Chapter Eight
“Your breakfast’s ready whenever you are, Dad,” Sadie called from the kitchen.
It was only Tuesday, but she already felt like she had a better handle on things. She’d woken early this morning – well, that was nothing new, she’d been awake before dawn every morning since she left home. She was hoping that with time, she’d start sleeping better. She frowned. While she was on the road, she’d tossed and turned every night thinking about what she was going to do. For the last few nights, however, it wasn’t her future or even Dale and the past that had been on her mind. As guilty and confused as she felt about it, what was keeping her awake – who was keeping her awake – was Dominic. And if that wasn’t ridiculous…
“Morning, honey bun.” Her dad appeared in the doorway. “You don’t need to go to all that trouble,” he said as he eyed the table.
“It’s no trouble. I want to take proper care of you.” She smiled when Savannah came down the stairs. I know you’ve been doing a great job, but you shouldn’t have to. I can take over now – and I can take care of you, too, sweetie. I enjoy it.”
When they were all seated at the table, she smiled as she watched them dig in.
“What are you doing with yourself today?” asked her dad.
She made a face at him. “I think you already know the answer to that – I’m going to see if I can get you an appointment with the physical therapist.”
He groaned. “That’d be a waste of your time. I already told you that. Last time I went there, the little girl was next to useless. Don’t get me wrong, she was nice enough. But I don’t see the point in wasting their time or mine.”
Savannah gave Sadie a wry smile. “I can’t help you on this one,” she said. “I fought the same battle and lost.”
“I thought you were going to find out about that trainer fella at the gym for me – I’d go and see him.”
“Oh! I forgot about that, Harvey.”
“Who’s this?” asked Sadie.
Her dad grinned. “You know that new gym over in town? Well, there’s a trainer who works with people there. Max Douglas goes to him every week, and he says it’s doing him a world of good. I’d go and see him.”
“Do you know his name?” Sadie asked Savannah.
“Sorry, I don’t. I was going to look into it but…”
“But you have enough on your plate; Sadie can do it, can’t you, honey bun?”
“I can, I’ll get on the phone after breakfast.”
Her dad frowned. “I think you should go over there and talk to them.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “You do?”
He nodded his head emphatically. “I do. That way you can explain better that I’m not some doddering old fool.”
She laughed. “You’re far from it. Do you want to go with me, so that…”
“No. I don’t want to ride over there and back just for the hell of it. I can wait until I have an appointment – you can go in and set it up for me.”
“I will, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow – I’ll have the minivan back by then.”
“All right, but make it a priority tomorrow, will you?”
“I can give them a call today if you’re in that much of a hurry. We could maybe get you an appointment for tomorrow.”
“No. Like I said, I think you should go in there.”
She exchanged a puzzled look with Savannah, and her dad laughed.
“I have my reasons; don’t you worry about it – and don’t go looking at each other like you think I’m some crazy old coot.”
She had to laugh. “I know you’re a crazy old coot. I also know that you’re a wily old fox – you’re up to something, but you’re too smart for me, I can’t figure out what it is.”
He winked at her. “And you don’t need to. Just do as your old dad says, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll take a ride over there tomorrow.”
“Thanks. And what about you, Savannah? Are you around this afternoon?”
Sadie knew exactly why Savannah’s cheeks turned pink as she nodded – she was looking forward to seeing Jake when he brought the minivan back. She’d offered to give Sadie a ride to the garage so that she could pick it up, but Jake had insisted that he would deliver it to them.
Sadie hadn’t asked how he planned to get home again – of course, she was hoping that Dominic would come with him, but she didn’t know if he would. She shouldn’t even be thinking about it. She’d made a deal with herself that she should put him out of her mind. Perhaps, with time, he might become a friend. She’d chatted on the phone with Nina last night, and it seemed that Dominic was one of her group of friends. So, she’d no doubt run into him again. But there was no point in thinking about – and certainly no point in hoping for – any more than that.
Of course, she was attracted to him – both to his personality and his looks – but there was nothing to be done about it. She wasn’t in a position to pursue anything, and even if she were, he wasn’t. Okay, she was the one who was dealing with the messy end of her marriage, but if the truth were told, she had a feeling that she was more emotionally available than he was.
She blew out a sigh. She had a couple of girlfriends at home in Denver who’d gone through divorces. They’d each told her that meeting someone new was no easy task. At their age, the men who were available were single for a reason, and the good ones were already spoken for, or had some kind of baggage that meant they were unavailable.
She took a big gulp of her coffee. That was a terrible thing to think – she hadn’t meant to describe Dominic’s late wife as baggage.
“What’s up with you?” her dad asked.
She shook her head and got to her feet. “Nothing. I’m fine. I just… You know, trying to figure out what I’m going to do.”
Her dad’s lip curled. “You know what I think you should do – take him to the cleaners. You were the one who built that business. He just rode on your coattails. Don’t let him screw you over. Have you gotten yourself a lawyer yet?”
“No, that’s on my list of things to do.”
She started gathering dishes and took them to the sink.
“I can do that,” Savannah offered.
“It’s okay, I’ve got it. What are you doing today?”
“I’m working a split shift. I’m covering lunch, and then going back later for the dinner rush.”
Sadie had to smile. “That works out well. You’ll be here this afternoon, then.”
Savannah dropped her gaze. “I will. I already had my schedule for the week before…”
Her dad laughed. “You don’t need to justify anything. I’m looking forward to meeting this Jake. Not a single boy around here has managed to turn your head before now.”
Savannah’s cheeks turned pink. “He’s not… I’m not…”
“Leave her alone, Dad.”
He chuckled. “Sorry, Savannah, love.” He turned to Sadie. “Should I start in on you instead?”
She frowned at him. “Don’t you dare. Finish your breakfast instead.”
He grinned. “Okay, I’ll be good.”
She wagged her finger at him with a grin. “You’d better be.” She leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “It’s good to be home.”
He grasped her arm and gave it a squeeze. “It’s good to have you back, honey bun.” He laughed. “But don’t go making yourself too comfortable – I don’t want you staying for good.”
She nodded. They’d already discussed that. She knew he valued his independence, and she valued hers, but in just the few days that she’d been here, she’d started to feel as though this might work.
He squeezed her arm again. “You’ve still got some more living to do, and it’s not with me.”
She kissed his head again. “I don’t know about that, Dad.”
“I think I do.”
~ ~ ~
As he drove up the hill, following Jake, Dominic spotted the place where Sadie’s minivan had broken down. He smiled when he remembered the way that she’d climbed out of it – the way she’d told him that she was fine, if you didn’t count a case of acute embarrassment. He’d only realized who she was when she’d said that.
He chuckled. For a moment, he’d thought that he was imagining things – that seeing her again was just wishful thinking. When he’d uttered the only words that he could manage to get out – “ It’s you” – she’d replied, “If you mean, oh crap, is that the crazy woman from the grocery store earlier? Then yes, I’m afraid so – it’s me.”
He gripped the steering wheel tighter. Try as he might, he couldn’t deny it – he was looking forward to seeing her again.
The sound of his phone ringing startled him out of his thoughts.
“What’s up, Jake?” he answered.
“Do you want to take the lead? I’ve got my GPS, but you know exactly where we’re going, don’t you?”
“I do. I won’t be able to pass you until we’re over the hill.”
“Okay.”
Dominic waited; he felt like Jake had something else to say, but he didn’t know what. He was hoping that he wasn’t going to question him about Sadie. He’d offered to help out by following Jake over here so that he could give him a ride back, but that wasn’t about Sadie. He would’ve done that no matter whose vehicle Jake was returning.
Jake laughed. “Whatever it is you’re thinking, you can say it.”
He frowned. “What do you think I’m thinking?”
“I don’t know exactly, but it’s something about me and Savannah, right?”
Dominic had to laugh. Of course, Jake’s attention wasn’t on him and Sadie, he was too hung up on the pretty little blonde to think about anything else.
“Ah. I don’t have anything to say – it’s none of my business. Then again, if I were to say something, it’d be that she seems like a nice girl.”
“She is. I don’t know that I’d use the word nice – she’s more than that. She’s … cool. I don’t suppose there’s any chance that you’d want to have dinner before we head back, is there?”
“You mean at the diner?”
“Yeah, it’s the only place to eat over here, isn’t it?”
“I believe so.”
“Well, we need to have dinner somewhere…”
“We do.”
“And maybe Sadie can come with us?”
He inhaled sharply. “Maybe.”
“You okay?” Jake asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“I think you know why – but I also know that I’m not supposed to talk about shit like that so…”
“Yeah.” He didn’t know what else to say.
“I know it’s none of my business, but Sadie seems cool, too.”
“You’re right; she is, and it isn’t.”
Jake laughed. “Received, loud and clear. I’ll see you when we get there.”
“You will. I’ll pass you as soon as I get the chance.”
When he pulled up in front of Harvey’s house, he checked the rearview mirror and was relieved to see Jake already climbing out of the minivan behind him. There was no need to feel nervous – it wasn’t as though he’d come over here specifically to see Sadie. He was only here as a favor to his nephew. He bit the inside of his cheek. He couldn’t even manage to convince himself of that blatant lie – he doubted that he’d be able to fool anyone else.
Jake came to his door, and he put the window down.
“Are you coming with?”
He thought about it for a split second. Of course he had to go. It would look odd if he sat out here instead. He climbed out and looked up at the house. He could maybe pass it off that he was here to check on Harvey. He curled his hand into a fist at his side as they walked up the path to the porch. Why was he being so stupid? Why wouldn’t he be here?
When the front door opened, and he saw Sadie standing there smiling at them, he knew damn well why he was here.
“Hey!” She greeted them with a wave. “Thanks so much for bringing it back like this.” She tilted her head to the side as she examined her minivan. “Oh, my goodness! You gave it a bath?”
Jake laughed beside him. “I did and I detailed the inside, too.”
“Wow! And it’s still in one piece? I thought that at this point, dirt and ingrained grime were all that were holding it together.” She looked at the minivan again. “I feel guilty, now; she scrubs up well. Anyway, sorry, do you want to come in?”
“If that’s okay?” said Jake. “I can just give you the keys back if you’re busy.”
Sadie laughed and finally looked at Dominic. He felt as though the tension in his chest eased a little when she smiled at him. “I think we should at least get you both a drink before you turn around and go straight back.”
He held her gaze and smiled. He had that feeling again – the feeling as though they were in something together. He thought he knew what she was doing – she was trying to get Jake and Savannah around each other again – but to him, the feeling was about more than that. It was about a connection; a connection that they shared that no one else knew about.
He swallowed and followed Jake as he trotted up the porch steps.
“Come on in,” Sadie told Jake. “I know Savannah will be pleased to see you, and you’ll get to meet my dad, too.” She stayed in the doorway as Jake passed her.
When Dominic reached her, she smiled up at him, and a rush of warmth filled his chest.
He smiled back and rested a hand on her shoulder as he looked down into her eyes. “Hi,” he murmured.
The warmth in his chest seemed to overflow and flood his whole body when she covered his hand with her own and said, “Hi.”
They both jumped and exchanged a guilty smile when Harvey called, “Is Dom here, too?”
“He is,” Sadie called back.
“Be right there,” said Dominic.
“He’s in the living room.”
“Is this okay – me being here?” he asked in a low voice as he followed her to the living room. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m making a nuisance of myself.”
She stopped and smiled over her shoulder at him. “Honestly?”
“Always.”
“It’s not just okay, it’s great. I’m glad you’re here.”
He grinned, deciding that if she could be that honest, so could he. “Me too.”
~ ~ ~
Sadie hurried to the living room, where her dad was grinning as he watched Savannah and Jake, who were smiling at each other.
“Dad, this is Jake. He’s the one who fixed the minivan for me.” She looked over her shoulder. “He’s Dominic’s nephew.”
Jake moved toward her dad’s armchair, hand extended. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
“It's good to meet you, too,” her dad said as they shook hands. “I hear you bought Art Jurgen’s old place. He struggled the last few years before he retired, you know. You think you can make a go of it?”
“I do – I know I can. No disrespect to Art, but from what he told me, he was just marking time those last few years. He was waiting to retire – not trying to grow the business.”
Her dad chuckled. “Yeah, you got that right. Attitude is everything – and it seems to me that you have a good one. I reckon you’ll do well, especially if you can get your name out there.”
“I’m working on it,” said Jake. “I already joined the Chamber, and I’ve been throwing out business cards like they’re confetti.”
“There’s a chamber in town, now?” Sadie asked.
“There is,” her dad told her. “Gabe Morgan came back from New York, and he’s shaking things up – for the better. He’s breathing new life into the town, but at the same time, he’s making sure that we don’t get overrun with tourists.”
“Gabe Morgan?” The name sounded familiar, but Sadie couldn’t place him.
“Doc and Lizzie’s oldest boy – Gabriel.”
“Oh! Right. Of course.” She shook her head. “That’s why I couldn’t place him – I was expecting someone my own age.”
Her dad laughed. “You have to remember that you’re an old bird, now. The young’uns coming up behind you are the ones in charge, isn’t that right, Jake?”
Jake laughed. “I think I’ll just smile and nod and stay out of it, if that’s all right with you.”
Her dad laughed. “That’s just fine by me, kid. I reckon that attitude will serve you well as you build your business.” He turned to Dominic. “It’s good to see you again, too, son.”
“And you. I followed Jake over here so that I can give him a ride back.”
“I figured that was it. Are you going to stay and eat before you head back to the lake?”
Sadie shot him a puzzled look. Was he inviting them to stay for dinner? She could probably rustle something up but…
Dominic looked uncomfortable, and she felt bad. While she was wondering what she could say to let everyone off the hook, it was Jake who piped up.
“Uncle Dom told me about the diner over here, I’ve never eaten there. Is it any good? I was thinking we could maybe eat there before we head back.”
Her dad grinned at him. “That’s exactly what I was going to suggest.” He checked his watch. “You need to get over there for your shift, don’t you, Savannah?”
“I do.”
“Why don’t you take Jake with you? I don’t want to make you late, and it’ll take me a while to get in the car.”
Sadie could only stare at him. He was organizing the evening for all of them? It certainly seemed that way.
“Do you want to?” Savannah asked Jake.
He checked in with Dominic, who nodded. “Sure, I’d love to.”
After they’d gone, Sadie raised her eyebrows at her dad. “Are you trying to matchmake?”
He chuckled. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. I was trying to be efficient. Savannah needs to get to work. It’s going to take a little while to get me down the path and into the car. I didn’t reckon Jake would enjoy hanging around for that. So, it makes sense to send them off.” He turned to Dominic. “Don’t you think?”
Dominic chuckled. “It does, but don’t think you’re fooling anyone, Harvey.”
She loved the way her dad smiled at him. She was going to have to ask one or both of them how they’d gotten to know each other. The way they behaved made it clear that Dominic was more than just a customer at the garden center.
“Maybe not,” her dad said. “But we’d better get a move on. I wasn’t joking that it’ll take a while to get me in the car.”
“What do you think?” Dominic asked. “Should we take my SUV? Or are you better off in the minivan?”
Sadie slapped her dad’s arm when he laughed and said, “That minivan might be easier to get into, but it’d be too hard to live down if anyone saw me in it.”
“Dad!” She swung to look at Dominic when she heard him laugh. “What’s wrong with my minivan?” she asked.
Her dad rolled his eyes. “You know damn well what’s wrong with it. No self-respecting person, who doesn’t have a whole passel of kids to ferry around, would ever drive one of those.”
She blew out a sigh. He was right. She’d never loved the minivan; it had been useful. It served double duty – it was her personal vehicle, but with the side door, she’d also been able to load parts and equipment in it so that she could help out whenever Dale needed her to. She’d used it more like a scaled down cargo van than anything else.
Her dad reached out and touched her arm. “Look on the bright side, honey bun. You can buy yourself whatever you like now.”
“Yeah.” She wasn’t about to disagree with him in front of Dominic, but there was the slight issue of her finances – or lack of them.
Her dad held her gaze for a long moment before turning to Dominic. “Want to give me a hand into that big old Sequoia of yours?”
“Be happy to.”
Her dad chuckled. “You could learn a thing or two from this man, Sadie. He chose a vehicle that suits him. You know that the Sequoia is the tallest tree in the woods, right? Some say that it’s the biggest in the world.”
Dominic laughed with him. “I need to introduce you to some of my friends, that’ll set you straight – they’re bigger than I am.”
He winked at Sadie, and she smiled as she remembered the first time she’d seen him in the grocery store. His friends might be slightly larger than him, but they couldn’t hold a candle to him, as far as she was concerned.