by Kay Lyons
"There. It's settled then," London said.
Ireland met Dominic's gaze once more. "Are you sure? Please don't let Samuel's… enthusiasm change your plans."
No, he wasn't sure staying was the best idea. But after spending the day at the pier fishing and walking the streets of Carolina Cove to and from the ball field, he realized something deep inside of him had eased. The knot in his gut he'd had ever since that visit to the doctor's office with Lisa had loosened its grip, and he felt like he could take a deep breath for the first time in three years. Which was, no doubt, Lisa's intent when planning the surprise and enlisting his coworkers and friends, thereby ensuring his cooperation. "A few more days to honor the gift Lisa gave me by doing this, and then I can go home without anyone saying too much."
"So you're staying? Awesome! Aunt London, I'm going to a ball game!"
* * *
Later that same evening, Dominic slowed the powerful Porsche near the boat launch at Fort Fisher and watched as the sun blasted the sky with the last remaining rays of the day.
After cooling off inside the coffeehouse, he and Ireland had walked to the yard beside the pavilion so Samuel could show his mom what he'd learned. Ireland was suitably impressed for a mother who obviously didn't know much about baseball, but Samuel beamed beneath the praise and approval.
Like he had been the few years he'd coached Little League, he was amazed at how much kids blossomed when given some dedicated, distraction-free moments. Samuel needed his father, and Dominic knew there would come a day when Ireland's ex would regret missing this time with his son.
While Ireland and Samuel checked on Carolina, the youngest of the sisters, currently on duty in the inn's office, he'd gone to grab some groceries to have in his room. The suite had a small kitchenette with a coffeepot and microwave and dorm-size refrigerator/freezer, and he picked up some snacks and a few frozen burritos to keep on hand for easy access.
"Nice car!"
He searched for the person behind the voice and spotted two women loading up kayaks. One of them waved and he lifted his hand a bit awkwardly. "Thanks."
"You look strong. Care to lend us a hand?"
He seriously doubted they needed help, seeing as how they'd managed getting the kayaks off of the rack and into the water, but felt obliged to stop. "Sure." Given the time of day, the area was rapidly emptying, so he simply put the car in Park where he was and cut the engine.
"My hero," the one woman said as he approached. "I'm Beth. This is Carol."
"Nice to meet you. Dominic."
"Love the name. Are you from the area?"
Dominic eyed the bolder of the two women warily. "No. Vacationing."
He loaded the kayaks. "That should do it," he said once the second was in place. He watched Carol expertly secure them and confirm the fact the women were seasoned at doing this on their own.
Beth informed him that Carol's husband didn't like to kayak but, since Beth was single, she and Carol ventured out together. And relied on strong men such as himself to help them out when they returned tired from paddling.
He double-checked the tie-downs to make certain they'd hold once the ladies got the vehicle moving.
"Oh, you're married," Carol said.
He stepped back and nodded. "I was married twenty-one years."
"Was?" Beth asked.
Realizing he'd opened a door he couldn't go back and shut given the verbal slip, Dominic shifted his weight from foot to foot. When would saying Lisa was dead ever get easier? "I'm a widower. My wife passed away a year ago."
"Oh, how sad." Beth's comment seemed heartfelt and he accepted it as such.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Carol added. "I lost my first husband to a heart attack. He was only thirty-four. It was a hard few years, but then I met my George. We'll be married six years this September."
He nodded since he wasn't sure what the proper response was and stepped toward his car. "I, uh, should get back."
"Don't rush off," Beth said. "Hang on just a sec. Just a second."
Beth left them to quickly get something from the driver's seat. She returned and placed her hand on his forearm and slid it down the length to his fingers, where she squeezed them, pressing something into his palm.
He made eye contact and she smiled.
"Thanks again for your help. Will you be in town long?"
"A few days. I'm… not sure yet."
"Well… maybe something will entice you to stay," Beth murmured. "Have a good evening."
He got back in his car and a quick glance in his rearview mirror let him know Beth watched until he was out of sight. It was then that he opened his hand and saw Beth's name, phone number, and an invitation to dinner written on the slip of paper.
He inhaled and pressed his back against the seat as he drove. He wasn't ready for this. Dating. And it wasn't the first time it had happened. Women at work, his neighborhood, the gym. Within a matter of hours of the news spreading of Lisa's passing, women had come out of the woodwork to bring food and… offer comfort. Whatever he needed, they'd said, the look in their eyes making it clear it could mean as little or as much as he wanted.
Some men might find it flattering and be tempted by the offers, but he wasn't one of them. His marriage had meant more to him than that. More than jumping into bed with someone else just because he was now free to do so.
Dominic drove back to Carolina Cove and into the inn's parking lot, his good mood soured by the exchange and what the future held. Maybe he was a romantic, but he'd hoped to grow old with his wife. Instead he was alone and lonelier than he ever remembered feeling.
He'd rounded the car to retrieve the groceries from the passenger side when he heard Ireland call his name.
"You dropped something," Ireland said.
He turned in time to see her stooping down to pick whatever it was up from where the breeze had blown it. She'd turned to face him, but as she closed the distance between them, he saw her glance down. He recognized the slip and knew the moment Ireland read Beth's number and message.
"Here. You, uh, wouldn't want to lose that."
"Ireland—"
"Enjoy your night."
"I didn't ask for her number."
"It's none of my business, Dominic."
"Beth— She gave it to me but I didn't ask for it."
"Again, none of my business."
He gripped the bags so tightly that his fingers hurt. "Are we still on for the game this week?"
"Um, yeah. I guess. I'm taking Sammy for sure, but if your plans don't change and you're still here, you're welcome to join us."
"Thanks. I'd like that." He'd sensed her reluctance before, but now he got the impression she was even more hesitant. He could see it in her expression.
"Okay then. Night."
She'd taken a step or two away from him when he said, "Samuel keeps asking for a ride in my car. I thought maybe I'd drive to the game. If you wouldn't mind, that is. He might get a kick out of it."
Once again he noted the differences in Ireland and Beth. Beth had been drawn to the Porsche but Ireland glanced at the car, her expression lacking enthusiasm.
"I suppose we could. Sammy does really want to ride in it, and to be honest, I hate driving in traffic."
"Sounds like a plan. Wait, would you like me to walk you home? It's getting dark."
Ireland lifted her hand and pushed at the hair blowing into her face in the breeze.
"I'm good. Enjoy your… evening."
Chapter 8
The next morning, Ireland stopped by London's Lattes on the way to the inn. Samuel remained two steps ahead of her and drew her attention to the fact Rocco was still there. "His owner didn't show up?"
London glanced up from what she was doing and shook her head. "Didn't have to. After you left last night, I had a wave of people, and he snuck out when I wasn't looking. The owner didn't call, though, so I'm guessing Rocco made it home."
"But now he's back."
"Yup. Showed up abo
ut ten minutes ago and lay down by Rosie, same as yesterday."
Samuel dropped to his knees beside the dogs and was greeted with licks and wagging tails.
"Are you going to call the owner again?" Ireland asked as she leaned against the bar.
"Not as long as he behaves himself. He's got to be local. Maybe a new family moved in and they aren't aware of the leash laws. I just hope Rocco doesn't get reported and picked up."
Ireland watched as Samuel told Rocco to sit and the dog immediately complied, tail sweeping the floor. He proceeded to shake, lie down, and roll over.
"So are you and Sammy excited about going to the game?"
Ireland narrowed her gaze on her younger sister and wished she could muster up more enthusiasm. "I guess." She lowered her voice. "You know you didn't have to go Googling the schedule like you did."
"Oh, come on. It's a few hours of fun with a handsome man and your son. Besides, it's supposed to be cooler on Wednesday, so at least you won't be baking in those seats."
"And we get to ride in Dominic's cool car!" Samuel said from the floor.
"Oh, really. He's driving… a cool car?"
Ireland rolled her eyes. "Yes, he's driving. I ran into him last night at the inn, and he offered to drive since Sammy wants a ride and it would be odd to hand my kid off to a man I barely know."
"Agreed. And the cool car is…?"
"A brand-new Porsche."
"Wowza. Nice."
"Eh."
London propped her elbows on the countertop and laced her fingers together. "I know you love your car, but you are our father's daughter, and you went to every one of those car shows with us. You like fast cars just as much as we all do."
"Okay, fine. Yes, it's a nice car, but I don't get spending that kind of money on something like that. It probably cost as much as a house."
"Is that the reason? Or because it makes you think of your ex?"
Ireland glared at London before checking to see if Samuel still listened. Thankfully her son had taken to playing with the dogs on the far side of the room and was currently reading the dogs a book from the kids’ section. "Do you mind not saying stuff like that in front of him?"
"Sammy isn't listening now, and you know I checked before I said it. What's up with you? Answer the question."
"Nothing is up. And Rich had to have the best of the best whether we could afford it or not. He'd just roll the difference into the new vehicle and pretend we weren't in debt."
"Okay. What's that got to do with Dominic?"
"Nothing. It has nothing to do with Dominic. You're right. I don't know anything about his or Lisa's finances, and I shouldn't be judging someone for driving a car costing more than I make in a year."
"But you are."
"It doesn't seem a bit… suspect to you? A handsome widower, a flashy car. He's in mourning, I know it because I see it and Lisa warned me he would be. I just wonder if he's trying to comfort himself in… questionable ways."
"Questionable ways?" London straightened. "Okay, now I know something's up. Explain."
Ireland lifted her hands in the air as though surrendering. "It's nothing. I need to just shut up and stop overthinking everything."
"Uh-uh. You're not getting out of it that easily. What do you mean by 'questionable ways'?"
Ireland pulled at one of her earrings and sighed. "When I left the office last night, Dominic was getting out of the car," she said dryly. "He dropped something and I picked it up. I didn't mean to look but it was a woman's name, number, and a message to call her for dinner." When London stared at her blankly, Ireland huffed. "He went to the grocery store, for pity's sake. He wasn't gone for more than an hour, tops."
London stepped back from the bar and… grinned.
"What?"
"You. You act like you're—dare I say it?—jealous."
"How can I be jealous? I only just met the man."
"I have no idea how you can be jealous, but you're definitely acting like it."
"I'm not. I'm… indignant. On Lisa's behalf. She arranged this trip for him—"
"A year after her death," London interjected. "Maybe this is exactly what Lisa had in mind."
"Picking up a random woman while on a grocery run? I seriously doubt that."
"No, really. I've been thinking about this ever since we talked yesterday— you know, my point about it being her last goodbye? If you were her, wouldn't you think him meeting someone was a distinct possibility? The man is quite handsome."
Ireland frowned down at her chipped fingernail polish before glancing at her watch. She needed to get her caffeine fix before taking over for the night manager. "I don't know. Maybe. Is my coffee ready?"
"Stop changing the subject."
"I don't like talking to you about this."
London laughed. "Only because you know I might be right. Ireland, you're looking at it from the view of a loving wife—"
"Well, of course I am."
"—who is still here. That's why you're upset. As a wife, you know what it did to you when Rich flirted with other women right in front of you."
"I hated it. I told him over and over again, but he didn't care that it hurt me."
"Exactly. But what if you looked at it from the view of a dead wife who's loving her husband from beyond? She did love him, right?"
"Yes." That much she knew for certain. Lisa had been teary while making the arrangements, but she'd also been… accepting. Not in the sense of her impending death but… excited to be doing something for Dominic to surprise him, help him.
"So what if she hoped he'd come here and enjoy himself and maybe remember what it's like to be single? He’s still young, handsome—”
“So you’ve mentioned more than once.”
“Because it’s true. Look, you haven't let go of the hurt Rich caused you, and I get it. I do. But Dominic can't betray someone who's no longer here."
As much as she hated to admit it, London was right. "I didn't think of it that way."
London blew on her fingertips and rubbed them against her shirt while making an I-told-you-so face.
"It doesn't mean you're right," Ireland added. "Just that I hadn't thought of it that way."
"So did he go to dinner?"
She pressed her fingertips to her temple and sighed. "Am I ever going to get my coffee?"
Chapter 9
Midmorning the following day, Dominic was sitting on one of the benches on the pier watching the waves roll in, a fresh cup of coffee from London's Lattes in his hand.
There had been a few people there with laptops working and a mug in front of them, and Rocco the golden retriever was back too, showing up just as Dominic had turned to leave. The dog had tail-wagged his way over to Rosie's bed and plopped down, same as before.
Screeching from below drew his attention, and Dominic spotted someone jumping up and waving their arms, a flock of sea birds scattering at the commotion but not going very far.
A lifeguard blew his whistle and motioned, indicating that someone was swimming too close to the pier.
Dominic took a sip and went back to people watching, squinting behind his sunglasses when he spotted a kid Samuel's size and appearance walking toward the pier with a couple of other, bigger boys. The Samuel look-alike held a bag of some kind.
Samuel walked slowly, keeping an eye on the boys as they ran toward the dunes. "What are you up to?" Dominic murmured under his breath.
Sure enough, Samuel stopped and opened the bag he held and tossed a chip toward a nearby bird, which alerted every bird in a mile radius to come join the party. Birds flocked, squawked, and everyone in the general vicinity watched as Samuel tossed chips into the air. Beachgoers left their beach towels and chairs with cell phones in hand to snap photos of the many, many birds—and while all of that was happening, the two kids who'd moved toward the dunes quickly peeked into unattended coolers left behind by Samuel's audience and snagged drinks from within. "You little thieves."
Dominic watched as t
he boys walked toward the pier. Samuel noted his buddies leaving him and ended the show. He wadded up the top of the bag to close it and started running to catch up.
Dominic watched the other boys and noted the stolen drinks. The shorter of the two carried what looked to be water and a sports drink given the color, but the oldest of the trio tucked his beneath his shirt to carry.
They quickly disappeared beneath the pier, and Dominic lost sight of them thanks to the summer crowd and distance.
He shook his head, wondering what Samuel's dad was thinking abandoning not only his wife but his child in a world where, every day, they faced a battle of some kind.
* * *
"Where have you been? I've been calling everywhere looking for you," Ireland said to Samuel the moment he walked into the inn's office just before lunch.
"Around. We went to the beach."
"We?"
"Some boys from school."
"What boys?"
"Just a couple of guys from the older league."
"And you behaved yourself?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Ireland jerked a thumb toward the break room behind the counter. "Carolina brought lunch on her way in. You must be hungry by now."
"No thanks."
"No?" She stopped restocking the snack box and made eye contact with Samuel. "What'd you eat? You're always starving by noon."
"We had some stuff."
"What stuff, where'd you get it, and who paid for it?"
The door behind Samuel chimed, and she looked up to find Dominic slipping inside. "Dominic, what can I help you with today?"
"Actually, I saw Samuel and thought I'd ask your permission to go fishing on the pier again."
"Yes! For real?"
"For real. But only if your mom says it's okay." He met Ireland's gaze and paused. Had her eyes always been that color? Maybe it was the turquoise blouse she wore that made them seem brighter than he remembered, but her eyes drew him… "Sorry if I'm interrupting."
"No, not at all. And I suppose it's okay if he goes. Samuel's been missing in action all morning, but he swears he's behaved himself. Right, Samuel?"
