When Morning Comes Around (Summer Lake Silver #13)

Chapter Sixteen

Sadie turned from side to side in front of the mirror. She looked okay. In fact, she looked pretty good, even if she did say so herself. She refused to let her mind try to calculate how long it’d been since she’d been on a date. A long time – a very long time – that was all she needed to know.

And besides, the past wasn’t important. All that mattered was the here and now. She was here, back in California, back with her dad and Savannah, back with her friends – even if she hadn’t managed to set up a lunch with Nina and Terry yet. She was back in a place she loved, surrounded by people she loved… No. It was too soon to even consider the possibility that someday she and Dom might fall in love.

She shivered. It might be too soon, but it was a nice possibility to dream about. She leaned in closer to the mirror to apply her lipstick. Whether it was just a dream or not remained to be seen. Tonight was their first real date. Whether it ended up being an evening that they looked back on together or turned out to be just a memory that she looked back on fondly if their lives took them in different directions, she wanted to make the most of the evening. She wanted to enjoy Dom’s company and have some fun.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t already had fun, it was just that so far, most of their time together had felt very… Domestic. That was it. That was the word. He’d come over here, and they hung out with her dad. He’d helped her out with Leanne. He’d helped in the garden center… She frowned. He’d done a lot of helping so far, and she’d done a lot of needing help. If they were going to develop a relationship, that wasn’t the dynamic she wanted. Hopefully, tonight would turn them in a different direction – it was a real date on a Friday night.

She turned away from the mirror and trotted down the stairs. When she poked her head into the living room, her dad grinned at her. “You’re looking pretty, honey bun.”

“Thanks, Dad. Can I get you anything?”

“I’m good, thanks. Jake can put the pizza in the oven for us later.”

She smiled. “And you’re happy to hang out with him?”

“I’m looking forward to it. He’s a good lad. I was surprised when Dom first suggested it. I would’ve sent Jakey over to the diner to hang around and wait for Savannah, but he’ll still be here when she gets off work. That’ll be them,” he said with a grin.

She turned and tilted her head to the side, straining to hear what he had. “I never understand how you do that. You act like you’re as deaf as a post half the time, and you have the TV turned up loud enough to make you deaf the other half of the time. And yet, whenever a vehicle pulls up outside, you hear it when no one else can.”

He chuckled. “It’s not so much that I hear it as I can feel it.”

She gave him a puzzled smile, about to ask what exactly he meant by that, but he held his finger up to stop her and laughed when the doorbell rang.

She had to laugh with him. “However you do it, you’re good; I have to give you that. I’ll go and let them in.”

When she opened the front door, the sight of Dom took her breath away. He was a good-looking guy, and he always looked sharp. Tonight, he looked even better than usual.

She only realized that she was gawking at him when his full lips quirked up in a smile, and he winked at her. “Hi.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sorry! Hi.” She turned to Jake. “Hey, Jake. Are you sure you want to be here?” she asked in a quieter tone.

He grinned. “I am. I’m looking forward to it. Harvey’s great. It’ll be fun to hang out with him.”

Dom smirked at him. “And to hang out with Savannah when she finishes work.”

“I’m not denying that, but it doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to spending some time with Harvey as well.”

“Well, come on in. Dad’s in the living room. There’s a pizza for you to put in the oven whenever you guys want to eat.”

“Awesome,” said Jake as he and Dom followed her inside.

Sadie headed straight for the kitchen, intending to show Jake where everything was, but he peeled off and went to see Harvey.

When she turned around, Dom was right behind her, wearing what she could only describe as a sexy smile.

“You look great,” he said in a low voice.

She allowed her gaze to travel over him, taking in the navy blue shirt that was doing its best to cover his broad frame but couldn’t disguise the fact that there was a lot of him to cover – a lot of muscle. She swallowed. He had to be the sexiest guy she’d ever seen. Of course, she’d known that from the first time she saw him. Apparently, it’d taken this long for the knowledge – and the effect of it – to sink in. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and felt guilty as hell when he chuckled.

She gave him a shamefaced smile. “In case I didn’t make it totally obvious, you look pretty damn good yourself.”

He came closer and rested his hands on her shoulders as he dropped a quick peck on her lips. “I’m glad you think so. I felt like a nervous teenager getting ready. It’s been a long time since I went out on a date.”

She rested her hands at his waist. “I’m glad you said that: I felt exactly the same way.”

He leaned in closer and rubbed his nose against hers. “I like that; not only are we on the same page, but we’re in it together.”

She liked it too, but didn’t get the chance to say so.

“Are you guys going straight out?” her dad called from the living room.

“Not without coming to say hi first,” said Dom.

Sadie was pleased to see that Jake had already made himself at home. He was sitting on the end of the sofa closest to her dad, who was grinning as he held up a bag.

“Look what Jakey brought me.”

Jake laughed. “Brought us , Harvey. I love that stuff, too.”

“What is it?” Sadie asked.

“Some kind of English toffee.”

Jake nodded. “It’s called treacle toffee. It’s so good. One of my buddies got engaged to an English chick. She introduced us to it.” He laughed and added, “Got us all addicted to it, if I’m honest. She gets her folks to send care packages from the UK, and when Denny doesn’t hog it all, she sends some of the toffee to the rest of us.”

Her dad grinned at him. “And you’re prepared to share it with me? That’s mighty big of you.”

Jake shrugged happily. “From what I hear, you’re a bit of a toffee addict yourself, right?”

“I am.”

Her dad started to open the bag, but Sadie gave him a stern look. “Don’t you think you should eat first?”

“What do you think I’m going to do with the toffee? Stick in my ear? I’m going to eat it, honey bun.”

She made a face at him. “You know damn well what I mean. You don’t exactly eat the healthiest diet as it is. At least have your pizza before you start on the toffees. If I know you, you’ll eat them and nothing else if you start now.”

Her dad rolled his eyes at Jake. “She’s probably right.”

Jake chuckled and took the bag from him. “You know she is. What do you think, should I go and put the oven on? The sooner we eat the pizza, the sooner we can get to the toffees.”

“I knew I liked you, kid. Yeah, you do that.”

Sadie could only laugh as she watched them. Any concerns about how their evening might go had already flown out the window.

Her dad winked at her. “I’ll be good.” He turned to Dom. “Thanks for bringing him over. You and I both know that I’d be fine by myself, but this works out. It means that Sadie can relax and enjoy her evening with you and not be worrying about me, and young Jakey will get to see Savannah when she comes home from work. So, don’t you kids worry about rushing back, will you? I’ll take myself off to bed as soon as I’m ready. That way, no one has to think of anyone else – you can all enjoy yourselves.”

“Thanks,” said Dom. “And just so you know, Taryn already told me that she’ll be sending another toffee dessert back with us for you. It’s the kind that’ll keep until tomorrow.”

Her dad chuckled. “It’ll have to, unless I decide to go raiding the fridge in the middle of the night.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Sadie warned him.

He laughed. “You know I’m only pulling your leg. But go on, you two don’t need to be spending your evening here. Get on your way. We’ll be just fine – and I promise we’ll eat the pizza first. It’s the one with the sausage on it, isn’t it?”

“It is. It’s your favorite.”

“Thanks, honey bun. Now go, get out of here. Go and have fun.”

~ ~ ~

When they got to Four Mile Creek, Dom parked in the lot closest to the café. He usually parked behind the lodge, but unlike the last couple of nights, he wasn’t here to work.

Sadie had mentioned that when she stopped to see Taryn the other day, it had been the first time that she’d been over here. By parking near the café, he could kill two birds with one stone. If she wanted, they could take a walk around the shopping plaza, and even if she didn’t want to do that, they’d still have a little time before they reached the restaurant – and were faced with Taryn. He wasn’t really afraid of Taryn; he just wanted a little time alone with Sadie first.

He took her hand as they set out, and she smiled up at him. “In case I forget to tell you later, I had a great time tonight.”

He chuckled. “We’ve not even started yet.”

“I know, but even if we had to turn around and go home right now, this has been wonderful.”

He stopped walking and tugged her hand to draw her closer. “I feel the same way. But we’re not about to turn around and go home.” He dropped a kiss on her lips. “We’re going to have a good evening. You just need to decide if you want to go straight in there or if you want to take a walk and look around first.”

She laughed. “Are you serious? I feel like this is a test.”

“A test? What kind of test?”

“You know; like you’re trying to find out if I’m easy to be with, or if I’m going to be a pain in the ass and drag you around looking at stores when all you want is a beer.” She laughed, but he didn’t see the humor in it.

She sobered up when she noticed that he was frowning. “It’s not that kind of test?”

“Nope. As far as I’m concerned, only an asshole would set up a test like that. So, I think I know where you got the idea from. But just so we’re straight; I offered because I thought you’d like to look around. You mentioned that you haven’t had the chance yet.”

“I’m sorry. I was only trying to make a joke. I wasn’t insinuating that you…”

He felt bad. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at the way you’ve been treated that makes you think the way you do.”

She shrugged. “Honestly? I thought it was normal. I mean, can you seriously tell me that you enjoy poking around the stores?”

“No. I wouldn’t lie to you. It’s not my idea of fun. However, I know that it’s something you’ve been looking forward to. And seeing you enjoy yourself is my idea of fun.” He curled his arms around her waist and drew her to him, making himself smile as he did so. “I hope that when I don’t want to do something that you do – or vice versa – we’ll just be honest with each other. That’s how a healthy relationship works, and you’re going to have to get used to it.”

She nodded slowly. “I’m sorry. I…”

He smiled through pursed lips.

“Okay, now I want to say sorry for apologizing.”

He chuckled. “You don’t need to apologize for a damn thing. I should probably apologize for not wording things more carefully. That’s something I can work on. I suppose what I’m asking is that you relax a little and trust me. I’m not going to test you and I’m not going to stop doing things that I think might make you happy.”

She tightened her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Her words were muffled against his jacket, but he thought she said thank you.

When she finally looked up at him, his heart sank when he saw tears in her eyes.

She shook her head rapidly. “They’re happy tears. You’re a wonderful man, Dom. And I’m feeling kind of lucky.”

He chuckled. “You’re a wonderful lady, Sadie. And I’m feeling pretty damn lucky, myself. I think we’re bound to have hiccups along the way, but we’ll work through them. I just need to somehow prove to you that you’re safe with me.”

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I knew that right from the beginning. You feel like a safe place – and I’ve always wanted one of those.”

He tightened his arms around her. “Well, you have one now.”

~ ~ ~

Sadie checked her watch as they entered the restaurant. She felt guilty when she saw that they’d spent so much time walking up and down the cobbled streets of the shopping plaza. It was such a cool little place, and she’d enjoyed every minute of it.

She looked up at Dom to ask him if he’d enjoyed it – he’d seemed to. The question froze on her lips when she saw the expression on his face. She even felt the way he tensed beside her. She followed his gaze to see what it was that had caused him to react that way. All she could see was Taryn, who was grinning at them from behind the bar and beckoning them over.

Sadie liked her. She could understand why some people were a little wary of her – she was forthright, to say the least, but she was good people. The two of them had gotten along well. Sadie had been looking forward to seeing her again, but Dom’s reaction had her confused.

“Is everything okay?”

When he turned to look at her, his expression relaxed, and he gave her a wry smile. “Everything’s fine. Sorry, if I looked agitated, it’s because… Taryn.”

“Do you have a problem with her?”

He chuckled. “No. She’s great. But… You’ve met her. She can be… Difficult.”

“Oh! I didn’t get that impression. I thought she was just kind of opinionated. I’m not even sure that’s the right word. She doesn’t pull any punches.”

“Yeah, you probably described her better than I did. She’s not difficult – I guess I’m just hoping that she’s not going to embarrass me.”

She relaxed. “I doubt that she’d do that. The impression that I got is that she thinks the world of you.”

He smiled at her. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be worried. If she gives me a hard time, she’s only teasing. Just don’t let her put you off me, okay?”

She laughed. “She couldn’t do that if she tried – and I seriously doubt that she would ever try.”

“Get your asses over here, would you?” Taryn called as they got closer to the bar.

She grinned when they reached her. “I was starting to worry – I thought maybe something had gone wrong. I saved your table, but I thought you’d be here earlier than this.”

“Sorry, that’s my fault,” said Sadie.

Taryn waved a hand at her. “It’s not a problem. I’m just glad that you’re here. That the two of you are together and…” She grinned at Dom. “And that he finally gets to take you out.”

Dom chuckled. “Where’s that table?”

Taryn made a face at Sadie. “He’s worried that I’m going to embarrass him, but you know better. I already told you how awesome he is. I can tell that he’s not going to relax until he’s out of earshot from me, though.” She gave Dom an evil smile. “I reserved the best table for you, but you’ll still be in my line of sight.”

“Fair enough; I can pretend I don’t see you.”

“Only until I come over to check on you,” said Taryn. “I’ll let you walk your lady over there and get settled.” She looked more serious when she turned to Sadie. “I do like to tease him, but don’t worry, I won’t encroach on your evening. I’m glad you’re here. Enjoy yourselves.”

“Thanks, and don’t worry – I’ll stop by to see you when I visit the ladies’ room.”

Taryn laughed. “That works for me. Although, you might make him paranoid.”

Dom smiled through pursed lips and placed his hand on the small of Sadie’s back. “I’ll talk to you later,” he told Taryn.

“You’d better believe you will. Dalton will be here soon, maybe the four of us can have a drink together on your way out.”

Dom guided Sadie to what had to be one of the best tables in the whole restaurant. When they reached it, he removed the card that sat in the middle of it, proclaiming it to be RESERVED.

“Which side do you prefer?”

The table was next to the window, both seats had what she imagined would be a fabulous view of the lake during the day. “I don’t have a preference, do you?”

He nodded slowly. “If it doesn’t make any difference to you, I’d rather sit facing the room than with my back to it.”

She nodded happily. “That works. If I’m honest, I’d rather not see all the other diners.”

He frowned, but didn’t speak as he held out the chair for her to sit.

When they were settled, she gave him a puzzled look. “What was that about?”

“What?”

“You looked put out when I said I’d rather not see the other diners.”

“Oh, I was going to let it slide but… hell, I’ll just say it… For one thing, it turns out that you did have a preference, but you weren’t prepared to tell me what it was until I’d already made my choice. You need to get over that and just tell me what you want.” He softened his words with a smile. “We can work on that together.”

She wasn’t about to tell him, but she had a feeling that it might take a while to do as he asked. She’d spent a lifetime making sure that other people were taken care of. Deciding what she wanted for herself wasn’t usually her first consideration.

He caught her gaze and held it with a smile. “I know, it’ll take some work, but I think you can get there. The other thing is that I don’t want you to think that I care about watching the other diners.” His face transformed as he smiled. “The only person I want to look at is sitting right in front of me.”

“Aww. That’s a nice thing to say.”

“It’s a nice position to be in. The only reason that I like to have a view of the room is so that I’m aware…” He frowned. “I guess it’s just in case there’s any kind of trouble. I can’t keep you safe if I don’t know what’s going on.”

A rush of warmth filled her chest. She didn’t expect there to be any kind of danger – they were in a lovely restaurant, in a peaceful small town, but that wasn’t the point. Just the fact that the thought of keeping her safe had occurred to him was enough to make her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you laughing at me?”

“Far from it. I’m just going all weak-kneed and starry-eyed over here.”

He chuckled. “Now I don’t know if you’re really laughing at me, or…”

She shook her head rapidly and reached across the table for his hand. He took hold of hers and gave it a squeeze. “If you’re saying that you like the idea of me looking out for you, taking care of you, then I think that things are going to go well for us.”

She stared into his big, brown eyes, hoping that he was right.