Page 34 of The Summer We Made Promises (The Destin Diaries #3)

She snorted. “We should say hello. And…” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Play nice.”

“I won’t shoot him, but that’s all I’ll promise.” He gave her a wink and a nudge. “Come on. You can trust me.”

And that was one fact she’d never argue.

She walked to the top of the stairs, seeing Danny in the foyer below, sunglasses pushed up into his dark hair. He wore a crisp button-down and khakis—his meeting clothes, she knew from being around here frequently enough.

On most work days, it was board shorts and a faded New York Yankees T-shirt.

“I know you’re here, Viv.” He looked around. “I saw your…” His gaze moved up and met hers. “That looks like a woman who just found the perfect…whatever you wanted to buy.”

“Olive tree,” she said, sensing Peter coming to stand next to her.

“And you needed help,” Danny said. “You should have called me and I’d have rearranged my schedule.”

“It’s fine,” she said, starting down the stairs, her pulse racing more than it should when she reached the bottom and turned from one man to the other. “Danny, I believe you’ve met my friend, Peter McCarthy?”

She could have sworn Peter’s shoulders sank a millimeter at the word “friend.”

“Of course,” Danny said, extending his hand. “The detective.”

Peter shook the other man’s hand, no real smile evident but no scowl, either. “Beautiful home you have, Mr. Sullivan.”

“Just Danny,” he countered. “And thank you. It’s a work-in-progress under the keen eye of Vivien Lawson Designs. Can I offer you something to drink?”

“We’re fine,” Vivien said quickly, wanting nothing but to end this unexpected encounter.

“Can I see the tree?” he asked, his silver-blue gaze somehow more direct than usual. “You know I was iffy on a fake tree in Florida. Jury’s still out.”

“Go take a look,” she said, seizing the opportunity. “You go up and we’ll be out of here in no time.”

“No, no. Come with.” He put a hand on her back, then looked at Peter. “Feel free to grab a beer from the fridge, unless you’re, uh…on duty.”

Peter just looked at the man and Vivien could practically hear the words in his head. Feel free to duck if I decide to shoot.

But his dark eyes just glittered at the suggestion. “Pass and thank you. Viv, I’ll wait by your car.”

“No, no.” She looked from one to the other, wildly aware of Danny’s familiar hand on her back and the near snarl in Peter’s expression.

How did this happen? How did Vivien Lawson get in the middle of a big boys’ tug of war, the air crackling with tension?

She didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to go upstairs and flirt with Danny while Peter waited like her lackey. He deserved so much more than that.

“You go see the tree,” she said to Danny. “Text me if you hate it. I’ve taken up so much of Peter’s time today.” She added a smile that felt a little forced. “We’ll talk soon.”

With that, she slipped out of his touch and walked next to Peter. She saw the faintest glimmer in his eyes as they reached the door.

“Wait, Viv.” Danny called, making her slow her step and turn to him. She braced for the look of a man entirely used to getting what he wanted and not having the object of his attention walk away.

“Yes?”

“I’m around if you want to talk tonight. Just call me.”

Call him? Why would she do that? She’d never called him just to talk. But it probably didn’t sound that way to Peter.

She just nodded and stepped to the door Peter held open for her, both of them walking to her SUV in silence. How could she explain that last comment to him—and did she have to?

At the driver’s side, she pulled open the door and glanced over the SUV roof to see his expression, able to read all the emotion in that flash of a second. But by the time they were next to each other and pulling on their seatbelts, his face was stoic.

“So,” she said on an awkward sigh. “I don’t really know why he’d?—”

“Viv, I gotta know.”

She froze in the act of turning on the ignition, her heart kicking into high gear. “I swear, Peter, there’s nothing going on. He flirts and we talk but?—”

“I don’t care about that,” he said gruffly. “He’s rich. Not a gargoyle, either. And you’re a grown and beautiful woman who is smart enough to make her own choice. This is about me, not him.”

She sighed, looking hard at him, silent.

“I need to know where you stand with me,” he said. “I’ve made my feelings clear and I am facing a huge life decision. Stay or go. Work for the Destin PD or return to Pensacola. The case is about to close—ice cold. So I have to tell my boss and the chief here what I want to do.”

“I know,” she whispered, her chest tight.

“I don’t make life decisions lightly,” he said. “If I transfer to Destin, it’s for you. So…”

“So, no pressure,” she said with a mirthless laugh.

“Just honesty,” he replied.

Vivien swallowed hard, uncertainty clawing at her insides. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m confused and scared and hopeful and…I honestly need more time.”

“Okay, okay.” He glanced at the ignition. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Do you want me to drive?”

She shook her head, not trusting her voice as tears stung her lids. “I’m fine to drive.” She turned on the car and backed out slowly, pulling onto the road with one last look at Danny’s house.

Was there something more exciting behind those walls? Or was the right man sitting next to her?

She honestly didn’t know. How was that possible?

“I shouldn’t pressure you,” he said, putting his hand on her leg. “I just need clarity and a sense that if I turn my life upside down, it’s for the right reasons.”

“You deserve that and more.” She blinked against the sting in her eyes, looking out at the road ahead as they drove. How did she end up here? Torn between two incredible men, both offering her different things—and yet, neither felt like the right answer.

Peter gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, his whole body seeming to relax as the fight left him. Or maybe it was getting some distance from Danny.

“Take your time, Viv. But not too much. The case’ll officially close in a couple of days. Then I’ll have to make a firm decision.”

Vivien nodded, her heart a tangled mess right then. Peter lifted his hand, and the car filled with a quiet that felt heavier than words.

Two men. Two futures. And a choice she wasn’t sure she knew how to make.

After Vivien dropped Peter off, she drove to the Summer House in a haze.

I need to know where you stand with me.

His words echoed in her head, making her whole body mix with a cocktail of anxiety and uncertainty.

How was she supposed to choose when nothing felt clear?

Peter was offering stability, commitment— love , even.

But every time she thought about settling into that safe harbor, her mind drifted to a pair of mischievous silver-blue eyes, a crooked grin, and the way Danny Sullivan made her feel like a teenager again.

Ironic, since her teenaged crush was Peter McCarthy.

Vivien sighed, pressing her forehead briefly to the steering wheel before cutting the engine.

Get it together, Viv.

As she stepped out of the car, something caught her eye—an unfamiliar work truck parked near the front porch. Did she have a delivery or work scheduled today?

She had to admit, the staging of the Summer House had slowed due to her other clients. They didn’t plan to sell—if they did at all—for six more months, so she’d pulled back on her efforts to turn Eli’s masterpiece home into a showcase.

Brows furrowed, she scanned the logo on the truck. Coastal Electric .

An electrical problem, maybe? Had Eli sent someone after the final inspection on the apartment above the garage?

As she opened the front door, she heard the faint hum of a drill, followed by the low murmur of a man’s voice singing along to a country song playing from his phone speaker.

She stepped into the main living area—and froze.

There, perched atop a tall ladder in the center of the vaulted ceiling, was an electrician carefully wiring a chandelier. But not just any chandelier.

Vivien’s breath hitched.

It was the chandelier.

The exact cascading shell light fixture she’d admired in that photo Danny had shown her—the one hanging in his friend’s Hamptons beach house.

She took a slow step forward, craning her neck to fully absorb the sight. It was even more stunning in person—delicate strands of translucent ovals shimmering like seashells, catching the late afternoon light pouring through the windows.

It was elegant, coastal, timeless. Perfect.

The electrician glanced down and gave her a friendly nod. “Hello, ma’am. Almost done here.”

Vivien blinked, trying to gather her wits. “Hi—uh, sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone. Who…”

“Oh, a lady let me in. Little bit older? Southern accent.”

“My mother,” she said absently. “But I mean who…who sent you?”

He came down the ladder and grabbed his phone, squinting at it. “Man’s name is Daniel Sullivan. He came to my lighting company office in person to arrange this. Said he wanted the best light installer in the county and that’s me. You know him, I assume.”

Did she? She didn’t think he was a “grand gesture” kind of guy, but…obviously, he was.

“Yes,” she said, looking up as a thousand emotions rushed in at once—surprise, awe, delight… and that fluttery, dangerous feeling Danny always managed to stir up in her.

“I put it on a dimmer, if that’s okay. Order didn’t say, but he paid extra for me to rush over here, so no additional charge.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“And he gave me this when he hired me, told me to give it to you.” He reached into a bag and handed her a small, cream colored envelope. “I hope for your sake it’s not a bill because this thing?” He whistled. “I know big money when I hang it.”

She glanced at the word “Viv” scribbled on the front of the envelope in bold black letters, and her heart felt like it folded in half.

Vivien pressed the envelope against her chest with trembling fingers, offering a quiet thank you as the electrician gathered his things and let himself out.

She stood still for a long moment, staring up at the chandelier, letting the reality sink in.

He did this… for me.

It wasn’t merely a thoughtful gesture—it was the kind of thing that made a woman’s heart race and her knees weak.

Why?

After a few deep breaths, she sat on the edge of the sofa and slipped her finger under the envelope flap, pulling out a folded note written in a spare, clean, and masculine hand.

Vivien ,

Consider this a thank you for giving me a respectable and soothing man cave and for putting up with my low enthusiasm level for wallpaper.

I couldn’t let you settle for anything less than what you really wanted. So, here it is. No more searching. I hope every time you look at this, you smile.

— Danny

P.S. If you hate it, I’ll take it back. But we both know you won’t.

Vivien let out a shaky laugh, her eyes misting despite herself. Dang it.

How was he so effortlessly charming and disarming? How did he pull this off without it being an arrogant flex, but merely the kindest of gestures? Just a generous tip for her work and a subtle flirt that didn’t ask for anything in return.

She honestly had never met a man like Danny Sullivan.

Folding the note carefully, she stood to spin in a slow circle as she admired the chandelier from every angle. It was flawless.

But instead of feeling pure joy…she felt that gnawing twist in her stomach again at the echo of Peter’s words.

I need to know where you stand with me.

Well, this sure didn’t help things.

“Viv! Oh, my gosh, you found one!” Tessa’s voice rang out as she stepped in from the entryway. Vivien had been so enthralled she hadn’t even heard the front door open. “It’s stunning!”

She forced a smile, tucking the note behind her back. “Yeah… I didn’t exactly find it.”

Tessa’s golden eyes flashed to her, curiosity sparking. “What do you mean?”

Vivien exhaled, gesturing upward. “Danny did. He had it installed today. It’s a surprise for me.”

“Oh, my.” She crossed her arms, aching a brow. “Definitely a power move.”

“Or a really nice gesture to thank me for my hard work.”

“Puh-lease. Flowers, a bottle of wine, even a little gift card would say thank you. This?” Tessa pointed overhead. “This says I want to light up your world. Literally and figuratively.”

Vivien let out a soft, breathless laugh, but didn’t deny it. How could she?

“Well, whatever his motives, it’s perfect,” Vivien said. “This whole first floor feels complete now.”

Tessa gave her a playful nudge. “Except for my pink bedroom way in the back,” she cracked. “Tell your rich boyfriend you have a hankering for a cashmere upholstered headboard and a limited-edition Hermes throw.”

“I better not or you’ll be wrapped in Hermes before next week.”

“Don’t knock it, hon.” Her pretty smile faded. “Although I will tell you that my experience with the wealthy ones has never ended well. But then, neither has my experience with the poor dudes, either. All in all, we’re better off alone.”

She added a musical laugh and floated off to the not-yet-pink bedroom, leaving Vivien to wonder if Tessa hadn’t just unwittingly given her the best possible advice.

Because right now, she felt like she was teetering between a safe harbor and a wild, open sea.

And for the life of her, she didn’t know which way she wanted the wind to blow.