Chapter Four
As soon as Savannah set the plate of spaghetti in front of her, Sadie regretted having chosen it. That’d teach her to be so indecisive. She was hopeless at deciding what to order whenever she ate out, but she should have had the foresight to realize that spaghetti was the worst option on the menu.
She picked up her fork, resigned to the fact that she’d no doubt make a mess – and a fool – of herself. It could be worse; Dominic already knew what a mess her life was, and he no doubt already thought she was a fool.
She managed to twirl some around her fork, but she had a horrible suspicion that she’d already dropped some sauce down her shirt. For the first time, it occurred to her that even before she decorated herself with spaghetti sauce, she must look a fright. Spending a few days on the road would do that to a girl.
Oh well, she had more important things to worry about. She took a bite of garlic bread and savored it. It wasn’t as though she was trying to make any kind of impression on Dominic – he’d already seen her at her worst.
He smiled when she caught his gaze. “How’s the spaghetti?”
She couldn’t help laughing. “It tastes delicious, and I think it looks rather fetching, too, don’t you?”
His gaze dropped briefly to her chest before he quickly looked away with a half-smile on his face. “I didn’t know if I should tell you. I considered it, but if you’re anything like me, the odds are good that you’ll drop some more before you’re finished. I figured if you didn’t already know, I should let you enjoy the rest before I made you feel self-conscious about it.”
She smiled. “Thanks, I would have appreciated that – if I wasn’t already acutely aware that I’m being a total slob.”
He chuckled. “Nah, you’re no slob. You just set yourself a difficult task. You’re braver than I am; I love spaghetti, but there’s no way I’d order it. In my case, spaghetti is only to be eaten at home, and only in clothes I don’t mind ruining.”
“You’re a wise man, I should have thought before I ordered it.”
“But now that we’ve talked about it, hopefully you can relax and enjoy it.”
She laughed. “Now that we’ve brought it out in the open, I’m going to go ahead and do what I used to do for Josh when he was small.” She picked up her knife and proceeded to chop up the spaghetti.
Dominic laughed as he watched her. “I like it – it makes a whole lot of sense to me.”
“It made sense to me when he was small, too. When every strand is only about an inch long you increase the likelihood of eating it rather than wearing it.” She frowned. “I’ve never thought about it before; is that what they’re called – strands? Is an individual spaghetti a strand, or a noodle?”
Dominic chuckled. “I don’t know if I should tell you this, but no … I will. The only reason that I wouldn’t is because I don’t want to feel foolish.”
She laughed out loud. “Well, hell! In that case, feel free – wade right on in and join me, why don’t you?”
“Okay, if you really want to know, the correct term for a single spaghetti is a spaghetto.”
Sadie almost choked on the sip of water that she’d just taken. “You’re messing with me, right?” she asked when she could speak again.
His eyes seemed to twinkle as he shook his head. “I’m not. I’m deadly serious.”
She scooped up a single strand on her fork and stared at it. “So, you’re a spaghetto, huh? Well hello, little spaghetto.”
Dominic laughed. “So, now we’re even; I know that you’re a messy eater, and you know that I’m a mine of useless information.”
She gave him a mock indignant look. “I’m not generally a messy eater,” she protested. She looked down at the large stain on her shirt and shrugged. “But you really don’t know me, so I suppose it’s a fair assumption for you to make.”
Her smile faded when she realized the truth of what she’d said. They didn’t know each other at all, even though she’d managed to forget that for the last few minutes because she felt so relaxed and comfortable with him.
Dominic sat up a little straighter, and she regretted her words. It seemed as though she’d made him uncomfortable, too. Damn.
“So, since I managed to make things awkward by pointing out that, even though I dumped my sad tale on you, we’re still strangers, how about we get to know each other a little?”
She couldn’t read the expression that flickered across his face, but she got the impression that he didn’t want to share too much. She could understand that, so she hurried on.
“I mean, get to know the superficial details that strangers would normally exchange. Like, how long have you lived here?” She knew that she’d chosen the right track when he visibly relaxed.
“Not long, I moved here last year. My brother moved to Summer Lake a while ago, and I came to visit, and decided to stay. How about you? I know that you’ve been on the road for a couple of days, but I don’t even know where you’re coming from.”
“Denver.”
He let out a low whistle. “That’s quite a drive.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
His eyes filled with concern. “That’d be a tough drive to make by yourself at the best of times – and this doesn’t sound like the best of times.”
She shrugged. “I’ve always enjoyed time on the road. So, tell me more about your brother, and your nephew – if they’re safe subjects.”
He smiled. “They are, but I appreciate the thought. It’s hard to know what subjects to avoid when you don’t know much of anything, isn’t it?”
She nodded; she didn’t want to point out that she already knew to stay well away from the subject of his wife.
He gave her a slight nod but didn’t comment. “My brother, Damon, moved up here at the suggestion of an old friend of his. Damon went through a nasty divorce and was looking for a new start.” He smiled. “He found one, too – he met a really great woman named Jo. I’ve never seen Damon as happy as he is now. And my nephew is Damon’s son, Jake. He’s a good kid. Although, I shouldn’t call him a kid – he is in his early thirties. He served as a Marine, but he got out this year. He’s setting up his own business – as you know. He’s not really open for business yet, but I know he’ll be able to help you.”
“I’ll be happy to be his first customer.”
When Savannah stopped by the table to see if they wanted anything else, Sadie checked her watch and was shocked to see the time. They’d finished eating a while ago, but she hadn’t realized that they’d been sitting here talking for so long.
“Just the check, please.” She shot a look at Dominic. “And if this man dares to try and say a word, don’t listen to him. You bring the check to me, okay? Oh, crap! And do you have any of the sticky toffee stuff that Dad likes?”
Savannah laughed. “I sure do, I put him a slice in a to-go box as soon as I came in. Do you want to take it with you so that he can have it sooner?”
“Please, I’ll do whatever I can to get on his good side.”
Savannah laughed. “As if you need to, he adores you!”
Sadie smiled, wanting to believe her but not sure that she did.
“You don’t need to pay,” Dominic said once Savannah had gone.
She gave him a stern look. “Oh yes, I do! Please don’t argue with me, it’s the least I can do. I’ll feel terrible if you don’t let me get it.”
He shrugged. “Okay, then I’ll say thank you, but only because I don’t want to make you feel bad.”
The way he smiled reminded her of how she’d felt this afternoon in the grocery store. The lines around his eyes, the way his full lips turned up, the just… everything about him, she’d tried to avoid noticing it all evening, but to say that he was easy on the eyes would be an understatement – a huge one. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
~ ~ ~
When he pulled up in front of Harvey’s house, Dominic couldn’t for the life of him figure out what he felt nervous about. There was no need for it. It was only when Sadie turned in her seat to smile at him that he understood – something in the distant depths of his memory had registered this as a date. It wasn’t. It was nothing like that, but the way she smiled at him conjured images in his mind of leaning toward her to kiss her. Of walking her to her door and hoping that she might invite him in.
“Thank you again, thank you so much.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“Of course, you can come in if you like, I’m just trying to save you from having to deal with Dad again.”
Was she trying to get rid of him? He didn’t understand. Maybe she was. Perhaps he’d been so caught up in trying to assess why he reacted to her the way he did that he’d missed something. Was she uncomfortable with him? Maybe she was. He had no frame of reference, and he’d hate for her to feel as though he was outstaying his welcome.
“That’s okay. I should get home. You have Jake’s number. I… I’ll have him call you in the morning. He can take it from there.”
He didn’t understand the way she was looking at him. Perhaps the poor woman had been uncomfortable all evening and he just hadn’t realized it.
“Okay, well… err … Thanks again. I never had a knight in shining armor ride to the rescue before – never thought I needed one – but when I did, I’m glad it was you.” She rolled her eyes. “That sounded way better in my head. All I meant was thank you. Anyway, I’m going to go now, before I make even more of a fool of myself. Goodnight.”
With that, she got out, taking the box with Harvey’s sticky toffee whatever-it-was with her.
He watched her hurry up the path to the front door. When she reached it, she turned to give him a quick wave and a sheepish grin before disappearing inside.
Dominic stared at the empty porch for a couple of moments before pulling away. He ran the events of the evening through his head as he drove back to Summer Lake. There was no denying that he’d enjoyed himself. It was only when he passed her abandoned minivan on the side of the road that he remembered that he still had all her belongings in the back of his SUV. She hadn’t even taken her overnight bag.
He smiled. He might feel like an idiot, but he was relieved to have a legitimate reason to talk to her and hopefully, see her again.
As he was driving back down the eastern shore of the lake, his phone rang. He felt guilty when he saw Nina’s name on the display – he should have called her before now to let her know that Sadie had made it home safe.
“Hey, Nina,” he answered.
“Hi, did everything go okay?”
“It did, she’s home safe with Harvey. Sorry I didn’t let you know sooner.”
“Not a problem, I didn’t want to seem like I was chasing you up to make sure everything was all right, but it’s getting late, and I didn’t want to go to bed wondering.”
“Yeah, I should have called you earlier.”
“To be honest, I thought Sadie would have called – I didn’t expect you to. I left her a voicemail, but I haven’t heard back. Maybe she went straight to bed.”
“Maybe.” He wasn’t about to explain that they’d been out for dinner.
“Thanks again for going. Next time we all go out you must come, and your dinner’s on me.”
He chuckled. “There’s no need for that, it was my pleasure.”
“I’d argue with you about it but there’s no need; I intend to get my way – and you can ask Manny how that usually works out.”
“I don’t want to argue with you, so for now, I’ll just say thanks.”
She laughed. “Okay, see you soon.”
“Yeah, see you.”
When he got back to the house, he parked in the driveway behind Jake’s truck.
“Hey, Uncle Dom. I was just about to call you. Dad told me what happened; did everything go okay? I thought you would have been back before now.”
He chuckled. “It was fine.” He dug the key to Sadie’s minivan out of his pocket and handed it to Jake. “There’s your first customer.”
Jake grinned. “Thanks. Where is it?”
“Almost to the top of the hill on the way to Hidden Valley. Do you know where that is?”
“Yeah, that’s if you just keep following the road up the east shore past Four Mile, right?”
“That’s right. How do you want to handle it?”
“I figure I’ll go up there first thing in the morning with the tow truck and bring it into the shop. See what it needs, and get it fixed as soon as possible.”
“You know I’m no mechanic, but I think it might be a simple case of a leaky radiator.”
“I’ll give it a good look over and see.” Jake grinned. “I want to really overdeliver, so I’ll get it washed and detailed before she picks it up, too.”
Dominic smiled back at him. “If you really want to overdeliver, you could take it back to her. Let me know if you want to do that – I’ll follow you over there and give you a ride back.”
“Thanks, Uncle Dom. I hadn’t thought about that.”
Dominic shrugged. He wouldn’t have thought about it either – if the minivan belonged to anyone other than Sadie.
“And how come you’re back? I didn’t think I’d see you until tomorrow.”
Jake laughed. “I got finished sooner than I expected, and I didn’t want to waste a night away from home. I want to keep working in the shop tomorrow, I think it’s ready to open now. I just need someone to help out in the office.”
“I’ve told you – I’m happy to help until you find someone. It’s not as though it’ll be a full-time job in the beginning, is it?”
“Not by a long shot.”
“Then let me help.”
“Thanks.”
Dominic grasped his shoulder. “I’m happy to do it.”
Jake’s phone rang and he frowned when he looked at the display. “I don’t recognize the area code, it’s probably spam.”
“You don’t have the luxury of ignoring calls when you have your own business,” Dominic told him. “You should answer it.”
Jake grinned. “You’re right. Hello? … Yes, this is Jake … Yeah, he’s here. Do you want a word with him?” He waggled his eyebrows at Dominic as he handed the phone over. “It’s for you – it’s Sadie .”
He hoped that Jake didn’t notice the way his hand shook as he took the phone – what the hell was wrong with him?
“Sadie? Is everything all right?”
“Hi.” She laughed and the sound of it sent a shiver down his spine. “Sorry, I feel like even more of a fool than I did earlier – you know when I ran out of your SUV as though my ass was on fire?”
He had to laugh. “I wouldn’t have described it that way, but yeah. I know what you mean. Oh, shit! I have your things. I didn’t think you’d notice until morning, and I didn’t have your number so …”
She laughed. “I only noticed when I went to put my spaghetti-shirt in the washer. And I don’t have your number either, but you gave me Jake’s and you said that you’re sharing the house with him. I hope this is okay?”
“It’s great!” He frowned and turned his back to Jake, who was watching him with a big grin on his face. “I mean, of course it’s not great that you’re without your things, but I’m glad you called … I mean … I can bring them back over to you if you like?”
“No! I couldn’t ask you to do that. I can come for them in the morning. Would that be okay?”
“How?”
“Savannah said she’ll bring me – she’s coming over to the lake, so …”
“Okay then. What time? Jake’s going up to get your minivan first thing, but I don’t know how long it’ll take him to fix it.”
“Oh, I’m not trying to rush him. The minivan and my things are two separate issues – I just want my toothbrush – and my underwear! I can’t borrow Savannah’s clothes, she’s so much smaller than I am, and I don’t think Dad’s …”
He burst out laughing; he couldn’t help it.
“Oh wow! How about I shut up now? Was I really talking about underwear?”
He chuckled. “You are, but it’s understandable, given the predicament you find yourself in, and it is my fault.”
“It’s so not your fault.”
“I’m the one who drove away with your things.”
“And I’m the one who totally forgot that you had them.”
“Okay, so we can call it even.”
She laughed. “I guess so. Is there a time that’s too early in the morning? I can call you before we set off or when we’re almost to town.”
“Whenever suits you will be fine by me. I’ll give you directions then, okay.”
“Okay, and thanks again, Dominic – and sorry again.”
He laughed. “Not a problem. I’ll see you in the morning. And I’ll text you my number so that you can call me.”
“Oh, right. Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Sadie.”
He ended the call and handed the phone back to Jake, who was grinning at him. “I think you need to tell me exactly what happened between you and Sadie .”
Dominic’s smile died on his lips. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to tell the truth – he wasn’t even sure he knew what the truth was. He was attracted to her, but that didn’t mean anything. He shrugged. “She’s a lot of fun.” That was the truth.
He was grateful that Jake didn’t push. They hadn’t talked about Polly much, but Jake seemed to understand better than most people did – perhaps because he’d lost friends in the Corps. Whatever the reason, he respected Dominic’s right to shut down when he felt the need.
“I guess I’ll find out for myself tomorrow.”
Dominic nodded. “I guess you will.”