When He Returns

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

Dalton shrugged. “Sure. First of all, I am straight, and to answer your question, yes, there is someone special in my life.”

  Sierra’s heart thumped hard in her chest, almost painful with its intensity.

  “Really? Is she someone in the industry?”

  “No, definitely not. She’s actually someone I’ve known since I was a teenager.”

  “So, a high school sweetheart?”

  Dalton sighed. “I kind of wish that was the case, but no. My only interest as a teen was my music. So while she noticed me, I didn’t notice her. Which was my loss, let me tell you.”

  “So now you’ve noticed her?”

  “I have, but it’s a little bit of an unrequited love scenario, at the moment.”

  The woman gasped and pressed a hand to her chest. “Seriously? I’m sure there are women the world over who would jump at the chance to be loved by you. It’s hard to believe there’s someone out there who wouldn’t.”

  “Oh but see, that’s exactly why I love her.”

  Sierra felt the air rush out of her lungs. Dalton loved her?

  “What do you mean?”

  “Most of the women you alluded to would love me because of my fame and fortune. I’m pretty sure this woman—if she ever did come to love me—would love me without them.” Dalton let out a sigh. “She turned me down when I asked her out, and she was right to do that. She has done so much for me, offering me friendship and support when I needed them without asking for anything in exchange. I didn’t realize until recently that I needed to be more concerned with what I could do for her instead of what she could do for me.”

  “I just find it so fascinating that you were rejected by a woman, but from the sounds of things, you haven’t given up.”

  “You’re quite right, I haven’t, but only because I hope to show her that my goal in life is to become a man worthy of her.”

  The woman gave a shake of her head, as if she couldn’t quite believe what Dalton was saying. “Do you think she might change her mind?”

  “That’s certainly my prayer.”

  “Your prayer?” the woman asked. “Has religion become part of your life?”

  Sierra was still focused on his words about praying she’d change her mind, but she listened as Dalton shared a bit about his faith journey and what it meant in his life and for his future. She was amazed that he was sharing his faith so easily, especially when he had only embraced that part of his life again not that long ago.

  “So a little birdie told me that you might be willing to sing us a song before you go.”

  Dalton smiled again and nodded. “I lost my music for several months following Angel’s death. Nothing new would come to me until…well, her.”

  “Your special lady?”

  “Yes. I have never written songs that mean as much to me as the ones I’ve written since falling in love with her. The one I want to sing for you today is the very first song that came to me. I wrote it before I even told her how I felt. It was the song that broke my dam and brought my music back to me. Not the same music as what I wrote as part of Dalton’s Cross, but definitely music that was more meaningful for me.”

  Sierra hadn’t had any idea that he’d been writing songs for her. She watched as someone handed him his guitar. Dalton painted a familiar picture as he held the guitar and began to strum it.

  She closed her eyes as he began to sing, soaking up the sound of his voice and the words he sang…about her.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  After Dalton sang his song, Sierra listened in a state of shock as the interview wound down. She wasn’t sure what to do. Her mind kept replaying Dalton’s words—not just the ones from the interview but also what he’d told her about coming back to Winnipeg. It was obvious he had wanted her to hear what he had to say as well as the song he’d written about her. But what was she supposed to do with all of that?

  He had put it all out there for everyone to hear. Everyone would know how he felt about her and that she’d rejected him. People in the world at large wouldn’t know it was her, but their circle of family and friends certainly would. Would they be upset with her for rejecting him? He’d said he understood why she’d done it, so hopefully, they would understand too.

  But that still left her wondering what to do now. The changes in Dalton over the past six weeks or so had been nothing short of amazing. The things she’d seen as walls, keeping them apart, were all gone.

  Well, all except one.

  And it was the one she hadn’t even realized was there until her conversation with Danica. However, it now loomed before her, the biggest wall of them all.

  Sierra pushed off the couch and began to pace around the apartment. Everything Dalton had said resonated so strongly with her, but was it enough for her to take a chance? She hadn’t even been praying about the situation between the two of them. She’d prayed every day while he was gone that he’d have wisdom for his future. She’d prayed every day that his faith would remain strong and continue to grow. She’d even prayed that somehow he’d come back to Winnipeg to stay.

  But what she’d never prayed for was for things to work out between them.

  If Dalton had been brave enough to be vulnerable before her and everyone else, surely she could find the strength to be vulnerable to just him. He had been vulnerable with her from the very start of their friendship, talking about Angel, his time in the band, and even his stint in rehab.

  Her thoughts went to the time on the bench outside the hospital after he’d heard about Jesse’s decision to move on with another band. Dalton had been willing to turn to her for support, not afraid to show that he was struggling. In return, however, when she’d been hurting after Ethan’s accident, Dalton had tried his best to be there for her, but she’d only allowed him to get so close and then no closer.

  A knock on her door had Sierra spinning around to stare at it. Surely that wasn’t Dalton. He had still been in Toronto when they’d last texted and that hadn’t been that long ago.

  As she slowly moved toward the door, the knock came again.

  “C’mon, Sierra. I know you’re in there.”

  Danica’s voice was muffled but recognizable. Unfortunately, knowing it was her didn’t necessarily make Sierra want to open the door, but there was no chance that Danica was going to leave.

  Sierra opened the door then turned to walk back into the living room. She’d been folding her laundry when Dalton had texted her with the link earlier, so she moved the piles of clothes off the couch onto the coffee table to make room for Danica.

  “I take it you saw the interview?” Sierra asked as she sank back down on the couch.

  “I did,” Danica said from the direction of the kitchen. She appeared a moment later with a tub of ice cream, two sodas, and two spoons. “I think you need to talk.”

  Frowning, Sierra said, “Shouldn’t you be with JD or something?”

  “He doesn’t need to talk at the moment. He’s busy making teenage boys cry like little kids as he puts them through volleyball conditioning.” Danica set the sodas on the coffee table then dropped down onto the couch. She peeled the lid off the ice cream then jabbed a spoon into it and handed it to Sierra.

  After eyeing the container for a moment, Sierra took it from her. “I really don’t think this is a strawberry shortcake type of crisis.” Still, it didn’t stop her from digging out a spoonful and handing the container back to Danica.

  “Well, lucky for you, I think it is.” Danica tucked herself into the corner of the couch facing Sierra and crossed her legs. “Seriously, talk to me. Forget I’m Dalton’s sister, and just use me in the role of best friend.”

  “You were right,” Sierra finally said after a couple more bites of ice cream.

  “Normally I’d love to hear those words, especially from you or JD, but in this case, I kind of wish I wasn’t hearing them.”

  “Yeah, it took having all the other stuff resolved to see that I was still reluctant to allow our friendship to become anything mor
e.” She hesitated and let out a long sigh. “Not just reluctant. Scared.”

  “Do you love him?” Danica asked.

  “If I did, wouldn’t it be easier to accept what he said in that interview?”

  Danica shook her head. “Not when there are other things holding you back. If it really had just been where he was spiritually and what direction his life was going, then yes, it would be easier for you.”

  “I think I do love him,” Sierra whispered, gripping her spoon so tightly her fingers hurt. “But then that means he could hurt me.”

  “Yes, he could, and truthfully, he probably will. That’s how it goes with love sometimes. You’ll disagree, maybe say things that hurt one another, but then you apologize and forgive and move forward.” Danica used her foot to bump Sierra on the knee, waiting until she met her gaze to say, “But I don’t think that Dalton would ever reject you. He loves you. Did your parents ever tell you that they loved you?”

  Sierra shook her head, pain lancing through her at the admission.

  “So it wasn’t like they lavished you with love then rejected you. For whatever reason, I don’t think they were capable of love. Dalton is capable of love, and he’s chosen to love you. Trust him. Trust his love. Trust in your love for him.”

  “He says I calm him when he’s feeling anxious,” Sierra said, voicing a thought that had just risen to the surface of her mind. “What happens when he learns how to deal with that on his own? When he doesn’t need me for that anymore?”

  Danica stared at her for a moment before she said, “What do you need him for?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What do you need him for in your life?” She paused. “Like, do you need him for money? Moral support? A new car? What?”

  “I don’t need any of that from him, really.”

  “So why do you want him in your life then?”

  “Because I love him?”

  “So why can’t that be the reason he wants you in his life too? Maybe you do calm him, but that isn’t the reason he loves you. Even in his interview, he talked about how he realized he needed to focus on what he could do for you instead of what you could do for him. I mean, how do you think he feels knowing that the things he has the most of—his fame and his fortune—don’t matter to you? He wants you to need him, to want him in your life, but as long as you love him, he’ll be happy.”

  Sierra took another spoonful of ice cream as she considered Danica’s words. It was true she didn’t want his money, nor did she need to stand beside him on the red carpet at an awards show. All she wanted from him…was his love.

  Danica took the ice cream container from her and set it, along with their spoons, on the coffee table. She scooted closer and wrapped an arm around Sierra’s shoulders, leaning her head against Sierra’s.

  “Give him a chance, Sierra. You’ve gotten to know him since the wedding. What is your heart telling you about him?”

  “That I can trust him.”

  “You can. I feel it in my heart, and I’m not just saying that as his sister but as your best friend. Believe me, if I didn’t think you were good for each other, I’d be the first to object to a relationship between you.”

  Sierra gave a little huff of laughter. “That’s true. You aren’t one to hold back on your opinion.”

  “And you gave me good advice with JD, advice I needed to hear from someone outside the situation. Now it’s my turn to return the favor. Give your love a chance.”

  “Thank you,” Sierra said as she reached up to squeeze Danica’s hand where it rested on her shoulder. “I did need someone to talk to after hearing what Dalton had to say.”

  “So do you want to be the one to pick him up at the airport? JD had planned to go, but I have a feeling that Dalton would be beyond thrilled to see you waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs in the arrivals area.”

  “If I’m going to go, I’m going to need to get changed,” Sierra said, motioning at herself. “I’ve spent all day in my comfy clothes.”

  “Then I’ll go and let you get ready.” Danica got to her feet and gathered up the stuff from the coffee table and headed for the kitchen. “And I’ll let JD know he can come straight home after practice.”

  After Danica had left, Sierra took a quick shower then tried not to linger too long over deciding what to wear. She didn’t have a lot of time since Dalton’s flight was due to arrive in around an hour and a half, and she still needed to dry her hair and put on some makeup. Plus, it would take her almost forty minutes to drive from her place to the airport.

  She settled on a pair of fitted black jeans and a soft, light pink sweater, before using the blow dryer to start work on her hair. Thankfully, her hairstyle wasn’t fussy so she could move on to her makeup without too much delay.

  When she finally checked herself out in the mirror, she decided she looked as good as she could without professional help. She had to remind herself that Dalton had been attracted to her even without all the extras so he wouldn’t care how she looked when he saw her.

  Sierra tugged on a pair of black ankle boots with two-inch heels that added a little to her height. It had been snowing off and on throughout the day, so she found a warm jacket in the closet and pulled it on. With just minutes to spare, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the airport to meet Dalton.

  As soon as the plane touched down, Dalton had his phone out, checking his text messages while the pilot taxied to the gate. The flight felt like it had dragged on forever even though they’d left Toronto on time and hadn’t encountered anything to slow them down.

  He stared at his screen as a handful of messages popped up.

  Danica: Awesome interview! XOXO

  Mom: The interview was great! So glad you’re coming home. Will be praying for you and Sierra. Love you so much!

  Ethan: Enjoyed watching your interview. You know that you have my blessing with Sierra, even though I won’t try to influence her one way or the other unless she asks my opinion. Hang in there! Praying for you, bro.

  Gabe: Well, aren’t you the sly one! Sierra? Really? I can put in a word for you with her, a good one even…if you bribe me just right. LOL

  There were a few more messages, but none from the person he really wanted to hear from. He’d spent the whole flight wondering if he’d made the right decision in sharing about Sierra. He was happy with the rest of the interview. It had been satisfying to tell the world what his up and coming plans were.

  Before agreeing to the interview, he’d met with his new management team to discuss what he’d be interested in talking about and what he wouldn’t. In the end, he realized that he was willing to talk about pretty much anything, but they’d narrowed it down so he could focus on the things he really wanted to share about his life.

  But maybe he should have thought twice before sharing about the situation with Sierra. He didn’t care much that strangers knew, but now the family was aware, and he didn’t want Sierra to feel uncomfortable because of that.

  Clearly he was still capable of making bad decisions, even though he thought he was doing better at that.

  Dalton lowered his phone to his lap and watched as the airport came into view. It was snowing which reminded him of just how long he’d been away. He’d even missed Thanksgiving at the beginning of October, which had been disappointing. Unfortunately, one of the people he’d wanted to speak to had only been available Thanksgiving weekend, before heading to Europe for some tour dates.

  The lights of the terminal looked warm and inviting as they pulled up to the gate, and despite not having heard from Sierra, Dalton was glad to be home. So very glad.

  As soon as the plane lurched to a stop, people around him surged to their feet and began to gather their things. He only had his laptop bag which he’d put under the seat in front of him. He also had two suitcases to collect from the baggage carousel while the rest of his personal items would arrive from Toronto later that week.

  Once the door was open and people beg
an to deplane, Dalton exited his row and followed behind them. He headed for the escalator that led down to the baggage claim area. As he stepped on the escalator, he focused on his phone again, willing a message from Sierra to appear.

  But there was nothing.

  When he reached the bottom of the escalator, Dalton stepped off and looked up, searching for JD among the people waiting there.

  Instead, he saw Sierra.

  He slowed to a stop, forcing people to go around him as he stared at her. She didn’t look upset with him, but he couldn’t tell for sure. All he knew was that she looked beautiful. She might not have been the sort of women others would have expected him to be attracted to, but she was perfect for him.

  The question of the hour, however, was whether he was perfect for her?

  “Sierra?”

  “Welcome home,” she said with a smile as she was walking toward him.

  Dalton opened his arms, and without hesitation, she moved into his embrace. As he hugged her, he was reminded of the last time he’d seen her before he’d left. Uncertain of what lay ahead, he’d wanted to memorize everything about that moment when he’d held her in his arms. That time had felt like goodbye. This time, however, felt like a glimpse of what their future could be.

  When they finally stepped apart, he looked down at her and said, “Not mad at me?”

  “Never,” she said as she lifted her hand and caressed his cheek with her fingertips. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too,” Dalton said as he reached up to cover her hand with his, pressing it against his cheek. “The only thing that got me through my time away was knowing that when I came back, I was coming back for good.”

  “Then let’s get your luggage and go home.” She took his hand and tugged him toward the carousels that had turned on but had yet to spit out any bags.

  They stood hand in hand as they waited, her head resting against his shoulder. There was so much that needed to be said, but it would have to wait just a few more minutes. Still, just having her there, waiting for him with a smile and hug, gave Dalton peace.

  Once he’d collected his bags, they walked out into the snowy cold evening air and headed for the parkade.