Page 83 of The Keeper

Taking a deep breath, I slipped out onto the porch. Dane was leaning against the railing, his broad shoulders hunched forward. A cigarette dangled from his fingers, wisps of smoke curling into the night air. His head hung low, and for a moment, I thought he’d fallen asleep standing up until I heard the sharp intake of breath.

He was crying.

Without a word, I wrapped my arms around him from behind, pressing my cheek against his back. I could feel the tension in his muscles, the slight tremors running through his body as he fought to maintain control. My hands splayed across his abdomen, rubbing small, soothing circles.

Dane’s body went rigid for a moment before he turned, pulling metight against his chest. His massive frame vibrated with silent sobs as he buried his face in my hair. I held him tightly, my own tears falling freely now.

We stood for what felt like hours, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy between us. Finally, I forced myself to voice the fear that had been gnawing at me for days.

“I feel like you’re pulling away,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Have you...have you changed your mind? About us? About me?”

He stiffened, then gently disentangled himself from my arms, and I knew I’d guessed right.

“Sit down, darlin’,” he said, leading me over to a chair. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

My heart plummeted to the porch, and I dropped onto the chair, my legs suddenly weak. Dane crouched in front of me, his red-rimmed eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and anguish, leaving me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“Levi’s death...it put me in a bad place. I did something that—” He broke off, nostrils flaring as he tried to rein in his emotions. “In light of recent events, I’m afraid it might change how you feel about me. It’s already changed how I feel about myself.”

A sickening dread flooded my veins, and I pressed a hand to my sternum, feeling like I might hyperventilate. My mind raced with possibilities, each worse than the last. I knew he was capable of killing to protect me. Had he done something even more extreme? Or was it simpler but no less devastating? Another woman. A child I didn’t know about.

“Just tell me,” I said, bracing myself for the implosion.

“There are 3,123 Pipers living in this country,” Dane said abruptly.

I blinked, caught completely off guard. Of all the things I’d imagined him saying, a random fact didn’t make the top ten.

“Okay,” I said slowly. “That’s…interesting, I guess?”

“I’m not done,” he continued, his eyes never leaving mine. “There are 3,123 Pipers living in the United States. I know because I’ve spent the last two years tracking down every single one. Had I been searching for anAmeliaPiper, I might have found you sooner.”

My mouth fell open in shock. “You...what?”

“At the time, it seemed romantic,” Dane said, his voice thick with self-loathing. “But after seeing the extent of Isaac’s obsession with you... Christ, Piper, I can’t help but feel I’m no better.”

His hands shook as he reached for me, his grip desperate. “I’m disgusted with myself. I’ve been making all the decisions since I came into your life, and it’s not right. You deserve to know the truth, to decide for yourself if…” He trailed off, throat working. “I’ll understand if you want me to leave.”

My mind reeled, trying to process the enormity of what he’d done. Two years of his life, dedicated to finding me. I thought back to when we met, how he’d looked at me even then like it was more than a one-night stand.

Because it was.

Men like Dane Riggs were typically only found in the pages of a romance novel, and I would have been an absolute fool to let him go.

A small smile tugged at my lips as I echoed the words I’d said to him that first night. “Hey, I’m here, aren’t I?”

Something like hope ignited in his brown eyes, and he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “What are—what are you saying, darlin’?”

I slid from the chair and into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I’m saying I want you. All of you. The guy who searched the country for me. The daddy. The biker—” I hesitated for a moment before softly adding, “The husband.”

Dane made a low noise in his throat, his eyebrow lifting in surprise. “The husband? Are you proposing?”

A flush crept up my cheeks. “Well, you said I was your Ol’ Lady, so I figured…” I trailed off, suddenly unsure.

Had I misread everything?

His large hand cupped my chin, tilting my face up to meet his intense gaze. He searched my eyes for a long moment before his lips curved into a slow smile that made my heart skip.

“Come here,” he murmured, scooping me up as he stood.

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