Secret Kiss (33 page)

“I will. Later days.” Adam disconnected the call and took a deep breath.

This was it. It felt more real now that Declan knew where he was. He really had to do this now.

During his talk with Alexis, she’d shed some light on things he had tried his best to keep hidden. Mainly, his childhood. A few years into their marriage, she had used her connections to look a few things up—things he’d never had the balls to find out.

She’d wanted to tell him, but there hadn’t ever seemed to be a good time. She hadn’t felt close enough to him. But, since they’d been saying goodbye, she’d figured it was as good a time as any. So she’d handed over everything she’d found and told him that she thought Jane was a really good girl.

Alexis had even laughed and said that if some woman had shown up on her porch saying she was her man’s wife, it would’ve ended in bloodshed. She’d said that, even when she’d said Jane’s name, Adam’s expression had changed. But she’d also said that, for them to have a real chance at working, he needed to put his past in his past. All of his past.

So there he was. In Detroit.

Stepping out of the car, Adam noticed that his palms dampened. He tried to tell himself that it was because it was hot as hell there in August, but he knew that that wasn’t why. His throat was dry and his limbs felt heavy as he walked up the rusted, steel steps. All he could hear was the buzzing in his ears and his heart pounding heavily in his chest as he knocked on the trailer door.

Adam held his breath when the door swung open. Looking down, he saw a frail woman with greying hair and clear, blue eyes.

“Can I help you?” she asked, causing Adam’s heart to sink.

His worst fear was realized. She didn’t even recognize him. He wanted to kick his own ass for having gone there. He had known that it was a bad idea.

“No, ma’am. Sorry to bother you.” He turned, making it down to the bottom step before he heard his name.

“Adam, is that you?” The woman, who hadn’t recognized him a moment before, stepped out of the trailer.

Pivoting, his gaze met hers and said the words he never thought he’d speak again. “Hi, Mom.”

‡

I
am an idiot.

Jane sat at one of the small tables that surrounded the dance floor and tried not to cry as she drank her third glass of wine. She was doing her best to enjoy the grand opening party of the B&B, but all she could think about was Adam.

Call her a romantic, but she’d been sure he was going to show up tonight. Sure that, any second, he’d walk in and sweep her off her feet, carrying her out of there
Officer and a Gentleman
–style. But it hadn’t happened. The party had been going strong for three hours and there was no Adam to be found.

It’d been eight days since Adam had left, and every day, she’d regretted the last night they’d spent together more. Not the sex. Oh, no. That she could never regret. They’d made love three times that night, and each time had been better than the one before—something she wouldn’t have thought possible.

Nope, her regret stemmed from having cut him off when he had obviously been trying to tell her how he felt. At the time, she’d felt like she was protecting herself. Now, she knew she’d been a total and complete
idiot
.

It’d been over a week and she didn’t feel “protected.” She felt like she was going crazy. Adam had sent her something every day—flowers, chocolates, a pot of chili from Sue Anne’s for her and her grandparents. They’d texted every day, but she’d been too chicken to ask him how things were going or when he’d be back.

But tomorrow was her birthday. Her thirtieth birthday. And she was going to act like the adult. She would call him to see what was going on.

Okay, she’d probably text him. Still, she would contact him.

“I think this is our song.”

Looking up from her glass, she saw a gorgeous man named Dorsey.

It was just the wrong Dorsey.

Lucas, or “Lucky” Dorsey, Adam’s MMA-fighter cousin, had his arm outstretched. He had come out for his brother’s grand opening. They’d already taken a few turns on the dance floor, and at this point, she was pretty sure he felt sorry for her.

“I’m fine. Really. You should go dance with one of your many admirers.” Jane motioned to every single woman in Hope Falls who’d been crushing on both Lucky and his twin brother, Logan, all night long. There was something about that Dorsey charm—she totally got it.

The twins weren’t identical, but they were both dripping with sex appeal and ruggedly handsome in their own ways. And they both had the quality that must run strong in the Dorsey genes: dimples. Deep dimples. The men had practically caused a riot with women tripping over themselves to get the chance to dance with them. One of the waitresses at Sue Ann’s, Kelly, had even broken a heel in the mayhem.

Lucky was eating the attention up. He was a flirt. Big time. Logan, on the other hand, had barely said two words the entire night. He was quiet. Some might even say brooding.

The strong, silent, mysterious thing seemed to be driving the female population crazier than his brother’s charming, easygoing flirtations. Jane had heard through the Hope Falls gossip line that Logan planned on staying out here for a little while to get to know his estranged father. Jane knew he’d have a line of women trying to get that stay to be permanent. She almost felt sorry for the attention she was sure was headed his way.

“Who needs them when I could dance with you? Come on.” Lucky tried to insist with a playful twinkle in his eye.

“I’m good. But thanks.” The last thing Jane wanted was a pity dance.

Bending down Lucky spoke low so that only she could hear. “Okay. Full disclosure. See that table of firefighters over there?”

Jane didn’t have to look to know what he was talking about. Eli and several other firemen were seated on the other side of the dance floor. She had spoken to Eli earlier in the night and cleared the air by apologizing for what had happened at her house, and he’d been really cool about it. He’d been filled in on the goings-on from the Hope Falls gossip line, so he knew she and Adam were…well, whatever they were.

“Yeah.” Jane nodded.

“Well, the tall one keeps looking at you like he’s going to ask you to dance, and if I let that happen, Adam will kick my ass.”

Jane’s head fell back as she laughed. “You are Lucas ‘Lucky’ Dorsey. I think you can handle yourself.”

The little she’d heard about Adam’s cousin was enough to know he could handle himself in most any situation. Not that she really thought he was serious about Adam caring enough to kick his ass.

Lucky smiled a smile Jane had a feeling had melted many a girl’s defenses. “My cousin can scrap. You should’ve seen him when we were growing up.”

Jane would’ve loved that. Of course, she’d have loved to see him at this party, too.

“Well, I think you’re safe, because your cousin’s not here.” Jane tried to let what that fact did to her heart not show all over her face.

“Yes, he is.” Adam’s deep voice sounded behind her, causing goosebumps to break out all over her skin.

Jane was so surprised that she jumped in her chair, knocking poor Lucky right in the head. “Ow!” she exclaimed as she turned around for visual verification of what her ears and body were telling her. Thankfully, her eyes told her the same story. Adam Dorsey was standing before her, wearing a navy shirt that fit him in all the right places.

“Damn. I guess I needed to look out for
you
kicking my ass. It’s always the ones you never suspect,” Lucky teased beside her.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Jane turned to Adam’s cousin, touching his arm. “Are you okay?”

“He’s fine,” Adam growled. “Goodbye, Lucky.”

Jane’s eyes shot back to Adam to see if he was, in fact, mad. His jaw was tense, but he wasn’t even looking at his cousin. His eyes were still trained on her. She glanced back at Lucky, who seemed very amused by his cousin’s out of character behavior.

He put his hands up in mock surrender. “You try to do a nice thing and this is the thanks you get.”

“Lucky.” Adam did look at him then, and it wasn’t a happy look. It was serious. Deadly serious.

Although Jane had never been into the whole macho I’m-a-big-man thing, she had to admit that seeing that side of Adam was sexy. Really sexy.

Lucky smiled and patted his cousin on the shoulder. “See ya later, cuz.”

When Lucky passed behind his cousin, he made a face and shook his hands like he was scared. Jane couldn’t help but smile.

“I missed you.” Adam’s tone held so much emotion that it ran through her body.

“I missed you, too,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper as her smile slipped.

The music slowed, and Adam held his hand out. “Do you want to dance?”

“Yes.” Jane’s heart was racing as Adam led her onto the dance floor.

When he pulled her into his arms, tears formed in her eyes. This was her favorite place in the world to be. She’d started to believe that she’d never feel his strong arms around her again. Never feel the pounding of his heart beneath her cheek.

Nerves began to overwhelm her as they swayed together to the music. She wanted to know what happened, but she was terrified to ask.

“How have you been?” he asked after kissing the top of her head.

She meant to say, “Good.” Instead, she blurted out, “I’ve been freaking out. What happened with Alexis?”

“I’m sorry. I thought I would be back sooner, but I had to take care of some things. I wanted to tell you in person.” He smiled down at her through his apology. “Alexis signed the papers. We’re divorced, officially.”

“Oh thank God,” she exhaled loudly. “I mean…I’m sorry… I mean I’m not sorry, but… Divorce is bad and… So I guess I’m sorry…but I’m—”

“Jane,” he said, interrupting her rambling. “It’s okay. It’s a good thing. And it went surprisingly well. We had a really good talk, and she wasn’t the bad guy. A marriage takes two people.”

Jane wasn’t sure she liked the idea of him and Alexis having a “good talk,” but Adam did look happy and lighter.

“So, what other things did you have to take care of?” she asked, trying not to get sidetracked by how blue Adam’s eyes looked, how amazing he smelled, or how good his thumb felt making circles on her lower back.

“I went and saw my mom.”

“Your mom?” Jane couldn’t have been more surprised than if he’d said that he’d gone to visit Bigfoot.

She knew he’d had a bad childhood, having been removed from his home by Child Protective Services when he was fourteen. But that was all she knew. He’d never spoken about his mother.

“Yeah. Alexis was actually the one who found her. She never told me because, well, we had issues. But she gave me all the info she had and suggested that I face the past if I wanted a future with you.”

“With me?” Jane’s mouth dropped open.

“Yeah. She likes you, and she wants me to be happy. She saw that you make me happy.” Adam smiled. A big smile. The kind Jane wanted to see more of.

“I do?” She realized she kept asking two-word questions that were repeating what he’d just told her, but that was all she could handle.

“You do.” He lowered his head and kissed her on her forehead. When he lifted back up, his face grew serious. “I know your birthday is tomorrow, and I wanted to wait until then, but I don’t think I can.”

“Okay.” Jane nodded in encouragement. She was crossing her fingers and toes that he wanted to tell her that he loved her. She’d thwarted that opportunity once, and there was no way she was going to do it again.

His lips turned up in a smile, probably over the eagerness that was radiating off of her. “I love you, Jane.”

Yes!
“I love you, too.” She smiled so big that she couldn’t believe her skin was stretching so far.

“Good, because there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

He wants to move in.
Jane’s mind was already planning what furniture would go where when Adam dropped down on one knee. It took a few beats for her brain to catch up with what her eyes were seeing. Men didn’t get down on one knee to ask women to move in with them.

Taking her hand in his, Adam looked up at her with more love than she had even known existed. “Jane Marshall, I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. I might not have known your name, what your favorite book was, the way you talk too much when you get nervous, the way your brow scrunches when you’re concentrating on something, or that you’re the smartest, hardest-working, most honest and loving person I know, but I did know I loved you. I just didn’t know what to do about it.

“Since it took a misunderstanding to get you to be my girlfriend, I thought pretty seriously about telling your grandparents that I had married you and seeing if you would go along with it.”

Jane laughed, and then she heard more laughter. When she looked around, she saw that she and Adam were the main attraction. Normally, that kind of attention would’ve panicked her, but right then, all she cared about was Adam. The rest of the world didn’t exist.

When the laughter died down, he continued, “But I decided to do this instead.”

From his pocket, he pulled a ring out. At first, she was so wrapped up in the moment that she didn’t realize what it was. When she did a double take, she saw that it was her mother’s ring. The one she used to sneak out of her nana’s jewelry box and put on whenever she would play wedding as a little girl. The ring she’d always dreamed of wearing as a bride.