“Dan, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know how the fuck I did this, but I didn’t place the vodka order last week,” he confessed. “I thought I pressed ‘enter’ on that damn computer form, but when the shipment came this morning, no vodka. According to the receipt, I ordered everything else, but not that.” He ran his hands over his scruff-covered face. “We only have eight bottles of vodka left until Friday afternoon delivery.”

Julie sighed, unable to hold back her relief. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay. Eight bottles may get us through tonight—maybe—but Thursday nights are our busiest night of the week. I screwed up. Damn new computer system. I liked the old system so much better.”

“Danny, I love you, you know that, yes?”

Aggravated hazel eyes met hers, and he nodded.

“Then you should also know that after spending nearly thirty years not just behind a bar but behind the scenes, I double-check all paperwork all the time. And knowing that as amazing and talented as you are with everything—except for computers”—Julie grinned guiltily—“I triple-check all the orders. I saw the mistake. The vodka was ordered, just a little late. It’ll be here this afternoon.”

“You’re so wrong, honey,” Danny murmured, shaking his head, his mouth curling up on the sides.

Julie stood up and walked into Danny’s open arms. “What am I wrong about?”

“You do think of everything.” He lifted her chin, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. “You’re amazing.” He smiled, and it was sexy as hell.

***

“THANK YOU FOR coming. Honestly, this was so much fun,” Janie said, her turquoise eyes dancing with happiness. “Next week dinner’s at Lyla’s house. She has more room than I do, but she’ll force you to wash the dishes.”

Danny accepted her tight hug and returned it. He watched as his woman spoke to Lyla and laughed for the umpteenth time that evening, and he reveled in the sweet sound. Her laughter had been his music for more than twenty-eight years, but he noticed that with each addition to their “family,” her happiness changed. Morphed. Grew into something she had always wished for—a maternal love for those she chose to care for. Those who looked at her with respect and looked to her for guidance. In return, she looked to them for trust and unconditional love.

“We can’t wait. I’ll bake cookies,” Julie informed the women as she and Danny left Janie’s apartment after everyone except for Lyla.

Their ride home was quiet. He was stuck in his own thoughts, as he assumed she was.

“Glue.”

“Danny?”

“They’re the glue, Jules. Those two women came to town and fastened us all together. Not saying we weren’t a family before, ‘cause we were.” Danny stared at the road as his thoughts turned to words. “But we were pieces, and now we’re not. They’re the glue, honey.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

First Time For Everything

WATCHING MAX AND Janie fall in love while Ashley and Ryan fell apart was exciting, exhausting, romantic, and agonizing. One couple flourished while the other flailed. Hearts and flowers or daggers and tears, it was a coin toss. For Julie and Danny, it was a never-ending carnival—fun until it wasn’t.

Then there was Kyle, Julie’s special one. No good parent would ever admit to having a favorite child, and she certainly wouldn’t, but deep down, Kyle Marx had a special place in Julie’s heart. Lost since the day she met him, but he was too guarded to ask for directions. The man had been circling the drain for months, first with his alcohol consumption, which Julie feared may lead to drugs, and his excessive, but she prayed not careless, sexcapades with countless people. Nothing romantic had formed between him and Lyla, and the more Julie learned about her newest “daughter,” the more she realized that Lyla and Kyle would have been as catastrophic as lovers as they were beneficial as friends. Knowing that Kyle had Lyla to turn to comforted Julie, but according to Lyla, he never fully opened up.

“Come on, we’re going to be late,” Julie called from the kitchen of their one-story ranch-style home. She popped the lid on the container of lemon-iced shortbread cookies—Max’s favorite—turned off the kitchen lights, and strolled to the front door.

“Sorry, honey.” Danny’s hand slid around her waist and pulled her side to his firm chest. His soft whiskers touched her forehead barely a second before his lips. “I needed to set the DVR to record the post-game show.” A second and more sensual kiss landed on her neck. “Never know what time we’ll be home from dinner, and I always seem to want you more than football by the time we get back.”

His lush lips and sexy words raised goose bumps on her flesh and sent tingles down her spine. “You know I’m a sure thing, right?” she teased as they walked from the house to the car. “You don’t need to sweet-talk me to get in my pants.”

Danny opened her car door and waited for her to slide in and buckle up before he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Been sweet-talking you for nearly thirty years, Jules.” His warm breath tickled her neck, making her nipples pucker beneath her wool sweater. “Does it turn you on?”

Julie nodded, her heart thudding.

“Then I need to do it.” His hazel eyes smoldered. “Let me rephrase—I fucking love doing it.”

Sweet pain hit her earlobe a fraction of a second before a soft lick. Thank goodness for modern technology. Looks like Danny won’t be watching the post-game show until much, much later. But before then, they had dinner. The word barely registered in Julie’s mind before the car roared to life with Danny behind the wheel. Wait, how did he get there so fast?

Sunday dinner was at Max and Janie’s house, formerly just Max’s place.

“Seeing Max with Janie…” She sighed, and Danny laughed.

“I hear you, honey. I never thought it would happen, but couldn’t be happier that it did.” Danny’s left hand moved to the top of the steering wheel while his right made purchase on Julie’s thigh.

She placed her cool palm over his warm one, enjoying the feel of his heat penetrating her jeans.“I just wish Ashley and Ryan would stop fighting the inevitable.” It was only a matter of time before those two ended up together. Julie just feared the longer it took, the deeper the damage they inflicted on each other would be, and they had already suffered too much. No reason to add more.

“You can’t rush these things, Jul. They may need more time.”

“More time?” Her near snort would have been amusing had the topic been, well, amusing. “Dan, I think seven years is time enough. Even those who have broken mirrors run out of bad luck after seven years, right?”

A barely there chuckle left Danny’s throat as they pulled into Max and Janie’s driveway. “That’s what I’ve heard, honey.”

The night was lovely, as usual. Dinner was delicious, the company entertaining, and the Eagles were winning during the first half of the football game. It was a cozy Sunday night, aside from the weird vibes bouncing between Ashley and Ryan.

But Kyle’s health and overall appearance put Julie on edge. More and more often, Kyle was coming into work hung-over and leaving his shift drunk, but that night, he looked saturated in more than booze; he looked strung-out.

Julie wasn’t certain if she felt better or worse when Danny pulled her aside to get her assessment on Kyle. “He’s getting worse, yeah?”

“Danny, my heart hurts just looking at him.”

“Shit, I kept praying the boy would pull it together.” Danny ran his fingers over his short salt-and-pepper hair. “Fuck, can’t talk to him when he’s like this. It’ll go in one ear and out the other. I’ll call him tomorrow, stop by his place if I need to. We need to get him sorted.”