On the Mend (Carolina Waves Series Book 1)

by Tina Gallagher

  “You have my word, too,” Maureen said. “We’re just so happy to see you. We’ve all missed you.”

  “I tried to keep in touch,” Megan said. “But you didn’t seem interested.” Her sullen expression filled me with guilt.

  “I’m sorry about that, Meg. I know I promised we’d remain friends despite everything, but it was just too hard for me. You reminded me of him and I couldn’t handle that.” I paused for a moment while she digested my words. “Then a few years went by and I thought about looking you up, but felt too embarrassed.”

  “Oh, I wish you had,” Megan said, around her tears. “From now on, we’ll be sure to keep in touch. And if you don’t return my calls, I’ll just show up on your doorstep.”

  “Jeez Meg, every time I see you, you’re crying.” Dan’s deep timbre rolled over my senses, forcing goosebumps to rise on my skin.

  “I know.” A fresh gush of tears burst out of Megan’s eyes. “I can’t help it.” She wiped at her cheeks. “It’s the hormones.”

  Dan rested his hip on the arm of the sofa, next to Maureen. “So how is my nephew doing? Still cooking?”

  “Yes, and kicking like crazy.”

  “Yeah?” Dan’s eyes lit up. “Right now?” Megan nodded. He jumped off his perch and was hovering over her in a flash. “Where?” he asked, his hands poised over her belly.

  “Right up here.” Megan took his big hands and placed them on her womb.

  Dan stared at his hands expectantly for just a moment before a wide smile split his face. “Holy hell,” he said, his tone full of awe.

  I couldn’t take my eyes of him. Dan turned and met my gaze. I felt poleaxed. The longing in his eyes nearly tore me apart. I had to fight back my own tears.

  “Dan…” The tone of Megan’s voice told me it wasn’t the first time she’d said his name.

  “Yeah?”

  “I can see you’re really enjoying yourself here, but I really have to pee.”

  “Sorry.” Dan moved back and held his hand out to help Megan out of her seat.

  “Thanks,” she said, then waddled out of the room.

  Dan took the seat his sister had vacated, right next to me. I glanced at him just in time to catch the tail end of his grimace of pain.

  “Are you okay?”

  He nodded and rubbed his leg. “I shouldn’t have jumped up like that.”

  “Probably not,” I said, dryly.

  He chuckled. “Then why didn’t you stop me? You’re supposed to be taking care of me, aren’t you?”

  “I’m off duty,” I joked, holding up my bottle of Sam Adams to emphasize the point.

  Truth be told, I’d been so wrapped up in Dan’s reaction to the baby kicking to think of anything else. He obviously got swept up in the moment and hadn’t been thinking either. That fact made me realize how genuine his feelings were.

  “How is Dan doing?” Maureen asked, breaking into my thoughts.

  “He’s uh,” I cleared my throat and sat up straight. “He’s making remarkable progress.”

  “Do you think he’ll be ready for spring training?”

  “Definitely,” I answered confidently.

  Maureen shifted her eyes between Dan and me several times before she spoke again.

  “Well, that’s good.” She stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find Frank. Your uncle is probably talking the poor man’s ear off.” She directed the last comment to Dan, smiled at me, and walked away.

  Once she left, I noticed that Dan and I were alone. Sure, there were people milling around, but the person closest to us stood a good six feet away. As I made the observation, Lexi and her cousins ran through the room and out the kitchen door.

  “They should sleep well tonight,” I said.

  Dan nodded. “Lexi loves her cousins. They don’t stop the entire time they’re together.” His eyes crinkled in amusement. “Of course, I remember doing the same thing when I was kid.” He took a long pull on his beer. “Now, I get tired just watching them.”

  “It’s tough getting old,” I teased.

  “As long as I also get wise, I don’t mind.”

  I didn’t want to discuss the things he’s claimed to have gotten wiser about, so I said, “You really have a wonderful family.”

  “So do you,” he said, as he nodded his agreement.

  Our families are very similar, which is probably why we’d always fit in so well at each other’s family functions. In high school, I dated a boy who nearly ran out of my house in tears when my Uncle Mark teased him about his spiked hair.

  My family is loud and boisterous, and likes to put people through their paces. Dan’s is much the same and he hadn’t batted an eye when Uncle Mark started on him, nor when the rest of the family joined in.

  “It’s weird without my dad here.” Dan’s voice was so low, I barely heard him.

  “Did you invite him?”

  “If you remember, I didn’t invite anyone,” he pointed out. “But no, it’s too new to have him here with Mom. Maybe someday.”

  “I’m really sorry. I know how close you and your dad are.”

  “It’s just hard. I mean, on one hand, I want to kill the son of a bitch for what he did to my mom, but on the other…” he gestured vaguely. “My mom told me that everything he did, he did to her, not me or my sisters, but it’s still difficult to swallow.”

  “How do Megan and Patti feel?”

  “They don’t know the whole story.”

  “Why not?”

  “Mom didn’t think she should tell them. She figured it would ruin their relationship with Dad.”

  “Then why did she tell you?”

  “Because she wanted Dad’s theory of relationships to stop with me.” He cleared his throat. “Once she found out about Dad, she put two and two together and figured out why we broke up. When she confronted me, I couldn’t deny it. Then she spilled her guts.”

  “So, she knows everything.”

  He nodded, looking embarrassed. At that moment, my armor cracked and I saw Dan’s pain. For the first time since I’d arrived, I saw him as a man trying to atone for the sins of his youth. No longer was he the evil creature I’d created in my mind in an attempt to soothe my battered soul. I saw him as a man who made mistakes and is now looking for forgiveness.

  The million-dollar question is…can I forgive him?

  23

  Sabrina

  One week later, I was still contemplating the answer to the million-dollar question.

  Maureen and I had a few words before she left and while she didn’t come right out and say it, she gently urged me to give Dan another chance. And I have to admit, the more time I spend with him, the more I’m leaning in that direction.

  “Twenty minutes on the bike,” I told him in-between my musings.

  “Twenty?”

  “I want you to add a few minutes each day. We need to increase the motion of that leg.”

  “You’re a slave driver,” he teased and started pedaling.

  Dan just finished with the bike when Lexi came bouncing into the gym. “Daddy, Tori asked if I could come over,” she pleaded. “Can I?”

  “I suppose so.” Dan looked at the clock. “I can take you in an hour or so.”

  “Jeff said he’d take me.”

  “I’m sure he did,” Dan said, under his breath. “Okay princess, I’ll see you later.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

  “Eewww,” Lexi shrieked. “You’re all sweaty.” She gave him a quick peck. “But I love you anyway.”

  “I love you, too. Behave.”

  “I will. Bye, Sabrina,” she said as she bestowed a kiss on my cheek.

  “Have fun,” I said.

  Lexi ran out of the gym and up the stairs with more energy than anyone should be allowed to have.

  “The girls still don’t know about Jeff and Nancy?”

  Dan had informed me that Jeff and Tori’s mother, Nancy, had started dating about a month ago.

  “No.” Dan sat on the
rowing machine. “How long?”

  “Fifteen,” I answered and set my timer.

  “They want to figure out if things are going anywhere before they tell Tori.”

  Tori’s father had passed away three years earlier, so I could understand Nancy’s caution.

  “I don’t know about Nancy, but Jeff looks like he’s walking on air.”

  “Yeah, love will do that to you,” Dan said, through gritted teeth.

  “Are you okay?” I watched his motion, looking for signs that he was straining himself. “Don’t overdo it.”

  “My leg is fine.”

  The tone of his voice stopped me from asking any more questions.

  Later that afternoon, Lexi called to see if she could sleep over Tori’s. Dan agreed and asked to speak to Jeff.

  “You sleeping over too?” I heard him ask Jeff. Obviously, I didn’t hear Jeff’s reply, but it made Dan laugh. “Does she need clothes?” He paused, listening to whatever Jeff was saying. “Okay bud. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “He’s sleeping over?”

  “No, but he’s staying for the moviefest and popcorn, so he won’t be home ‘til later.”

  “Oh.”

  “Do you think it would be wrong for him to stay over?”

  “No, I uh, I don’t know. I mean, parents do it all the time with the kids at home, so no, I guess I don’t.” Then, to save myself from sounding like a prude, I added, “They’d just be taking a big chance with the girls there. Considering they want the relationship kept secret.”

  “Hmmm.” I took that as agreement with what I had said and expected him to elaborate, so when he said, “Would you have dinner with me tonight?” I nearly gasped out loud.

  “I…” Dan frowned. He was expecting me to make up some lame-ass excuse and turn him down. Not that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but like I reasoned last time I agreed to accompany him to dinner, I’d rather be alone with him in public than at the house. I shocked Dan by saying, “I’d love to.”

  “Great,” Dan replied in a casual tone, though the look on his face gave away his emotions. He was as excited and nervous as I was. “Italian?”

  “Sounds good.”

  We agreed to go to the hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant we never made it to a few weeks earlier, thanks to Kent and the rest of Dan’s friends. But I decided not to think about that.

  “Great,” Dan repeated. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen around six.”

  I checked the clock and decided that two hours was plenty of time to talk myself in and out of going a few hundred times. “Six it is.”

  That settled, Dan made his way to the stairs. His foot on the first step, he spoke again. “Oh, and Sabrina?”

  “Yeah?”

  “We’re gonna get it right this time.”

  He left me wondering if he was talking about dinner or something more.

  Dan

  I told Sabrina I’d leave her alone, but I just can’t. And like I told her last time I asked her out, we both have to eat…even if I have ulterior motives.

  There’s just something there between us that I can’t ignore, always has been. And, since the 4th of July, she’s been more like her old self. She seems more relaxed and things have definitely been less forced between us.

  Even though I asked my mother and sisters not to interfere, I doubt they listened. They had Sabrina trapped in conversation a few times, and I’d bet anything my name came up more than once. But if anything they said resulted in Sabrina’s new/old demeanor, I can’t be angry.

  I tried to relax for a bit before getting ready, but was too antsy. This night has to be perfect. I know Sabrina will love Maroni’s, and Vince and Rita will fawn all over her. I just have to make sure I don’t blow it like I did last time. Hell, I don’t care if Babe Ruth himself is reincarnated and shows up at my house, I’m not answering the door.

  I took a longer-than-normal shower, letting the warm water soothe my aching muscles. My workouts have been getting harder lately, so I know my leg is healing well. Which is a good thing. I just hate the fact that my getting better could mean the end of my relationship with Sabrina. Not that we have an official relationship, but it seems we’re at least friends at this point. I just need time to convince her we should be more.

  After drying off and slinging a towel around my waist, I lathered up and carefully shaved my face to a shiny smoothness. Hopefully all my effort won’t be in vain. Then again, as long as I can actually get Sabrina out to the restaurant and through dinner, I’ll be happy. Even if she doesn’t get to feel the fact that my face is as soft as a baby’s ass.

  Discarding the clothes I had on last time we were supposed to go out as bad luck, I decided on black dress pants and a pale blue button down shirt. After struggling to get the pants settled over my brace, I shrugged into my shirt, and slipped on black loafers. I’m ready to go, forty-five minutes early.

  Oh well, I’ve waited for Sabrina this long, another forty-five minutes won’t kill me. I’ll wait for her forever if I have to.

  24

  Sabrina

  As predicted, my inner battle raged the entire time I showered and dressed. In the end, I decided to go because (a) I really want to and (b) something tells me that Dan won’t let me back down, not after what happened the last time we tried this.

  So, at six o’clock on the dot, I closed my bedroom door and made my way to the kitchen. Once again, I had agonized over what to wear, and decided on my all-purpose black dress. For more formal occasions, I dress it up with jewelry or a jacket, but tonight newly purchased strappy sandals and freshly shaved legs are my only considerations to the fact that this might be a date. I don’t want to think about why I slipped on a matching black lace bra and panty set.

  Dan’s back faced me as he gazed out the window over the sink, so I had a moment to admire his backside. His well-tailored black pants cupped his behind before falling loosely over well-muscled thighs, giving only a hint to their shape. A pale blue linen shirt stretched across his broad shoulders and my fingers itched to explore.

  He turned suddenly and I felt a blush creep up my neck and across my face. My embarrassment at being caught in the act didn’t make me miss the fact that his front view was as magnificent as the back had been.

  “Wow.” Admiration shone in Dan’s eyes as he walked toward me, using the sleek black cane his mother had given him. He stopped in front of me and let his gaze drift over my body, which definitely responded to his leisurely inspection. My blush intensified. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” I managed to croak. “You look pretty nice yourself. I like the cane.”

  Dan’s smile practically lit up the room. “It is pretty classy.” He pulled his jacket off a stool at the breakfast bar and shrugged into it. “Ready?” I nodded. “Great, I’m starving.”

  “Me too,” I replied, though my stomach was tied in so many knots, I have no idea if I’ll be able to keep anything down.

  The restaurant had actually been someone’s home in a past life. Dan led me up the stairs of what appeared to be a large Victorian and through the front door, his right hand resting on my lower back.

  A boisterous man with a booming voice greeted us immediately. “Dan, it’s good to see you.” He slapped Dan on the back as he shook his hand vigorously. “How’s the leg?”

  “Getting better every day, Vince.”

  “Glad to hear it. Where is our little Miss Alexis tonight?”

  “At a friend’s house. I brought my friend Sabrina instead.”

  Vince looked at me as though he hadn’t noticed my presence. “Well, hello Sabrina. I’m Vince Maroni. My wife, Rita, and I own this place.” He took my hand in his and raised it to his mouth, lightly brushing his lips across my knuckles. I silently thanked God, because I don’t think I could survive one of Vince’s handshakes.

  “No train room for you tonight. Only the room of romance will do,” he declared, rolling his R’s dramatically.

  Vince instructed us
to follow him and we did, to a quiet table for two, set next to a lovely brick fireplace, which in consideration for the season, was not lit. He handed a menu to me, then to Dan and proceeded to list the specials of the evening. With a flick of his lighter, the small votive candle in the center of the table came to light. “Would you like some wine tonight?”

  Dan’s eyes smiled into mine over the candlelight. “Zinfandel? For old times’ sake?” he asked.

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Dan had ordered White Zinfandel on our first date. He admitted later that a friend of his had suggested it, that he himself knew nothing about wine. And considering the fact that neither of us was old enough to legally drink at the time, why should we? That aside, I can’t believe he still remembers the details of our first date.

  “I’ll bring that right out for you,” Vince said, before turning on his heel and leaving us alone.

  I looked around the room and was taken in by its old world charm. Since the restaurant used to be a house, it consisted of a few small rooms instead of one large one. The dimly lit room was very romantic, as Vince had promised.

  Light butterscotch paint coated the aged plaster walls. The cozy tables scattered throughout had enough distance between to give space and a sense of privacy. Red checked tablecloths added a finishing touch of traditional charm.

  “Dan!” A female voice brought me out of my perusal of the room. I looked up and spotted a petite woman with thick salt and pepper hair and piercing blue eyes rushing toward our table. If it weren’t for the ice bucket clutched to her ample bosom, I would have assumed she was a patron. Her casual dress did not mark her as an employee.

  “It’s been too long,” she said, embracing Dan, who was now standing, welcoming her with open arms. “We haven’t seen you in so long.” Her voice was what I can only describe as smoky, sexy, and exotic.

  “I’ve been kind of tied up,” he answered, chuckling.

  “How is your leg?” she asked, as she set the ice bucket on the edge of the table.