Yeah, Daniel. I know about thesupermodel.
Though, Ingrid, or whoever she was, was incidental at themoment.
Daniel walked forward slowly and maybe a little cautiously. It was almost funny. Itwouldhave been funny if it was happening to anyone but me. I wondered for a second if he’d pretend we were just friends, but that was unkind. Daniel might have been afraid, but he’d never denied me that way. He wasloyal.
He came up right beside me and laid his hand at the small of my back, giving me a quick kiss. And then he turned to Sabrina and his face broke out in agrin.
“Holy shit. How the hell did you gethere?”
She rolled her eyes. “One rental car, four hours, and a very twisty road. Come here and give me a hug, you ingrate!” She slid out of her seat and Daniel bent down to embrace her. It was a hug of long friendship, nothing more, but it killed me a littleanyway.
He had a whole life out there. How had I never reallygottenthatbefore?
He let her go and stood back, putting his arm around me again. “You metJulian?”
“Yes. Your boyfriend.” Her emphasis on the word suggested they’d be discussing thatlater.
Daniel nodded, then shook his head in disbelief. “Shit. I just can’t believe you’rehere!”
“I threatened to come and find you,” she said, settling back into her seat. “Did you think I wasbluffing?”
“Yeah.” Daniel ran a hand through his hair. “I absolutely did. This is pretty far fromManhattan.”
“Amen, and not just in miles. I asked the lady at the bed and breakfast where I could find a Starbucks, and she laughed and sent mehere.”
Daniel shrugged. “You get used toit.”
“So I see.” She laughed and it made her look even prettier. “Sit down. I have so much shit to tell youabout.”
“Oh.” Daniel looked at the two-person table and then at me. “Jules and I were going to eat, but you could join us. We could find a bigger tableand—”
“No way!” I blurted. “Don’t be ridiculous! You twotalk!”
Daniel frowned like he mightargue.
“I’m serious,” I said, stepping away from his hand. “Your, um, agent came all this way to see you. You can eat pancakes with me… any old time.” The words stuck in my mouth because ten minutes ago that would have been true, and now I wasn’t sure at all. Either way, I wouldnotbe something Daniel had to worryabout.
“You sure?” Daniel looked at me suspiciously, like he knew I wasn’t as okay as I sounded, like he could see the chaos inside my head. Ironically,thatmade it possible for me to smile more naturally, at least for asecond.
“I’m positive. We’ll talklater.”
“Tonight,” Daniel insisted. “You can come out to thecabin.”
“Sure,” I agreed easily. “We’ll figure something outlat—”
“Samantha?” someone yelled. “Samantha Louise Henderson! What the hell are you doinghere?”
All eyes in the room, including mine, turned around to see Sam’s dad, red-faced and stunned, staring at Sam like she was a ghost, and not the friendlykind.
Sam bolted up from the table where I’d left her and gave her dad approximately the same look, with maybe a little fear thrown in the mix. Then she ran around the far side of the diner, ducking around tables, nearly plowing into Diane, who was carrying a tray of breakfast plates that fell to the floor in an enormous clatter, and out the frontdoor.
Theo ran out a half second behind her, and Samantha’s father ran out a few seconds afterthat.
“Well. I guess you do have your own brand of excitement here, hmm?” Sabrina looked distinctlyunimpressed.
“Welcome to O’Leary,” I told her. And with a quick squeeze of Daniel’s hand, I ran out to find mybrother.
