"No crime in Vegas." He joked, putting an arm around her, standing with 'the family'. Ed and Delinda were together, talking about something, Delinda driving her father crazier by the minute. Nessa and Mike were between them and him and Mary and Mike's smile seemed bigger, if that was possible.
Everyone's attention was turned when Danny helped Sam inside the room. "Surprise!"
Sam looked at Danny and then at Ed. The Monticito was nowhere near as glamorous as it had been, but construction had been started, leaving them with several rooms, a casino, a bar, and the restaurant and club, enough to get them started. "How?"
"There are some perks to owning a construction company," Danny told her, his arm still around her.
She kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
She hugged Ed. "Welcome home, honey," he said in his fatherly tone that she liked.
"Thank you," she whispered before hugging the others.
"We moved your bedroom downstairs so it would be easier for you," Delinda told her.
"Thanks, Delinda." The blonde nodded.
"Welcome home," Mary whispered, smiling at her, happy for her friends.
"Thanks." She knew Mary had kept Danny sane the last few weeks while Sam had struggled to recover and, for that, she'd always be grateful.
Mary and Mike walked on either side of Sam, Nessa and Delinda with Ed, and Matt fell back to Danny. "I hate to do this now, but I've been wanting to ask for weeks."
Danny stopped, looking at his longtime friend. "Ask what?"
"You and Mary. Anything...I mean, you're happy with Sam, right? You love her?"
Danny smiled, realizing what his friend was asking. "No, it's okay. Mary and I are just friends. Best friends, but just friends." He paused. "How long?"
"Since I could talk." He couldn't ever remember not loving Mary, even before he knew what the feeling was.
Danny feltguilty about that. If Mary hadn't wasted her energy on him all those years, maybe she and Matt would have found each other earlier. "I know I don't have to tell you to take care of her." There was no doubt in his mind that Matt would ever hurt her.
Matt nodded. "You don't."
"Have you talked to her yet?"
He nodded. "We're supposed to go out for our first date tonight, but we both wanted to talk to you first."
Danny nodded, watching Mary and Sam. "I wish I'd done that with Sam, asked Mary. I think it would have been easier on everyone."
"She couldn't be happier for you guys." They walked over, Danny sitting with a protective and loving arm around Sam, Matt sitting with a smile next to Mary.
Delinda left first for a date, one with someone Ed visibly did not approve of, then Danny watched as Sam's eyes began to close. He brushed some hair out of her face. "Ready?" He whispered. She started to argue, but nodded, forcing her eyes open again.
They said their goodbyes and Mary showed them to where the girls had moved her room. Sam went to lay down and Danny looked at his best friend. "Matt?"
"He talked to you?" She asked, pushing some of her hair behind her ear, something she tended to do when she was nervous.
"Yeah." He paused. "I'm glad."
She nodded. "I am too...about you and Sam." She started to walk away.
"Mary?" She turned back around. "Thanks." She smiled at him and walked back to Matt.
The two young couples left for dates and Ed sat there in the silence before pulling out his cell phone. "Hello?" The familiar friendly English voice asked.
"Julie? It's Ed."
Danny took a shower and lay down beside his girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her waist. She turned around to him and he smiled, brushing hair out of her face. "You okay?"
She nodded. "Just got tired."
"Okay."
She stroked his cheek. "What were you and Matt talking about?"
"He asked Mary out, wanted to make sure I didn't have a problem with that."
"Did you?"
He shook his head. "Why would I? Mary's my best friend, but she'll never be you...and I can't think of a time that wouldn't be a good thing."
She laughed. "There's two ways I can take that, you know?"
"Two ways I meant it," he said with a grin.
She hit him with his pillow and he removed it from his face, pinning her down before kissing her. She smiled and he settled beside her, watching over her as she went to sleep.