Destiny came out of the house in a hurry and went straight to the car in the driveway. She was just about to open the door when movement out of the corner of her eyes made her look up. She froze.
"Rick! What are you doing here?" she said, half frightened, half astonished. How had he found her and more importantly why?
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked angrily.
"Tell you what?" she asked hesitantly.
"Come on, Destiny. About you and your supposed Uncle Danny. You weren't kidding when you said he was affectionate. I just never imagined how much. You love him, don't you?" he asked harshly.
"Rick, it's not like you think," she said softly, " He's nice to me and..."
"I'll bet," he interjected derisively, " Letting you stay at his beach house for free and now shacking up with him for the summer away from his wife and kids. He's married for cripe's sake, Destiny! Married with three little kids. I saw them. I met them. His beautiful wife Karen and his kids, Benny, Jason and little Samantha, too," he added in a strangled voice.
"Four kids, actually," she whispered and if truth be told Dan would claim Destiny as number five. But then Rick didn't know Jessica. She wasn't welcome anywhere Karen and her kids were. Karen wanted Dan to forget the child he had before he met her. She would blow a gasket if she found out about Destiny. She'd assume the same as Rick. Had Rick said anything to her about her and his suspicions? If he did it would ruin Dan's life and it would be all her fault. And after all he did for her!
Destiny thought from the beginning getting friendly with Rick would cause problems and she had been right. But she had liked him so much from the very start and though she never told Dan nor Jessica she was lonely in the beach house all alone. Rick filled a deep void and if she dared admit it she loved him.
"I'm sorry, Rick. I was going to tell you," she said feebly.
"And what were you going to tell me? The truth or another fabrication?" he spat out bitterly, "I thought we were friends. I thought we were more than that. But you were just playing me too, weren't you?"
"No, that's not true. I like you, Rick...very much," she said reluctantly.
He stepped up to her and placed his hands on her arms. He gazed into her eyes with such longing it took her breath away. "Do you? Destiny, please, don't lie to me. I've fallen madly in love with you and I don't know if I want to throttle you or kiss you," he whispered earnestly. He chose kissing. He kissed her tenderly, sweetly, and with obvious restraint. He leaned his forehead on hers breathing quick and shallow as if he'd run a mile. "Do you love him?" he asked gruffly.
Still dazed from the kiss, she merely stood there. Her first real, true kiss from someone who cared about her. He said he was in love with her. Madly! Could it be possible? She felt joyful tears well in her eyes and blink as she did, they wouldn't go away. They spilled over her cheeks.
"Guess that's a yes," Rick said bitterly. He released her and backed away, "Can't believe I came all this way for....my fault. Should just leave well enough alone. Enjoy pretending to be his wife, Destiny. You'll be doing that for a long time. He's not the type to leave his wife for the girl he's screwing on the side." He turned to go but she shot out a hand and stopped him.
"Actually, he did once. Dan divorced his first wife and he married Karen who was his secretary. But I'm not pretending to be his wife. He's almost like...like the father I never had," she told him quietly.
He glared at her. "Oh, is that right?" he said scathingly, "Where I come from father's don't molest their daughters. Nice try, kid. But I'm not buying what your selling."
"Well, where I come from fathers aren't the only ones that molest little kids," she snapped, suddenly enraged.
He gaped at her. He'd never, not in the entire eight months he'd known her, heard her raise her voice above a normal speaking tone. She mostly spoke so softly he had to lean in to hear her. Not that he minded. He loved being anywhere near her. She set his world on fire and yet he never felt more at ease with anyone else even his Uncle Alan. She'd never told him about her family regardless of the many times he'd asked. Was this the reason? Had her father or someone else molested her?
"Destiny, what happened to you?" he asked pleadingly, "Why would you cheapen yourself to be with this ass? He cares nothing about anyone except for his own selfish..."
"Rick, please, it's not like that," she said desperately, briefly glancing at her watch, " I have to go pick up Jessica soon but..."
"Who's that?"
"Danny's daughter. She and I are friends. We've been friends for a long time. We're going together on a vacation with Danny after he comes back. She wants to go shopping for vacation clothes."
"Wait, you're going...he's got another daughter and he's taking his mistress with him on vacation with this kid?" he asked incredulously.
"I'm not his mistress. He's not like that," she said, exasperated. "He's been taking care of me same as he does for Jessica. I was a runaway and he offered me a job working for him at the office and..." She stopped as her cell phone rang. "Oh, it's Jesse." she said grabbing it out of her purse. "Hey, Jesse, I'm sorry I'm late. A...uh... friend stopped by. Can we meet later?"
"No, bring her along," Jessica said brightly.
"Uh...it's a ...boy," Destiny said bracingly. She heard a gasp and then a shriek that made her jump.
"It's not Rick, is it?" Jessica asked excitedly, "I gotta meet him. Bring him to lunch with us."
"But what about shopping?"
"Who cares about shopping when there's a cute guy around especially one you're crazy about?" Jessica exclaimed with a giggle. "Bring him! And I promise not to tell Daddy. He'll call the coast guard out and maybe a few detectives to scope him out like he did for my prom date. Oh, we can't let that happen to poor Rick! Come soon. I'll be waiting. Hurry! I'm dying to meet him."
"Uh....Jesse? She hung up," Destiny said gazing up, "Um...she wants me to bring you to lunch. She wants to meet you."
He raised his eyebrows. "Won't that mess things up with Danny, Daddy, whatever you call him?" he asked skeptically.
"I call him Danny. I told Jessica about you. She'll be going to college in September. She wants me to go with her but I don't want ....to leave," she said looking at him nervously.
" Why don't you want to leave?" he asked hopefully.
"I don't want to leave you. I think I love you, Rick," she whispered.
"Destiny, truly? What about Dan? Do you love him too?" he asked anxiously.
"I do love him but like a father. Really."
"And why didn't you tell me before you left?"
"I don't know. I was scared. I didn't think you ever could like me like that. I'm nothing great and you're so smart and..."
"Don't you ever say that," he said harshly, "You are not nothing. You're the best person I ever met and the only girl I've ever loved."
There, he said it again. He loved her. She would have to believe it now. She took his hand and smiled. "Come to lunch and meet Jessica. She'll tell you all you need to know. She likes to talk. She gets it from Danny."
Rick gazed into her deep, brown eyes with a furrowed brow. "So, can I finally meet him?" he asked tentatively, "I need to asked him for your hand in marriage if he is like your father."
Her eyes flew open as wide as they would go. "Rick, are you serious?" she whispered incredulously.
"Never been more so," he said stoically. He took her into his arms and kissed her passionately.
After several minutes when both were thoroughly out of breath they parted. "I went mad, crazy jealous thinking of you with him. I got inspired to write finally," he added sheepishly.
"Oh, Rick, just like your uncle wanted you to," she said happily, "how much have you written?"
"A whole book. It needs finishing touches. Only thing is...Dan's not gonna like me too much if he reads it. It's mostly about an evil two-timing bastard business man who preys on very young girls," he said bracingly.
Destiny giggled. "Then he won't have a clue it's him. That's one little bit of truth we can keep from him."