?”
“My husband called. I say ‘my husband’ because saying Dr. Ross would mean that he violated doctor-patient confidentiality. And considering you are Danny’s not-so-secret husband, it’s right for me to tell you.” Kat stood up and paced the room, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Lisette is going to come and get the baby. I have to go to the hospital.”
“Are you sure you are ready for that?”
“You sure do have a talent for paying attention to the unnecessary,” Kat said angrily. “Don’t you care about Danny? Why exactly did you leave the hospital?”
“Because they wouldn’t have been on that train if it wasn’t for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had asked Danny to come meet me. I was planning on us running away to Hawaii together. She was my wife and yet people wanted her to marry my twin brother. I think Chris followed her.” Kit had played every single scenario he could. This was the only explanation he had. Maybe if Kit hadn’t called Danny that night, if his resolve had not broken, if he hadn’t begged her to be his wife and leave the apartment she shared with his brother, Chris wouldn’t be dead.
“Well, guilt made you leave and it’s going to make you go back.” Kat took the baby and put him in his crib. “You have to go back. Danny’s pregnant.”
“What!” Kit shot to his feet and fell back down into the chair. He was numb all over. “How? Why didn’t they say anything?”
“AJ has his methods of doctoring.” Kat shook her head, at least acknowledging how ridiculous she sounded. “He was in the ER when they brought Danny in. He didn’t think that the pregnancy would keep. So, he and Uncle Dennis decided it would be better not to say anything.”
“Dennis Kent decided, or AJ decided?”
“Dennis Kent decided, and since her husband wasn’t there, her father has taken responsibility for all her medical decisions.” Kat gave him it’s-your-own-fault look.
Kit hadn’t been able to see Danny at the hospital for the longest time. He had always managed to get to the hospital doors but never past that. Plus, he was still trying to help Duke locate his son and his nanny. That day he’d finally gone into her room, she’d woken up, as if she had been waiting for him to arrive. Now, she was probably still waiting for him, wondering why her husband wasn’t there to be with her. Now she was pregnant. Kit had never wanted children. Well, before he’d met Danny, marriage and children were not in his cards. But now he was a husband and there was a possibility he was a father.
That fifty-fifty chance was what kept his butt in his chair. Facing the fact that Danny had almost married his brother was one thing. Knowing for sure that they had been sleeping together was another. Kit had never dared question Danny about hers and Chris’ sex life. He never thought he would be able to handle it. Danny hadn’t been a virgin when they’d met, but he’d never thought of the guy before him. That man wasn’t important. But sharing a woman with his brother was something Kit would never do. He’d rather die.
“The baby is yours. Danny wouldn’t sleep with Chris.”
“She was going to marry him.”
“Because she thought that would keep her from going insane.”
“She already told me all her reasons. But Chris kept her boozed up half the time. She can’t be sure of what she did or didn’t do with him.”
“Our brother wasn’t that despicable.”
“Well, the Chris I know is a little different from the fantasy the rest of you have of him.”
“That doesn’t matter now. You are her husband and there is a decent chance that the baby is yours. You need to be there for her. Go to the hospital, Kit.”
Kit walked down the hall toward Danny’s bedroom. He hesitated when he saw Reno, DJ, and their father gathered outside her hospital room with AJ. He wasn’t scared; he was embarrassed. Never had he run from his responsibility in the SEALs, even those that could have cost him his life. However, when it came to Danny, all he’d done was try to escape.
Reno spotted him first. He marched over to him, his fist clenched with intent. Kit saw it coming, but never tried to stop it. He crashed into the cold hospital floor, his jaw throbbing, the taste of blood on his tongue. He shook his head and got back up, just in time to receive DJ’s punch.
“My sister is pregnant!” Reno shouted as his father held him back and AJ held DJ back.
“You are going to be there for her, even if we have to chain you to her side,” DJ bellowed.
Kit held himself, waiting for the final blow. Her father must have something in store for him. But Dennis, Senior, didn’t hit him. He grabbed his arm and pushed him forward.
“Look at me. You may not believe me, but in a way, I’ve been where you are standing. I abandoned my children because I was too much of a coward. Our situations may be different, but the result will be the same. You abandon your family, and they will resent you and no matter how hard you try to make up for it, nothing will ever heal that scar.”
Kit forcefully wiped the tears streaming down his face. It’s not the same, he wanted to yell out.
“It doesn’t matter if you are not sure if the baby is yours. You love my daughter, and you love your brother. It’s obvious, or else you wouldn’t try to avoid this place. At first, I didn’t want you to come back, but that was before I knew the pregnancy had survived. I can see it in her eyes, the question she is afraid to ask out loud—why isn’t my husband here?”
“I can’t.”
“Fine. Go in there and ask for a divorce. Let’s deal with all of this at once, so she can start healing. At least be a man about that,” Dennis, Senior, said as he pushed him into Danny’s room.
The excited look Danny had on her face upon seeing him broke his heart into even smaller pieces. She wouldn’t look so happy when she found out his intention was to hand her over to her family. Kit had never been an actual husband to her, he realized. He had always been that guy who’d walked in and out of her life, the guy who’d had enough time to make love to her, but not actually love her.
Danny hopped off her hospital bed and slowly made her way to him. Kit watched as each step she took played in slow motion in his mind. Quickly, his brain scrambled for something to say to her, a way to cause her less pain. A sigh escaped his lips when her warm hand cupped his cheek, seemingly filling him with a warmth that defrosted his chilled insides. She smiled up at him, her thumbs catching his tears as they fell. She pulled his head down as she rose to her tiptoes and kissed his lips.
“Hey,” she said. “I kind of, sort of missed you.”
Kit didn’t say anything.
Danny nodded, and bit her trembling lower lip as her eyes filled with tears. “I get it. Don’t worry. I have my mom, my dad and my brothers. Plus AJ, and a whole family I have yet to meet. It’s okay.”
How was it that even without her memory, she was still the same Danny? The girl who knew his every thought even before it left his lips. The girl who always wanted to make it easier for everyone, just because her life had been one tough decision after the other.
She knew he was about to abandon her and yet she was okay with it. The old Danny was like the innocent girl he was staring at right now. The Danny he’d met more than three years ago thought it was okay for her to not get what she wanted, a punishment from the universe for her sins. What was this Danny atoning for now?
“No one would want to be with a girl with half a brain. Plus, I think my brothers already evened the score for me,” she chuckled. “Does it hurt?”
“I’ve been through worse.”
“I heard I married a SEAL. I am impressed with myself.” Danny looked away and bit her lip again before turning to him with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Think of it as you going on deployment. I guess we have been through this a couple of times before.”
Unable to look into her eyes and break her heart even more, Kit spun her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He rested his chin on her shoulder for a moment before kissing her neck. Who was he kidding?
“We are going to have a baby,” he whispered into her ear.
Danny chuckled as she leaned into his arms. Kit held her tighter, silently promising never to leave her again. And hoping that he would be able to keep it.