Stealing Taffy (Bigler, North Carolina #3) - Susan Donovan Page 0,116

in that familiar, deep voice, with its usual hint of amusement, but she was certain she was either hearing things or it was Dante’s pain medication talking.

“Did you hear me?”

“What?”

Dante laughed. His throat sounded scratchy and the conversation had clearly tired him out, but he just kept laughing. “C’mere. Please.”

Tanyalee hurried to the side of the hospital bed, her despair more raw than at any time in the last twenty-four hours, and that was saying something. She grabbed his left hand.

“I’m so sorry,” she mumbled.

“Sorry I love you?”

“Yes!”

He shook his head and scowled.

“No!” She immediately corrected herself. “But you can’t love me. I’m a felon. It’s against the regulations and you could lose your job and…”

“Shhhhh.”

“… we either have to break up or you have to be transferred.”

Dante let his head fall back on the fluffed pillows. “Been talking to O’Connor, eh?”

“No. Not really. But I heard her tell Wes about it.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think you understand, sweetheart. I know what the regulations are and I don’t give a hot-damn double shit about them. I love you and that’s that.”

Tanyalee wiped away the tear now running down her cheek. “You’ll get fired!”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“But that’s—that’s just completely crazy!”

Dante chuckled. “Yeah. Crazy-beautiful.”

It was definitely the drugs.

A nurse poked her head in the door. “Five minutes,” she said to Tanyalee.

“You look so beautiful,” Dante said, his eyes dreamily eyeing her peach-pink T-shirt and a pair of pink jeans. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known and I love you, love you, love you.” His gaze suddenly focused. “Do you love me?”

“Oh, sweet baby Jesus, of course I do! I love you, Dante! I was trying to tell you the other day but I just couldn’t spit it out. But if we love each other it’s just going to ruin your life!”

There was a soft knock on the door, and Tanyalee spun around, ready to do battle with the nurse. “It hasn’t been five minutes yet!” she hissed.

There was Granddaddy Garland, looking confused. “Well, what’s this all about? I thought I’d be coming in here to see you happy. What’s wrong?”

“I love her,” Dante announced. “And she loves me.”

Granddaddy chuckled. “Son, that’s plainer than a cow pissin’ on a flat rock. So why the sad look, little girl?”

Tanyalee was still squeezing Dante’s hand. “I’m going to mess up his life! I’m a convicted felon, Granddaddy, and DEA agents aren’t allowed to be in love with criminals.”

“Ah, shee-it.” Garland shook his head. “With everything going on I completely forgot to tell you, Taffy Marie. I’ve hired a lawyer and he’s already filed to get your record expunged.”

“Fuckin-A,” Dante said.

“Ex-what?” Tanyalee asked.

“Expunged. Canceled out. Any record of your conviction would disappear forever—you would no longer be a convicted felon.”

“You can do that?”

“If you are a nonviolent offender, yes. As your accuser, I’ve submitted a statement of support to the court. Temple Smathers, Turner, and your Dr. Leslie out in Arizona have, too. We all think you’ve done everything the court wanted you to do, and then some.”

“Huh-whaaaat?” And just like that the dark cloud hanging over her head parted and Tanyalee’s heart was wiped clean of any doubt.

She turned back to Dante. “Would you mind saying it again?”

“I love you, Tanyalee.”

Just then she noticed a small plastic bandage on his chin and reached out to touch it. Oh, no. He’d cut himself shaving. She’d just add it to the list.

“I love you, too, Dante,” she said. “I love you like crazy.”

Epilogue

Why the hell not? Dante decided there was no good reason not to throw Tanyalee a surprise thirtieth birthday party. According to Garland, no one but Viv had ever hosted a birthday bash for Tanyalee, and Dante thought that was something that should be remedied.

Candy volunteered to hold the party at the bakery, which, because it was mid-December, was already decked out for Christmas. Even though Candy was now in her sixth month of pregnancy, she was going strong and insisted on baking the birthday cake. She decided on a frosting design that featured several shades of pink, which shocked no one.

Cheri was in charge of taking Tanyalee to Asheville for a birthday lunch, just the two sisters. Tanyalee had been beyond excited by the invitation. By now Dante knew that time alone with her sister would be the best present she could ever receive.

Okay, maybe the second best.

Dante’s mom and sister had flown in for a couple of days, which was another of the day’s smaller surprises. Tanyalee would