Chapter 8
DALTON
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know that Lucia, Izzy, Sage, and Rosie were going to be here tonight, but I’m not going to tell them that I heard Lucia and Sage discussing going out for happy-hour drinks.
And thanks to the family app Lucia and I are both on, I knew exactly where they’d headed.
It hadn’t taken much to convince Roman and Brett to come out for a drink either, though I’ve noticed that Brett hasn’t had more than two beers.
“Actually, we’re going to be really productive tonight.” Lucia turns her nose up at me. “Izzy and I are going to help Sage and Rosie move in to their new place and clean and stuff.”
“You’re going to clean?” I ask my sister incredulously. “You don’t even know how to vacuum.”
“Yes, I do.” Lucia sticks out her tongue at me, and I’m taken back to our childhood and how stubborn she was.
“Okay, if you say so.” I shrug. “Not my house you’re cleaning, but Sage and Rosie should be aware that you may make it worse.”
“No, I won’t. Anyway, I’m trying to convince them to move in with Izzy and me. Apparently, they are moving into that dumpy apartment complex”—she gives me a look—“that Sal Antonio owns.”
“What?” I frown at Sage, who is practically glowering at me. “But that place is used as a …” I stop; I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news. “You only have three bedrooms though.”
“It would work for now.”
“We couldn’t possibly move in with you,” Sage protests and takes a sip of her drink.
She looks flustered and beautiful, and I can’t help but notice that she changed into a cute dark green top that exposes her midriff. She’s stunning and sexy, and I need to stop noticing it.
“Thanks though, Lucia, but we should really get going, since I rented a truck for a couple of hours from Home Depot so that we could pick up some free furniture I found on Facebook Marketplace.”
“Free?” Izzy raises an eyebrow. “But what if it has fleas?”
“We can get spray. It’ll be okay,” Sage says quickly. “Anyway, who are your friends, Dalton? I don’t think I’ve met them.” She looks over at Roman and Brett and smiles widely. “Hi, I’m Sage, and this is my sister, Rosie. We’re new to Santa Capinari, though I suppose that’s obvious.”
“Nice to meet you, Sage.” Roman shakes her hand. “I’m Dalton’s best friend, Roman. I help to keep him on the straight and narrow.” He chuckles as he taps me on the shoulder.
“I’m Brett.” Brett nods at everyone as he stands there, stiffly.
Brett is the most reserved man I know. I rarely see him smile or interact unless he has to. I suppose that’s his Navy training, but he’s always serious and on guard. That makes him dependable to do business with, but he’s not always the most fun.
“Hi, Brett. I’m Rosie,” Rosie pipes up, and if I’m not mistaken, she’s fluttering her eyelashes at him. “Are you guys going to join us? We have plenty of food to share.”
“Sure.” Roman slides into the booth next to Lucia and grins. “How’s it going, Skeletor?”
“Fine, Darth Vader.” She glares at him, and he shakes his head with a smile and grabs some fries off her plate.
They are constantly at each other’s throats, and I wonder if they will ever get on as adults.
“I have a truck.” I look back at Sage. “I can help you move your furniture, but I would also love to see your place before you decide to move in. If it’s the complex I’m thinking of, it’s not that safe.”
“It’s fine. Plus, we also signed a lease and put down a deposit and first month’s rent. Frankly, we can’t afford to lose that.”
“I know Sal. I can help with that.”
Sal hates my guts, but I’m not going to tell her that.
I can turn in a favor. Plus, I’ve got Brett to help.
He mostly does investigative work for me, but his work as a DEVGRU (SEAL Team Six) means that I can utilize him for many different types of work.
He worked in Special Ops for years and can handle anything I put his way.
“You don’t have to—”
“Maybe he should check it out,” Rosie blurts and looks at her sister with a pained expression on her face.
“The apartment looks nothing like it did in the photos online. It’s a dump, with all the dead cockroaches”—she shivers—“and the rats or mice or whatever, and we don’t even have a man to look after us.
” She looks over at Brett, but his expression doesn’t change at all.
“Not that we need a man or anything,” she says quickly, and then she looks at me.
“I just don’t want us living anywhere dangerous.
We sure didn’t move here to be living in the—”
“Rosie, really?” Sage glares at her, and I recognize the look as one I give to Lucia all the time. It’s hard, being the oldest sibling sometimes.
“I’m just saying.”
“If your sister doesn’t want to live there, then why would you expose her to the elements in the environment that might be dangerous and full of—”
“Can I talk to you for a moment, please, Dalton?” Sage scoots out of the booth swiftly, grabs my arm roughly, and then seems to think about what she’s doing. “Sorry. Can we talk outside?”
“We can.” I grin at her. “Come with me.” I move toward the entrance and look back at her. “You don’t have to be sorry, by the way. I like it rough.”
“Really?” She rolls her eyes at me, but I can see the hint of a blush on her face as well.
We don’t talk again until we make it out of the dive bar, and I signal for her to follow me.
“Where are we going?”
“There’s a chair swing up here, about a hundred feet. We can see the ocean from there. It’s a nice spot to chat.”
“I didn’t come to have a leisurely chat with you, Dalton. I came to tell you to knock it off and quit scaring Rosie. I don’t want her thinking we’re moving into some crime-infested building.”
“But it’s the truth,” I say matter-of-factly. “Would you rather I not be honest?”
We walk past a couple of trash cans and down a side alley before we get to the swing. The view is amazing, and I’m satisfied when I hear Sage’s sharp intake of breath.
“Wow, it’s beautiful.”
We take a seat and watch the sleepy, golden sun descend in the amber sky. From this vantage point, the water looks a dark navy, and the white foam of the waves crashing into the sand and rocks sharply contrasts with it.
“Isn’t it just amazing?”
I lean back and move the swing slightly so we’re swaying in the wind.
The movement is unexpected to Sage, and she slides down toward me, only stopped by the density of my thighs.
Her leg pressed against mine feels warm and delicate.
I look at her face, and she’s staring at me in wonderment, but she doesn’t say anything.
“I’m not trying to scare you or Rosie, Sage, but if you’re moving into the apartments I think you are, they are used by drug addicts and sex workers who—”
“Fine, maybe it’s not the best apartment in town, but it’s all we can afford.” She folds her arms. “And it’s important to me that we make our own way.”
“But I thought you were here, looking for billionaire husbands …” I pause. “Well, along with your dad.”
“Well, yes, but it’s about more than money. I’m not trying to use anyone. I’m still looking for love. I’m not just going to marry a man ’cause he’s rich.”
“He just needs to be rich for you to fall in love with him.”
“When you put it like that, it sounds bad.” She half-smiles.
“It does, but I like that you’re honest about it. Just sucks for men like me, who have struggling businesses, who may want a shot.”
“You’re looking for a shot at love and marriage?” Her eyes narrow. “Really?”
“Okay, maybe I’m not actually looking for either, but life—”
“So why even bring any of this up? “You literally just told me that marriage was the last thing you were looking for.”
“All right, so maybe I’m not looking for either, but if I were, I guess that I would be out of the running.”
“I suppose.” She shrugs.
“Why is money so important to you?”
“Security,” she says without any hesitation, playing with her fingers. She’s quiet as she looks out at the sun setting, and I let her think without asking any other questions. “My parents—well, my mom and my kinda dad …” She sighs as she makes a face. “I don’t really know what to call him anymore.”
“He’s still your dad, right?”
“Yeah, he’s still my dad, but it doesn’t feel the same, you know.
” She wrinkles her nose, and I can tell from her tone that the words pain her.
“It’s weird. Rosie and I, we grew up knowing our parents loved each other.
Like absolutely adored each other. And they lived their life based on their love.
We bounced around from place to place, on whatever whim either one of them had.
And they always had whims. And they never had much money.
Rosie and I never got to plant roots; we never got to make good friends; we never got to have a home. ”
“You don’t need a billionaire to have a home.”
“Have you seen house prices?” She laughs and then nods. “A man with a lot of money would offer security for my life. For my peace of mind.” She shrugs. “I don’t care if you think I’m a gold digger, but it’s what I want.”
“Understandable, but then why won’t you let Lucia and me help?”
“I know you’re struggling at the restaurant, Dalton, and I am so grateful you and Lucia gave us those jobs, but I’m not going to take advantage of either of you. It’s a generous offer, but …” There’s a vulnerability to her face, and her voice seems uncertain and unsure.
I shift on the swing to face her. We stare at each other for a few seconds, and I lower my gaze to her ruby-red lips; I know I want to grab her around the neck, lower my lips, and kiss her.
She needs to be taken care of, protected, and if I were in any other position in my life, I’d want to be that man.
I feel that pull of chemistry between us, but I know I need to ignore it.