After the Dawn (30 page)

He wasn't going to worry about his feelings or try to analyze them. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to.

Turning into his mother's driveway, he drove around back. In all of his craziness while in high school, he'd always managed to drag his behind home before dawn. Cell phones weren't as popular in those days, and with his reputation, he knew she'd worry.

In college he might hang out all night, but never when he came home. He was too aware of the neighbors waiting to crucify him and tell his mother that he was still headed to jail. She had defended him enough to last two lifetimes.

Roman was right about one thing, people in the town really liked her. She'd been able to overcome their harsh and unfair belief about her. He didn't plan to do anything that might change their minds.

Getting out of his car, Dillon wondered if Roman had stayed last night, then decided he didn't want to go there.

He unlocked the back door, went through the kitchen and started for his room, then switched direction to the other wing of the house, to his mother's bedroom. She'd known why he'd torn out of there last night, wouldn't have worried, but still …

The flameless candles were off. The little alcove lay in shadows; the bedroom door was open.

He wasn't sure he wanted to go in. He was a grown man, but she'd know what he'd been doing, whom he'd been doing it with. Strangely, his concern was for Sam. It wasn't likely his mother would treat her differently or think less of her. They were both single adults.

The thought had no more formed than it ran through his mind that his mother and Roman were single adults.

“Dillon.” Light chased away the shadows in the alcove.

“Yeah.” Dillon entered the bedroom. His mother sat up in bed, her eyes searching his. “Is everything all right?”

He sat on the side of the bed, stared down at his shoes. “Sam and I worked things out.”

“I'm glad.” She brushed her hand over his head as if he were a little boy. “I like Samantha. She's a wonderful and beautiful young woman.”

His head came up and he was grinning. “She is, isn't she?”

“Yes, she is,” his mother said. “I'm glad you were able to work things out.”

“For now.” He came to his feet, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “One day I'll leave.”

“Then enjoy to the fullest every second you have with her,” his mother said. “Make it count.”

He stared down at her. “Is that what you're doing with Roman?”

She glanced away.

He reached for her. “I didn't say it to embarrass you. I just don't want you hurt.”

Finally she looked at him. “He's already told me that when the job is over he still plans to see me.”

“He said you make him happier. I think it's the same way with you.”

“He annoys me at times, and then…” She lifted her shoulders helplessly.

“The same with Sam. She tried to outstare me, challenge me, in Vegas,” he recalled. “I was ready to leave her in the hotel, but I couldn't.”

“You really like her.”

“Yeah. You really like him.”

“Yeah.”

Dillon stared at his mother; she stared back. A word leaped into his mind, but he refused to say it aloud. From his mother's huge eyes, she was thinking the same thing.

“Don't worry about breakfast. I think I'll call Sam and see if she wants to grab a bite at the Golden Griddle. You want to come with us?”

“Roman is picking me up at seven thirty for breakfast there, and then bringing me home after work.” She seemed almost embarrassed.

“What? No lunch date?” Dillon teased, enjoying his mother's blushes.

“It's Billy's birthday. We're having pizza.”

Dillon laughed, leaned down, and kissed his mother on the cheek. “Whoever gets there first will save a table for four. Deal?”

“Deal.”

 

Seventeen

Samantha and Dillon arrived first because he'd called her at six-thirty on her cell phone to make sure she didn't oversleep. They'd quickly decided they'd rather talk face-to-face.

After Samantha disconnected the call, she had hurriedly showered and dressed, glad she'd had the forethought to bring clothes and toiletries to the cottage. She got in her car and hurriedly drove to the restaurant. When she pulled up she saw Dillon, his long, muscled jeans-clad legs crossed, arms folded across a wide chest, waiting for her.

She parked beside him, got out, and he was there. She didn't think, she just curved her arms around his neck and enjoyed the kiss. “Good morning.”

“There went keeping this from your uncle.” Dillon didn't have to look around to know they'd been seen. The restaurant was a popular place for breakfast.

“Last night I might have wanted to keep this between us, but not any longer.” She grinned. “Besides, you're too yummy to resist.”

“Something tells me that you might be a handful.”

“Make that two.” Taking his hand, she led the way inside the restaurant.

The hostess stared from her to Dillon. Samantha felt like sticking out her chest and saying, “Mine.”

“Table for two?”

“Four,” Dillon told her. “Another couple will be joining us.”

“This way.”

Samantha felt Dillon's hand at the small of her back, the stares of the people. Talk of them would be all over town by midday. She couldn't care less. She took the seat he held and accepted the menu. “Marlene and Roman joining us?”

“Yeah. They have a breakfast date. He's also taking her home from work,” Dillon said. “I'm not sure if they're going out or staying in.”

“Doesn't matter as long as they're together.”

“Yeah.” He understood that now.

“Good morning. You folks ready to order?” the waiter asked.

“Sam?”

“The breakfast supreme with pan sausages, hash browns, large orange juice, coffee, and lots of strawberry jelly.”

“I'll have the same.” He handed his menu to the waiter.

“How was the trip yesterday?” Samantha asked, with a grin. “I forgot to ask last night.”

He grinned back. “We had our minds on other things.”

“I picked up a new client who wants me to work on his Lamborghini and another I hope to see for the last time.” He folded his arms on the table and told her about the wife sneaking to drive her husband's car when he was out of town.

“Your drinks.” The waitress placed their water, juice, and coffee on the table. “The food will be here shortly.”

“Thanks.” Sam picked up her juice, slipped off her shoe, and ran her foot up Dillon's leg. He barely kept from jumping. “Surely she can find a time to ask him to drive the car when he'd find it difficult to refuse.”

Dillon snatched up his glass of water and took a long swallow. Heaven help him if Sam asked to drive his car while they were in bed. “You wouldn't do that, would you?” She smiled, and he knew if she did, he'd be in danger of giving her anything she wanted. “Sam?”

She placed her glass on the table and sat back in her chair. “I believe in playing fair. You'll let me drive the Ferrari because you want to, not because I asked you in a weak moment. Especially knowing there will be times I'd be just as vulnerable. You can be quite impressive.”

“The same goes for you,” he told her. She made him hard with just a look.

“Then I'd say we're two lucky people.” Sam nodded toward the entrance. “I'd say they're lucky as well.”

Dillon followed the direction of her gaze and saw his mother and Roman approaching. While she was smiling, Roman looked annoyed. Dillon stood, holding the chair for her. “Hi.”

“Good morning,” Sam greeted them.

“Good morning, Samantha,” Marlene returned as she took her seat.

“Everything all right?” Dillon asked. His easygoing friend had yet to smile.

“Good morning. Depends.” Roman took his seat. “Go ahead and tell him.”

Marlene glanced sideways at Roman. “His engine light came on in his car a couple of houses down from mine. It took some doing, but I finally talked him into letting me take a look.”

Dillon was puzzled. Roman wasn't a chauvinist. “Mama is a great mechanic.”

“I didn't want her getting dirty,” he explained.

“That was hardly going to happen,” Marlene said. “Your car's engine looks as if it just rolled off the showroom floor.”

“Dad taught all of us to take care of our cars on the inside and outside,” he murmured.

“It shows,” Marlene said. “Without putting it on the machine I can't be sure, but my money's on the alternator.”

“If Marlene says it's the alternator, it's the alternator,” Sam said. “She diagnosed my problem in no time.”

“Is that why you're out of sorts?” Dillon asked. “Because Marlene knew what was wrong with your car?”

Roman asked a passing waitress for two menus before slanting a look at Dillon. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

“Then what?”

Roman grimaced. “You should understand. I don't like my car being down. I'm used to driving it, enjoy driving it.”

Marlene patted his shoulder in sympathy. “A flatbed wrecker is coming to pick up the Porsche and take it to his dealer.”

“The car has never given me a moment's problem since I special ordered it two years ago. Now, when I need it most, it decided to stop,” Roman muttered. “Marlene and I had plans for tomorrow. We were going to the nursery after she looked at my yard. I thought we might go the Arboretum. I need my car.”

“I can just as easily drive up and we can use my car.”

Roman was shaking his head before she finished. “You are not getting on the highway after dark to drive back home.”

“I've driven from Dallas after dark before,” she said.

He faced her. “You're not doing it this time.”

Marlene blinked and her eyes narrowed, but she didn't refute what he said.

Dillon coughed to disguise a laugh and saw Sam trying to disguise her own laugh. His mother usually had her way. It was clear that when it came to her safety, Roman was having his. “I'll take you by the car rental agency before we go to the plant. Hopefully, they'll have an SUV.”

“Here's some menus for you folks and water.” The waitress took their orders and left. Almost immediately Dillon and Samantha were served their food.

“Please eat while your food is hot,” his mother told them.

Sam said grace and picked up her fork. “The rental selection here is not going to be that good.”

Roman nodded. “You're probably right. If I can't get what I want, I'll take anything. In the meantime, I'll reserve an SUV in Dallas to use while we're there, then drive the rental from here back.”

“Men and their cars,” Marlene said.

Roman turned to her. “You think I'm overreacting, don't you?”

“No. You planned the weekend, and now there's a glitch. But things happen,” Marlene told him with quiet understanding. “You shouldn't worry. We're not going to let car problems ruin our day. We'll do everything you planned and then some.”

Roman's gaze narrowed on her face, then a slow smile spread across his. He took her hand and kissed her fingertips. “You know, you're amazing.”

Dillon fully expected his gossip-conscious mother to snatch her hand away and snap at Roman for the public display of affection. He almost fell off his chair when her fingers curled tenderly over Roman's fingers.

“You're just now figuring that out?” Marlene said with a lifted brow.

Roman laughed and leaned toward Marlene. Dillon cleared his throat. His mother blushed. Roman straightened and grinned.

Dillon couldn't hold back his own smile. Sam was right, his mother and Roman were lucky as well. He couldn't be happier for them.

*   *   *

Shortly after dark, Roman's day was only marginally better. Elms Fork's only car rental agency wouldn't have a car available until closing at nine—if the person returned the car on time. Since he couldn't get a rental till then, he decided to work through lunch to try to finish the audit.

Leaning back in his chair, he stared at the name on the computer screen. The thief who'd systematically stolen over a million dollars from Collins in the past three years. Roman had already called Dillon to let him know the report was finished. He and Samantha were on their way.

Roman reached for his cell phone and punched in Marlene's number. Just the thought of hearing her voice, seeing her later, made the stiffness in his muscles fade away.

“Hi. You ready for me to pick you up?” Marlene asked.

“Yes. Dillon and Samantha are on their way here now. They'll leave the front gate unlocked for you.”

The cranky security man at the entrance had made it clear in Samantha and Dillon's joint office, when she'd asked him to stay until Roman was ready to leave, that he had plans and wasn't staying once his shift was up. He was tired of working late because they couldn't get their work done on time.

Dillon had shot up from his seat, but Samantha had waved him aside and stood, her palm faceup as she'd asked for the gate keys. The man had hesitated, then slapped them in her hand with a smirk.

Tossing them on her desk, Samantha had told him that Collins might not be a good fit for him any longer.

His shocked expression had been priceless, his apologies useless. Samantha had told him they'd discuss it Monday at eight in her office, dismissing him by taking her seat. He'd slunk off like a whipped puppy. To Dillon's “Well done,” Samantha had said, “I learned from the best. You.” Since they were staring at each other hungrily, Roman had gone back to work.

“I'm leaving now. Bye,” Marlene said.

“Bye.” Roman disconnected the call. It was his problem that he wanted her to depend on him for something, to trust him with her love. She'd freak out if she knew how much he loved her. He'd been falling since the moment he saw her. It had been so easy to love her. She deserved to be loved, pampered, treasured. And she was so afraid to take that final step.