Hale’s Song: A single dad contemporary romance

by Tallman, Darlene

  “What time?” I’m hoping it’s not too early. Today’s been a long-ass day.

  “Seven.” Well, I guess I can always take a nap.

  “Okay. Hey, you don’t have to do that, I’ll take care of it,” I tell them as they both stand and start grabbing our dishes and glasses.

  “Naw, you’ve had a long day, darling, so we’ll get this inside then head out,” Boz states.

  Once they leave, I lock up the cottage then go take care of the rest of the kitchen. Satisfied that there’s nothing else I can do until the next day, I wander into the master bedroom and smile.

  When Branson had told me he wanted a divorce, I came down for the weekend and gave the renters, the Coopers, their notice in person. It ended up working out for them because they had found a house they wanted to purchase and were worried about having to buy out their lease. In lieu of that, I went and found the paint I wanted and Mr. Cooper and some of his friends painted the rooms. Then, I found a new bedroom suite and gave Marvie the keys so she could handle the delivery of that and the other furniture I bought since Grammy’s had long ago been donated or given away. “You did so much more,” I murmur, looking at the comforter set that adorns my bed.

  Marvie had not only acted in my place while I was dealing with the bullshit that surrounded my life with the divorce, she had also cleaned the cottage top to bottom while grieving her parents. “I owe you so much, my old friend,” I say out loud as I cross over to the dresser and start unpacking my suitcase so I can take a shower. I had sent her a lot of my things, which is why I had so little in the car and trailer. Now here, I have little more than to empty the boxes I brought and settle in to make this place wholly mine.

  Suitcase unpacked, I put it in the closet and then grab some clean pajamas before heading into the bathroom. I’m grateful that I never sold this place and instead, used it as a rental, because now I have my own home that holds a wealth of precious memories. Plus, because I used it as a rental, Branson never balked about the renovations I had done to entice prospective renters, a fact I’m thankful for now as I turn the handle on the rainfall shower head I had installed.

  Hearing a meow, I turn and spy Libby sitting on the broad windowsill behind the bathtub. “Hey, pretty girl. Let me get cleaned up and we’ll hit the hay, okay? Tomorrow’s gonna be a busy one from the sounds of it.”

  * * *

  Waking the next morning, I quickly dress and make sure that Libby’s got fresh food and water before I head out to the diner. Need to drop the U-Haul trailer off after I eat. Jotting that down on the list of things I need to take care of, I head out the door and to the diner.

  Marvie’s Diner is almost an institution in Barge Falls, Mississippi, population five thousand and twenty. Well, twenty-one now, I guess. Pulling into the parking lot, I shut the car down and put the sunshade up. It’s early spring here, but the sun is already brutal. As I walk inside, I glance around the diner. Previously owned by Marvie’s parents, it’s served the residents for almost thirty years. I can already see the evidence of the renovations she’s been making since they passed and nod in appreciation.

  It still has that retro feel, but the linoleum floor, while the same design as before, has been replaced. The stools at the counter are obviously new and now sport backs to them. One portion of the counter is lower and has a small placard designating its use for those in wheelchairs. I’m still looking around when I hear Marvie yell my name. Looking up, I see her standing at the counter where Boz is sitting next to another man. When he turns and looks my way, my heart stutters in my chest and I have to remind myself to breathe.

  Brown hair that’s mussed from the wind, a strong looking jaw that is covered with a short, trimmed beard and the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen on a man have rendered me speechless. Lightly shaking my head, I say, “Good morning, y’all,” as I take a seat next to Boz.

  “If I know you, you’re caffeine deficient right now,” Marvie states, grabbing a glass and filling it with ice before adding Diet Coke.

  “Yeah,” I murmur, sighing as I take a long drink. “I’ll add that to my list.”

  “My fault but I knew we’d be drinking margaritas last night and you usually only have it in the morning.”

  “You know me too damn well,” I reply, grinning.

  “Ya think? By the way, this is Hale Johnson. Boz mentioned him last night, remember? Hale, this is Addy Overstreet. She lives in the Adams cottage now.”

  Those hazel eyes turn my way and he says, “Welcome to Barge Falls.”

  “Oh, she’s not a newcomer,” Boz asserts. “Spent so much time here as a kid and teenager, she got honorary residency years ago.”

  “Boz, I didn’t!” My protest is somewhat lame considering I was here all the time, spending large chunks of my childhood with my grandparents while my folks did their own thing.

  “Did you or did you not graduate from Barge Falls High?” Boz questions.

  “Marvie, how does he know all of this stuff?” I ask my best friend. I know they’ve been dating for a little over a year, but that’s a lot of history he knows. More than what I’ve shared in the times I’ve seen them together.

  “He saw all the photo albums at Mom’s when we were packing shit up.”

  “It’s all good. Anyhow, you did work on the Adams cottage already, didn’t you, Hale?” Boz inquires.

  “Yeah, didn’t get a chance to work on the deck like I wanted to, though. The guy who I’d been working with called a few months back and put a halt to it.”

  I hang my head. “That would’ve been my ex-husband, I suspect.”

  “Why you hanging your head?” Hale questions. “You didn’t fire me, he did.”

  “Did he at least make sure you got paid for the work you completed?” The look he gives me tells me that Branson shorted him. Pulling out my checkbook, I glance back at him and state, “You can tell me how much is owed, or I’ll just come up with a figure on my own. Your choice.”

  “It wasn’t much, just for the lumber I’d gotten for the deck work. I’ve since used it on another job, so no worries, okay?”

  “You won’t win, Hale, trust me on this one,” Boz asserts, grabbing the pepper and liberally covering his eggs.

  “You saying I’m stubborn?” I ask Boz, jabbing him in the stomach.

  “I’m saying that most women are and you’re unique, you’re probably even more so.”

  “Whatever. Please, Hale, let me make it right. I know it’s not my responsibility, but it is my house and I hate the thought my ex did that to anyone, let alone someone that I’ll see around town on a regular basis.” Come to think of it, Branson must have known he was going to divorce me because he’d been almost insistent that things get updated and renovated at the cottage this past year. Above what we’d already previously done, that is.

  “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?” his rich baritone voice asks.

  “Does a bear shit in the woods?” Boz queries. “You might as well save yourself the trouble, get her the number, and be done with it.”

  “You make me sound, I don’t know, like I’m ridiculously obstinate or something,” I mutter.

  “Aren’t you, darling? How many times did you tell me to get my head outta my ass about Marvie?” he responds. Well, he’s right there. He worried about all the wrong things - the color of his skin, his background, what he did for a living - and forgot about the important things - how he made Marvie feel whenever he was around, how he was there after her assault.

  I roll my eyes and state, “Just get me the figure, Hale, and I’ll make it right. Speaking of the deck, I have a few ideas. When can you come and look at it?”

  “Later on today if that’s alright. Gotta get JD from practice first.”

  “Your son? I’m sure I’ll have something going in the kitchen he can indulge in by then.”

  “You gonna make a few cakes for the diner?” Marvie asks.

  “Cakes, pies and cookies. I’ve got a list of things to take care of once I
eat breakfast,” I reply.

  “What’s going on?” Boz questions.

  “Addy had an idea to put in one of those clear cases and fill it with various baked items. I think it’d be a good idea,” Marvie says.

  “Cakes? You can bake?” Boz asks.

  “As if you didn’t know that,” Marvie tells him, swatting at him with her hand.

  I’m too busy trying to watch Hale without him noticing to pay much attention to their banter. He finally stands and tosses down money to cover his breakfast and looking at me, says, “I’ll see you later this afternoon.”

  I can only nod. I’ve never had anyone impact me this way and am unsure how to react.

  After he leaves, Marvie says, “Girl, we need to chat.”

  “Later, I’ve got shit to do.” When I pull out my wallet, she waves her hand in a shooing motion.

  Hale

  Driving to my office, my mind is filled with the woman I just met. She’s younger than me, although not by much. Maybe five or six years. Pretty in that way that I know, when she’s a helluva lot older, she’ll still turn heads. Much like she did this morning. The best part? She was completely oblivious to the attention.

  The intriguing thing, though, was the physical reaction I had when she walked by me. Her light floral scent enveloped me and much as it did when I was younger and had no control, my dick got hard. It’s not as though I’ve been a monk since I became a single dad. I just haven’t had many relationships to speak of. Knowing that I’ll be in Addy’s presence working on her deck, I quickly realize that I’ve gotta get shit under control. Wouldn’t hurt to ask her out, though.

  3

  Hale

  “Dad? Did you call Johnny’s parents?” JD asks as he buckles himself in. I chuckle because Johnny’s mom is my sister, Caroline. The two boys are the same age, thicker than thieves and closer than brothers. Probably because when JD arrived on my doorstep, Caroline had just had Johnny. We leaned a lot on one another back then. Still do, if I’m being honest.

  “Yeah, I did, little man. He can come with us.”

  His fist pump and squeal makes me grin. “C’mon, we’ve gotta go out to the cottage so I can see what’s needed to finish up the deck.”

  “Oh that place is so cool! I wonder if I can go down to the dock.”

  “Not without me. You know the lake’s deep there.” Now he’s sighing as if he’s the most beleaguered person on the planet. “You know the rules, JD.”

  “I know. But I’ll be bored while you’re there, Dad.”

  I laugh. “I’m sure you’ve got homework or something to work on while I’m busy.”

  “Does anyone live there?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, the owner is living there now. She’s a nice lady but I don’t want you bothering her, okay?” I know my son. He’s never met a stranger and it sounded like Addy was going to be busy this afternoon. I don’t want him being a pest to a woman I’m thinking of asking out.

  He settles in, pulling out his e-reader. Best gift I ever gave him because now he’s hooked on a variety of age-appropriate books that expand his mind and vocabulary. I’m determined for him to get every advantage I wasn’t given as a kid. So far, it seems to be paying off as he’s always on the honor roll, is good at several sports, and is an all-around good kid.

  I think about the past nine years as we head to the cottage. I’ve had a few short-term relationships, but none of the women had staying power and I think it’s because they didn’t want to raise another woman’s child. Regardless, it’s been awhile with nothing except my hand and I realize that if my reaction this morning is any indication, Miss Addy Overstreet is going to be different.

  We finally pull into the driveway and I once again admire the cottage. It’s a sprawling, one-story building with a stone exterior. Each of the windows has shutters as well as flower boxes and the flowers are beginning to bloom. There’s a slate stone pathway to the front door and another one that winds around the house to the back deck. “C’mon, JD, we’re here and remember, on your best behavior.”

  “Okay, Dad,” he replies, unbuckling and hopping out of the backseat of my truck before I have a chance to shut it off.

  Hmm, front door or back? When my dick twitches, I realize I’ve got a serious problem where Addy is concerned. The decision is taken from me when I see the front door open and watch her walk out toward us. “Hey,” I say once she’s close enough to hear me. Not gonna think about the fact that my voice sounds hoarse. Nope, not at all.

  “Hey yourself. You must be JD?” she asks, looking at my son. I watch as he stands taller and nods.

  “Yes, ma’am. Do you have any kids?” I see a look of pain cross her face before she quickly masks it with a smile.

  “Sadly, no, but I’ve got a cat named Libby and if your dad says it’s okay, a snack for a boy that just got done with practice.”

  “Can I, Dad?” Chocolate brown eyes stare hopefully at me and I nod my assent. “Awesome!” he shouts as he runs over to where she’s standing. I watch her ruffle his hair before she glances over at me.

  “I did want to see if one of the things I wanted done is possible.”

  “What were you thinking?” I ask.

  “C’mon, I’ll show you,” she replies, turning to walk down the path toward the backyard. Once we’re there, she says, “Okay, can you maybe enclose the back to this first level? Then the rest can be open. I’d like it wider too, if possible.”

  “I can do that. You sure that JD won’t be a problem?” I question.

  “Not at all. Do you need me for anything else? If not, I’ll let you get to it. JD, follow me, young man, there are cookies to taste test.” I grin, knowing that she’s managed to find the key to my son’s heart without even trying.

  “Cookies? Where?” he shouts.

  “Inside voice, JD,” I remind him. He tends to be a bit… exuberant when he’s excited.

  “Sorry, Dad,” he replies before going over to Addy and grabbing her hand. She looks shocked at first, then a smile covers her face and I have to hide my own at how perfect the picture in front of me is right now.

  “Let me know if you need anything, Hale,” she says before heading in through the back door.

  Addy

  “Oh wow, what are you making?” JD asks as we walk into the kitchen.

  “Well, I’ve got three cakes made to take to the diner once I get them frosted. Plus, I just put the pies into the oven. Once those are done, I’m getting the cookies ready.”

  “Real cookies? Not from a box?”

  “Honest to goodness real cookies. Peanut butter. Do you wanna help me?” I remember the hours spent helping my grandma.

  “Can I?”

  “Absolutely. Okay, so I know your dad mentioned you had practice earlier. Are you hungry? Would you like a sandwich? I’m making a ham and cheese one for myself.” I can’t stop looking at him. Other than the freckles that dust across his nose and cheeks, he’s the spitting image of his dad. Well, his eyes are chocolate brown while Hale’s are hazel.

  “Do you have any pickles?” he asks in response.

  “In the fridge. Wanna grab them? And there are chips through that door over there,” I reply, pointing to my pantry.

  He quickly takes the pickles out and places them on the table before he goes into the pantry. I quickly put together two sandwiches and hide my grin when I see he’s gotten a can of lemonade. “I just moved in, otherwise, I would have had fresh lemonade.”

  “You make your own lemonade?” he asks, before taking a bite of his sandwich.

  “Most of the time, yes. Sometimes, I get those frozen ones and add water and ice. Sometimes, I squeeze the lemons and add water and sugar. Just depends on my mood.”

  “Dad’s an okay cook, but he’s never made anything from scratch!” I grin because I don’t know of any man that cooks like I do.

  “I learned from my grandma. Once she taught me to bake, she then went on to teach me how to cook from scratch. Y’know what her secr
et ingredient was?” I ask, leaning in as if to impart a deep secret.

  “Only if you don’t have to kill me once you tell me. I read that in a book the other day,” he replies. His response has me giggling because it’s so unexpected.

  “No death today, young man. She said that the extra ingredient to anything a person makes is love.”

  “That’s just if you have a family though. What if you’re all by yourself?” he questions. I can tell, based on what’s left on his plate, that he was definitely hungry.

  “Well, if you live by yourself, like I do, you can still add it. Like, I love my friend, Marvie, so the stuff I’m making for the diner has her in mind when I’m making it. Does that make sense?”

  I can see he’s thinking about what I’ve said and processing it, so I continue to eat my sandwich so I can get us to the cookie making part of the afternoon.

  “I guess so. Do you mind me asking all these questions?” he inquires, his sudden topic switch telling me that someone has chided him for that very thing.

  “Not at all. If people didn’t ask questions, how would they learn anything?”

  “That’s what I say too!” His smile is infectious, and I reach over and ruffle his hair again. It’s so smooth and silky and reminds me of his dad’s full head of hair. Not that I’ll ever get to run my fingers through it. He strikes me as the kind of man who can get anyone he wants, and I’m broken.

  “You about finished?” I ask, getting up and disposing of my paper plate before I wash my hands. Grabbing the bowl of cookie dough I’ve already prepared, I bring it over to the table. “If you are, take care of your trash please, then wash your hands. This kind of cookie requires that we get our hands a little messy, but they’ve gotta be clean first.”

  We’re soon busy rolling the dough into balls. Once we have a tray made, I bring over the sugar, a bowl of water and two forks. “Okay, here’s the fun part,” I tell him, taking the fork and dipping it into the water before I coat it with sugar. “You have to lightly flatten the cookie like this, then do it again, only opposite, so you get this pattern. Can you see it?”