Second Chances (Dreams Come True #2) (12 page)

“Gallery owner, right? I never forget a face.” The detective strode over with his hand outstretched. After we shook, he cocked his head to the side. “What brings you here?”

I could feel my cheeks warming as he grinned. “Remember the drunk guy’s daughter?”

“Yeah, vaguely…” The detective scrunched up his face as though trying to recall.

Shaking my head, I wondered how anyone could forget Marisa. “Well, we spent a lot of time together after…one thing lead to another…and now we’re dating.” The detective grinned. “And this is her shop. Someone tried to break in. She’s on her way to the hospital.” I watched as the man’s grin faded. “Her phone fell under the worktable. She asked me to bring it to the hospital.”

“No wonder I didn’t recognize her.” The detective shook his head. “Of course, if it weren’t for the older woman, she could be dead. Instead, the intruder is.”

I shuddered as I imagined how different the outcome might’ve been. “So that was the gunshot I heard when we were on the phone. If I ever get to meet this Mattie, I’m going to have to thank her.”

“She’s pretty shaken up, but given the condition of the victim, it’s a clear cut case of self-defense.” The detective rocked on his heels while he spoke.

“Any idea what he wanted? I heard Marisa tell him she didn’t have money and he said he didn’t want any.” I dug my hands into my pockets, feeling the February chill.

“I’m afraid not. At least not yet, anyway.” The detective pulled his notebook out of his breast pocket and checked his notes before speaking again. “Let me see if I can find it for you.” He turned to go into the shop then whipped back around. “You two. What are the chances?”

“The dating or the break-ins?” I asked warily.

“Both.” Then he marched into the shop to get the phone.

Chapter Eleven

Sebastian

My mind raced as I sped to the hospital. While I felt confident Marisa would recover quickly from her injuries, I hated seeing her hurt. It took everything in me to hide my reaction to her bruised and swollen face. Though I’d never hit anyone before, reserving my rage strictly for inanimate objects, had the man who inflicted the pain on her not been dead, I’d have been hard put not to kick his ass. Biting down on my knuckle, I struggled to control the anger. I couldn’t let her see me like this.

Minutes later, I had parked and walked into the emergency room. After being directed to her, I pasted a smile on my face and pulled back the curtain. “Hello, sunshine.”

Marisa met my eyes and brightened. “Zebashun,” she murmured.

“Closer. We’ll work on it.” I winked at her as I sat on the gurney beside her legs.

“You twy talking wif a busted wip and pain meds.” She stared at me with sad eyes. Given her injuries, she already wore a rather convincing pout.

Wrapping an arm around her thighs, I relaxed some. I always felt better when she was close. “I’m going to pass on the busted lip, but the pain meds sound delightful.”

From then on, Marisa spoke slowly and carefully to avoid a constant lisp, even though I found it amusing. “I’m not sharing the pain meds. If you try to force me to, you’ll get that swollen lip you’ve been trying to avoid.” She winked, raised her arm, made a fist and pretended to shake it threateningly.

I grabbed her fist and scowled at her bruised forearm. “Dammit, Marisa. If this guy wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him for hurting you.”

“Aw, it’s not so bad.” She leaned back on her pillows. “Look at all the attention I’m getting from you. That’s pretty cool.” Marisa chuckled.

Never have I wanted to kiss her more. “Have you talked to a doctor yet? What have I missed?”

She sighed. “Waiting on x-rays. The doctor was concerned I might have a broken rib, possibly a fractured arm. There’s no sign of concussion, even though I lost consciousness for a second. And a nurse is hunting down a mirror.”

My brow furrowed. “What do you need a mirror for? I think you’re beautiful. Why would I lie?” I pasted a smile on my face.

“My shop is supposed to open in two weeks. How do I run a shop with mended furniture while looking like a domestic abuse victim? I just want to see.” Marisa’s hands gestured while she spoke and grew more agitated.

When they finally landed in her lap again, I trapped them with one of mine. “Relax. It was only a question.”

“So, I look that bad, huh?” Tears welled up in her eyes and I grabbed for a tissue from the box on the stand by the bed.

“Eh. Not as bad as the other morning. Whew!  The bedhead.” I rolled my eyes as I teased her, desperate to hear another giggle, but she remained serious.

Suddenly a nurse popped in. “This is kinda cool. Someone left it here and we’ve been passing it around the nurses station ever since.” She held up a silver handled mirror that was nearly identical to the one my mother owned, which I now kept in my desk drawer. She handed it to Marisa who clutched at it with dread. “I’ll be back in few minutes, unless you need something else?”

Biting her lip, Marisa shook her head. “No, thank you.” Then as the nurse disappeared back out into the hall, she looked over the mirror to me. “Okay. I’m gonna look now.” Taking a deep breath, she peered into the glass and studied her reflection. Her actions fascinated me.

For a moment she seemed content to lift it and move it around, then she studied the handle. “Oh look!  It bends.” She folded the handle under to create a stand and set it on the tray table beside her. Glancing at her image a while longer, she turned her head in various positions. “Well, I’ll heal.” She shrugged.

“It’s not so bad.” I offered a smile that failed to reach my eyes. “Seriously, to me, you’re beautiful, and not just your face, everything about you.” Right there, in the hospital, I was about to gush all over her. Thankfully, she stopped me.

“Okay, I thought it was the lighting at first, but you really do have something on your face.” Marisa pointed with her good hand. “Right there. Around your chin.”

I started rubbing at my chin. “Good? Did I get it?” Glancing down at my hand, I saw a dark residue on it. Alarmed, I sniffed it, then gave a tentative lick.

“Ew. What is it?” Her face was aghast.

I chuckled. “Soy sauce. I opened a packet with my teeth earlier and it leaked all over. I tried to wipe it off, but no mirror, so that was the best I managed.”

“Well, mirror now.” She reached over and tried to pass me the one on her stand. “You still missed a spot.” Marisa grinned.

I started to reach for it, and then I remembered. Given the circumstances, I could come face to face with the beast, right in front of her. Without thinking, I pushed it away. “No mirror. You fix it.”

For a moment, she stared at me, trying to hide her surprise. Then she grew quiet and contemplative. Finally, Marisa held out her hand. “Let me see.” Ever so gently, she rubbed at my face, slowly tilting my chin while she worked. “Hm. I never noticed this scar before. What’s it from?”

My face fell and my shoulders sank while I swallowed hard. It seemed impossible to explain. “Surgery.” I turned my head and looked out the window. It was a mistake. In the intense hospital lighting she noticed another scar.

“That one too?” She gestured toward my hairline.

Nodding, I murmured, “All of them.” Then I picked up her hand and held it in mine. Maybe she’d think I was trying to comfort her, but in truth, I was the one who needed the peace of mind I always found in our touch.

“So you had plastic surgery?” Marisa stared at me evenly, giving nothing away in her face.

“Yes.” I couldn’t meet her eyes. Instead, I ran my thumb over her finger.

“How many?” She squeezed my hand as she asked.

Closing my eyes, I mentally calculated the number of procedures I’d undergone. “Six. No, seven.” The last thing she would ever be able to accuse me of was dishonesty. I might have my share of disorders, but compulsive lying wasn’t one of them.

“Yet you still have the same face.” She reached out with her free hand and ran a finger over my cheek.

Glancing up at her, I nodded. “Mostly. I had a hump in my nose that’s gone.”

“Well, then I guess I better hope our children get my nose,” she joked.

My face flushed. That was all she had to say? “I guess so because recovering from rhynoplasty sucks.” I grinned.

Her hand knotted in my hair as she pulled my face closer. I shifted on the bed to accommodate her and not topple over onto her legs. When she had positioned me for a kiss, she murmured against my lips. “Sebastian Boucher, you are handsome.” I actually flinched and jerked away some, but she held on. “You are a good man, inside and out.”

I yanked her hand away and pulled back from her hold. “I’m not, though.” I shook my head vehemently. “You have no idea.”

Marisa attempted a frown. “I do, though. I know.” Her cheeks flushed some. “I watch you. I pay attention. I see the good in you. You’re attractive to begin with, but it makes you even more desirable in my eyes.” She lowered her lids and looked up at me through those incredible lashes. “It wouldn’t matter to me what you look like because of your heart, but I’m here to tell you, you’re an incredibly good-looking man.”

My heart raced at her words. I licked my lips as I struggled to explain how I felt. “I’m a monster. I see it sometimes in the mirror. Horribly disfigured.” I about panted as I tried to control my emotions.

Her lip pulled down again. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you how handsome you were?” I nodded. “Then why would you think differently?” Before I could respond, she continued. “And I swear to God, if you tell me it’s because of Uncle Luc, I will beat that man to within an inch of his life.” I opened my mouth, but no words came out. “I don’t know why he’s such a horrid man, but I do know he’s wrong.”

Before I could react, Marisa held the mirror in front of my face. “Whenever you look in a mirror, I need you to see yourself as I see you.” I couldn’t speak, but I was clinging to her every word. “Look at that strong jaw. When my lips heal, I’m going to kiss every square inch of it. Oh, and those lips are too perfect to belong to any man.” She made a moaning noise, which made me soften some. “Sebastian, I could get lost in the dark depths of your eyes. You have no idea what you do to me.” She moved the mirror, setting it back on the tray, then she forced my chin up so our eyes met once more. “I love you, Sebastian, but if this is going to work between us, I need you to love you, too.”

There was no way I could let her go. Somehow I managed to blurt the first thought, which came to mind. “I’d walk through fire for you. Be patient with me. Eleven years is a lot of damage to undo, but I’ll work on it, okay?”

Smiling slightly, she nodded her head. “Now kiss me, so I can rest for a few minutes.”

Leaning in, I gently laid my lips against hers. Already, I could feel something in me changing, healing, because of her. As I watched, her eyelids fluttered shut. “Move over. I’ll do better than that. I’ll hold you while you sleep.”

Marisa inched to one side of the bed and I climbed on top of the covers and settled in beside her. Casually, she moved her head to rest it against my chest and quickly fell asleep. While we waited for results, I napped alongside her.

***

Marisa

By seven in the morning, I was discharged from the hospital. As I predicted, my injuries were minor, looking far worse than they actually were. The bruised ribs hurt like hell and the headache wouldn’t quit, but otherwise I felt great. Honestly, Sebastian helped immensely in that department. Working through his issues together not only brought us closer, but it allowed me to forget all of mine for a minute or two.

As we sat down in the car and started to pull out of the parking space, Sebastian broke the comfortable silence between us. “So, I’d offer to take you to breakfast, but I’m not sure my fragile ego can handle you jogging off in the middle of another meal. What if we just go to a drive thru instead?” His eyes shimmered intensely as he spoke. Damn, I loved this man.

“Probably wise. I’m not strong enough to jump from a moving vehicle right now.” I couldn’t help but grin even though it literally pained me.

“McDonalds? I have a deep and meaningful relationship with their McGriddle.” He watched me for a reaction.

Whirling around in my seat, I shouted, “Me too!” Then I questioned him more calmly. “Bacon? Because the smell of sausage turns my stomach.”

“Is there any other meat?” He patted my leg.

It felt like we had a plan. Then I realized I needed to know more. “Wait. Where are you taking me?”

“McDonalds,” he reminded me gently.

“No. After McDonalds.” My brow furrowed.

Sebastian shrugged. “My place.”

“But I need to go home,” I whined. “I have so much work to do! I just started on that big mirror…”

He shuddered. “Definitely my place.”

“What makes your place better than my place?” I challenged.

With a smirk, he responded. “My place isn’t a crime scene.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he had a point there. “Touché, Monsieur Boucher.” Then I crossed my arms and looked out the window. I’m not sure how long I would’ve remained like that, but before I could find out, his phone rang.

“Who the hell would be calling me before eight in the morning?” He all but growled the words as he slid his finger across the screen to answer. “
Hello.
” Whoever called would soon be feeling his wrath. A second later, he looked at me while he hit the speaker button.

“Sebastian, I heard there was a problem at the shop. Mattie left a message for me. Is she okay?”

“Don’t worry. I’m taking care of Marisa. She’s a little banged up, but she’ll be back to herself in no time.” He smiled warmly at me while I remained silent.

“No. Mattie. Is Mattie okay?” I recognized the panic in his voice, but my stomach sank when I realized, once again, my father cared nothing for me. I stared out the window and tried to ignore the rest of the conversation. This hurt worse than the attack.

“Let me get this straight. You called, not to check on your daughter who was nearly killed, but to check on Mattie?” Sebastian’s voice was incredulous.

“Marisa’s tough. She’ll be fine. So about Mattie…”

“How about you fuck off? How about you go to hell? How about you call Mattie yourself, you goddam worthless piece of shit!” Sebastian ended the phone call and set the cell in a cup holder. Then he slowly blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. I seem to have lost my temper.” I could feel him glancing at me from the corner of his eyes.

“You do realize if I agree to marry you, he’ll be your father-in-law, right?” I tried to make light of the situation, but there was no hiding my emotions. Swiping at my nose, I turned to face him with tears streaming down my cheeks. “Napkin?” I opened the glove compartment then the console and finally found one. While I blotted my eyes and blew my nose, which wasn’t lady-like in the least, Sebastian rubbed my thigh.

“I’m sorry, Marisa. I didn’t mean to get so upset. It’s just…”