When Morning Comes Around (Summer Lake Silver #13)

Chapter Three

The moment Sadie saw her dad open the front door, he was all she could think about. She jumped out of the SUV and ran to him. The sight of him stopped her at the top of the porch steps.

“Dad!”

He smiled. “That’s me. And wipe that look off your face, would you? I didn’t do as much damage as it seems.”

She hurried to him but stopped short. She wanted to hug him but didn’t know how. He was leaning heavily on a cane, and his left side was badly bruised. His face and his arm were black and blue; she could only imagine what the rest of him looked like under his clothing.

“Oh, Dad!”

“I told you, honey bun; it’s not as bad as it looks.” He looked over her shoulder and frowned. “Dom? Is that you?”

Sadie turned as Dominic came up the steps behind her.

“Yeah, it’s me. What happened to you?”

She turned back to her dad when he chuckled. “I guess I was in too much of a hurry to get down the stairs the other morning. I kind of skipped the first one, and the rest of them came at me too fast. It’s nothing; I’m fine.” He looked from Dominic to Sadie and back again. “Come on inside. I want to ask how the two of you know each other, but I need to get my ass back in the chair before we get into that.”

He turned to go inside, and Dominic reached out to hold the door open. Sadie’s heart hurt as she watched her dad shuffle down the hallway toward the den at the back of the house.

She looked up at Dominic, and he gave her a sympathetic smile before following her inside.

“Do you need a hand…?” she started to ask, but her dad answered the question by pressing a button on a remote control attached to his armchair. Once the seat was at the right height, he turned around and sat before pressing the button again to lower the chair to a normal height.

The tension in her shoulders eased a little when he winked at her with a mischievous smile. “Does it look like I need a hand?”

“It looks like you’ve got things handled.” She gave him a stern look. “But if that were the case you wouldn’t be all battered and bruised, would you? Looks can be deceiving, Dad.”

He turned to Dominic. “Wouldn’t you think she’d give me some credit?”

Dominic held his hands up. “Sorry, Harvey, but I’m staying out of this one.”

Her dad laughed. “I knew you were a smart one. But come on, fill me in? What are the two of you doing together?” He shot a glance at Sadie. “I’d love to think that you finally came to your senses and dumped dopey Dale, but…”

All Sadie could do was stare at him; she didn’t know what to say.

Her dad’s eyes widened. “You did?”

She sighed. “Not exactly, but I know you’ll be pleased to hear that we’re done – our marriage is over.”

“What then?” he asked with a scowl. “He dumped you?”

She made a face; she was here to help her dad with his problems, not to burden him with her own. She wanted to be mad at him for asking in front of Dominic, but that would be kind of hypocritical since she’d already told Dominic the sorry tale herself.

“He didn’t exactly dump me, and perhaps the worst part is that I don’t think he would have – I was too useful to just get rid of, so he was trying to have his cake and eat it, too.”

“He was screwing around on you? Are you sure?”

“I saw it with my own two eyes – at the office, on his desk.”

“Damn! I’m sorry. I mean, I’m sorry that you had to find out that way – I’m not sorry that it’s over. It is over? You’re not going to go back to him, are you?”

“Oh, hell no! We are well and truly done.”

“Glad to hear it.” He gave Dominic a puzzled look. “Are you going to make my day and tell me that you’re the new man?”

Sadie cringed and covered her eyes with her hand. Her dad used to embarrass her like this when she was a teenager. She’d thought that those days were long gone.

“Dad!” she hissed. “Dominic and I don’t even know each other. I broke down on the way up the hill, and he was kind enough to give me a ride here.”

Dominic smiled at her dad. “I didn’t just find Sadie on the side of the road; a friend of hers is also a friend of mine and she was looking for someone who could help.”

“I want to say that I see, but I’m not sure I do. This mutual friend – is she your woman?”

“No. I don’t have a woman, Harvey. You know that.”

The way Dominic smiled at her dad made her wonder just how well they knew each other.

“It was Nina who called me,” Dominic explained.

“Ah, right. Manny wouldn’t be happy with me for asking if she was your woman, would he?”

Dominic chuckled. “He would not.”

Sadie felt strangely left out of the conversation. “I called Nina when I broke down,” she told her dad.

“Why did you do that? Could AAA not get to you soon enough?”

She made a face. “We let our membership slide.”

Her dad scowled. “You mean that dopey Dale bitched so much about the cost of it that you decided to let it slide rather than argue about it?”

She closed her eyes and nodded. She didn’t know what was worse – she felt utterly defeated by the truth of her dad’s words, and acutely embarrassed that Dominic was here to witness them.

Her dad seemed to sense that he’d said too much. “Well, it sounds as though your week’s been about as shitty as mine. Bring on the weekend, huh?”

“Yeah. And that’s enough about me, I’m here because of you. Although, if I’d known you were in such bad shape I would have flown instead of driving – I could have gotten here sooner.”

Her dad shrugged. “I didn’t want to worry you. And it’s not as though I’m here by myself.”

“I know, but Savannah can’t be here all the time, and as good as she is, she’s only a girl, it’s not fair to put everything on her.”

Her dad chuckled. “That girl’s all grown up now. She’s more than capable. And she’s not just here during the day. After I took my little tumble, I asked how she’d feel about staying to keep an eye on me. I didn’t know if it was… you know, appropriate… But she didn’t mind. It might have come a t a good time for her, too. She’s working a shift at the diner tonight; she won’t be back till later. Are you two hungry? You should go over there and get some dinner.”

Sadie looked at Dominic; she imagined that he’d be desperate to get out of here just as soon as he could.

“I had my dinner earlier,” her dad continued. “The diner doesn’t officially do deliveries, but Savannah sends one of the dishwasher boys to bring mine when she’s working. Have you eaten?” he asked Dominic.

Dominic glanced over at her before turning back to her dad. “I haven’t.”

Her dad chuckled. “Let me guess, you were starting to think about dinner when Nina called and turned your evening upside down, right?”

Dominic chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it that way.”

“That’s because he’s too polite,” her dad said. “Seems to me that you owe him dinner, honey bun.”

“But I can’t just…”

Her dad waved his hand at her with an air of finality. “I’ve eaten, and I’m about to watch my shows. There’s not much in the fridge, so you can sit here hungry and watch TV with me, or you can do the right thing and take this man out for a thank you dinner.”

She didn’t miss the way that he winked at Dominic; what surprised her was the way Dominic smiled back at him.

“I promise you that my ass won’t leave this chair until you get back, if that’ll help.”

He was right; if she said no, Dominic would leave hungry, and she would spend the rest of the evening staring at the TV while her dad ignored her.

She raised her eyebrows at Dominic, and he nodded.

“Okay. It looks like we’re going for dinner at the diner. Can I bring you anything back?”

Her dad chuckled. “Yeah, one of those sticky toffee things – Savannah will know what you mean.”

She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be back.”

His fingers wrapped around her arm; his grip surprisingly strong. “Looks to me like you already are back, honey bun.”

~ ~ ~

“Are you okay with this?” Sadie asked as she closed the front door behind them. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

Dominic had to laugh. “I’m more than okay with it. Your dad’s right; I was just thinking about dinner when Nina called. I need to eat, I’m sure that you do, and I might not know him all that well, but I do know that he doesn’t like anything to get in the way of his shows.”

She gave him a wry smile. “There was a time when they were my mom’s shows, and he used to tease her about watching them.” Her smile faded. “Since she died, I think it’s a way for him to still feel close to her.”

“It is.” Dominic had met Harvey the first time he came over to the garden center. He was still living in Damon’s house – sharing the place with Jake – and making the yard nice was a way of showing his thanks. He’d clicked with Harvey from their first conversation, and if he were honest, Dominic’s frequent trips back to the nursery were more about chatting with Harvey than buying plants or mulch.

When they were in the SUV, Sadie glanced over at him. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need. It’s just… I guess I understand his ways since we’ve kind of walked the same path.”

“I know. That’s why I’m apologizing. Here I am bleating about the demise of my marriage, while the two of you both lost women you obviously adored.”

“Yeah.” Dominic shifted in his seat. There was no way that he would ever deny having adored Polly. Their marriage hadn’t been perfect, but they loved each other, they were open and honest with each other. They’d been a team, and even through the rough patches, he’d always felt like they were on the same side. “There’s only one diner in town, right?”

“There is.”

He parked just down from the diner and hurried around to the curb to join Sadie.

“Are you okay with this?” he asked.

“Honestly? I’m more than okay with it. I’ve spent the last couple of days on the road, eating fast food. I know diner food isn’t exactly gourmet, but I’m looking forward to it and I might as well say it, I’m looking forward to not having to eat alone.”

He wasn’t sure if she meant that she’d had to dine alone while she was on the road or while she was married. He figured it was probably better not to ask.

They’d reached the diner, and he held the door open for her with a smile. “Then this works out for both of us.”

As soon as they entered, a young woman, probably in her late twenties, came rushing toward them and wrapped Sadie in a hug. “You made it! I’m so glad you’re here.”

Sadie clung to her for a moment before stepping back to look her over. “Wow, Savannah! Just look at you. Dad was right when he said that you’re all grown up.”

Savannah laughed. “He said that? Seriously? He’s a stinker. He’s always telling me that I’m just a little girl.”

Sadie laughed with her. “You know what he’s like. And thank you, sweetheart, thank you so very much for taking care of him.”

“You know there’s no need for that. We take care of each other. But anyway …” She looked at Dominic. “Sorry about that. It’s just that we haven’t seen each other for far too long.”

Sadie smiled at him. “She’s right, but that’s no excuse. Dominic, meet Savannah. She’s… an old friend of the family. We go back a long way. Savannah, this is Dominic. He’s…”

Dominic chuckled as he shook hands with Savannah. “I guess you could say that I’m a new friend of the family.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Let me grab you a couple of menus and we’ll find you a table.”

Once they were settled at a booth in the corner, and Savannah had brought their drinks, Dominic studied Sadie as she read the menu. He didn’t understand what it was about her, but there was something. Something that kept him hanging around. He should have dropped her off at her dad’s place, and that should have been the end of it. Yeah, he knew Harvey, and he liked the old guy, but Harvey wasn’t the reason that he’d stuck around. He certainly wasn’t the reason Dominic was sitting here in the diner.

He smiled when Sadie looked up at him and tucked her hair behind her ear as she said, “Shoot! Are you waiting for me? We can just order. You must be hungry.”

“There’s no rush, take your time and decide what you want.”

She made a face. “It’s probably best if you call her over. The more time you give me, the longer I’ll take. When she asks what you want, I’ll feel as though I’m under pressure and have to make a snap decision. It’s not as though it’s a matter of life and death, is it?”

He chuckled. “Okay, I can do that – put you out of the misery of agonizing over what to eat.”

She laughed. “It really shouldn’t be as difficult as I make it, but you described it well – the misery of agonizing over it. It’s ridiculous.”

He caught Savannah’s eye, and she hurried over, notepad at the ready.

After they’d ordered, Sadie sat back in her seat and gave him a rueful smile. “First of all, I want to say thank you – I don’t know what I would have done without you. Secondly, I feel like I owe you an apology. I don’t know what your plans were for this evening, but I know you weren’t expecting this.”

“You’re welcome – honestly. I’d hate to think of anyone being stuck up there on the hill like that...” He frowned, he’d been about to add, especially you , but he didn’t know why. He relaxed a little when the answer came to him – she was a friend of Nina’s, she was Harvey’s daughter. That had to be why she seemed more important than just some random stranger. “And you don’t need to apologize; the only thing that I had planned was collecting takeout from The Boathouse for dinner.” He glanced around the diner. “I’ve never eaten here before so, if anything, you brightened up my evening. You’re right that I wasn’t expecting this, but I’m glad I’m here.”

“I am, too.” She looked a little flustered and took a sip of her drink before adding, “I mean, like I said, I don’t know what I would have done without you, and…” She let out a little laugh. “Having dinner here with you is far better than having to keep quiet while Dad watches his shows.”

“He’s obviously glad to have you home, even if he won’t skip his shows.”

“I know he is, and I’d be more concerned if he turned the TV off. This way, I know that no matter what’s going on – he might have fallen, I might have confessed my sorry tale, but nothing’s hit him so hard that it’s shaken him out of his routine.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, and Dominic shifted in his seat when it struck him just how attractive she was. It wasn’t just the way she looked, there was something else about her, something that drew him in. Something that if he were honest, was the reason that he hadn’t just dropped her off and driven away. He hadn’t gone into her dad’s house with her, he wasn’t sitting here in the diner for any other reason than he didn’t want to say goodbye to her.

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, and he had to drag his gaze away. He didn’t understand it. Since he’d arrived in Summer Lake, he’d flirted with plenty of women. He wasn’t interested in getting to know someone new, but in the years since Polly had died, he’d learned that the easiest way to keep well-intentioned friends off his back was to pretend that he was looking. To that end, whenever he went out with the guys and their women, he flirted with women at the bar, bought them drinks, chatted and danced with them, but he always let them down gently at the end of the night.

There had been a couple who’d made it clear that even if he wasn’t interested in a relationship, they’d be happy to spend the night with him. That wasn’t his style, it never had been and even apart from that, he’d honestly believed that his ability to feel physical attraction had died when Polly did.

Sadie was making him reconsider that conclusion. It didn’t make sense – he’d danced with women who were all dressed up and were making an effort to look sexy, and even while holding them on the dance floor, he hadn’t felt a thing. With Sadie, even though she was dressed in old jeans and a faded plaid shirt and looked as though she’d been on the road for a couple of days, his heart rate had quickened, his palms were starting to sweat, and there was a stirring in his pants that hadn’t happened in a long time.

He was relieved when Savannah arrived back at the table with their food. Whatever it was about Sadie, it didn’t matter. He’d enjoy her company over dinner, then he’d drop her back at her dad’s place, and that would be the end of it. At most, he might bump into her again around town but that would be all. And there was no reason that thought should leave him feeling disappointed.

“Is everything okay?” Savannah asked.

He looked up sharply, wondering how she could tell what he was thinking. Of course, she had no idea. She smiled brightly and gestured toward his plate.

“Do you have everything you need?”

“Yeah, thanks.” He really did. He was building his new life in Summer Lake, he had his twin brother, Damon, his nephew, Jake, and a whole bunch of new friends – not to mention the inheritance that he and Damon had come into a little while back. He had everything he needed. He glanced over at Sadie. Maybe she’d become a new friend – but he didn’t even want anything more than that, let alone need it.