living room when he gets home. There’s an energy to his presence. I don’t notice the void when he’s gone, but when he returns, everything suddenly feels right, like a piece I didn’t know was missing is returned to its rightful place.
He places a chaste kiss to my forehead and sits down on the couch next to me. He looks distracted, and I wonder about his meeting today. I’d been so busy with Tiff that I hadn’t been concerned about his not calling, figuring he was busy playing catch-up since he’s been out with me for a week. But his voice is gravelly. “Hey, baby, can we talk?”
Oh, shit. That’s the beginning of the end, never a good question to hear. My heart races, and my voice is quiet. “Of course. What’s up?”
His eyes are scanning the rug, his fingers fidgeting, and finally, he gets up, pacing across the room, back and forth in the sunset light coming in the windows behind him. It worries me. The back and forth is my part of the dance, and I wonder if it’s my turn to be the full-throttle dance partner.
“So, the meeting today wasn’t what I expected.”
“Yeah?” I prompt.
“My dad resigned as CEO. It’s effective immediately, although he keeps his voting position on the board.” His voice is clinical, like he’s reading statistics on a graph.
“Okay, so what does that mean? I feel like you’re spoon-feeding me something big, slow and easy so I don’t freak out.”
He grimaces. “Maybe. Dad backed Chase as his replacement, but the board . . . they voted me as CEO.” His pacing stops as he eyes me, waiting for my reaction.
“Oh, my God, Scott! That’s awesome! Congratulations! That’s what you’ve always wanted.” I’m genuinely thrilled for him. It’s his dream come true. I hop up and grab him in a big hug. He melts into me for a moment, then holds me back a little, his hands still on my upper arms.
“There’s more. I made my first move as CEO, and they agreed with me. Everyone but my dad voted to make all three of us joint-CEOs . . . me, Chase, and Olivia.” His eyes look to mine, and now I see it. He’s not mad, not cold or upset. He’s in shock, stunned at the turn his day has taken.
I pull him to me, cupping his face in my hands, knowing what he needs. “I am so proud of you, Scott Danger. You are a good man with so many talents, but your biggest gift is your heart. You were literally given the thing you’ve wanted most in your whole life, the personification of your value, the symbol of success. And rather than flaunt it, revel in it, or in your own self, you shared it with the people you knew would appreciate it the same way you do. You are such a good man, and I love you so much.”
The words click in his mind, but it’s his heart that hears them, the relief and sheer joy transforming his face to a big smile. “We did it, Madison! Thanks to you, I’ve got my siblings and my company. And because of you, I have a better future than I could’ve dreamed. Thank you, baby. I love you so much!”
He goes to swoop me around in a circle but remembers the concussion protocol at the last moment and settles for picking me up to kiss me passionately. It’s everything we need. Not quite a perfect fairy tale, but so much better than either of us had ever envisioned.
Epilogue
Madison
Daily Horoscope, December 24th
Libra - All the stars line up for you. Enjoy the day, and remember that while jumping in with both feet isn’t always the wisest decision . . . sometimes, it’s the best decision you can make.
“So, last day before vacation. How does it feel?” I ask Scott as we get off the elevator and head to his office.
“Like I’m forgetting a million things to do and have a million more lined up after that,” Scott says, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. He’s been working hard alongside his siblings for over a month now, and it’s going surprisingly well. I think they’re still tip-toeing around each other a bit, from what Scott tells me, but they’re handling the diversified businesses they’ve invested in without issue.
Most amusing is the way Daddy Danger has taken to claiming the whole thing was his idea, a dramatic show of the strength the Danger name personifies.