Page 35 of Sexy Bad Escort

I snort. “Nothardly.” My dad hasn’t tried to hug me in a bajillion years.

“And Icannot imaginethey hateyou. No one hates you, Danny. Not even Garrett.”

I paceto the window, stare out over the roof at the section of road I can see between thebuilding and the parking structure. “I’m not like anyone else in myfamily. Which, to them, makes me a failure.” Am I really going toconfess this to her? I wish Erin were here. She knows the entirestory, lived through most of it with me. It’d be a hell of a loteasier if she explained.

“Justbecause you haven’t figured out what you want to do with yourlifedoesn’t make you afailure. And besides, you’ve found your calling now. And you’redamn good at it. You should tell them about ourcompany.”

My laughis hollow. “If I told my dad I basically help people connect withtheir true love, he’d laugh in my faceand call me a pussy. That sort of job—having aknack for guiding people through their feelings—that’s notmasculine. He’d probably accuse me of being gay.”

“I don’tunderstand.”

“I knowyou don’t.” I throw my hands into the air. “Because your parentsloveyou all for who youare. Paynter for being a genius computer geek. Garrett for being abrilliant golfer. He’s the only jock I’ve ever liked, for therecord. And James for being a tough businessman. And you—you’rejust straight up perfect. Which blows my mind every time we’retogether because I cannot fathom what the hell you see inme.”

“Ohfor God’ssake, Danny, stop it. There’s nothing wrong with you. And even ifyou were gay, do you really believe he would hate you forit?”

“Did yousee him? Did you seehowhuge he is? He’s a macho man. Every man in my family for a thousandgenerations has been a badass, an athlete, perfect at every singlething they’ve ever done in life. Me? I sucked at football. So badthe coach in my Pop Warner league thought I was adopted. NowaytheHankHarrison’s genes were in my blood.”

“Youmake him sound like agod.”

I shrug.“He was. At the high school where Erin and I went, which is also mydad’s alma mater, there arefour trophy cases. One for my dad, one for my uncle Gus,one for my brother, and one for everyone else.”

She stares atme, her mouth hanging open.

“And Idon’t have a single trophyor plaque or ribbon in any of them. I tried it all, too.Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer. Was lousy ateverything. My dad was so frustrated. No wayhisson couldn’t be good at sports. All we did wasargue. Eventually, nothing I did made him happy, even beyondsports.

“Hetried to teach me how to grill, and we got into a screaming match.He tried to teach me how to drive, and I hit a parked car because Iwas so stressed out by his backseat driving.” I shove my hands intomy pockets, when really the memories flooding back make me want topunch the wall. But that’s been my solution in the past, and all itdoes is give me bruised knuckles.

I watchher reflection in the window as she moves toward me, opens herarms, and embraces mefrom behind. She squeezes, resting her chin on my shoulder. “OhDanny, please don’t believe you are a lousy person. I happen tothink you’re pretty damn perfect. And since I’m the one sleepingwith you, you should listen to me, not them.”

I likesmiling better than frowning. And I like Ronnie a hell of a lotmore than the rest of them. She’s right; her opinion means athousand times more to me than theirs. I tug my hands out of my pockets and claspher arms wrapped around my waist.

“I’ll be here,every step of the way. You don’t have to face themalone.”

I turnaround in her arms, cup her face, and gently kiss her. “Thank you,”I whisper. “I promise,I’ll pay you back in orgasms.”

Shechuckles and steps away, motioning toward thedoor. “Come on, let’s go get that waterfor your dad.”

CHAPTER TEN

RONNIE

I slidemy hand into Danny’s andhold on tight as we walk down the corridor to his mom’shospital room. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for him to seeher like this. If it were my mom... I can’t bear to think about it.As much as I tell myself I don’t want to be like her, she’s thecenter of my family, and we would all be distraught if anythinghappened to her.

AsdistressedDanny as is,though he doesn’t say anything. In fact, he’s been unusually quietsince they were allowed to see her for a few minutes last nightbefore we went home. Hank stayed, of course. He planted his feetand told the doctor that he wasn’t going anywhere, and consideringhow huge the guy is, I don’t think they thought there was muchchance of moving him, so they let it slide.

“It’sgoing to be okay.” Isqueeze Danny’s hand outside her room. He turns slightly gray. “Thedoctors said she’ll make a full recovery with time and physicaltherapy.”

“It’snot that,” he says, closing his eyes and swaying a little while hetakes a deep breath. “She seemed so frail last night. And I... It’sbeen years since I’ve seen her, and she looksso different. What if I’d lost her lastnight? The doctors say they’re observing her in case she hasanother episode. What if she does?”

I pullhim away from the door and wind my arms around his waist. “Thenshe’s in the best possible place where they can look after her. But that’s not going tohappen. It’s going to be all right.”

“I don’tknow how I would handle this if you weren’t here.You’re amazing. You know that,right? You might not want to be like your mother, Ronnie Frost, butyou definitely have her caring nature.”

My heartsqueezes. When it comes to him, I’m starting to care more than I expected I could. Howwould he react if I told him that? Stepping back, I drop my handinto his. “Let’s go in.”

Danny’smom is sleeping when we enter the hospital room. She’s pale, and one long, fuzzy sockedfoot sticks out from under the thin hospital blanket. Her hands arefolded over her waist, her fingernails perfect squares of rosegold. Next to her is a man who bears a resemblance to Danny and hisdad.

Legs stretchedout, arms crossed against his torso, he glances at us throughsunken eyes. He drags himself out of the chair and joins us at theend of her bed. He’s a little older than Danny, bulkier like Hank,and he has the same nose and jawline they share. He looks at Dannythe same way his dad did, like he wants to hug him, but his armsstay at his sides as he says in a hushed tone, “Danny, it’s good tosee you.”

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