Page 6 of When Morning Comes Around

He reached her, and she had to tip her head back to look up into his eyes, he was that tall.

He leaned his head to the side and smiled down at her. “Yeah, there was… Something. But I wouldn’t have described you as crazy. Anyway…” He took a step backward. “We’ve met now, but I haven’t introduced myself.” He held out his hand. “I’m Dominic.”

“Sadie.” As she shook hands with him, she immediately felt safe. It was ridiculous – just a few minutes ago, she’d been terrified of him. Now, he felt like a safe place – even though she’d spent most of her life feeling like she didn’t have one of those.

She stared into his eyes – his big, brown, reassuring eyes. The wrinkles around them looked to her like laughter lines, and it was hard not to compare them to what she’d come to think of over the years as the small, mean lines around Dale’s eyes.

And comparing this stranger – no matter how big or handsome he might be – to her husband, even if he was soon to become her ex-husband, was not what she needed to be doing.

He looked down at their hands, as if realizing that they were still holding on. For one crazy second, she wondered if he didn’t want to let go either. But he withdrew his hand quickly and gave her a pained smile.

“What was going on before you broke down?”

She stared at him, wondering how he knew. There’d been so much going on for so long, but she wouldn’t say that she’d broken down. She’d lost her shit when she’d walked into Dale’s office and… And that wasn’t what Dominic was talking about. She gave an embarrassed laugh. He was talking about the damn minivan.

“It’s my own fault, and I know it. It did well to get this far, but it started overheating yesterday. I’ve been stopping more and more frequently to let it cool down. That’s why I was in the grocery store. I thought I’d make this last leg okay, but I’d forgotten – I should’ve known that I’d never make it up the hill.”

“Is it the radiator?”

She shrugged. “It may be – I have no idea. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I really don’t have a clue.”

He smiled. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just not your area of expertise.”

“Thanks. That makes me feel better.”

“Do you want to pop the hood for me, and I’ll take a look?”

She did as he asked and couldn’t help admiring him as he propped the hood open – his large, muscular arms making it look like nothing. When he bent to look inside, she couldn’t resist walking around behind him so that she could see into the engine bay, too. She had no clue what she was looking for inthere, but she couldn’t resist a glance at his ass on her way by. All her breath caught in her chest when she realized what she’d done. She’d never been the kind of woman to ogle a man’s body – until now.

When he turned to her with what looked like a knowing smile on his face, she felt the heat in her cheeks. He’d caught her looking – he must have!

“Want to know the truth?”

She nodded slowly, not sure that she did.

He chuckled. “I don’t really have a clue, either. I’d guess that there’s no water left in your radiator, but I don’t have any water with me and I wouldn’t know how to fix the leak anyway. So, what do you say, do you want me to give you a ride to your dad’s place – and we’ll get Jake out here to tow it for you tomorrow?”

“Yes!” She was aware that her answer was a little more enthusiastic than the question warranted – she was just relieved that he wasn’t calling her out for checking out his booty. “I mean, that would be wonderful, if you don’t mind.”

“I’m happy to help. Do you have much with you?”

She gave him a puzzled look. “I don’t understand.”

“You probably shouldn’t leave anything in it since it’s going to be here by the side of the road overnight. Do you just have your purse?”

Her heart sank. “I… err … no.” She blew out a sigh. There was no point in trying to hide it. He was right; she needed to take her belongings with her. And considering that what she had packed in the car were basically the remnants of her life, shewas probably going to have to explain at least a little about her situation.

~ ~ ~

Dominic was shocked when she slid open the side door of the minivan to see a bunch of trash bags and packing boxes filling the rear of the vehicle. Sadie herself struck him as being well put together. He couldn’t match the messy interior of the minivan with the woman standing before him.

He didn’t feel like it was his place to judge, so he waited.

She blew out a big sigh. “I know, I know – it’s a mess. All I can say in my defense is that I left in somewhat of a hurry. It’s funny, although funny isn’t the right word, but you know what I mean. It’s… strange that after more than thirty years, when it comes down to it, you realize that you’ve accumulated very little that means anything to you.”

Dominic nodded. He and Polly had been together for almost thirty years before she died. For the first couple of months after the funeral he hadn’t wanted to part with a damn thing. Then, after a while, he’d needed to get rid of everything. Belongings didn’t mean anything when he didn’t get to share them with her anymore.

He came back to the moment when Sadie climbed inside and grabbed a couple of trash bags. “Is it all right if I put these in the back of your SUV?”

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