It was one of the things he loved about Sierra—one of a long list. Her sense of loyalty was something he truly appreciated. He also liked that she didn’t treat him any differently than anyone else in the family. It seemed that he was just Dalton Callaghan to her, not Dalton of Dalton’s Cross. Right then, he needed that more than anything. For sure, he didn’t want to hang around with someone who expected him to always pay for everything and who never called him on his attitude or mistakes. He needed that reality check in a big way after spending ten years in a world that wasn’t normal.
“Well, I just want to make sure that you know that I trust you,” Dalton said. “Seriously. It never crossed my mind that you would ever sell me out.”
“I’m glad, because that is something I’d never do, and I’d kick the butt of anyone who did.”
That made Dalton laugh. “Just make sure that I’m around to see that happen.”
“You can count on that,” Sierra said with a nod. “Someone needs to take pictures because you know…”
“Pictures or it didn’t happen,” they said together and then broke into laughter.
Dalton was glad to see a smile on Sierra’s face, and it was great that she was laughing. Sure, she’d been smiling over the past few days, but it hadn’t seemed that those smiles came easy or were natural.
When the timer he’d set went off, indicating their order was ready, Dalton hated to end the lighthearted conversation they were having, but still, he got out of the car and hurried into the restaurant. By the time he made it back to the car, Sierra’s mood hadn’t turned completely, but it had definitely mellowed as she sat with her head bent over her phone, her shoulders pulled forward.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“Everything okay?” Dalton asked as he slid into the passenger seat, carefully balancing the boxes of pizza and wings.
“Yeah.” Sierra put her phone into the cupholder and gave him a weary smile. “Just reading Makayla’s update for the day on Facebook.”
“She posted it already?” Dalton asked. “Usually it comes later in the evening. Is everything still okay?”
They’d only just left the hospital, so he hoped things hadn’t gone south with Ethan in the short time since they’d been gone.
“Everything is still okay.” Sierra started up the car. “I think Makayla is just super tired, and my best guess is that she’s writing the post early so she has one less thing to do when she gets home.”
“I hope that’s all it is.”
“I’m glad your folks have been able to step in to help her the way they have. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before Makayla crashes, and it’s good to know she’ll have people there to help her when that happens.”
Dalton knew that what Sierra was saying was likely true, but it was hard for him to imagine his strong older sister breaking down like that. Melt down, yes, but a breakdown? He could never have imagined that happening.
When they got to the apartment building, Dalton could see the tiredness in Sierra’s features as much as he’d seen it in his sister’s. So, before they got out of the car, he said, “Listen, I’d love to have your company for supper, but feel free to tell me if you’d rather just be on your own.”
She looked at him, surprise on her face. “Really?”
“Really. Of course. I would never expect you to spend time with me if you need time alone.” He gave her a smile. “I’m not that needy.”
“I don’t think you’re needy.” She reached over the back of the seat and grabbed her purse. “You’ve been the opposite of needy with your support for Makayla and me.”
“I’m glad that I’ve been able to be here for both of you.” They got out of the car and walked to the back door of the apartment block. Dalton waited as Sierra punched in the code to unlock the door, then held it open for him.
“I think I’ll be okay, plus I still need to supervise your furniture purchase.”
“Oh right. I’d kind of forgotten about that,” Dalton said.
“Did Gabe get back to you?” Sierra asked as they walked into his apartment.
“I’ll have to check.” He’d just set the pizza boxes on the counter when there was a knock on the door. “That’ll be Elliot.”
Sierra pulled the door open and greeted him as Dalton checked his phone.
Gabe: Sure. You can use me and my truck, but it’ll cost ya.
If Dalton had been sure he was just talking about money, he wouldn’t have hesitated to agree, but since this was Gabe…who knew what he’d demand as payment.
What’s that going to be?
Gabe: Babysitting for a couple of hours while Maya and I go out.
Dalton laughed as he replied. By myself? I’m the one that had to be babysat, not me babysitting. Seriously, I have no idea how to deal with kids.
Gabe: I would just throw you in with them, but Maya probably wouldn’t leave the house if I did that, so if you can convince Sierra to come with you, that would probably be best.
Then let’s go with that plan. You might have to wait a bit to collect since I’m not sure how much Sierra is up for babysitting at the moment.
Gabe: No problemo, bro. I can be there at six-thirty. Too early?
Nope. That’s perfect.
“Got us the truck,” Dalton said as he set his phone on the counter.
Sierra and Elliot already had the pizza boxes open, and Elliot was pulling down some plates from the cupboard.
“What do you need a truck for?” Elliot asked as he handed them each a plate.
Dalton took the plate and moved to stand next to the pizza. “I need a bed for my guest room.”
“Company’s coming?”
“Yeah. Jesse.”
“Wow. Really? That’s amazing.”
“Wait a second,” Dalton said. “Jesse is amazing, but what am I? Chopped liver?”
“Eh,” Elliot said with a shrug. “You’re family.”
That he was, and he was grateful that Elliot and others treated him like that. It normalized his life in a way it hadn’t been normal in years.
They ate supper at the table, talking a little bit about everything as they devoured the pizza and the wings. They were just cleaning up when Gabe texted to say he was there.
When they got downstairs, they discovered that Bennett had come along with Gabe.
“I figured I was going to need someone with actual muscles to help me out,” Gabe said with a grin. “So I asked Bennett to come along.”
“Oh, shut up,” Dalton said with a playful punch to Gabe’s shoulder.
“Where do you want to go?” Gabe asked as they climbed into the truck.
“I’m not sure,” Dalton said. “I figured you guys might know.”
Bennett and Gabe tossed a few ideas back and forth, clearly having purchased beds more recently than Dalton had. JD might have had an idea where to go since he’d picked out the bed that was currently in Dalton’s apartment, but he’d had some sort of volleyball practice that he’d had to be at, and Dalton didn’t want to bother him with questions about beds.
With the decision settled, Gabe started the truck up and pulled away from the apartment building. As he drove, Bennett asked Sierra about Ethan since he hadn’t been able to make it to the hospital that day.
“I almost hate to ask Makayla for information beyond her updates,” Bennett said. “I don’t like to ask her to relive it all. Not that I want to ask that of you either, Sierra, but you seem to be dealing with this a little better than Makayla.”
Sierra sighed. “I have my moments, but Makayla definitely has had to shoulder more of the responsibility for it all. Though she’s asked me about things, at the end of the day, as Ethan’s wife she’s had to be prepared to make the tough decisions. I’m sure that weighs heavily on her.”
“It’s a tough time for all of us,” Bennett said. “Even Mitch has been struggling with the fact that he’s up and moving around, and yet Ethan is still just regaining consciousness.”
Dalton looke
d over to see that Sierra’s face was tense with emotion and he felt bad. He’d wanted her to have a break from Ethan’s situation while they were out shopping.
She didn’t say anything more, and even Bennett fell quiet. Dalton wanted to reach over and take Sierra’s hand, to let her know that she wasn’t alone, but he held back. He didn’t know when it would be the right time to talk to her about how he felt, but for sure it wasn’t when two of his older brothers were sitting in the front seat of the truck they were in.
Sierra shifted on her seat, feeling the seatbelt tighten against her shoulder. Maybe she should have stayed home instead of heading out to look at beds. It wasn’t like she was an expert on them.
When Gabe pulled into the parking lot of the store he and Bennett had recommended, Sierra pulled herself together and climbed out of the truck. The four of them crossed the parking lot—which, thankfully, wasn’t all that full—and walked into the store.
They’d barely taken a handful of steps inside when they were approached by a tall, slender young woman with her blonde hair pulled back in a high ponytail on her head, makeup artfully applied to accent her eyes and lips.
“Hi there,” she said with a broad smile as she welcomed them to the store. “What can I help you with today?”
“Well, my brother is in need of a bed,” Gabe said as he slung his arm around Dalton’s shoulders.
She turned her smile to Dalton, interest sparking in her expression. “A bed, eh? Well, do you have something particular in mind, or do you just want to see what we have available?”
Dalton returned her smile as he stepped away from Gabe. “Basically, what I need is a queen size bed that we can take with us tonight. I need it for a guest I have arriving tomorrow.”
“Okay. Well, that does limit your options a bit, but we do have some that you could take tonight.”
Sierra and Bennett fell into step behind Gabe, Dalton, and the saleswoman. Listening to her and Dalton talk and laugh as they wound their way through the store made Sierra’s stomach twist. It was clear that the woman was determined to use all her wiles to connect with Dalton and make a sale.
Of course, the sale was pretty much a given. Dalton was desperate for a bed, so he’d be walking out of there with one regardless of how well or how badly the woman did her job.
As they approached the bed section of the store, the woman began showing them which ones were available to take that day. Dalton appeared to be listening closely while Gabe had taken to bouncing on the ends of the beds.
“Is that how you choose your beds, Gabe?” Sierra asked. “By seeing how well you can bounce on them?”
“Definitely. Don’t tell Maya, but it’s important to know how well they’ll react to the kids jumping on them.”
“Oh my word,” Bennett said with a shake of his head. “I don’t know how Maya puts up with you.”
“She loves me,” Gabe said with a smile.
“And you’re lucky she does,” Bennett told him.
“I certainly am.” He patted the bed beside him. “C’mon, Sierra, try it out.”
She stared at him for a moment trying to decide if he was being serious. When it appeared from the expectant look on his face that he was, she considered it for a moment then decided, why not… With a smile, she went to sit on the bed beside him and gave a gentle bounce.
“No, no, no,” Gabe said. “I know you’re a girl, but forget those dainty little bounces. I mean, even Aika knows how to bounce better than that, and she’s not even in school yet.”
Sierra laughed and bounced a little more firmly as Gabe flopped back on the bed.
“And then you have to try laying down on it, too, because well, you are going to sleep on it.”
“I’m not,” Sierra pointed out, but she laid back on it and stared up at the ceiling. “That being said, this one is a little firm for my liking.”
“It is, isn’t it,” Gabe said. “How about you, Benn? What do you think?”
“I think there’s not enough room for me on that bed too. Plus, I’m not the one who should be trying these out.”
“I’m afraid that one isn’t even available to be taken home tonight,” the saleswoman said, her perfectly plucked brows pulling together. Clearly, she wasn’t enamored with Gabe’s antics.
Sierra sat back up and glanced at Dalton where he stood next to the woman. When their gazes met, he smiled at her, obviously not having a problem with what her and Gabe were doing. It wasn’t that they were trying to be rude, but people might take Gabe’s attitude that way. He was just always trying to lighten up the situation, and after what had happened in the truck on the way there, Sierra was glad for that.
“Don’t mind my brother,” Dalton said with an indulgent smile at Gabe. “He’s just a big kid and finds a way to have fun wherever he goes.”
The saleswoman gave a sniff as she turned her attention back to Dalton. Immediately her expression morphed into the friendly, flirty one of earlier. “So those are the three options you have that you can take with you tonight.”
She and Dalton wandered off a bit, their conversation now about the warranties on the mattresses.
“Well, she was a bit of a party pooper,” Gabe said as he popped up off the mattress. “If I were Dalton, I’d be going somewhere else to buy my bed.”
Bennett shook his head. “You can be a lot to handle, bro.”
“I don’t think she should get bent out of shape because we were actually trying out the mattresses.”
“Except we’re not the ones buying, and you were trying out mattresses that we couldn’t even take home tonight.”
Gabe waved his hand at Bennett dismissively. “Hey, if I’d found a better mattress than the one we have, I might have bought one tonight. She might have made two sales instead of one.”
Bennett looped his arm around Gabe’s shoulders. “Let’s be real here, dude. You wouldn’t dare buy a mattress without Maya’s approval.”
Sierra laughed softly when Gabe didn’t bother to refute his brother’s statement.
This was one of the reasons she loved this family so much. Even in the midst of a stressful time, they seemed to find a way to smile and laugh. And though the family had experienced many blessings over the years, they had not been immune to heartache and trials.
Gabe himself had experienced the trial of having to recover after being hit by a truck and sustaining extensive damage to his leg. She knew that he’d struggled during that time, but he’d pushed through and looking at him now, one would never know what he’d gone through. It was rare that she saw him limping anymore.
Then, of course, there had been Emily’s aneurysm which had been a scary time for them all. The prospect of losing their mom had been real, and her recovery had taken a long time, but the family had remained strong, their faith never seeming to waver.
She wished that Dalton still claimed that faith. It would connect him to the family in a way he wasn’t connected at the moment. And maybe it would help him in his own struggles with addiction and the uncertainty of his future.
Not that faith would cure everything. He would still have to face the consequences of the decisions he’d made, but maybe the physical cravings for the drugs when he faced difficult situations would be more bearable if he turned to God for strength in dealing with the temptation.
“Do you want to help me make a decision on the rest of the bedroom furniture?” Dalton’s question drew her thoughts back to the mission at hand.
“Sure,” she said. “Are they all available for taking tonight?”
Before Dalton could say anything, the saleswoman stepped close again and began to tell them which ones they could take with them. Her response was still focused on Dalton even though Sierra had been the one to ask the question.
Feeling more than a little annoyed at the woman for dismissing her, Sierra touched Dalton’s arm and pointed out a set she thought would work. It was a dark wood that wouldn’t be too feminine, but also had a contemporary look to it.
“I like this one too,” Dalton said. “What do you guys think?”
“I give it two thumbs up,” Gabe said as he did just that with his hands.
Bennett shrugged. “I leave the home décor decisions to Gracie, but if I walked into our bedroom and saw that, I wouldn’t be mad.”
“You hardly get mad at anything,” Dalton said. “So that’s not much help.”
“Well, majority rules even without Benn’s vote,” Gabe pointed out. “You, me, and Sierra all like it, so even if Benn didn’t, he’d be outvoted.”
“How very democratic of you,” Bennett said drolly.
“That’s decided then,” Dalton said. “I’ll take that bed we talked about and this set.”
As Dalton went with the woman to arrange payment, Gabe and Bennett went out to bring the truck around to their delivery door where they’d load up the furniture. Sierra continued to walk around the store, keeping an eye on Dalton so she’d know when it was time to go. She hadn’t bought anything for her apartment in a long time, and there were definitely some bedroom sets there that appealed to her.
She couldn’t justify the cost though, so she just enjoyed looking, and when it appeared that Dalton was done, she made her way back to where he stood with the saleswoman. Together, they walked out to the truck where Sierra watched as the three guys supervised loading all the pieces into the back of the truck.
The ride back to the apartment building was lively as Gabe teased Dalton about how the woman had been flirting with him. Sierra didn’t join in—couldn’t join in—because the teasing only tightened the knot in her stomach. Even without his rock star status, Dalton was an attractive man. It wasn’t a surprise that the woman had flirted with him.
Put a guitar in his hands, or sit him at a piano, however, and that appeal skyrocketed. There were fan sites devoted to Dalton. Women swooned over him. The fact that he didn’t appear to date only heightened his appeal as women around the globe all fantasized that they could be the one to capture his heart.
When He Returns Page 23