Page 21 of Holiday Hitch
Dani nodded, “Yeah, just wedding stuff.”
Arden looked between the two of them and nodded, “Well, I was just coming to recap some stuff from the meeting, but if you need me to take any of the adoption drive stuff off your plate, just let me know. You know I’m happy to help.”
Jamie’s face lit up at the suggestion, relieved someone else was willing to ease Dani’s burden. She always did what she could to help, but with her label up her ass about the next album and her manager constantly trying to schedule new appearances, it could be tricky to juggle.
“No, it’s okay. Thanks, Arden” Dani smiled tiredly, “I’ll catch up with you later, though.”
Jamie couldn’t understand why Dani would turn down the help. Their schedules were both jam packed, and they’d hardly had any time to enjoy the holiday season. It was shaping up to be the first year Jamie would miss watching Great British Bake Off, and at this rate, they’d barely have time to exchange presents with Clarissa before the wedding.
As if she could sense the shift in Jamie’s energy, Arden gave Dani a nod and quickly excused herself from the room. Once the door had shut, Jamie bit her lip and asked, “Why wouldn’t you take her help?”
Dani shrugged and stumbled for an answer, “I don’t know, the whole thing was my idea, and it doesn’t feel right to put the work on someone else.”
Jamie shook her head and took a deep breath before she said anything.
“I just don’t understand,” Jamie finally said, “There’s a team of people here whose entire jobs are to help you with this stuff.”
Dani rolled her eyes and said, “You know how important the shelter work is to me. I just feel better doing it myself. I wouldn’t ask you to delegate writing your album to someone else.”
Jamie rubbed her face for a moment, “Yeah, I get that any other month of any other year. I just don’t understand why you won’t take help planning the adoption drive a week before Christmasandour wedding.”
A dam was breaking inside of Jamie, and there was no space for Dani to argue back, “We already have the wedding. And the album. And the tour. And the holidays. And the mobile grooming business. Now you also won’t let go of the adoption drive, not even a little bit? I thought maybe you’d want to spend time withme, planning our wedding thatyou’veinsisted we rush to have.”
Dani would be lying if she said that the last part didn’t sting.So Jamie doesn’t want to get married, the voice in the back of her mind whispered. But she pushed the thought back and tried to collect herself – there was too much going on, and letting her insecurity win out wouldn’t help anything.
When there was finally a pause in Jamie’s rant, Dani rolled her eyes and sighed, “Of course I want to spend time with you, baby. I wouldloveto be less busy. But that doesn’t change that Iambusy, and I don’t think now is the time to talk about it. Can it wait until I get home?” She stood up and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Jamie asked, following Dani through the kennel and toward the parking lot.
Dani sighed and lowered her voice as they passed through the busy shelter, “I have to take the grooming van in for repairs. I really don’t wanna do this right now.”
As they reached the front door, Jamie pushed it open and continued, “Well I do.” Cold air battered their cheeks as Dani led the way through the parking lot, the shelter door slamming shut behind them.
Dani begged, “Please, don’t push it.”
“What does that mean?” Jamie asked as Dani walked towards the van.
“That I’m not in the mood, and I don’t want to say something I don’t mean.” The worry on Jamie’s face was clear, and it took everything in Dani not to be spiteful right now.
Jamie shook her head, “Don’t hold back. If there’s something else going on, you might as well just say it. The way it’s going, this might be the only chance we get to talk before the wedding!” She hadn’t meant to raise her voice, but she was agitated and couldn’t stop the words from sounding meaner than she wanted them to.
“I can’t just wait around for you to leave me!” Dani blurted, each word lightening the weight on her shoulder.
“What?” Jamie asked, stunned.
“I didn’t want to do this now,” Dani said looking at her feet, tears building in the corners of her eyes. She wasn’t ready to admit any of this, to be honest about what she was afraid of. But how could Jamie not see it? Dani wasterrifiedof losing her.
Jamie shook her head, “No, that’s not fair. I’m coming back.”
“You don’t know that,” Dani couldn’t lift her gaze to Jamie’s.
It was clear that the comment had hurt Jamie’s feelings. Was Dani implying that a ring on her finger would be the difference between Jamie coming home to her or running off forever?
Dani mumbled, “You just don’t get it. Can we just talk about this later,please?”
For the first time in their relationship, Dani was begging Jamie to drop it. Jamie didn’t know what to say. She’d never given Dani any reason to doubt her fidelity. What had changed?
Taking the silence as her cue to leave, Dani got into the van without a word. As she adjusted the rearview, she saw Jamie staring back at her. For a moment, she thought about getting out of the car and running into Jamie’s arms, feeling the warmth of her body. She wanted to believe she could trust Jamie, that it would all be okay.