16
JAMES LOOKED AT his watch again. Sadie wasn’t late for their date. He was early.
They’d initially planned for him to pick her up, but then something had happened last minute at the store and she had to stay longer, so she suggested meeting him at the restaurant.
He took a sip of water and tried to tamp down any doubts he had that she maybe wanted to back out but just didn’t want to tell him. No. Sadie wouldn’t do that. If she wanted out, she’d say so. He was just nervous. He hadn’t been on a date since high school. And back then going on a date was a whole different thing. Now…well. He folded his hands in front of him on the table and relaxed in his chair.
There was absolutely zero reason to doubt things between him and Sadie. When she’d woken up after sleeping in his lap, she was a little embarrassed. But he had kissed that away, After she’d told him everything that was going on, it was as if the walls she’d had up to protect herself had come down, at least enough for her to trust him and that meant something. It meant a lot. They’d talked on the phone or texted since and even in those conversations he could sense a peace in her that wasn’t there before. Her troubles still needed solving, but he had a feeling she found comfort in not carrying them alone.
He understood. It was the exact same way he had felt after he’d told her about Tiffany. Sadie would never share that with anyone, and she would respect his wishes to not let Maddie know the truth about her mother. Someday, when Maddie was a grown woman and could handle it, he would be honest that his relationship with Tiffany had not been healthy. He didn’t want Maddie going into relationships herself with a false sense of idealism. But for now, he found comfort in Sadie knowing and that was enough. He looked up as she came through the front door of the restaurant. She stopped to talked to the hostess as if they were old friends. They probably were. James took the opportunity to soak in how beautiful she looked. Her blond hair was swept up into a clip, wisps of curls lining her face. The emerald, green dress she wore accentuated her curves, the flow of it feminine and soft, just like Sadie.
She hugged her friend goodbye, and James stood as she came over to the table.
“You are beautiful.” He kissed her cheek then pulled out her chair for her.
“Well, that’s a greeting I could get used to,” she said as he moved back to the other side of the table and settled into his seat.
“A greeting you deserve every moment of every day.” James took great pleasure in how her cheeks flushed with color.
She looked down for a moment then met his eyes. “This is really nice. I’m so sorry I had to change things and meet here rather than you picking me up.”
“It’s not a problem. I’m just glad you’re here.”
Sadie looked around the room. “This is a lovely place. I’ve only been here a couple of times with JoJo.”
“No other date nights here?” It was a loaded question, he knew, but one he didn’t regret asking.
She smiled. “I guess not being in our twenties means we can cut to the chase with each other, can’t we?”
He laughed. “That wasn’t how I meant it, but now that you say it, yeah. I think so. Besides, you now know all my dating history. One woman since high school that ended badly.”
She winced. “I think you sell yourself short. There has to be some part of your history with Tiffany that was good.”
“There were good times, yes. I don’t mean to make it all sound bad.”
“You’re not. Just honest.” She placed her napkin in her lap and took a sip of water. “And you’re right. It’s only fair that I now share anything from my past. Although, I’m sad to say, it will be a short story and a rather boring one at that.”
“There’s no way I will ever believe you didn’t have countless men beating down your door.”
He meant it and yet she laughed hard.
“Believe it, James. I mean, come on. I was the wallflower. In many ways, I still am. I prefer a night at home with a good book over anything social.”
“This entire town knows you. You are clearly social.”
She lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “That’s different. That’s just being a good neighbor.”
He couldn’t fathom how easy it was for her to miss what an amazing person she was, what a treasure she was to her family and her friends. And there was no way she didn’t have a trail of men in her past. Mark had said she’d never married and for the life of him, James couldn’t imagine why.
As if reading his mind she said, “As far as dating or marriage, I just never found the right guy. I mean, I guess that’s kind of the easy answer. JoJo really wanted me to go away to college, be sure I got out into the world a little before settling in Nearlake. I humored her and went to Boise State. I wouldn’t call that ‘seeing the world,’ but it was as far away from home as I wanted to go. I enjoyed it, but truly just wanted to be home.”
The waiter came and took their drink order. When he left, she continued.
“I met a guy in college, and we dated for over a year. We talked about getting married but when he found out how adamant I was on moving back here, we split up. We just wanted different things.”
“And that’s it?”
“I told you it was a short and boring story.”
“There is no way I am believing that a woman as amazing as you hasn’t dated in the past fifteen years.”
She laughed. “When you say it that way, I sound like an old spinster who holed up in her house, sworn to stay far away from men.”
“Are you?” he teased.
She shook her head, a big smile on her face. “I am not. At least, I don’t think I am.” She took a sip of her water and set it back down. “It’s a small town. I went on a few dates here and there, but my life has become work and community and now taking care of my aunt.”
Her smile faded a bit.
“You said it was the two of you most of your life. Has she ever said why she’s kept Gary at arm’s length all these years?”
Her eyes went wide at that.
“As gorgeous as they are, don’t give me those eyes. I know stuff.”
She laughed again, the sound moving through him like a melody he wanted to replay over and over and over again.
“You and Gary are tight, huh?”
“I wouldn’t say that. But when I talked to him about fixing the back window of the store, it wasn’t hard to see he had feelings for your aunt that went beyond friendship or kindly neighbors.” He shrugged. “And I have this uncanny knack for people telling me things when I haven’t asked or said a word. They just talk.”
“You’re trustworthy.”
He scoffed at that.
“You are also a good man and a trustworthy one, James.”
Now it was his turn to blush. Being around Sadie made him feel young again. All the dark stuff he carried faded into the background with her nearby. All color and light, it was hard for him to imagine not holding her tight and never letting go. That’s exactly what James wanted to do. He just needed to know if she wanted that as well.
Their waiter came and took their dinner orders, James opting for a steak while Sadie chose salmon. After he’d taken their menus and walked away, they settled further into their seats.
“Whether others find me trustworthy or not, I just want to say that I’m grateful you trusted me with all you’re going through.”
She looked down at her lap, her hands toying with her napkin.
“I know that isn’t easy for you. Heck, it’s not easy for me, either.”
With that, she looked up and met is eyes. “I guess we both tend to think we have to go it alone, don’t we?”
He nodded. “I don’t think that’s how it has to be though. We can both decide otherwise.”
She looked away and then back at him. “My grandparents died with I was nine. My mother left not long after. Barely twenty-one years old, JoJo was mourning her parents, was taking over their store, and had a kid dropped into her lap to raise.”
James swallowed hard. He guessed there had to be pain in her background, both parents being out of the picture. But as a parent, it was hard for him to grasp someone walking away from their child. His heart sank for Sadie and JoJo both.
“Did you know your dad?”
She shook her head. “No. He took off before I was born. Which is why my mom moved back to Nearlake. She was a single mother on her own. Once my grandparents died, I think she felt suffocated by responsibility and parenthood. Living in a small town didn’t help either, so she left.
“Are you in touch with her now?”
“No. She left and never looked back. JoJo tried to stay connected but my mom is never in one place at a time. JoJo finally gave up and let her go.”
James’ gut churned. The last thing he wanted was to judge someone, but he couldn’t fathom leaving Maddie, let alone being out in the world, knowing she existed and not wanting any ties to her.
No wonder Sadie thought she had to do everything alone. She’d been abandoned. Loved by her grandparents and her aunt, sure, but with a father who wasn’t ever in the picture and a mother who walked away… James’ mind and heart couldn’t take it all in. Yet again, he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and tell her every moment of every day how much she was loved and valued.
Sadie blinked. “Anyway, I’m sorry. The last thing I wanted to do on a nice evening like this is be a downer.” She smiled at him and took a sip of her water.
James shook his head. “Sadie, you are a beautiful soul and the furthest thing from a downer. I’d like nothing more than to sit here for hours and hear your story. I want to know everything about you.”
Another rush of color to her cheeks made him smile. If he looked up the word “humble” in the dictionary, he’d find her picture. Along with gracious, kind, generous, the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. He’d wax poetic about her forever if she’d let him.
“I want to thank you for being there for me,” she said, pulling him from his thoughts. “I’m pleading temporary insanity for even thinking of going down into that passageway alone. I’m grateful you arrived when you did, and although my ego has some things to work through still, I’m also grateful for you listening and…being there for me.”
He knew how tough it was for her to say that because it was tough for him to admit the same to her. Although it was easy to trust Sadie and to share his heart with her, it didn’t mean it was easy to him to admit it.
“Thank you for trusting me. I’m always here for you.”
She smiled.
“Have you thought more about what you might do?”
She took a deep breath in and let it out as if summoning up the courage for what she was going to say. “Yes. I’m going to talk to JoJo. She needs to know anyway and whatever we decide, we will get through it together like we always have.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
She nodded. “Me, too.”
“I know that will be hard. I’m here…” He reached a hand across the table. She placed hers in his.
“Thank you.”
Her phone dinged in her purse.
“I’m so sorry. I only leave that on in case JoJo needs something.”
“Don’t apologize. Mine is always on for Maddie,” he said with an encouraging smile.
She took her phone out of her purse and looked at the screen. All color drained from her face.
“Sadie. Sadie, what is it?”
She looked at him, her eyes wide. “It’s JoJo. She’s in the ER.”