Page 110 of Silver-Tongued Devil
In the end, Blake’s attorney pleaded his case down to simple battery, Blake paid a fine, and that was the end of it. As far as Blake was concerned, a fine and some reconstruction on the resort were a small price to pay for knowing it was all over. He’d have paid a lot more to get the chance to hit Sawyer a few more times, but at least he wasn’t quite as pretty as he’d used to be. His nose had a definite bump in it now after being broken by both Riley and Blake. That was satisfying.
It was also satisfying that Jerry Richards was in jail and would probably be going to prison. And if Blake paid a visit to Sawyer’s house on his crutches early on and suggested that, given his part in the whole deal and the fact that the entire town knew about it, it might be wise for him to get out of town and stay there? If three oversized specimens of NFL muscle went with him to do it? The sheriff didn’t have to know about that.
All of that took a while to happen, but by Thanksgiving, Sawyer had moved to Coeur d’Alene with Ingrid, Richards was still in jail, and Dakota had recovered enough to finish six glass pieces, which were hanging in a Portland gallery with a couple of the earlier ones. Only a couple, because she’d sold five in the first month, and was in the process of replacing them.
This Thanksgiving turned out a little different from every past one Blake had spent, though. Or a lot different. For one thing, it was the first time in sixteen years that he hadn’t spent the holiday either playing a football game or getting ready to play one. And for the other, he’d flown Russ and Dakota to Charlottesville to spend the holiday with his family. That was good. The day after Thanksgiving, he took Russ out to breakfast at Ace Biscuit & Barbecue, which wasn’t.
Oh, the food was tasty enough. Blake just didn’t seem to have an appetite.
Russell was tucking into his fried chicken, waffles, fried green tomatoes, and sweet tea like he’d been kept out of heaven too long and the angels had just opened the gates. Finally, though, he glanced at Blake. “You’re not eating. Knee bothering you?”
“No.” Blake rearranged his plastic silverware one more time.
Russ shot him a look. “Spit it out, son.”
“Right.” Blake shook his head at himself and dove in. “Here’s the deal. I’m planning to ask Dakota to marry me, and I’d like your blessing to do it.”
Russell stopped eating, which was some sacrifice. “Do you need my blessing?”
“No. But I’d like to have it. I want Dakota to have everything she wants, and she’ll want this.”
“Well…” Russell said slowly, and Blake thought his heart was going to gallop straight out of his chest. “It’s been, what, six months?”
“Yep. And that’s long enough.” Blake cut himself a slice of biscuit, ham, and gravy, and then didn’t eat it. “I knew after three weeks. I just didn’t know I knew. When I saw her in that hospital bed, though, I couldn’t have known any clearer. And since the Fourth, it’s been just about killing me not to be married to her. I want to knowshe’ssure, though. I decided to wait until she’d sold some more of her glass first, so she’d know she had a future. So she’d know she didn’t have to choose me to get it.”
“Huh.” Russell sounded dubious. “That’s a whole lot more high-minded than I’d ever be.”
Blake had to laugh. “All right, maybe that’s a little bit of a lie. Maybe I was scared she’d say no. Maybe I still am.” He sobered again, because this was too important. “I’ll give her a good life. You have to know that.”
Russell thought a while, which was a while too long, then said, “I don’t care so much about that. Dakota can make it on her own. I care that you give her your best, and that you don’t give it to anybody else. That would flat-out destroy her. She’s had enough broken promises in her life. If you let her down, you’ll answer to me. I like you fine, but that little girl’s my daughter.”
“I’ll be making some promises,” Blake said. “Some vows. I’ll make them in front of my family, you, and God, but I’ll be making themtoDakota. I haven’t always been a perfect guy, but I’ve always kept my promises. I’ll be keeping these. You’ve got my word on it.”
“Then, son,” Russell said, “I guess you better ask her.”
“I guess so.” And never mind that the thought made those butterflies rise again, worse than before the biggest game of his life.
“When you planning on doing it?” Russ asked. He was getting back to his breakfast now, and Blake decided he’d better start in on his own. He didn’t get to Charlottesville often enough to pass up biscuits and gravy done right.
“Well,” Blake said, “I tell you what. Here’s my plan.”
Two weeks later
Dakota couldn’t stand to wait for the boat to reach the shore. She needed to be in the water again, because it was warm, and that shoreline wasn’t fringed with cedars. It was edged by palms and ferns and a Four Seasons hotel.
A Four Seasons hotel in Costa Rica, to be precise. She was here, and she’d explored the rainforest canopy and seen more birds than she’d known existed. She’d jumped into an impossibly blue plunge pool at the base of a waterfall and been overtaken by the soul-deep vibration of the roaring water. She’d hiked on a volcano, and she’d snorkeled in the Caribbean. And today, she’d swum with dolphins, and that had been the best of all.
Everything she’d imagined had come true. And more.
How could a woman stand still and wait for a boat to dock with that kind of happiness fizzing inside her? She was jumping over the side on the thought and swimming for the beach. When she heard a shout behind her, she turned in the balmy water and shouted back to Blake, “Why are you still up there? Why aren’t you racing me?”
He dove right in, and she laughed out loud and swam hard. She didn’t beat him even with her head start, but she gave it her best shot.
By the time the boat had docked and Blake’s parents and Russell had made their leisurely way to the resort’s veranda, Blake already had a daiquiri in front of her, and she was leaning back in her cane chair in her brand-new yellow bikini, playing with the tiny little beach umbrella in her drink and teasing him.
“I’m going to beat you one day soon,” she told him. “Just wait. I’m practicing.”
“Oh, yeah, wild thing,” Blake said. “You tell yourself that.”
