Chapter 7
SEVEN
DALTON
I glance at the watch lining my wrist as I’m pulling up to Savanna’s house. Seven-thirty sharp. Just like Hudson said. I do a quick scan of the driveway where Hudson said he’d be waiting, but I find him absent.
Just my luck. He’s late.
I spot movement on the porch, and that’s when I register her.
Savanna.
Letting out a sigh, I drag my hand down my face. Well, I can’t just sit here.
Before I can think twice, I make the quick decision to rip off the Band-Aid, opening my truck door and letting my legs carry me toward her.
My eyes lock with a familiar green as I see Savanna’s body stiffen, the spoon resting in her hand frozen in the air, like she was mid-bite before she saw me invade her space.
Shit. I can’t believe I agreed to pick Hudson up tonight.
My eyes land on Savanna’s apparent grimace as she watches me walk up her driveway. The look on her face tells me she doesn’t want me within a hundred-mile radius of her.
Well, this should be good.
Avoiding Savanna’s gaze, I take in her quaint two-story bungalow.
In the dark, the house looks robin's egg blue, with old, worn shiplap siding in need of repainting. It sits on a raised stilt foundation, protecting the house from flooding and storm surges since it’s near the beach.
My feet come to an abrupt stop at the bottom of a flight of stairs leading toward Savanna’s front door.
I give a little wave up to Savanna before I shove my hands back into the pockets of my jeans. The look on her face changes from a frown to resembling a deer caught in the headlights of my lifted Chevy.
Stunned and motionless.
I soak in Savanna’s soft features, illuminated by the fluorescent porch light. My eyes roam over her messy bun, taking in her flawless skin—this girl is so fucking gorgeous without even trying.
Going out on a limb, I decide to break the awkwardness brewing between us. “Hey, Savanna,” I say, a clear crack in my voice. I sound like a complete idiot.
“Hey Dalton, thought that might be you,” Savanna says, standing up, exchanging the spoon in her hand for wine. I watch as she grips the glass stem tightly.
My eyes dart toward her left hand, where a wedding band should be—but I find it absent. The hopeful image of a bare finger and what Hudson disclosed earlier at the bar causes my heart to flutter against my ribcage.
“Sorry for just coming over unannounced,” I say, heat rising to my cheeks. “But I dropped Hudson off earlier, and I’m his ride back home tonight.” I glance down at the watch lining my wrist, searching for a distraction.
Savanna clears her throat. “Oh...that makes sense. I was wondering where his truck was.” Her free hand motions toward her driveway.
I smile shyly at her, rocking back on my heels as I think of what the hell to say next.
Savanna sucks in the corner of her lip, gesturing toward the porch she’s standing on.
“Hudson’s not back from the beach yet with Drew...
but you can come up the stairs, Dalton. I promise I don’t bite,” she teases, sitting back down in her chair.
The night of the bonfire flashes in my mind—her teeth sinking into my lower lip when she was wrapped around my waist.
Yes, she absolutely does fucking bite.
A shudder rolls through me, making me feel exposed in my cotton shirt and jeans, but I play it off like I felt a breeze come through. Shaking the dirty memory from my mind, I clear my throat. “Yeah, sure, thanks. That would be great.”
I cautiously walk up the flight of stairs, taking the spot next to Savanna.
Our knees practically touch from how close the chairs are, and I can feel my hands sweat in response.
My fingertips anxiously drum at the knees of my jeans as I take in the seashell wind chimes and coastal decor displayed on her porch.
I glance over at Savanna, and our eyes meet. “So…great house, Savanna. I bet you're happy to be so close to the beach. It has a killer view.” I take stock of the peekaboo view of the ocean between the trees.
They don’t have views like this in the desert.
She practically snorts into her wine glass as she takes a sip. “Hmmm. Yeah. Thanks, Dalton. It’s been great. Just the perfect size for Drew and me.”
I avert my eyes from Savanna, fidgeting with a piece of the wicker chair that has suddenly unwoven itself. “That’s great, Savanna. I’m happy for you. Hudson gushed about Drew all day. She sounds amazing…you must be so proud.” My voice croaks.
Because, damn it, I bet she’s a good mom.
Savanna peers down at the wine she’s swishing around in her delicate glass. “Thanks, Dalton. I appreciate that.”
I adjust my legs, feeling my arousal thickening at the sound of my name rolling off her tongue.
Damnit. Get it under control, Dalton.
She takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly, grazing a strand of hair that has fallen loose around her face. “So, tell me about military life,” she starts. “You must have done quite a lot in the last six years. Hudson tells me you're quite the Marine.”
I note the bitterness in her voice at that last part, but decide to ignore it for now.
“Well, I don’t know about that. You know Hudson likes to exaggerate a bit,” I tease. “But yeah, I’ve been pretty busy. Just got back from an eight-month deployment overseas. I’m stationed out in California now.”
She nods her head slowly, staring off into the distance.
God, I wonder what the hell she is thinking in that pretty head of hers.
She pivots sideways in her chair, facing me. “That’s great, Dalton. I’m sure your mom is very proud of you. Your dad would be too if he were here.” I hear the warmth in her tone, and I know she means it.
I stop twisting the loose piece of wicker around my fingers, meeting her gaze. My father died when I was ten in a car accident, and spending my time with Hudson and Savanna was the one thing that got me through some of my worst days.
My gaze roams over her face as I gnaw on the inside of my cheek. There are so many things I want to say to this girl in front of me—but frankly, I don’t even know where to fucking start.
I’m about to thank her for saying what she did—when I’m suddenly interrupted by Hudson and a little girl, whom I assume to be Drew, running up the driveway.
Drew is slung over Hudson’s back—one hand clinging tightly around his neck, the other gripping a yellow beach bucket.
The bucket sways side to side as she kicks her feet into Hudson’s ribs.
“Giddy up, horsey,” Drew giggles.
“Neighhh,” Hudson gives his best horse impression, galloping up the driveway and porch steps.
“Whoa, cowboy,” Savanna says, standing up. She sets her wineglass on the table, grabbing Drew off Hudson’s back.
Drew stands in front of me, examining me. I smile, staring at her. A sense of familiarity washes over me, but Hudson brings me back into focus. “Hey, man,” he says, slapping my back. “Thanks for waiting. Drew wanted to wait until low tide for a bit to see if it revealed any new shells tonight.”
I clear my throat as I stand. “Not a problem, man. It was good to catch up with Savanna,” I confess, chancing a quick peek at her—not missing the way she rolls her lips together as her face flushes crimson.
Snapping me out of my stupor, a little hand sticks out in front of me. My eyes fall toward tiny fingertips, brushed with pink nail polish. “Hi. I’m Drew.”
I extend my hand, shaking hers. I take stock of her little face, noticing the faint freckles that litter her cheeks and nose, along with the sapphire blue tint to her eyes and blonde hair.
She’s a cute kid.
Hudson was right about Drew being Savanna's little mini-me.
“Hi there. I’m Dalton. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, I didn’t know my mommy had a friend named Dalton. Oh, wait.” She pauses, looking between Savanna and me. “Is he one of those boyfriends you and Auntie Hailey always talk about?”
A look of horror washes over Savanna’s face.
“Jesus, Savanna. What the hell do you and Hailey talk about in front of your child?” Hudson hisses.
“Shut up, Hudson,” Savanna snaps, glaring at him before she kneels in front of Drew. “No, Drew baby. Dalton is just a friend.”
Ouch. The enunciation fucking stung.
I rub my chest, hoping to clear the ache Savanna’s comment caused.
Savanna glances over at me, narrowing her eyes as she continues, “As a matter of fact, Dalton and I are old friends. We grew up together. He is one of Uncle Hudson's best friends.”
“Oh,” Drew responds, deflated, glancing down at her feet. “I was really hoping he would be one of those boyfriends.” She kicks her foot back and forth.
“I’m sorry, little bean,” she says, scooping her into a hug, laying a gentle kiss to her temple.
Hudson claps his hands together to break the awkwardness of the moment. “Well, that’s our cue to go now. Right, Dalton?” He slaps my shoulder—snapping me out of the daze I seem to find myself in. Hudson plants a kiss on Drew’s cheek. “Goodnight, my favorite niece.”
Drew giggles and wraps her arms around his neck. “Good night, my favorite Uncle!”
“Darn right, I am.” He winks, walking down the steps. “Let’s get this show on the road! Come on, Dalton!” Hudson yells over his shoulder.
I stand there staring at Savanna and Drew—my boots rooted in place.
I must look awkward as hell because they are both staring at me, waiting for me to say something.
But for whatever reason, I can’t formulate a sentence to save my life.
All I know is there’s an intense feeling in my gut that I want to stay longer—I don’t want to say goodnight to them yet.
But I can’t stay, right?
I let out a labored exhale, squeezing the back of my neck.
“Well…I guess I'd better get going. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Drew.” I stick my hand out for her to shake. But to everyone’s surprise, Drew lets go of Savanna and jumps into my arms—her little hands lacing around my neck as she squeezes me, face pressing against the side of my cheek.
A rush of breath leaves me as my body tenses—the feeling of holding Savanna’s daughter in my arms causes a warmth to infuse under my skin. I gently give Drew a firm squeeze back, followed by a soft chuckle.
“Goodnight, Mommy’s friend,” Drew squeals into my ear, her voice making my heart flip against my chest.
I unwrap my arms from Drew’s back, pulling away to get another good look at her. “Goodnight to you, too. Thanks for the hug.” I plant her feet down on the ground as she runs inside, the screen door slamming shut. The sound of her footsteps running up the stairs fills the silent night around us.
Looking back at Savanna, I find one hand over her mouth stifling a gasp, the other clutching her chest as if she’d just witnessed a ghost. Feeling a pull—I take one step closer to her, the thumping of my heart beating against the walls of my chest.
I don’t know what made me do it.
Maybe it was the nostalgic feeling of being back on the island, spending my day with Hudson like old times, or seeing Savanna after six long fucking years.
Maybe it was the discovery that Savanna isn’t married and presumably doesn’t have a boyfriend.
It could be that meeting Savanna’s daughter for the first time has me undeniably smitten.
But something has overcome me as I step closer to Savanna. And that something isn’t thinking twice about what a bad fucking idea this might be as I lean down into Savanna’s ear and whisper, “Actually, if I remember correctly, you do bite.”