When Morning Comes Around (Summer Lake Silver #13)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Three Months Later

Dom stood at the grill out on the pool deck, getting everything ready. He’d been looking forward to this day for weeks. Sadie’s divorce had been finalized, and she’d received the divorce decree yesterday.

Everything had gone off smoothly in the end, and she was happy – so he was happy.

He looked up when Damon came and set a beer down beside him. “How many people are coming?”

“Just a handful. There’s you guys, and of course, Harvey’s here. Taryn and Dalton are going to stop by when they can. There’s Cal and Terry, Manny and Nina, Russ and Ria, and Tino said that he’ll try to come to at least show his face.” He shook his head with a smile. “It’s funny to think of Sadie being friends with Terry, Nina, Russ, and Tino when they were all kids here.”

Damon laughed. “Someone should get out an old photo album.”

“I’ll probably be able to dig out some photos of them all,” said Harvey as he came to join them.

“I’d like to see that,” said Dom.

Harvey laughed. “Sadie wouldn’t thank me for showing you.”

“How’s it going, Harvey?” asked Damon.

“I’m great. Where’s our boy?”

Dom smiled to himself. It seemed that Harvey and Jake were loving working together at the garage. Neither he nor Damon had been convinced that it was a great idea in the beginning, but they were happy to have been proven wrong.

“He’s on the way. He and Josh are coming together, and Josh got held up by a phone call when they were about ready to leave.”

Harvey grinned. “That was a good move, setting the two of them up as housemates.”

Dom chuckled. “I think it worked out better than your original plan.”

“What was that?” Damon asked.

“Harvey here wanted to move Savannah in as Jake’s roommate.”

Damon raised his eyebrows. “When’s she coming back?”

“She’ll be here this afternoon,” said Harvey.

“She will?” asked Dom.

“Yep. You can’t tell Sadie, though. It’s a surprise for her.”

That made Dom happy. When the sale of the garden center went through, Savannah had taken up an offer from a friend to move down to the city. None of them had wanted her to go – especially Jake – and Sadie had worried about her ever since she left.

She’d called a few weeks ago, to say that she was thinking about coming home. Dom didn’t know all the details, but it didn’t sound as though she’d had a great time down there. He was convinced that she’d soon find her feet again back here. Taryn had offered her a job waiting tables in the restaurant – she’d make far more in tips there than she used to at the diner. And Sadie had managed to set her up sharing an apartment with some girl in town who worked at the beauty salon.

“Where is Sadie?” Harvey asked.

“She should be back any minute; she ran down to the restaurant with Jo to pick up the desserts.”

Harvey laughed. “Toffee for me?”

“You know it,” said Dom. He looked up when the doorbell echoed across the yard – he’d set a speaker so they could hear it whenever they were out here by the pool.

“I can get it,” said Damon.

“Thanks.”

When he’d gone, Harvey asked, “And it’s all done and dusted now? Dale hasn’t reared his ugly head?”

“We haven’t heard a peep out of him.”

“I want to be happy about that, but with that little weasel, I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“I know exactly what you mean, but I’m hoping that we’re in the clear.”

“You’d better go and greet your people,” said Harvey, jerking his chin toward the kitchen door where Cal and Terry had just appeared.

He grasped Harvey’s shoulder. “Our people can come over and say hi. I’m good right here with my family.”

Harvey grasped his arm with a surprisingly strong grip. “I know you’re not going to marry her, but you’re family to me, son.”

“You know how I feel – I love you.”

Harvey waved a hand at him before ambling off to find Damon.

~ ~ ~

“How are you feeling?” Jo asked as they got back in the minivan.

Sadie grinned. “Happier than I’ve ever been. And I’ll be even happier still when the house is finished, and we get to live down there by you guys.”

Jo nodded happily. “I can’t wait. And you have to be relieved that the divorce came through without any hitches.”

“You have no idea.”

Jo laughed. “You’re right, I don’t. It was very quick and straightforward for me – William and I were always separate financial entities.”

“You were a wise woman.”

“More like he was a wily man. And the business? Did the sale go through smoothly?”

“It did; I was worried at first – I didn’t think that the guys would be able to afford it. I wanted it to be a fair deal for them and for me. Dom and I agreed that I should only accept an offer that left me with more money than if I’d taken the house in the settlement instead.”

Jo smiled. “That makes sense to me.”

“It was smart, but I was worried that it would be too much for the guys to pull together.”

“But they managed it?”

She nodded. “They did; they managed to find an investor who wanted to go in with them. Whoever it is, he just wants to be a silent partner.”

“You don’t know who it is?”

Sadie shrugged. “I have no idea. Apparently, he didn’t want his identity disclosed. He was looking for a passive investment – he’ll take a percentage of the profits every year, and that’s it.” She smiled. “Whoever he is, I wish I could hug him – not just for my own sake, but because he did a good thing. I’m glad the team that helped me build the business can now call it their own.”

Jo grinned. “I love that. I’m happy for you, Sadie.”

“Thanks – I’m happy for me, too!”

When they got back to the house, there was quite a crowd there already. She loved seeing her dad flitting around talking to everyone. He’d really come into his own over the last few months. She never would have imagined him selling the garden center, but he’d been right – as usual – it was the right move for him.

She stored the desserts in the fridge – toffee for her dad and Jake, Bailey’s for Dom and herself, and a whole selection of goodies for everyone.

After she’d greeted everyone, she finally made it to Dom, who was manning the grill.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Hi.”

She tightened her arm around his waist. “Hi.”

“Is this everyone, do you think?”

She looked around. “Everyone except Jake and Josh – have you heard anything from them?”

“Yeah, they’re on their way.”

“And Tino – I don’t know if he’ll make it, but he said that he’ll try to stop in.” She smiled over at Taryn, who was talking to Terry. Dalton and Cal were talking beside them.

She laughed. “The big man convention’s here.”

Dom chuckled. “I’m glad those two were with me that first day in the grocery store – you might not have noticed me otherwise.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “There’s no way I would have missed you – you might have been three big men together, but you were the good-looking one – the one with the kind eyes.”

He opened his mouth to speak but then pointed toward the kitchen door instead and said, “Here they are, Josh and Jake.”

Sadie grinned. She couldn’t be more thrilled that Josh had decided to move here. He’d come to visit when her dad was selling the garden center – her dad had wanted him to help pack up the house.

He and Jake had hit it off right away, and since Josh’s job was remote these days, it had been an easy decision for him to stick around.

“I’ll go and get them a drink,” she told Dom.

He chuckled. “Go and say hi, but let them get their own drinks.”

She rolled her eyes at him. If it were up to him, she wouldn’t lift a finger to do anything. She loved that he looked out for her – but it was in her nature.

Josh waved at her and came hurrying over before she could set out toward them.

“Hey, Mom, Dom! You’re not gonna believe this!”

“Believe what?” Sadie asked.

“You want to talk about poetic justice? This is unbelievable!”

“What is?” she asked with a puzzled smile. “You’re obviously pleased about something, but we can’t join in until you tell us.”

“First of all, I’m sorry we’re late, but when we were on the way out, I got a phone call from Dad.”

Her heart sank; he was the last person she wanted to think about today. She glanced at Dom, and he didn’t look thrilled, either.

“Don’t worry,” said Josh. “I wouldn’t bring him up if I didn’t know how much you’re going to love this.”

“Love what?” she asked again, growing impatient.

“Did you hear about the flash floods?”

“No.”

“I saw something about that in the headlines this morning. I was going to ask if it was anywhere near where you guys used to live,” said Dom.

Josh laughed as he nodded. “Not just near.” He grinned at Sadie. “The house got flooded.”

“It did? How bad is it? Is he okay?”

“He’s not hurt, but he’s mad as hell! Apparently, he redecorated, brought in all new furniture – and it’s all ruined.”

She glanced at Dom, who tried to keep his face neutral, but she knew him too well – there was no mistaking the way his lips quirked up at the corners, even as he said, “That’s a shame.”

“It gets even better,” said Josh. “Wait until you hear this. You know what he used to be like about cutting costs?”

Sadie nodded. It used to drive her nuts the way Dale would cancel different subscriptions and memberships just to save a few bucks here and there. She couldn’t resent it too much anymore – if he hadn’t canceled their AAA membership, Dom would never have come up the hill to rescue her that night.

“When you sold him your share in the house for his share in the business, he had to redo the insurance in just his name.” Jake was grinning so broadly he looked fit to burst. “He didn’t bother getting flood insurance!”

Sadie’s hand came up to cover her mouth as she laughed. Dom laughed so hard that everyone turned in their direction.

“Something funny enough to share?” Harvey called.

“You’re going to love this, Grandpa!” Josh hurried over to tell him.

Sadie met Dom’s gaze, and he winked. “Is that what you call karma?”

“I believe so.”

He came to her and wrapped his arms around her, and pressing a kiss to her forehead he said, “I like it when justice is served.”

She nodded happily. “Will you tell me something?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe.”

She chuckled. “Was that you?”

“Me what?”

“You know, are you the investor?”

His eyebrows drew together.

“If it is you, I’m not mad, I just want to say thank you.”

He shrugged. “I can neither confirm nor deny.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She frowned when the doorbell echoed out over the deck; she’d thought everyone was here.

“Oh, it must be Tino.”

But it wasn’t – it was Savannah! Sadie was thrilled to see her. She took a step forward, but Dom tightened his arm around her. “Give her a minute? I think there’s someone who’s even more excited to see her than you are.”

He was right – Jake seemed to freeze to the spot when he saw Savannah – and then he rushed to her and wrapped her in a hug.

“Do you know what happened between them – why she left?”

Dom shook his head. “Nope. Jake didn’t want to talk about it. I know he’s missed her, though.”

Sadie smiled as she watched them, hoping that maybe they’d give each other a chance this time.

Dom hugged her to his side. “I love this life with you.”

She smiled up at him. “I love this life with you, too.”

“Forever?”

She nodded. “And ever.”

He closed his arms around her and claimed her mouth in one of his deep, slow, intoxicating kisses. She was vaguely aware of their friends whooping and whistling.

She now believed with all her heart that he was right – that life had led her to exactly where she was meant to be – with Dom, back here in Summer Lake, surrounded by their family – and friends who’d become family;

;

I hope you enjoyed Dom and Sadie’s story. I absolutely love them. I’m sure you noticed that there are more Summer Lake couples lining up to get their stories, Jake and Savannah are going to take us back to the Summer Lake Seasons series in their book, The Only Way to Fall .

Before we get to them, the next book to release will be a visit back to MacFarland Ranch, and it’ll be one of the older couples, Trip and Shelley. Their story will be MacFarland Ranch, Book Ten, The Doctor’s Irreplaceable Love .