Finding Dandi, page 21
“Waco!” She took off at a dead run.
“That’s right – run after another man!” He yelled and chuckled. As far as he was concerned, Waco had saved his life. He had taken on Socorro, freeing up Harley to marry and have his babies. He owed Waco – big time. Scanning the crowd, Beau looked at the people he loved. Everybody from Firepower Munitions had arrived. Dandi’s girlfriends, Deb and Cindi – the Wild Bunch, as he called them had arrived. Joseph and Cady were here as well as a few other friends that he wouldn’t trade for love or money. Only Savannah was missing, but she was busy with Patrick and all was well.
Finally, his eyes settled on Dane/Lucas who was standing on the periphery of the party like a child peeking in the window of the candy store. “Come on over, Dane. Don’t be a stranger.”
Dandi looked up when Beau yelled and her eyes gravitated to the man he was talking to. Wow! What a man! Not that she was in the market for one, but if she ever did – this would be the type of man she would want. Ripples of excitement coursed through her body as she looked at him. He was big and blonde and built like a Viking. But he wore sunglasses, so she had no way of knowing if he was seeing her or not.
Covertly, she stole glances at him. So, this was Dr. Dane Wagner. Dandi didn’t have to be told because he was the only one invited that she did not already know. The man was definitely out of her league. Not that it mattered; she wasn’t cut out for men and relationships. Dandi knew that. She wasn’t sure how she knew it, but she did.
Since coming to live with Beau, Dandi had struggled with the missing chunk of time. What all had transpired during those missing months, she didn’t know. Something big had happened, something she didn’t really want to remember. What she did know was momentous enough. She had developed diabetes and gotten pregnant. Night after night, she had lain in bed and tried to recall the face of Lucy’s father. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t even remember the bus crash that had stolen her memory. Whatever had happened, she had been given a gift – her Lucy. She wouldn’t trade Lucy for anything.
“Wow, would you look at him?” Cindi elbowed Dandi. “God, he’s scrumptious.”
“Damn, he’s fine.” Deb pushed both of them out of the way to get a better view.
“Do you mind?” Dandi laughed. “He’s not on the menu, so you can quit drooling over him like a T-Bone steak.”
“Who is he?” Cindi asked, her brown eyes twinkling.
“I think that’s a friend of Harley and Beau’s, a doctor.”
Cindi placed the back of her hand on her forehead. “Call him over, I feel faint.”
“Will not. Stop it.” Dandi whispered out the side of her mouth. “Let’s try to be dignified.”
“We’ll try to be dignified,” Deb giggled. “If you’ll try to remember you’re a woman.”
*****
Lucas stood his ground. It was her. He forced himself to stand still. God, he was shaking. It was Dandi. His Dandi. The woman he had been searching for every day for the last three years. Every cell of his body ached to hold her again.
She looked at him.
He stopped breathing.
He halfway expected her to run toward him – arms outstretched. And if she had, he would have caught her and welcomed her home.
But her gaze slid over him, entirely too easily.
Was she planning on ignoring him? Damn! He had rehearsed this day a thousand times in his mind. Lucas had a speech all rehearsed, but now he couldn’t think of the first word.
Did she not see him? Maybe she was embarrassed. Yea, that had to be it. Didn’t she realize they could work through anything? Didn’t she know he would move heaven and earth to be with her?
No, apparently she didn’t. From where he was standing, she was paying no more attention to him than if he were a bug in the grass.
Dandi poured glass after glass of iced tea. “You two could help, you know?” Grumbling they began to pitch in. Deb and Cindi had become her best friends. Lucy was her life, but these two had given her companionship. They had made it their mission in life to make her laugh and smile as much as possible.
“Hey, Dandi,” Rick held out his glass. “Could I have a refill?”
“Sure,” she poured the amber liquid, loving the sound of the clinking cubes against the crystal. “Did you finish rebuilding that zombie gun?”
“I did, I sure would like to show you how it turned out. How about going back over to the shop with me after the party?”
Dandi laughed. “It’s a Wednesday night, Rick. We work together tomorrow. Won’t that be soon enough?”
Rick’s face fell. “Yea, I guess so.” He moved on, taking his tea glass with him.
“How can you be so cruel?” Deb chided her. “The guy is smitten with you. And he’s cute in an Ashton Kutcher kinda way. Why won’t you go out with him?”
“I don’t date,” Dandi explained for the millionth time.
“She doesn’t date,” Cindi spread her arms out wide, giving Deb a gesture of resignation. “You don’t even know why you don’t date, do you?” Deb asked. The beer in her hand was giving her extra courage.
Dandi tugged at the hem of her short, sleeveless leather vest. She was glad Lucy was at a play-day, she didn’t want her to see her Mom lose her cool. “I do know why I don’t date, Miss Buttinsky. I don’t have anything to offer a relationship, that’s why.”
“I beg to differ.”
Dandi froze. That voice! It was a deep, husky, commanding voice. She was afraid if that voice told her to jump, she’d just ask –‘How high?’ “What?” She turned around to look at the bigger-than-life hunk who was standing over her like the mountain who had come to Mohammed.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
“Oh, you must be thirsty. Let me get you some tea.” Her hand shook as she poured it and held it out to him. “I’m glad you could come for Beau and Harley. I hope you have a good time.”
“No, I don’t want tea.” Lucas didn’t know whether to be angry at her, or go to his knees at her feet. “I’m just thankful I found you.”
“Why don’t you go with this nice man and get a plate of food, Dandi.” Cindi took the iced tea pitcher away from her and gave her a nudge in the man’s direction.
“No, thanks,” Dandi stood her ground. “He’s thirsty, not looking for a dinner companion,” she smiled at her friend with a hint of warning. “How about lemonade instead?” She reached for another beverage.
“Are you going to pretend you don’t know who I am?”
“Oh, I know who you are.” She gave him a sweet smile. “You’re the doctor who helped Beau and Harley.”
“Is this a game, Dandi?”
Deb and Cindi froze beside her. Dandi didn’t know what he meant. “No, I don’t play games,” she answered coolly. Then she felt guilty. He wasn’t speaking personally, she must have misunderstood. “If you’re interested, we are going to be having some target practice after the meal. You know us, any excuse to shoot a gun.” Her body was drawn to his; she could feel the pull like a giant magnet. Dandi had to fight the impulse; it would have been the most natural thing in the world to move into his arms.
To her surprise, he reached across the table and touched her face. “Are you telling me that you don’t remember me?”
His touch made her tremble. “No, sorry.” She wished she could say otherwise. Could this be someone from her past? She guessed it could be possible, but forgetting this man seemed unlikely. “You must be confusing me with someone else. I have one of those ordinary faces.”
Lucas looked like he was about to argue, but he let his hand drop.
“Dandi! Where is that pot of BBQ sauce you made? I can’t seem to find it.” Harley was calling her from the backdoor of the house.
“Excuse me, it was nice meeting you.” She made her escape, leaving her two dumb-founded friends standing in front of the most compelling man she had ever met. Was it possible she knew him? As she had so often done, she probed her memory – but the hazy images of leering faces and snarling voices only made her push the thoughts away. No, he wasn’t a part of that pain.
Lucas was stunned. What was going on? His whole body was in turmoil – his heart was pounding and his gut was clenched up as tight as a drum. Unable to do anything else at the moment, he stepped back into the crowd and bided his time. Willowbend was a beautiful place. The house was a typical antebellum home with the wide verandah and graceful white columns. A rolling green lawn filled with crepe myrtles, stately oak trees and azaleas spread out to the banks of Bayou Teche. Beau’s toothless alligator basked on a sundappled log. He didn’t know anyone but Beau and Harley – and Dandi. So, Lucas decided to mingle. Maybe he could find out what was going on.
*****
Dandi played hostess. She dished up salads and carved meats. She brought out loaf after loaf of buttered French bread. She cut cakes and sliced pies. Anyone who needed help, she did her best to aid them and make them feel welcome.
“You look familiar to me.” Pamela Morrisey stared at her from over a plate of BBQ.
“You’re the second person who mentioned that to me today.”
“Hmmmm, it will come to me, I never turn loose of an idea. When something puzzles me, I’ll dig at it until I figure it out.”
Dandi nodded at the woman, politely. “Okay, well if I can help, let me know.” After what seemed like forever, she was able to get her own plate and settle down. Beau and Harley stepped up in front of everyone and thanked them for coming. She was so happy for them. No one deserved the good life more than they did. Next, Joseph McCoy sang a song, ‘She Cranks My Tractor’ and many people got up to dance.
“May I join you?”
It was Dr. Wagner.
“Of course,” she sat up a little straighter as he took the seat next to hers. They needed bigger chairs; he dwarfed the one he was sitting in.
Dandi was so aware of him; her appetite left her high and dry. She laid down her fork. Looking around, she sought out Deb and Cindi for moral support, but they were nowhere to be found.
“So, tell me about yourself, Dandi.” Lucas managed to keep his voice on an even keel. He couldn’t stop looking at her – she was the same, yet she wasn’t. Her hair was a lot shorter; it just danced on the tops of her shoulders now. Her body was the same sweet luscious curves, but she held herself more aloof now. And what was with the all-black? Dandi looked like a fairy queen masquerading as a biker chick.
“Oh my, there’s not much to tell.” She shifted in her seat and cleared her throat. “I help out at Beau’s, as you know. I’ve learned a lot about guns and cars. The guys are good to me.”
Lucas felt his hackles rise. He wanted to be the one who was good to her. “You are easy to be good to, I’m sure.”
“I’m even rebuilding a motorcycle. Can you imagine that?” she grinned at him mischievously.
Actually, no – he couldn’t. “It’s hard to imagine you with a streak of motor oil on that cute upturned nose. And I see no hint of grease under these fingernails.”
He took her hand and Dandi felt a warm sizzle travel up her arm all the way to her nipples. “It’s a Sportster.”
“An 883 or a 1288?” Lucas was still baffled about how she was acting. If she was faking not knowing him, it was a class act.
She was impressed. “An 883.”
“What else?” He wanted to know everything. He was so hungry for information about her – hell, he was hungry for her. Period.
“I paint and sketch.”
“That’s wonderful. Do you dance?”
“I used to when I was younger, but not in a long time.”
He watched her face; there wasn’t a hint of subterfuge. “That’s a shame, I bet you dance beautifully.”
“I don’t seem to want to anymore. I guess our focus changes.” She played with her potato salad. “I’m getting a degree. I only have another semester to go.”
A thrill shot through Lucas. He was so proud. “What will your degree be in?”
“Archaeology and Anthropology from LSU, I’m focusing on Native American studies and specific Louisiana history and culture.”
And he was missing all of this; a pang of longing almost split his chest in two.
Several people were milling around the dessert table. “Excuse me, I better see to the coffee. Thank you for talking to me. I enjoyed it very much.”
Lucas didn’t want her to leave. “I enjoyed learning more about you.”
“Me too,” she was about to walk off. “Oh, and the most important thing,” she placed a delicate hand on her chest. “I have a beautiful daughter.”
Lucas almost bit his tongue. “You have a child? How wonderful! How old?”
“She’s almost three.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Lucas watched her every move. She still had that cute little walk, where when she stopped, she’d bounce in place. He knew it was a way she dealt with nervousness. Hell, he hoped it was him that made her quiver and wiggle. How was he supposed to leave her today? Just the thought that she could have borne his child made him want to hoist her over his shoulder and take her home with him.
When everyone walked down to the shooting range, he followed. Beau had a major set up here. Firepower Munitions built custom guns and had many government and private contracts to upgrade or perfect gun designs. All of his employees were crack shots. But the sight of his Dandi holding a rifle almost did him in. Trying to be casual, he wandered up to stand next to her.
“Hey, Dane. I’m glad you decided to join us.” Actually, she had been looking for him. Despite her stance to keep herself out of the romantic fray, just standing near to him made her wet.
“I couldn’t stay away from you.” He said the words as casually as if he had commented on the weather.
Hitting any target would be difficult today, her hands were shaking. “Well, here.” She handed him a gun. “Let’s see if you’re any good.”
“I’m good at lots of things.” To his disappointment, she didn’t even react to his flirting.
“Excellent, you can be on my team. Maybe we’ll win.”
Damn, he had gone hunting, but shooting at a bull’s eye from half a world away was something altogether different. “Hmmm, I’ll give it a shot.” He smiled at his own pun.
“Good one,” she said dryly. “You first.”
Before he took aim, he glanced over at Beau and the McCoy man who were shooting very well, almost as good as Beau’s fiancé, but she was ex-Navy Special Ops. Lucas chuckled, that just blew his mind. Harley was so feminine and beautiful; it was hard to imagine how capable she was. At another target Indy, Rick and Waco were making great headway. The other women were watching from the sidelines, but Dandi seemed as much at home with a gun as Harley did.
Taking aim, he prayed he wouldn’t miss the target entirely. Slowly, he pulled the trigger. Crack! He squinted at the target, then breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t a bull’s eye, but at least he hadn’t disgraced himself.
“My turn,” she felt in her back pocket and took out a barrette – pulled her hair up and put it in a high pony tail. The familiar little phoenix that he had kissed so often came into view.
“Nice tat.”
She jerked a bit, turning to look at him. He wondered if what he said sounded familiar. He had said it before.
“Thank you.” She pushed her bangs out of her eyes. “It’s a little warm out here, isn’t it?”
When she moved a lock of her dark hair a scar came into view on her forehead. “What happened?” He couldn’t have kept his hands off her if he tried. Lucas ran a gentle thumb over the raised scar. “What hurt you?”
“I was in a bus crash on the Valentine’s Day before Lucy was born.” Taking aim, she shot twice in quick succession. Both of them were very near the bull’s eye. “I got this,” she rubbed the scar, “and I lost about six months of my life.”
“What do you mean?” he almost took her in his arms. “What did you lose? Lucy was okay. Were you in the hospital for six months?” The name wasn’t lost on him. He hoped, subconsciously, she had named the baby after him. God, he didn’t even know if the baby was his, maybe he was putting the cart before the horse. No, that wasn’t true, he knew Lucy was his. Dandi loved him. She hadn’t slept with anyone else. Still, he ached to see the child.
“I lost time. I lost my memory. I don’t remember anything that happened in the months before the bus crash.”
Lucas almost staggered under the weight of what had happened. She didn’t remember him, it wasn’t a game. “You could have been killed,” his words came out in a harsh whisper. “What happened?”
“They said an eighteen wheeler hit us broadside at a stoplight on an overpass. At the angle it hit the bus, both vehicles crashed and fell off the overpass. Several people were killed. I was tossed around, but I was lucky.”
Lucas paced about three or four feet away, then came back. She probably thought he was crazy, and maybe he was. “You don’t remember anything that happened before the crash? Why were you on the bus? Where had you been?”
Dandi didn’t understand. “I don’t know. All of that information is gone, Dane. It’s like smoke that drifted away on an evening breeze.”
“Don’t call me, Dane. Call me Lucas.” He had to hear her say his name. Oh, his excuse to use his middle name was a viable one. There was another Dr. Lucas Wagner, but he was a General Practitioner. The real reason was that it had been almost impossible for him to hear others say his name, when all he could hear was her voice. For weeks, every time he had shut his eyes, he could hear her say, ‘Lucas, my Lucas.’
“Lucas?” she tested the sound. A flash of something illuminated her mind. Lucas. It sounded familiar. “Why not Dane?”
“My friends call my Lucas, Dane is my middle name.” All of that was true.
“Okay,” she smiled. “Lucas fits you much better.” To his delight, she pushed his hair out of his face, caressing his cheek as she did so. “You have beautiful hair. I like blonde hair.”
“Can I see you again?” The others were still doing their target practice, but they were lost in their own world, and there was no where he’d rather be.
