Page 124

He didn’t believe Lucille spoke to me. But clearly someone was speaking to him, and he believed it was his sister Darcy.

He shook his head no. His lips thinned as he clasped them together. Standing from my seat, I went to him.

“Duncan, talk to me.”

“I don’t know what I heard.” He pulled me against his chest. His body trembled as he held me tight.

“What did she say?”

“Which time?” he whispered.

“She spoke to you more than once?” I didn’t look at him; I just held him close as he warred with himself.

“It started in New Orleans. She said,‘She’s in danger. Keep her close.’I thought someone was standing behind me. I actually looked for your sister. But when I turned around. No one was there.”

I chuckled. “That sounds like something Athena would do.”

“Rian had followed you home. That was when I asked him to stay and watch over you. I should have gone to you when wewere done. But I went back to the hotel to sleep for a couple of hours, knowing Rian was there.”

“I wouldn’t have let you in.”

Duncan pulled back and smiled at me. “You’re cute thinking you could have kept me out. I should have been there.”

His protective cockiness was kind of sexy. But I wouldn’t tell him that.

“What did she say next?”

“When I was at your home in New York, not realizing you had gone to Boston, she said‘Find her. Keep her.’I guess my sister likes you,” he said. “Which didn’t make sense when the next day she said to send you away.”

“She told you to send me away?” That didn’t make sense. “When did she say that?”

“The next morning when Sal was banging on the door.”

“The day Colleen showed up after Mac chased Brian away.”

“She meant Lollipop.” He sighed. “She never got to meet her.”

“But she’s still watching over her.” His warm smile melted my heart. “When did you realize it was her?”

He took a deep breath. “In the clubhouse. As soon as I walked in, I heard, ‘Tell my son.’”

“That was when you said her name.”

“Yea,” he confirmed.

“Duncan, you realize what you have been experiencing is just like Lucille talking to me in my dreams? The only difference is that you have a personal connection to Darcy.”

“I don’t know.” He stepped away and poured another glass of whiskey. I smiled as he drank it down. He wasn’t ready to accept the truth. And that was ok. It would take time.

And time was something we had.

In fact, we had a lifetime together.

Six weeks later, I woke with a start. Duncan lay behind me, pressed against my back. His arm over my waist, holding me in place. This was how we slept every night.

Though I wasn’t sure how much longer we would be able to. Lucille had come to me last night. She had shared exciting news. Well, I was excited. I wasn’t sure how Duncan would feel.

It was still too early to test, but Lucille was never wrong.