Chapter 9

nine

" Y ou're telling me things are completely normal with you and David?" No doubt Romee sat in her home music office with a can of Dr Pepper. Her hair was probably in a big messy bun on top of her head as she took her lunch break. "Even after your not-date, you let him into your office? Helping you with the books and the webpage?"

Sadie never should have answered this call as she stepped into Donny's Diner. The tables were filled, and every seat at the counter was occupied. No wonder she'd been told it would take so long to fill her call-in order. Must be the lunch rush. She should have gone back to her apartment, but she was low on groceries. Plus, she had yet to visit her favorite restaurant. The counters had been updated and although the booths were still red, the vinyl wasn't cracked at the corners anymore. But beyond those two things, time seemed to have stood still in the restaurant. Same vintage stools, same tintype ceiling, and same jukebox in the corner.

She'd spent many a weekend close to that jukebox with a stack of nickels and her childhood friend, Fallon James. They hadn't spoken in years, since they both moved away from Heritage. Maybe Sadie should message her longtime friend and let her know she'd moved back. When she came for a visit, they could reconnect.

Sadie inched her way toward the register as she cupped her hand by her cheek, doing her best to filter out the background noise for Romee. "Can we talk about this later?"

Romee huffed. "Fine. But this conversation isn't over. I might even pull in Anna. She knows a thing or two about exes."

Anything but that. "Please leave Anna out of this." Her other sister's on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brock, was—well, Sadie had no idea if he was currently on or off.

"Talk later, sis." And that ended the phone call.

Sadie slipped her phone in her back pocket as the waitress breezed by with a tray tucked under her arm.

"Your order will be right out. You paid over the phone, right?" The waitress placed her order pad in the front of her apron and hurried off.

At least Donny's didn't appear to be hurting for customers. Too bad half of those customers wouldn't walk down to the hardware store and make a purchase today. It would help.

"Two cheeseburgers and fries." The waitress handed Sadie a white plastic bag.

"Thanks." Sadie did a quick check. Two white Styrofoam boxes sat stacked inside the bag. Sadie gave the woman a nod then hurried out the front door and back to the store. She sidestepped Otis, who now sat in the middle of the sidewalk in front of the bank and patted his head as she passed, his warm bronze comforting and smooth. Otis always had a way of making everything a little better. Maybe it was the way his bronze eyes stared at everyone and everything. Maybe, it was just the magic that kept him moving. More than likely though, it was his secret-keeping skills, because there was no way Otis would tell Romee that Sadie had a little extra pep in her step just because she was thinking about David.

Before she could even turn on to Richard Street, her phone buzzed in her back pocket. She scanned the texts coming in rapid fire. True to her word, Romee had started a thread with Anna.

Romee: We need all the details. Tell us what's going on with David.

Anna: I agree. I didn't even know David was back in town.

Romee: Well, if you'd answer your phone every once in a while, you'd know.

Anna: *gif of little girl rolling her eyes.

Sadie shoved the phone in her back pocket so she could open the door of the hardware store. The welcome bell jingled happily overhead. If she told her sisters anything about David, it would open that crack in her heart even more.

He'd stepped in, shared her burden, and opened up to her about Costa Rica. It was all the best parts of their relationship, with a new openness they'd never had before. And it was addictive.

She couldn't dwell on that because he was returning to Costa Rica, so even if he checked off every box she'd ever had for a husband, she had to remember a new box she'd recently added: lived in Heritage. She couldn't uproot her life again. Lottie needed that stability of family, a home, and Heritage provided all of that.

David came up from the back of the store, Nate behind him.

David stopped beside her, his arm brushing hers, sending goosebumps up to her ears and down to her toes. Nate held out a business envelope to her. "I wanted to drop this off. I meant to yesterday but got sidetracked."

Sadie set the lunch bag on the counter behind David, her hands brushing his back. His eyes locked onto hers, and heat raced up Sadie's spine to her neck. Maybe she needed to check the thermostat?

She took the envelope Nate held out and opened it. Inside sat a check. Her fingers tingled.

A check.

It was only a few hundred dollars.

But still—a check .

Nate stood in front of her, his black T-shirt tight across his shoulders, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "I'm sorry it's late."

She hadn't contacted Nate. He was on page two of the ledger, and she hadn't gotten that far yet. How did he know? Did he suddenly remember?

Nate jerked his head toward David. "This guy reminded me."

A check.

It hardly made a dent in the money owed the bank, but someone paid their debt. Someone cared enough to pay off their tab. All because of David.

Nate left and David grabbed the broom from behind the register. Sadie had left it out earlier intending to finish sweeping but just hadn't gotten around to it yet. His biceps tightened as he moved the broom back and forth. Who knew watching a man sweep could be so… sexy .

Sadie pulled out her phone.

Sadie: Ok. So maybe I'm in trouble. The man steps in to solve my problems. He sees them and jumps in to help without being asked.

Sadie: And he invades my personal space. And…I like it. *Grimace emoji.

Romee: I KNEW IT! You still like him.

Anna: *gif of Ariel nodding her head to Prince Eric. Yeah, she does. She always has.

Romee: *gif of Superman flying. David's always been her kryptonite.

Sadie: Not helping. What do I do? He's leaving.

"Is it okay if I start eating?" David's deep voice interrupted her text.

She shoved the phone into her back pocket. Had he seen their texts? She'd been standing here texting like a dolt while David had swept the floor and put the broom away. Yikes.

He stepped closer and reached for the lunch behind her.

"I talked to Lance last night." David leaned closer. His breath, smelling of peppermint, whispered over her face.

Her stomach squeezed. This was it. The he's-leaving-for-Costa-Rica conversation she'd been waiting for. She gulped. "When are you going back?"

"I'm not sure. They've hired someone to fill my spot."

It was like time stood still for a moment, until Sadie's heart slammed against her rib cage. "You're not going back?"

"I'm not sure what my future holds. But I'll…" His words trailed off, as his eyes dropped to her lips. If she tilted her chin up just so, she could meet him with a kiss. And it would be…delicious.

"You'll…?" Sadie kept her chin tilted down, needing David to finish that thought.

"I'm…not sure anymore. Maybe…" David's thumb tilted her chin up.

"Sadie." Her name on his lips. A caress. "Have dinner with me?"

Like a date? With David? Warning bells sounded in her head. She blinked and dropped her gaze. Danger. Danger.

Or was it? He wasn't leaving.

He. Wasn't. Leaving.

She met his gaze again—the hope and promise buried within warmed her from the inside. That might be an entirely different kind of danger.

The bell jingled and Sadie tried to jump backward out of David's grasp, but she stepped into the counter. How had she totally forgotten where she was?

David sighed, stepped back, dropped his hands, and ran one hand through his thick, auburn hair, his biceps flexing. Holy Batman, she needed to keep her mind in the moment and off his mouth-watering muscles.

"Didn't mean to interrupt." Her mom's voice broke the last of the fog surrounding Sadie.

"It's always good to see you, Dawn." David offered his hand to her mom, but she batted it away and hugged David.

When her mom stepped back, she eyed Sadie with a knowing look. The weight of her accusation didn't need to be voiced. "I, um, Nate stopped by." Sadie held up her empty hand. Where had the envelope gone? David bent down and retrieved it off the floor and handed it to her. Sadie nodded. "Nate paid off his tab."

Her mom's perfectly shaped white-blonde eyebrow lifted, looking between Sadie and David. Sadie studied the floor.

"Sadie, honey, I brought some cookies for you and Lottie. Want to take these back to your office?" Her mom's normally honey-sweet voice held an unarguable edge of stone to it.

Sadie took the cookies and walked to her office. She pulled out her phone and sent a message to her sisters.

Sadie: Things feel different. David said they gave his job in Costa Rica to someone else.

Anna: He's not going back?

Romee: Girl, it's time to move in on that. Strike while the iron's hot. *flame emoji.

Sadie: There will be no striking.

Anna: Don't you want to strike?

Sadie: Maybe? I mean, if he's staying here. Does that change things?

Romee: *gif of Jimmy Fallon fist pumping.

Anna: Only if you want it to.

Sadie: He asked me to dinner.

Romee: Way to bury the lead.

Anna: What did you say?

Sadie: I haven't yet. Mom sort of interrupted.

Romee: Again, bury the lead, why don't ya? I'll message Mom.

Anna: You know she will want to know too.

Anna: But seriously, do you want to go?

Did she want to go? The overwhelming yes settled in her soul. If it meant that there might even be a chance for a future with David, she wanted to find out. Her heart did a tap dance routine in her chest.

Sadie: I'm going to say yes.

Romee: *gif of Michael Bublé saying "You got this."

Anna: *gif of Jennifer Coolidge eating cake saying, "You go, girl."

Sadie tucked her phone into her pocket and grabbed a peppermint from her desk drawer. If David invaded her space again, hopefully she wouldn't have coffee breath.

Her mom's low voice floated low through the hardware store. "Be careful with her, David."

"I will."

"We love you like you're our own son. But when you left last time, you broke her."

"I know."

"No, I don't think you do. I have never seen her like that. Frankly, it scared me, and I don't ever want to see her like that again."

Way to scare him off before things even get started, Mom. Sadie coughed, and the conversation changed as she stepped out of the aisle. Her mom's open expression welcomed Sadie, hiding the fact she'd just given David a warning speech.

"Dinner tonight? I made a pot roast. It's your favorite, hon. David, you're welcome, too."

"You know I can't turn that down." Sadie's phone buzzed again. A reminder her sisters would want an update.

David shoved his hands into his jean pockets. "I appreciate that, Dawn, but I'm playing soccer with some of the teens tonight."

Opening the door, Sadie's mom gave her a knowing look. "I'm going to run. Your sister has been messaging me non-stop for the past few minutes."

Of course she had. Romee would wheedle every little detail out of their mom.

The bell jingled again with the shutting of the door, and the store descended into quiet.

"I'm sorry you haven't gotten a chance to eat your lunch." Sadie stepped toward the counter and pulled out a Styrofoam container from the bag and held it out to David. "Probably cold by now."

David took the container and set it back down on the counter then intertwined their fingers. "I'd rather have an answer. My question was sincere. Dinner with me?"

Sadie swallowed. This was it, the moment to decide. "Yes."

A sweet grin lit up David's face. "I'll pick you up Friday night. Will that work?"

"After the store closes."

"It's a date then." David picked up his lunch and headed to the back room.

Sadie turned, and next to her lunch sat the crinkled envelope with the check inside. One check. One payment due. A start. With David's help, she might save the store.

But her heart might be a lost cause.

It was just dinner, and he was acting like this was his first date.

In some ways, it sort of was. David's sweaty palms squeezed the steering wheel as he parked next to the hardware store, reminding him that it was more than just a dinner with Sadie. Forgiveness and perhaps—hopefully—a second chance.

Reservations made. Check.

Nice clothes. Check.

On time for dinner. Check. Maybe even too early.

A quick walk to the gazebo would blow off some of the energy coursing in his veins and kill a little bit of time. David stepped out of his grandfather's truck, shook his hands, and walked to the front of the hardware store.

Otis guarded the playground, near the slide. Lottie sat on her knees next to him, scribbling back and forth on a piece of paper on his hip.

What on earth was she doing? David crossed the street to her.

Lottie leaned back on her heels and held the paper up to the setting sun. "I will figure your secrets out, Otis. You might think you can keep them hidden from me, but I will figure them out."

David stepped closer to see what the paper held. A blob of scribbles. "That mystery is as old as Heritage itself or at least close."

"Look what I found." Lottie held up the paper. But the scribbles didn't look like much. "Did I tell you I opened the Heritage Square clock face?"

David shook his head.

"Well, I watched a YouTube video about repairing clocks. It didn't help me repair it though. The inner parts are all bronze, like Otis here. And inside I found a logo for a watchmaker. There used to be a manor on the square, and it was built by an old watchmaker. The logo in the clock looked like this." She rattled the paper. "Well…sort of. The one in the clock has lots more details. Maybe the builder of the clock and Otis have a connection." Lottie traced the blob of scribbles with her fingers.

David watched her. He squinted and tilted his head—nothing. He couldn't figure out how she saw a logo. "Where'd you find it?"

Lottie pointed to a spot on Otis's back side. David ran his fingers over the section. Smooth. Except…were there a few shallow ridges? Those could be nothing more than scratches due to wear and tear. If there had been a logo there, it had long ago been rubbed smooth.

"Lottie!" Sadie stood across the street, a bag in hand, her purse over her shoulder. Her hair was down, hanging in loose waves, and she wore a maroon sweater with a white vest, jeans, and tall brown boots.

Stunning.

"Oh! Time to go! I get a sleepover with Aunt Romee tonight. Don't tell Mom, but we're going to watch a movie about a big shark and eat popcorn." Lottie ran across the street, and David followed.

Sadie hugged Lottie before she dashed off to the Hoovers' house and threw open the front door. Romee came to the door and waved at Sadie. Must be a signal, because she turned to David then and shrugged her purse on her shoulder. Her cheeks flushed as she offered a small wave.

"You look, uh, really nice." Wow. Nothing awkward about that. He gestured toward the truck. Maybe he should have asked Olivia to borrow the van again.

He opened the truck door and closed it after she settled in the passenger seat. He flexed his hands as he jogged around the car. They'd make their reservation in Ludington, no problem.

Thirty minutes later, David slid into the black booth across from Sadie at Cafe d'Amour. The white linen tablecloth, pressed to perfection, lined the table. A single red rose sat next to a floating candle. Soft string music floated through the restaurant, barely drowning out the murmur of other guests. Private and cozy—just like the reviews online said—but also romantic.

Sadie studied the menu, her long hair hanging over her shoulder. She pulled her lips in and let them out with a deep breath. The barest hint of a smile curled her lips up, even though she continued to study the menu. "Are you going to stare at me all night?"

"If I say yes, will that make you uncomfortable?"

Finally Sadie looked up, her hazel eyes searching his, all traces of teasing gone, and her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. Breaking eye contact, she picked up her purse and pulled out her phone. "You're incorrigible."

She tapped away on her phone and then set it down face up.

"Expecting a message?" David pulled his hands into his lap.

A nervous chuckle escaped Sadie. "Honestly? No. But I'd really love to hear that everything is okay. With Romee watching Lottie tonight, I just want to make sure I'm available if something comes up."

"Is it hard to leave Lottie?"

Sadie let out a small sigh. "It's just, what if something happens and Lottie needs me—I won't be there. Her emotions have been a little volatile lately, and I just want to be there if or when things finally come to a head."

"Romee is there."

Sadie scoffed. "That's just it, though."

There was a story behind that. Sadie looked down to pick at her cuticle.

"It's just I've always felt a little responsible for Romee—for all of my siblings, really. As the oldest, it was always my job to take care of everyone. And one night…well, I stepped out of the kitchen to talk on the phone, and Romee started a fire trying to make grilled cheese. Mom and Dad were furious. What if she'd lit the whole kitchen on fire instead? They reminded me that there wouldn't have been a fire if I had been there. There wouldn't have been any smoke damage. What if something like that happens with Lottie? What if she needs me and I'm not there?"

"Is that why you're so controlling? With Lottie? With the store? Because, if you step out, you think it all might go up in smoke?" David took a sip of root beer as he watched Sadie glance at the phone again with a nervous laugh.

"It might. Life's proven that over and over. When I'm not in control, when I don't know all the details, when I can't plan for all the contingences in life, I get blindsided and things go south. Even when I went to dinner with you last time, Lottie got sick. And look at the store. I jumped into being the proprietor because of Dad's accident. Granted I needed a job, but still, I jumped in without all the details." Her phone vibrated on the table and lit up. Sadie pounced on it, reading a message and quickly responded. Her shoulders relaxed, and a small smile spread across her face.

"They look happy." Sadie turned the phone around to show David a picture. Romee and Lottie filled the screen, both holding big forkfuls of mac and cheese, their mouths hanging open like they were ready to shove that food in.

Sadie placed the phone back on the table.

No wonder she seemed to carry so much on her shoulders. Did she not share any of her load with God? His heart pricked. He'd been doing the same thing though. By refusing to listen to what God was saying, by only considering Costa Rica as his future, he'd been playing the control game. "How do you bring God into the equation?"

"What do you mean? He's there with me."

Of course He was. "I guess. I mean, I've been doing something like that, too. With Costa Rica. Just asking for one answer and not wanting to hear anything else. Are you doing that? Just asking Him to bless your plans? How does His direction, His wants, come into play?"

"I listen." Her voice oozed with defensiveness. "But I've also learned how to manage on my own. Make plans and move forward. It works for us."

It didn't leave a lot of room for trust. But wasn't that what he was doing right now? And God had suddenly "unblessed" his path back to Costa Rica. Maybe Nate was on to something about God's will being something he needed to seek daily.

The waiter came and took their orders, leaving a breadbasket on the center of the table. David lifted his hand off his lap, but his fingers shook. No way would he chance knocking over her glass. Again. He laced his fingers together below the table. "Is it really working for you?"

Sadie lifted one shoulder. "I mean, I have Lottie. That's the biggest blessing I've ever gotten. But the path here has been bumpy. And it's not final until the adoption hearing in a few weeks. But I have planned for everything, so it should be fine."

He opened his mouth to question her further, but she tilted her head back and a nervous laugh bubbled out, and her cheeks turned that beautiful shade of pink. "This feels an awful lot like a first date."

David glanced at the breadbasket and her water glass. "First date jitters and all."

"The view is a little different this time." Sadie studied him, her gaze wandering from his hairline down to his shoulders.

The view had changed. She was even more beautiful than when they were younger.

"I look more and more like my dad." David slowly reached for a slice of bread when Sadie picked up her water for a drink. He set the bread on his plate, buttered it, and took a bite.

Sadie's teasing glint turned serious. "In all our years of dating, you've never mentioned your dad."

The bread sat on his plate. The first bite had been delicious, but it didn't hold any more appeal. "Probably because I don't like to talk about him."

Sadie stretched her arm across the table and squeezed his hand. Her warm, soft skin gentle and soothing. "Why?"

Her thumb made small circles on his hand, and he watched the movement. It would be easy to change the subject, and she'd let it drop. He released a breath.

If there would ever be a future between them, he had to start opening up, let her in. Talk about the things that shaped him. Sadie must have seen the resignation on his face, thinking he was shutting her out. She nodded sadly and slowly pulled her hand away.

But he stopped her movement by placing his hand on hers. "That summer that Leah and Caroline went to stay with Nate's family, Mom and Dad were traveling. It was the summer before my senior year of high school. I stayed home for my summer job, and one day, a woman came by the apartment looking for my dad. She'd looked him up and found our address. When I asked how she knew my dad, she was surprised. Didn't seem to know he was married. She didn't say anything explicit, but I could read between the lines. She was my dad's mistress."

The waiter came and set their meals in front of them. They sat back, but as the waiter left, Sadie pushed her plate to the side, offering her hand. David intertwined their fingers again, and Sadie held tight. "I'm so sorry, David. I can't imagine."

David looked down, the memories coming fast. He gripped Sadie's hand, like a lifeline. He didn't like to walk down memory lane because the memories liked to pull him in, but with Sadie's hand in his, he had someone to ground him. "I debated if I should tell my mom. She'd been so excited to travel with my dad. The trip was to help them reconnect."

David could still see the haunted expression the confession had put on his mom's face. It had never left. "Mom was devastated when I told her, and I vowed never to think or talk about my dad again. But even so, there are times when I wish I wouldn't have told my mom."

"You can't say that. She needed to know."

"But if I hadn't told her, maybe they wouldn't have split. Maybe she wouldn't have gotten sick. The doctors said it was a virus, and her body just couldn't fight any more. But maybe if my dad was there, she would have had more reasons to live. More reasons to fight."

Sadie's hand tightened. "I think she would have wanted to know. Could you imagine the pain she would have experienced if she found out your dad was cheating and that you knew? You did the right thing."

David studied their hands, interwoven together on the table. A team, and one he wouldn't mind being on long-term. "I don't know what the future holds, Sadie. Without a spot to return to in Costa Rica…"

He had a few weeks to make a decision, and he needed to let his supporters know what he was going to do.

Sadie sat back in the booth. The lights behind her highlighted the colors in her hair as it hung over her shoulder. "So, you're working unpaid at Hoover's because…"

"The mission board wanted me to be involved in the community." But now? He wanted to be there for Sadie. Help her make a go of the store.

"If you're staying, you're going to need a paying job. I can't do that right now. You've seen the books."

"I'm not asking you to pay me. I'd like to continue on at the store. Maybe I could help you get the numbers back into the black, and then we could reconsider a paid position? Maybe you could pay me for a season then?" If he was still in Heritage. Not that he knew where else he would go. But he'd like to see how things worked out with Sadie. See if he could have a future here. "What if we plan a grand reopening? Perhaps for the weekend of the town festival. We could start advertising now—putting flyers in the windows, on the community boards around town, and even online. We can tell our regular customers, and it will be a Hoover's-has-new-management celebration."

"You know, it might work. That's just before I pay the bank the final payment. Maybe it could help push me over the top to have enough. Especially if people pay their tabs."

"Whatever you want to celebrate. I'll be there for it all." For Lottie's adoption, for meeting bills, for a grand reopening. For coffee over breakfast—Okay, maybe he was getting ahead of himself. That was too serious. He had a little time to pray about things, figure out what direction God wanted him to go. Until then, he'd like to continue to explore whatever was happening between him and Sadie. Maybe it was a second chance. Maybe it was God opening doors. Maybe it was David healing wounds he'd left in his wake.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was a chance for a new beginning.