Wild in Love

  Before her brother could answer, Daniel's arms wrapped around her, like a cocoon protecting her as she cried soundless tears that felt like petals on her face. She collapsed into his embrace, his comfort as immense as the moon and stars.

  "He's in the hospital. We're in LA. I need you to come, Tash. The old man wouldn't say it, but I know he wants you here."

  She didn't have to think about it, especially with Daniel's arms around her, his body rocking hers. "I'll be there as soon as I can book a flight." There was no question but that she would go to her father, despite everything he'd done. Drew needed her too. "Text which hospital and the room number and any other information to this phone. I'll call you as soon as I know when I'll be there."

  "Okay. Love you, Tash."

  "Love you too." The automatic words came unbidden, as natural as they had been once upon a time.

  "I have to go to Los Angeles," she told Daniel as soon as the phone went dark. "I have to book a flight."

  "We'll fly down on my jet." He cupped her face in his powerful, gentle hands and tenderly wiped her tear-streaked cheek. "My pilot can get us out within an hour."

  She was too grateful to be intimidated by the fact that he owned a jet. And so glad she didn't have to go alone. Her back-and-forth emails hadn't found her family, but Daniel, with all his resources--and most especially his love--had accomplished the impossible for her.

  But then she realized, "The puppies. We can't leave them. You should stay here with them."

  "No," he replied, the one short word fierce. "I want to be there for you. And I've got an easy solution--we'll take the puppies to Matt in Morgan Hill. It will be faster to drive there and have my pilot meet us in San Martin. There's a small airport he can fly into."

  Suddenly overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the last few days, by everything this gorgeous, wonderful man had done for her, she could only nod, unable to speak. Unable to adequately express her emotions, her gratitude.

  Daniel held her still. "Look at me," he whispered. "Everything will be okay." He kissed her with a sweet, wondrous brush of his lips across hers. "I'm here."

  With a muffled cry, she threw her arms around his neck.

  How could she possibly deserve this man?

  *

  Despite everything her family had done, it was obvious Tasha would have crossed mountain ranges through deep snow to get to her father's side.

  She had a purity of love and spirit. She was loyal. Her caring had no limits.

  Daniel had never had a doubt that she was Maverick material, and her reactions today only solidified that knowledge. This was what she needed--to find her family. After his phone call with his mom, he'd been more determined than ever to help Tasha forgive herself, even if in his own heart, he didn't believe she'd done anything wrong.

  Just as his mom had done nothing wrong. She'd been young and scared and had handled the crisis the best she could. Daniel was the one who'd turned their love story into one of perfection instead of something real.

  At last, he'd learned that real was so much better.

  Real was loving Tasha. Real was helping her through this difficult reunion, helping her deal with her past. Helping her find forgiveness for both herself and her family.

  With rush hour over, they made it to Matt's house in an hour and a half. In the backseat of the truck, the puppies fell asleep to the thrum of the tires on the highway. Daniel held Tasha's hand the whole way, offering her comfort, even as he made several phone calls, arranging for his private plane to meet them, for a car and hotel in LA, and to let Matt know his plans.

  Tasha's eyes widened as they pulled into Matt's driveway, the gates standing open for them. It was like something out of a plantation in the Old South. Except that instead of a stable, there was a six-car garage.

  The front door blew open before they'd had time to climb out of the truck. The whirlwind that flew down the front steps was Noah.

  "Uncle Daniel!" Matt's son ran with his arms held wide, and Daniel scooped up the little boy, hugging him tight.

  "Hey, bud. You're bigger every time I see you." He was six now and would be entering first grade in the fall.

  Noah squirmed in his arms. "Can I see the puppies? Please, please, please, can I, can I?"

  His smile spreading, Daniel opened the back door and let Noah climb inside. The child fell silent, in awe of the puppies that he would be taking care of for a few days.

  Hand in hand, Matt and Ari followed Noah at a more sedate pace. "Thanks for helping out," Daniel said as he gave Ari a hug.

  She was sweet and caring and absolutely right for Matt and Noah. Matt and his son were a package deal, and Ari had fallen hard for both of them. As hard as they'd fallen for her. Daniel couldn't say he'd ever seen a more loving mother, except his own.

  As Tasha rounded the hood of his truck, he said, "Tasha, this is Ari."

  She went to shake Ari's hand, but the other woman hugged her instead. "It's so nice to meet you, Ari. Matt was so helpful at my cabin." She smiled shyly at him. "I really appreciate everything you did." Though she seemed a little nervous, she hugged him too.

  "Believe me," Ari said, "he was delighted to dig into some hard physical labor. All the guys were." She turned, tucking Tasha's arm in hers. "I'm so sorry about your dad's illness. If you can spare five minutes, I'm putting together some things in the kitchen for you to take with you if you get hungry later. We all know how bad hospital food is."

  After Tasha nodded and said that would be great, they headed inside, leaving Daniel and Matt with Noah and the puppies.

  "Are you sure Ari's okay with taking care of three puppies?" Daniel asked.

  "Are you kidding? She wanted to dash out here with Noah."

  Going to retrieve the puppies, they found Noah seated on the floorboards, fingers clutched in the bars, his face plastered to the crate hard enough to put lines on his cheeks. Daniel unhooked the seat belt he'd laced through the bars of the crate to keep it stable, pulled it out, then carried it up the steps, Noah scurrying alongside.

  "They're pretty much housebroken," he told Matt once they were inside the foyer, "as long as you let them sleep in their crate and remember to take them outside every couple of hours. But they make it through the whole night."

  "Which one is mine, Uncle Daniel?" Noah asked. "Can I hold him?"

  "It's this little guy here." He didn't give a name, because Noah would need to pick his own for the puppy.

  Of course, once Daniel opened the crate, all three rushed out, running around maniacally after having been cooped up and sleeping for so long. Noah joined the melee, happily chasing them.

  *

  Tasha had felt lightheaded since Drew's call, her heart beating wildly with fear and dread. She couldn't believe her father might actually die. He'd always been larger than life. Impervious to the colds and broken bones that had felled lesser men.

  The only thing that had gotten her through was Daniel's hand wrapped around hers as he drove. His warmth had flowed into her, calmed her, wore down the sharp edges of fear.

  Now bright, sweet, kind Ari was taking over, pulling Tasha along into the kitchen where she was putting together the fixings for what looked like a feast to take on the plane.

  "Here," Ari said, handing her a glass of Chardonnay. "I know it's the middle of the day, but sometimes gulping a glass of wine is exactly what we need to take the edge off."

  Grateful beyond measure, Tasha did just as she suggested, and warmth immediately flowed through her veins. "You have a lovely home."

  "The first time I walked in here," Ari said, "I thought it was a palace. I'm sure the guys told you I was Noah's nanny. I didn't come from much, so I assumed someone this rich was going to be stuck up and arrogant and bossy."

  "But Matt isn't like that." Tasha knew firsthand. "None of the Mavericks are." They'd all been sweet to her. And so normal. Money had never gone to their heads; it was just another tool in their belts.

  "Exactly." Ari beamed, her smil
e as bright as sunshine.

  Her straight, silky blond hair didn't look salon dyed and styled, and her flowery sundress, though very pretty, wasn't haute couture. And her eyes shone with adoration whenever she said Noah's name. And Matt's.

  The wine Tasha had gulped made her bold enough to say, "You're telling me I shouldn't be intimidated by Daniel's wealth and that he's just a normal guy, aren't you?"

  "I don't know if normal is the word I would use," Ari said with a grin. "But definitely one of the nicest guys on the planet, that's for sure. I adore him." Her grin widened as she said, "Seems like you do too."

  "I do." Tasha adored every part of him. But--"We haven't known each other that long."

  "Sometimes it only takes one look," Ari said with perfect certainty. With that, she put the last container into the insulated bag. "That should keep you from getting hungry for a good long while. And now I know you're anxious to get on your way."

  The front hall was a madhouse, with three puppies and a little boy chasing each other. Daniel stood talking to a tall guy with short, dark-blond hair whom Tasha assumed was Gideon Smith, Ari's long-lost brother. On the drive down, Daniel had told her a bit about him, that he now worked for Daniel and lived with Ari and Matt. Gideon didn't smile much, not like his sister.

  Noah ran to Ari as soon as he saw her, Spanky in his arms. "Can I have this one, Mommy? Daddy said I had to ask."

  Ari flashed a smile at Matt. "Your daddy and I have talked about it, and yes, it's okay with me." She got down on his level. "But we've got to train him and take care of him and clean up after him too. That's a huge responsibility. Are you sure you want to do it?"

  "Yes!"

  Ari squeezed his hand. "Then let's take them all outside for a little bit so they don't make any messes in here."

  Tasha's heart ached with the love she saw among the three of them, a family unit. It didn't matter that Ari had been the nanny, that she wasn't Noah's birth mother. They made a beautiful, loving family.

  Tasha wanted to believe Daniel when he said it was time to forgive herself. That she could have a life again, a good one.

  But could she really deserve all this? Not the money, but the happiness that was a shining halo around Ari. It was in the light of her eyes when she looked at Noah, the sweetness of her hand in Matt's.

  Could Tasha ever truly deserve a man like Daniel and a family like the Mavericks?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The flight took barely an hour, and a car waited to drive them straight to the hospital. As they pulled beneath the hospital's portico, Tasha's heart began to jackhammer in her chest and her blood pounded in her ears.

  Especially when they learned that her father hadn't been admitted under the name Summerfield.

  The smells, antiseptic and sterile, turned her stomach. Soft-soled shoes screeched on the linoleum floors. The elevator walls closed in on her. The one positive thing she held on to was that Daniel had learned at Reception that her father wasn't in ICU or even CCU, the coronary care unit. Which meant he wasn't critical, thank God.

  "Thank you," she said to Daniel as the elevator doors slid open silently. "I couldn't do this without you."

  He'd done everything--helped find her family, flown her to the hospital, arranged a car. He'd even booked a hotel room for later, in case she was too tired to head back to San Francisco tonight.

  But more than that, he'd simply been there, a solid warmth surrounding her, giving her comfort when she needed it most.

  She'd lost her ability to trust when her father sold her out. But in this moment, she trusted Daniel with everything. And knew, deep within her heart, that he'd never betray her.

  Ever.

  Her father was in a private room. It made her sick to think he had paid for it with stolen money, but she still knocked on the door.

  Drew opened it. "Thank God you're here, Tash."

  In the three months since she'd seen him, her brother's short, dark hair had grown scraggly. His shirt was rumpled, his jeans baggy, his face gaunt, and his eyes sunken in dark circles. He looked ten years older.

  She threw herself into his arms, hugging him so tightly her muscles hurt. Drew hugged her just as hard.

  Then she stepped back to say, "This is Daniel Spencer." Daniel shook her brother's hand as though Drew were an equal, rather than a man who'd helped bilk people out of their money. "Daniel, this is my brother, Drew."

  Drew's eyes widened, obviously realizing who Daniel was.

  "Before we go in--" She pulled her brother into the hall. "What's going on?"

  He closed the door. "Dad was complaining of chest pains and trouble breathing. We thought it was a heart attack, but--" He glanced back and lowered his voice as if their father could hear through the door. "His doctor was here just a few minutes ago and now they think he might have had a panic attack. The symptoms can sometimes mimic a heart attack."

  Her father was the least panicky person she knew, always in control. But maybe that was just a lie too. Still, she was grateful to feel the weight of her fear that her father might die lift off her like a rising air balloon. Yet there was anger too, a simmering anger she felt guilty about when Drew needed her to be strong.

  "They want to monitor him overnight," Drew went on. "I'm sorry I made you come all the way down here just for a panic attack. But I was worried." With a deep sigh that revealed his rattled emotions, he added, "And I wanted to see you."

  She held his hand tightly. "Of course you had to call me. Daniel brought me as soon as humanly possible."

  "I told Dad you were coming," Drew said. "He thought it was a bad idea."

  "Why?" She snapped her teeth shut on the word. "Because he didn't want to worry me? Or because he thought I'd turn him in?"

  "Tash." Her brother's dark eyes pleaded with her.

  She felt Daniel at her side then, his strength seeping into her. She didn't want to turn into a bitter person because of her family.

  She knew she had to forgive herself. But did the path to that mean forgiving her father first?

  She took a deep breath. "I better go in and see him."

  The room was small, with a bathroom cubicle, a chair, a tray table, and enough room for the medical machines that monitored her father's vital signs.

  She almost didn't recognize the man lying in the bed. Like Drew, his cheeks were gaunt. His steel-gray hair was dull, his skin sallow, his jowls hanging. The imposing figure was gone, and all that remained was a frail old man.

  And it terrified her.

  "Daddy." She hadn't called him that since she was a child, and maybe she did so now because she needed him to be the big, all-powerful father he'd once been.

  Except that man had been an illusion.

  Daniel's hand squeezed hers, and she drew courage from him. He possessed true strength made up of kindness and heart.

  With Daniel by her side, she was able to take her father's hand. "How are you feeling?"

  "I'm fine," he tried to bluster, but he no longer had the power for that. "I don't need to be here. Drew's just an old biddy."

  "You might have been having a heart attack. He did the right thing."

  "Bah," her father grumbled. "And who's he?" He jutted his chin at Daniel.

  "This is Daniel. He brought me here to see you." And I love him.

  Drew broke in before their father could make a derogatory comment. "Thank you for bringing Tasha. We appreciate it."

  Daniel tipped his head slightly in acknowledgment. "She needed to be here." He squeezed her hand. "And I needed to be here for her."

  His words and his solid presence warmed her. There was so much in that simple statement.

  Her brother's gaze flashed from Daniel and back to her, and she knew Drew could see the importance of their relationship. So did her father, his brow furrowing.

  "Dad." She wouldn't call him Daddy again. The past was gone, and the man she'd thought he was had never truly existed. "We need to talk." She let go of Daniel's hand to take her father's in both of he
rs. "About what happened. About the resort."

  Her father sank back against the pillow. "I'm tired."

  "It was a panic attack." She wouldn't have pushed if he'd had a heart attack. But with nurses and doctors just outside the door to tend to him, she decided he was well enough to answer her questions.

  "I'm still tired."

  "And we still need to talk. I've had a lot of time to think." She tightened her hold on his hand when he closed his eyes. "In fact, I've been angry with myself for not seeing the truth."

  His hand was weak in hers, not returning her grip, and for a long moment, she thought he would ignore her. But at last he opened his eyes. "You weren't supposed to see. I wanted to shield you. That's why I made you an outside contractor, so you wouldn't be affected by any of it."

  "For God's sake," Drew burst out, "tell her the truth, Dad. She deserves it after everything we've put her through. And I deserve it too."

  Her father pierced him with a long look, but her brother didn't back down. Tension simmered in the air between them like steam rising.

  "All right, if you really want to know the truth, your brother is the one who insisted on making you a subcontractor. And he insisted on not letting you go to the site. But I concurred that it was better to keep you at arm's length."

  Drew stood then, his back suddenly straight and some of the haggard strain leaving his face. "You're not tainted by this, Tasha. No one ever blamed you or thought any of this was your fault."

  Daniel tensed. She sensed his need to do battle for her, but she couldn't let him. Three months ago, instead of fighting, she'd run to the mountains, licking her wounds. But she was stronger than that. She knew it now, even if she hadn't known it before.

  With a hand on Daniel's arm, she willed him to relax. Then she said what had to be said. "You're wrong, Drew. I am tainted, by all the lies if nothing else. But I love you for trying to make me believe I'm not."

  Her family wasn't Daniel's family. They weren't good or pure. But they were her family, and no matter what, she could never stop loving them, flaws and all. She didn't have to be like them, but she wouldn't stop loving them.

  She'd blamed herself, her blindness, but it was time to forgive. Daniel had taught her that, but she hadn't believed, not until this moment, when she saw how the seeds of her blindness had been born.