Page 24 of The Art of Loving Lacy
“Only if you bring me a Sea Breeze,” Savannah answered.
Dane headed for the bar, worrying about Lacy. He ordered their drinks, then felt the familiar weight of his father’s arm around his shoulder.
“I heard Lacy had a hard time today,” his father said.
“Of course you did.” He and his siblings were so close that when something happened to one of them, the rest were not far behind with open arms and a sympathetic ear.
“She okay?”
Dane nodded, though truthfully, he wasn’t sure. She’d had a pretty major panic attack, and from the brief conversation he’d had with Danica after she’d seen Lacy, Lacy really hadn’t known her fear of sharks was so great. If there was one thing Dane knew, it was that when it came to a fear of sharks, the path to understanding and conquering the fear was not an easy one—but it was doable if the person was amenable to difficult, scary, and sometimes overwhelming steps.
His father looked across the room to where Lacy was talking with Savannah. “Savannah said it was a bad one.”
“Yeah. Are there ever good panic attacks?” Dane sipped his drink. Lacy looked so pretty with her tanned skin against the light shade of her dress. It pained him to see the worry behind her eyes.
“I suppose not.” His father crossed his arms and lowered his gaze, seemingly studying Lacy. “Your brother tells me that you haven’t gone to see Lacy since you met her. That right?”
Dane looked away, sipped his drink, then ran his hand through his hair. His father knew him well, and he’d hoped to avoid this conversation. He still hoped to avoid it by remaining silent.
“What are you afraid of?” his father asked, turning an unwavering gaze on him.
Dane broke the link and looked at Lacy. “I’m not afraid of anything, Dad. I was traveling.” He felt his father scrutinizing his answer.
“Mm-hmm.”
Dane shook his head.
“I know for a fact that you weren’t traveling over Christmas.”
“Dad.”
“I’m not judging you.” His father looked at Lacy. “Be careful, son. She seems like a nice girl, and from what Treat says, she’s been through a lot.” He sipped his drink. “She tell you about her father?”
Dane nodded. Lacy had told him that her mother had been her father’s mistress, and she had gotten pregnant while her dad was married to Danica and Kaylie’s mom. Lacy was the quintessential love child. She’d shared with him her excitement of finally meeting Kaylie and Danica and the anger that she’d never before felt toward her father, which mounted the weekend of her sisters’ wedding. He’d wished he could have held her when she was pouring her heart out to him over Skype.
“She did,” Dane said.
“You haven’t seen her for more than a year. To some people, that might feel like a lifetime.” The honesty in his father’s voice was thick, the concern tangible. “Life’s short, son. Figure out what your heart wants and follow it.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Dad. You had a stable life and lived in one state for your entire life. I travel all the time. I have a boat that feels more like a home than any house—besides yours—ever will. My life isn’t an easy one alone. I’m not sure it would be any easier with someone by my side, relying on me for stability.” Dane hadn’t told anyone his concerns about his career, and now that the words were out in the open, they scared him.
“You chose that career. You’ll figure out what’s what. But see that woman over there?” He nodded toward Lacy just as Lacy looked over and smiled.
Dane held up a glass and blew her a kiss.
“Stringing her along isn’t the right thing to do, and you know that. You’re a good man, Dane. You’ll figure it out.”
Nothing like a little pressure.“I hope so.”
LACY STOOD BESIDE Dane, trying to focus on the jovial conversation between Hugh and Savannah, but she felt like she was drowning. Each thought cried for oxygen, each breath twisted her thoughts back to the boat. Trying to gain understanding was like grasping at straws, and every time she looked at Dane, she envisioned a rope around his neck and knew she was the tightening factor. How could she live a normal life for so many years, go snorkeling, ride on boats, and never once realize that she had such an enormous fear of sharks hidden within her subconscious?I’m really messed up.
Dane squeezed her hand.
Lacy looked at him, hoping he hadn’t asked her a question. If he had, she hadn’t heard it. The pit of her stomach took a nosedive. A cool breeze wrapped itself around her shoulders and she shivered against him, wishing it would carry her away.
“Are you okay?” Savannah asked, looking at Lacy.
“Um, yeah, thanks. Just chilly,” Lacy lied.I wanna go home.
