When He Returns

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Pushing away from the door, Sierra resolved to appreciate any time she had with him as a friend. But at the same time, she knew she needed to consider more seriously what Danica had said to her. If she wanted to have a relationship in the future, she had to figure out if what Danica had said was actually true.

  The next night, Sierra was already in bed doing some reading when her text alert went off. Since no one tended to text her past nine at night, she leaned over and snatched her phone from where it sat on her nightstand.

  Dalton: Man, I flew first class and still didn’t get much more than a bag of pretzels. I got spoiled flying private jets.

  Sierra stared at the message for a moment before a huff of laughter escaped. Yes, I have no doubt you were spoiled. I thought you at least got better service in first class.

  Dalton: Maybe if I was still drinking. There were definitely some people in first-class taking advantage of that. One guy was a real piece of work the more he drank.

  They texted for a few more minutes before Dalton said he needed to sleep since he was trying to keep to his schedule, plus he had an appointment the next day.

  Once the conversation had ended, Sierra sat and stared at the texts. She wondered if they’d have more conversations like that. At least it would be contact.

  She set her phone back on the nightstand and turned off the light, abandoning her book for the night. Though she’d spent the day trying not to think about the fact that Dalton wasn’t in Winnipeg anymore, after his texts, it was hard not to keep those thoughts from dominating her mind.

  The texts had left her with mixed feelings. On the one hand, she was happy to have been able to communicate with him a bit, but the reminder that he wasn’t just across the landing anymore was difficult to accept.

  But accept it she must. And she would. Eventually.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Dalton let out a sigh of relief as he settled into the first-class seat he’d booked for his flight to Toronto. He was close to finally being on his way back to Winnipeg. A few more days in Toronto and he would catch another flight. Hopefully the last one for awhile.

  His plan had originally been to be gone a week. Two at the most. But best-laid plans and all that meant it would be over a month later before he could even contemplate booking a ticket back to Winnipeg. He still had a handful of meetings in Toronto to get through and then he’d finally be free to return.

  But since everything Dalton had done had resulted in his best-case scenario being realized, he couldn’t find it in him to complain…too much. The traveling had been ridiculous though.

  He’d earned plenty of air miles in the days since he left Winnipeg. His stop in Toronto had led to a flight to LA, which had prompted one to Nashville, then back to Toronto and yet another one to LA. He’d never minded traveling with the band, but that had usually been in private planes. Flying commercial, even first-class, was completely different. Crowded. Noisy. Often delayed.

  Like he’d told Sierra, he really had been spoiled.

  Speaking of…Dalton pulled out his phone and opened up his text messages. Over the past month, he’d made sure that the last thing he did before bed each night was to text Sierra. While he’d been on the west coast, that had meant that Sierra was usually asleep when he sent his text. There had also been several times when she’d been working a night shift and hadn’t responded until her break or the next morning. Regardless of that, he’d made an effort to keep in touch with her, and that was a good reminder of why he’d been doing it all.

  Dalton let out a sigh as the plane jerked into motion, slowly moving away from the terminal. He was eager to get going, to get out of LA. Given that Jesse had usually taken care of meetings for the band, the past month had been challenging for Dalton, but the end was in sight.

  More than once he’d wanted to just toss it all aside and be done with it. After all, he didn’t have to work. He didn’t need to be attending meetings with a new management team and potential collaborators. He didn’t need to be doing anything he was doing to secure his future. More than once he’d felt that familiar crawl beneath his skin as his stress had climbed. But each time, he’d managed to utilize the skills he’d been taught in rehab to keep control.

  He’d continued to meet with his counselor via video chat once a week which had helped a lot. His video chat app had gotten lots of use while he’d been on the move since he’d also spoken with his folks every couple of days. He’d used it with Danica and Ethan as well, and, although it had been a bit awkward the first time, he’d also used it with Sierra.

  It had been important for him to maintain those contacts. He knew everyone was certain he was going to fall out of communication with them again, so he was doing his best to prove them all wrong.

  He was just so grateful that the time away had turned out to be worth every ounce of stamina this trip had required. If he’d spent all that time and energy for nothing, it might be a lot harder to accept. Though he had no idea if things would actually work out exactly the way he wanted, just having a plan in place to follow made him feel good. It was a plan that he’d prayed about. One he’d talked over with JD and Ethan. One he’d even shared with Jesse, even though his friend didn’t quite understand the direction he was moving in. But that was okay because it was a plan that gave Dalton peace.

  Thankfully, the flight was non-stop, so five hours after leaving LA, Dalton was back on the ground in Toronto. He quickly found the car he’d hired, but unfortunately, it was rush hour, so getting to the apartment took longer than he would have liked.

  His relief was palpable when he finally walked through the door of the apartment. But though he was relieved to be there, he didn’t feel like he was home. He supposed that was a good thing since this apartment wouldn’t be his for much longer.

  After meeting with Jesse’s management team and hearing that they believed they could help him with the plan he had in mind, Dalton decided it was time to officially move out of Toronto. So following in Jesse’s footsteps, Dalton had made the decision to sell his apartment. What he wanted to focus on now could be done just as well in Winnipeg, and an added bonus was that it would be cheaper to live and carry out his new plans there.

  Since he hadn’t eaten much that day, Dalton was starving, but there was nothing edible in his apartment. He ordered some food through a delivery service then sent a text to let his management team know he was back in Toronto. After messaging back and forth with them about what had gone on in LA, he decided he wanted—needed—to talk to Sierra.

  Unfortunately, she was still working, so he killed time by eating his supper and then taking a shower. By the time he was done, it was seven o’clock Winnipeg time, so Sierra should have been home.

  He sat down at his bar height table with a cup of coffee and propped his iPad up in front of him. As he sipped his coffee, he messaged Sierra.

  Up for a chat?

  She didn’t reply right away, so Dalton perused his emails and his social media. He was thankful that his new management team would be dealing with all his business emails, only forwarding on the ones he’d told them he was interested in seeing. That, in itself, made having a management team worthwhile.

  Sierra still hadn’t responded by the time he finished his coffee, so he got himself a refill and sat down with his notebook. He went through the list he’d made of what he needed to accomplish before he left Toronto. One of his meetings the next day was with Maya’s father, Max Zevardi, which was rather ironic since they were probably both going to be back in Winnipeg within the week. But when he’d contacted Max, the man had said he was available to meet while they were both in Toronto, so Dalton had jumped at the opportunity.

  When the text alert finally sounded, Dalton grabbed his phone right away.

  Sierra: Sure. Just heading home from the hospital. I’ll call when I get there.

  Sounds good. Drive safe.

  With nothing to do for about twenty minutes, Dalton decided that it was time to cross off one thin
g on the list he’d been ignoring: deciding what he wanted to take from the apartment. Why he’d put it off, he didn’t know because it was going to be the easiest thing on his list so far. Maybe it was because he didn’t want to admit that he’d lived for almost eight years in a place that he really couldn’t have cared less about.

  The apartment had never been a home, not really. He’d bought the place a year after the band had hit it big. Jesse had bought a place in the same building, and at the time, Dalton had thought it was cool to have a friend close by. Now, looking back, he realized that Jesse had probably done that so he’d be better able to keep track of him.

  Other than his personal stuff which could be packed up quite easily, Dalton wasn’t interested in keeping anything else in the apartment. He’d leave it to the real estate agent to get rid of things however she wanted. He just didn’t want the hassle of having to dispose of anything himself.

  He was done with Toronto as a place to call home, so he sent a quick email to his realtor to tell her what he’d decided and then crossed that item off his to-do list.

  As the sound of an incoming call blared from his tablet, Dalton quickly returned to the table and tapped the screen to accept it as he settled into his seat.

  When Sierra’s face filled the screen, Dalton smiled. He couldn’t help it. She looked tired though, and he knew that was because she was just at the end of a stretch of four shifts, plus she’d been spending time with Ethan. He was in the midst of physio as they worked with him to reach specific goals that would allow him to go home.

  “How was your day?” he asked as he picked up his mug.

  “Good, but I’m ready for a few days off.” The camera jostled as she settled back against her couch. “How was yours?”

  “Good as well. I’m back in Toronto and should be home in Winnipeg next week.”

  The way Sierra’s face lit up made his heart skip a beat. She might not have wanted a relationship with him, but she was still important to him, and it seemed like maybe—just maybe—he was important to her.

  “How long are you staying?” she asked.

  “For good.” Dalton watched as a stunned look crossed Sierra’s face.

  “Are you being serious right now?”

  “I am,” he told her. “I’ve sold my apartment here, and I just need to tie up a few loose ends this week, and I’ll be home.”

  The phone shifted away from Sierra’s face for a moment, though he could still hear her when she said, “I thought you were back in Toronto for good.”

  “I know. I wasn’t entirely sure if my plan was going to work the way I hoped it would, which would have meant I’d need to spend a good chunk of my time here. Thankfully, things have fallen into place in such a way that should I need to come back to Toronto, it won’t be for long.”

  The phone righted itself, so Sierra’s face filled the screen again. The emotion on her face tugged at his heart. Maybe he should have been more forthcoming about his plan, but the only person he’d talked to in detail about it before he left had been Ethan. As things had begun to fall into place, he’d confided in JD and Elliot as well. It was only now that he was done in LA, that he was ready to share it with everyone.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything. Does Danica know?”

  Dalton shook his head. “The only ones that know are Ethan and JD. Elliot knows a little. I just didn’t want to get people’s hopes up before I had a better idea of how everything was going to work out.”

  “Can you tell me how it’s going to work with you living here?”

  “Certainly.” He picked up his tablet and moved from the table, abandoning his now lukewarm coffee. After a look at the couch that he knew from experience was more decorative than comfortable, he headed for his bedroom where he settled in the recliner that he’d put next to the window at some point over the past eight years. “I’m going to focus on writing and producing music now.”

  Sierra’s brow furrowed. “Not recording or touring?”

  Dalton shook his head. “I’m done with touring. I have no interest in that anymore.”

  “But you have such a beautiful voice,” Sierra said.

  Her compliment warmed him from the inside out. “I’m not going to stop performing. I’m just going to be more selective of where I sing.”

  “So who are you writing music for?”

  “I have a couple of people I’ve been in contact with about writing songs for them. Nothing is official yet, but there is interest there.”

  “Huh.” Sierra’s expression was contemplative as she said, “And producing?”

  “Same thing, though I’ll be more particular about what type of music I produce, and I’m going to be setting up a studio in Winnipeg where people would come to me for that.” He hesitated for a moment before sharing the next bit because it carried the weight of expectation with it, but at the same time, it was a conviction that had grown within him over the past month. “I realize that I’m in a unique position to shine a light. My past gives me a way to connect with people in an industry not known for having a lot of Christians in it that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

  “That’s so amazing, Dalton,” Sierra said, her expression soft. “I’m so happy things are working out for you.”

  “Me too, because it’s super important to me that I be in Winnipeg now.”

  “I know that your family will be happy to hear that.”

  They continued to talk for a bit, but then Sierra’s yawns became contagious. “Listen, I’m going to send you a link in a few days. I’d really like for you to visit it as soon as you get it.”

  “A link?”

  “Yeah. I did an interview while I was in LA. I thought you might be interested in listening to it. A shortened version is being shown on an entertainment show on television, but the full interview will be available on their site.”

  “I’ll definitely check it out.”

  “Thank you. And now I’ll let you get to bed.” Dalton watched her image on the screen, reluctant to end the call but knowing it was what she needed. “Have a good night.”

  Once the screen went black, Dalton sat for a moment, his stomach suddenly a nervous mess. What would she think of the things he’d told the interviewer? It had been nothing but the truth, but she might not be ready to hear it yet.

  Only time would tell.

  Sierra clicked on the link in the text Dalton had just sent her. They’d been texting as he sat in the Toronto airport waiting for his flight back to Winnipeg. Finally! She didn’t even try to deny being excited at the prospect of seeing him again.

  The link took a minute to load, and she turned her phone sideways, so the video filled the screen.

  “Since the death of his bandmate six months ago, Dalton of Dalton’s Cross has kept a low profile, but today we are happy to have him in our studio to share with us where he’s been for the past seven months.”

  The camera panned out to show Dalton sitting on a stool across from the interviewer. He wore a pair of black pants and a long-sleeved, light blue button-up shirt, rolled up to his elbows, that contrasted well with his dark hair and no doubt accented his blue eyes. As he smiled at the woman—the very beautiful woman—Sierra had to fight back a wave of jealousy. It wasn’t her place to be jealous of her. Or any woman, for that matter.

  “Thank you for having me here today,” Dalton said.

  “First off, let me say that you don’t look anything like the Dalton we all know and love,” the woman said with a light laugh.

  “Yeah. I decided to lose the hair and the gaunt look. It was time.”

  The woman laughed again, and Sierra rolled her eyes. “The changes look good on you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Sierra managed to contain her reactions to the woman and listened as she asked Dalton about what he’d been doing since Angel’s death. None of what Dalton said was new to Sierra, but she enjoyed listening to him share it with the people who were undoubtedly watching the interview.

&
nbsp; “So, Dalton’s Cross is no more?” the woman asked.

  “Sadly, that is true. Angel’s death forced us to re-evaluate a lot of things, and that meant I had to decide what was healthy for me and what wasn’t. Going back into the band environment wouldn’t have been good for me on several levels. Thankfully, the other band members have all managed to move on to new opportunities. I can’t wait to see where life leads them now.”

  “And where is life leading you?”

  Sierra was glad that Dalton had shared his plans with her the night before. It had been a shock, for sure, but she was glad she’d heard about them directly from him and not through this interview.

  Seeing this new confidence from Dalton was somewhat amazing and, if Sierra was being honest, attractive. She’d already been attracted to the man he was when he’d returned home, so to her, the changes that had taken place in Dalton just added a new level to his attractiveness. Sadly, she didn’t need yet another reason to be attracted to the man.

  “And since you’re actually talking during an interview for a change, I have to ask this question, as I’ll be targeted on social media if I don’t. For all the women out there who have always wondered…is there someone special in your life?”

  Dalton’s smile grew. “I went to a lot of trouble to keep my personal life under wraps when I was with the band.”

  “You did keep things pretty close to the vest.” The woman laughed yet again, making Sierra shake her head. “Getting more than a handful of words out of you during an interview was pretty near impossible. Because of that, there was always a ton of speculation about not just who you were dating but also your sexuality. Are you planning to be more open about those things now?”