Dream On (Stories of Serendipity #2)

by Anne Conley

  Alyssa found herself crying in the shower. She didn’t know if they were tears of relief Sierra had been found, or tears of frustration Steven was going to continue with his attempt to take her children away from her.

  After toweling herself off, Alyssa got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt before going to check on Sierra and breakfast.

  Sierra was at the table with her foot propped up. The table was loaded with pancakes, bacon, eggs, orange juice, and a carafe of coffee. Dalton was talking in funny accents, cracking the kids up. She sat herself at the table, an amused expression on her face.

  “I could get used to this.” Alyssa said, as she helped herself to a stack of pancakes.

  Dalton passed her the syrup. “I’m planning on you getting used to it.” His eyes bored into hers.

  “You’re just going to get us all spoiled.” She pretended, for the kids’ sake that their position in her house wasn’t being threatened.

  “I would love to spoil all three of you.” His voice was serious, as he looked at her.

  Alyssa felt anchored around Dalton. Before she had met him, she was constantly a hair’s breadth from flying off the handle , in any given situation. Dalton grounded her, made her feel like she was more of a woman, in all ways. She felt like a better mother around him. She felt like a lover. He made her feel like her needs were important. He treasured her, and she liked it. Watching him with her children, she realized they loved him, too. She wanted him around forever.

  As they were finishing breakfast, her phone rang.

  “I’ll do the dishes, just let me get this first.” She looked at the caller ID. It was Steven. Stifling a groan of dread, she answered it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi.”

  “Hi, Steven.”

  “I’m sorry to call so early. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  Well, this was new. Steven never apologized. Ever. “That’s okay. We’re just finishing up breakfast.”

  “Is Dalton there?” Another first. Steven had never called him Dalton before , and certainly not in a civilized tone of voice.

  Alyssa paused before answering. “Yes, he is here.”

  “Good, because I need to talk to him, too.”

  “Steven, please...”

  He interrupted her, which was not new. “I wanted to apologize for last night, Alyssa. I should have been keeping a better eye on the kids. I just assumed since there were people everywhere, she would be safe.”

  “People everywhere does not equal safety for children, Steve, but apology accepted, I guess.” This was strange for Alyssa. She had never known Steven to apologize for anything. He hadn’t even apologized for ruining their marriage with his affair with Stephanie.

  “I also need to talk to you about something else…”

  “If it’s about the kids Steven, you should know I’m going to fight you with everything I have. Dalton’s a good man, and he loves our kids.”

  “I know. Last night , before I lost Sierra , I proposed to Stephanie, and she said yes.”

  Alyssa felt the air whoosh out of her. “What?”

  “Stephanie said yes, as long as I didn’t have the kids so much. She wants us to have kids of our own. And she doesn’t like all the attention our…issues have caused in town.”

  “So, you’re giving up custody altogether?”

  “I’ll have visitation rights, on certain weekends. I’ll get my lawyer to draw something up for you to sign.”

  “I’ll have my lawyer look over it before I sign anything.”

  “Alyssa, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say about all of this.”

  “You’re doing the right thing, Steven. They need to be with me.” She could see Dalton had come into the room and was looking at her questioningly. She gave him a timid smile and a brief thumbs-up.

  “Dalton’s not the guy I thought he was. He proved that last night. I couldn’t do anything...I ...I couldn’t...” Alyssa thought he might be crying, but wasn’t sure, and it was certainly something else that she had never known Steven to do.

  Steven had calmed himself and continued talking. “I lost my baby girl, and he found her for us. I will never be able to repay him for that. The least I could do is let you have him.” His voice choked up again. “I haven’t been their favorite person this past month, anyway.”

  Alyssa was floored. Too many emotions welled up inside her to name, but relief was at the forefront. “Thank you, Steven. I appreciate that.” She sat on the couch. “Do you want to talk to Dalton, now?”

  “No. Not right now. Maybe I’ll call him later. You guys do something fun this weekend, okay?” He hung up abruptly.

  Alyssa didn’t know what to say. Dalton was at her side in a heartbeat, looking at her.

  “Alyssa. What happened? What did he say?” He held her hand. “You look really pale. Are you alright?” He looked like he was getting angry.

  She nodded as she looked at the man from her dreams, feeling shell-shocked. “He apologized for everything. He’s giving me the kids. Stephanie doesn’t want them around.” Tears of relief streamed from her eyes, and she couldn’t go on. Dalton drew her into his arms. Through her tears, Alyssa managed to choke out, “We’re going to be okay.”

  R The r age that had come over Dalton when he saw Alyssa’s pale countenance and realized she was talking to her ex . But it , faded when he heard her words.

  “Keep the kids? All the time?” Dalton held her face in his hands and looked into her eyes as she kept nodding. He kissed her tears from her eyes. “Then why are you crying?” Slightly baffled, he continued kissing her face.

  “I don’t know, Dalton. I’m relieved, I guess.” He continued kissing her face, then her mouth. Her salty tears did something to his insides making his gut clench, and he wiped them with his thumbs. She kissed him back, opening her mouth to him, and their kiss grew in intensity. Dalton’s hands moved to her neck, tilting her head back to take his kiss deeper, and Alyssa whimpered into his mouth.

  “Ewww!!! Fey’re kissing!” Cayden’s voice interrupted their mounting passion, and Alyssa giggled.

  “We have some things to get used to.” She mumbled to Dalton, who winked at her.

  “With pleasure.” He looked at the kids. “Who wants to go fishing today?”

  Amid the squeals of delight, Alyssa reminded Dalton, “Sierra’s foot.”

  “That’s okay, she doesn’t have to be on it. I’ll hook her up with a footstool at the tank. We’re gonna do a little Sunday afternoon fishing.”

  Two hours later, Alyssa was sitting next to Dalton in the old beat up pick-up truck with the kids in the back, headed across the pasture to the tank, fishing gear and picnic baskets packed up. She enjoyed the sense of him around her. She could feel his heat next to her, she could smell his scent, the vague hint of citrus. As she rested her head on his shoulder, he reached over and patted her knee affectionately.

  “How are you doing?” Dalton asked.

  “I’m wonderful. I can’t think of a single thing that could make me happier right now.”

  His voice grew husky, as he peered down at her. “I’m glad, Alyssa.”

  When they got to the tank, Dalton unloaded Sierra, while Cayden and Alyssa piled out of the truck. He set up a chair and rolled a log over for her to prop up her foot up on , before baiting her rod and handing it to the little girl. She gazed up at him, her snaggle - tooth y grin melting Alyssa’s heart.

  Once he had the kids set up, Dalton pulled a chair next to Alyssa and took her hand. They sat in silence for a little while, before he broke it.

  “Um...Alyssa?”

  She looked at him, and he looked suddenly unsure of himself. This was not either the confident stud Dalton, or the confident rancher Dalton. This was nervous Dalton.

  “What is it?” Now she was nervous, too.

  He ran his fingers through his hair, which Alyssa had figured out now knew meant he did when he was nervous. “You know how I feel about you. At least, I hope you realize I can
’t live without you.” He looked her in the eyes, and her breath left her when she saw the doubt there. “I want to build us a house right there, on that little hill.” His finger pointed over her shoulder, and his voice trailed off. He swallowed hard, never taking his eyes off her face.

  “What’s the matter, Dalton?” Alyssa was getting worried. What was he trying to say?

  “You want us to move in with you? Here?” Alyssa hadn’t planned on this , and wasn’t sure what to say.

  “Well...I really want you to marry me, but...”

  “But what, Dalton?” Her heart was jumping around inside her chest.

  “It seems so soon. I was thinking...I don’t know what I was thinking, Alyssa. I can’t imagine my life without you guys in it.” He ran his fingers through his hair, nervously, but he had to let her know what she had done to him. “When we first started dreaming of each other, I was lost in the life I was living. I was in a very dark place.” He clasped her hands in his before continuing. “I didn’t realize it then, but this is where I want to be. You make me happy. Your children make me happy. I want the rest of my life to be with you guys. I love all of you. You are my life, now. You make my life full of light, and I want you to be my wife , and share the rest of my life with me.”

  Alyssa gaped at him, speechless. He dropped to one knee and buried his face in her lap. “Please say something. I don’t know what to ask. I want you with me, living here, married to me, sex-slave, roomies, whatever. Just say you’ll do it.”

  “Do what, Dalton?” She asked quietly.

  He stood, and dug around in his pocket, bringing out a gold solitaire with an enormous square-cut diamond on it. “I want you to be my wife.” He looked up at her.

  “I want to be your wife, Dalton.” Smiling, she ran her hand through his hair. It was soft and smooth, and her fingers danced in the waves that had grown out since she met him. She pulled his face up to hers and kissed him. He grabbed her hand , and slipped the ring on it. Alyssa couldn’t handle the range of emotion she had been through in the last seventy-two hours, and she began crying again.

  “I gotta fish!!!” Cayden’s excited shriek broke them apart, laughing. Alyssa was crying again. “Mom? Why are you crying?” Cayden didn’t miss much.

  “I’m happy, Sweet Boy. I’m happy.”

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  Turn to the next page for the first chapter of Chef’s Delight, from the Stories of Serendipity Series by Anne Conley:

  Chapter 1

  Jessica sighed and took a sip of her whiskey and coke, grimacing at the taste. “Heard from Kathy, yet? She should be here by now.”

  Summer shrugged. “She texted me a little while ago. Said she was having a problem at work, and might not be able to make it.” Summer drank deeply from her frozen margarita and grimaced. “God, this drink is awful. Doesn’t even taste like a margarita. I think I’m going to get wine on my next round.”

  “Yeah, this drink’s pretty bad, too. I should have stuck with beer.” They were at the Gin, actually, its official name was the Shelton Hall, but since it was an old renovated cotton gin, most everybody just called it the Gin. Decorated in neon beer signs, and posters featuring bikini-clad women, it was definitely a dive bar, but one of the only places to go in town for a drink. Apparently, tonight was not the night for mixed drinks though. The bartender must be new, Jessica thought to herself.

  Summer was bouncing in her seat to the beat of whatever rap-type, top-forty song the DJ was playing. “You feel like dancing, Jessie?”

  “Naw, you go ahead though. I’m fine right now.” Jessica took another swig of her drink.

  Summer hopped up and boogied out to the dance floor, and Jessica watched her pull some of her moves. They had been friends since high school, and managed to still get together occasionally. With both of them trying to keep small businesses afloat, though, it was tough to be able to have social time.

  As her eyes flickered around the bar, Jessica noticed Asshole come in the door. “Great,” she muttered under her breath as he noticed her and sauntered over to where she was sitting. The smile on his face was smarmy, in a totally creepy, domineering way.

  “Hey gorgeous,” he was leering at her now. She had to struggle not to vomit up her drink.

  “Chad.” Jessica crossed her arms and leaned back. Exes could be asses on a good day. This particular ex deserved the moniker with a capital A.

  She appraised him, carefully, wondering what attracted her to him in the first place. Granted, he was good-looking, but he knew it, and reminded her constantly.

  “You out trying to find my replacement?”

  “Maybe. Although, if I do find another one of you, please put a bullet between my eyes.” She took another sip of her drink, grimacing. ”You’re definitely a one of a kind, kind of asshole.” She wasn’t sure why she was trying to provoke him.

  His eyes narrowed, as he grabbed her knee under the table. “You know you really shouldn’t say things like that, Jessie. It’s not nice.” His fingers tightened on her knee.

  “Fuck off, Chad.”

  “We had something great, Jessie.”

  “We had sex, Chad. Nothing great.” She tried to pry his painful grip from her knee, with no avail.

  He smirked at her. “It was great, and you know it.” His grip released, and he got up from the table to wander over to the bar and get a drink.

  Not wanting to stay there, Jessica swigged down the rest of her drink, stood from the table, and meandered over to where Summer was grinding with some strange man on the dance floor.

  “I’m going to get some air. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “You okay?” Summer asked her over the loud thumping of the music.

  “Yeah, Asshole showed up.” Jessica swung her chin in the direction of the bar, where Chad was standing. “I just need a minute.”

  “Let me know if you’re ready to go home.”

  “Not yet, but I will. Thanks.”

  Jessica walked out the front door and around behind the building. There was a scenic little footbridge somebody had built, in an effort to make this area look like it overlooked a creek, instead of a ditch. She sat down on the boards, and put her head in her hands.

  “Fuck.” She couldn’t understand what in the world had possessed her to go out with Chad in the first place. It seemed like, in retrospect, it had all been wrong. He was a cop who had pulled her over for speeding. After letting her off with a warning, he had then looked up her phone number from her DMV records, and called to ask her out. The first date was alright, the two of them ending up in her bed, having crazy sex. The next time he called, there was no date. The rest of the “relationship” had been a series of bootie calls, interspersed with occasional belittling remarks. Jessie got tired of it, and him. When she broke up with him, he went nuts, giving her a black eye and a broken rib after punching her and throwing her off her front porch. She called the cops, and Chad’s immediate supervisor had come out himself to drag Chad off.

  Jessie hadn’t pressed charges against him, which looking back, had been a mistake. Apparently, he took it as a sign of weakness, and thought that whatever they had was special enough to make her go back to him.

  Now, everywhere she went, he managed to show up. She wasn’t sure what to do with him now. She didn’t exactly feel like she was in danger, but she wasn’t sure.

  Connor was upset. Tonight had been a
disaster. The restaurant hadn’t even been open two weeks, and already, his dairy supplier was flaking out on him. He had ordered goat cheese and goat milk for the restaurant. He had several menu items requiring those ingredients, and he had had to take them off the menu tonight, because he couldn’t do the cheese tray appetizer, the fig and goat cheese pizza, or the goat’s milk ice cream. And one of tonight’s specials was supposed to be a filet mignon with a goat cheese cream sauce. So, of course, that didn’t happen.

  Then, his refrigerator had gone out. He couldn’t even begin to figure out that one. It was a brand new, commercial-grade refrigerator. Why it had gone out was beyond him. So he had to use ice-chests all night, and pray that the department of food safety didn’t pay a surprise visit. Whatever hadn’t been used would probably have to be thrown away. What a waste.

  Kathy, his head hostess/kitchen manager/waitress/sous-chef in a pinch had generously decided to close up shop for the night, and let him go get a drink. So here he was, at the Gin. He had only been here once before, and it wasn’t really his style, but the beer was cheap, and cold. And the music was loud.

  He sat at the bar and drank a beer, then another, and another. He was sitting there, drinking, and thinking about what his life had become. He had finally left Houston, and given up on one dream to pursue another one. He hoped the success of the restaurant might someday help his other dream come to fruition. Although, at the rate he was going, it would be a while, and Connor was not a patient man.

  And now, here he was. He had his restaurant, in the Cargill mansion on Magnolia Street in Serendipity, Texas. And it wasn’t working out like he thought it would.

  He saw her as soon as she came in, the woman with the long auburn hair, wearing worn jeans and even more worn cowboy boots. He probably noticed her initially, because she was so tall, she stood out in the crowd. She had on a creamy beige, peasant style top, which she wore off her shoulders. He hadn’t noticed a woman in a while, and he sighed heavily as he remembered why. Something about this woman made him want to keep looking, though.