Her mom smiled before wadding up her burger wrapper and placing it on their empty food tray. "Believe it or not, I do understand your sister's hesitation. If I started dating again, which I don't plan on doing anytime soon, I would be nervous about bringing someone new to meet the family too."
Candice checked on Sarah, who was now swinging side-by-side with one of the other kids. "Thank you for understanding, Mom. That means a lot."
Whitney waved a hand in the air. "Well, it really doesn't matter to me how long it takes to meet him as long as you're happy and he's getting you out of that house and Sarah too."
Her mom nodded in agreement before propping her elbows on top of the table. "How does she and David get along? Good, I hope."
Candice's heart beat a little faster as she looked toward Sarah and recalled how she and David had laughed so easily together. "She adores him. He's adventurous like a little kid sometimes, so they have a lot of fun."
Her mother reached out and grabbed her hand and Whitney's. "I know I probably don't tell you as often as I should, but I'm so proud of you both. When your daddy died, there was a long time there when I could barely function, and it took so much effort just to get out of bed every morning. Candice, I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about. I don't know what I would've done without you two and your brothers."
Her sweet comment brought tears to Candice's eyes. "I do know what you mean. When Barry died, a big part of my heart did, too, a part I didn't think I would ever get back. If it hadn't been for all of you—and now David too—I would still be trying to put one foot in front of the other every day, so thank you. I love you both very much."
The three of them teared up as they squeezed each other's hands. It was such a special moment and one they didn't share as often as they should have, but Candice wouldn't let that happen again. If Barry's death had taught her anything, it was how important family is and how you should enjoy every second with them because it could always be your last.
Sarah came back to the table and finished the remainder of her fries and soda, and as the four of them enjoyed each other's company, Candice's heart was full and content.
Chapter 23
David
One Month Later
"This won't work."
David drew a circle on the blueprint spread across his desk while one of his foremen, Justin, looked on. It was Friday, but it felt more like a Monday because everything seemed to be going wrong, and it was only eleven o’clock.
"I know Mrs. Henderson wants her double-sink vanity in the master bathroom, but I've told her a dozen times we can't put it there because it won't be up to code and we'll be fined for safety violations." He tapped the circle hard with the eraser on his pencil. "Explain to her again that we can put one sink here or we can change up the whole design for the vanity she wants, but it will take longer, and I can't guarantee we'll get the permits to do it. If she has a problem with it, she can call me directly."
Justin folded up the blueprint and left David's office just as his desk phone rang. He splayed a hand through his hair and groaned as he walked behind the desk and sat in his chair before answering. On the line was another of his foremen from a different job on the opposite side of town, and David grumbled when he was faced with another work delay.
"Did you check the battery?" he asked. "We don't have time to haul it to the shop because that excavation has to be done by tomorrow afternoon. There's a backhoe at the Windham property that isn't being used today, so hitch up your trailer and go get it. Take Michael with you so he can help."
They talked a while longer before hanging up, and David massaged his throbbing forehead before the lull was interrupted by another catastrophe. He couldn't wait to get off work so he and Candice could go out to dinner at one of their favorite Italian restaurants in Salt Lake City. A month had come and gone since they’d officially started dating, and he still couldn't believe how lucky he was to have someone like Candice by his side.
"I take it you're having a rough day?" someone asked.
David glanced at the doorway, and his mood instantly changed when he saw Candice standing there. "Speak of the devil. I was just thinking about you."
She smiled as she walked over and stood beside him. "I hope they were good thoughts."
David grabbed her hands and brought them to his mouth and kissed them. "Always."
Candice's cheeks flushed until they were the same shade of pink as the blouse she had on.
"So … tough day?" she asked.
David leaned over and pressed his head against Candice's stomach, and he sighed contentedly when she ran her fingers through his hair. He wished more than anything he could stay in that position all day long. "It's nothing I can't handle. Just some minor inconveniences."
Candice was quiet for a moment. "Well, I hate to add to your troubles, and I'm so sorry, but Whitney called a few minutes ago, and she won't be able to watch Sarah for us tonight because Daniel isn't feeling well."
David put his hands on her hips and looked up at her beautiful face. "That's okay. We'll just take Sarah to dinner with us."
Candice squinted. "Are you sure? I know you were looking forward to us having a date night alone."
David shook his head. "Candice, it's okay. I love spending time with Sarah. I don't think this restaurant has spaghetti tacos, though. Would she settle for plain old spaghetti instead?"
She laughed and nodded, and David stood to kiss her, but his desk phone started ringing again. He groaned out loud.
"I'll let you get back to work," Candice said, before kissing his cheek. "I'll see you at lunch. Try not to bite someone's head off."
He grinned. "I can't make any promises."
When she left his office, David sat again and answered the phone. "Mason Brothers Contracting. This is David Maxwell."
He heard a shuffling noise on the other end of the line like someone moving papers around. "David, this is Randy Drennan with Drennan Enterprises in San Francisco. How are you today?"
David furrowed a brow as he sat upright in his seat. His mind drifted to the conversation he’d had with Braxton a month prior about a Drennan, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was the same man. He vaguely remembered Owens Industries competing with a Drennan Enterprises while he worked in Texas, so his interest was definitely piqued.
"I'm doing well. What can I do for you, Mr. Drennan?"
His caller chuckled. "Please, call me Randy. I've been friends with Aaron for many years, and I talked to him not long ago about a big construction project I'm starting next month in Long Beach that will take at least six months to complete, but he wasn't interested."
David swiveled in his chair so he could look out his window at the mountains looming in the distance. "I'm sorry to hear that, but if Aaron wasn't willing to take it on, then I'm not sure how I can help you."
There was a short pause on the other end of the line.
"David, I've been admiring your work for several years now. I was in Abilene a couple of months ago, and I was very impressed with the craftsmanship in the mall you designed downtown."
The tiny hairs on the back of David's neck stood at attention. It was always nice hearing compliments on his work, but something about this particular conversation unnerved him for reasons he couldn't explain. "I appreciate that, Randy, but it was a joint effort with a couple of the engineers at Owens Industries, so I can't take all the credit."
David shifted in his chair to a more comfortable position.
"I told Aaron I had you in mind as construction manager for the job in Long Beach because it's going to be a mall, too, but he said you have too many projects going on right now to take on anything new."
David rubbed his aching forehead. "That's true, so again, I'm not sure how I can help you. The projects I'm working on are based in Utah, and I don't take any jobs out of state because I'm trying to stick close to home."
He hoped that would end the phone call so he could get back to work, but Randy Drennan wasn't
an easy person to get rid of.
"Normally, I don't go behind a friend's back, but this is of the utmost importance," Randy explained. "What if I offered you twice as much as you're making now to move to San Francisco and work with us? You'd be lead construction manager over this office and my office in New York. It would involve a great deal of traveling, but I believe the salary, benefits, and annual bonuses I provide would be worth your time."
David's jaw slacked, and he couldn't believe his ears. His mind raced in a thousand different directions. Was this really happening? He promised Candice he wouldn't leave Utah, but this offer was unlike anything he'd ever heard before. "I don't know what to say."
Randy laughed again. "I tell you what. Why don't you take the weekend to think about it? If you'd like, I can fly you down here to take a look around and see if this might be something you're interested in. All you have to do is tell me when you want to come, and I'll take care of your flight and everything. In the meantime, I would appreciate if you didn't mention this to Aaron."
David swiveled his chair back around, and he frowned when he looked at the picture of Candice and Sarah he had taped to his computer monitor. "That won't be a problem. Thank you, Randy. I'll be in touch."
David sat at his desk long after the conversation ended, in a daze and unsure of what to do next. In the beginning, David had spent the better part of their relationship trying to convince Candice he was going to stay in Utah and that he was worthy of being trusted … and now this.
He rubbed his aching head. It was shaping up to be a long weekend.
David stood outside on Candice's threshold, but he couldn't bring himself to knock on her door. He could hear them talking and stirring around inside, and every little sound tugged at his heart and made what he was about to do that much harder. He hadn't come to a decision about the job yet, but he wasn't going to keep the news from Candice either.
"She'll hate me," he muttered to himself.
The door swung open, startling him and making him jump.
"Hey, honey," Candice said. "I thought I heard you drive up. Why didn't you come inside?"
Sarah stood beside her, and they both looked so pretty in their dresses. Sarah had traded in her boots, which she rarely left home without, for a pair of what looked like ballerina shoes, and they both had on the same shade of nail polish.
"I've tried for two hours to get her out of this princess costume, and I can't pry it off her. Do you mind if she wears it?"
David laughed. "Of course not. You both look beautiful."
Sarah turned around in a circle. "Oh, I forgot my tiara! I'll be right back."
He watched as she took off running toward her bedroom, and the knot in his gut grew even larger. It was guilt, plain and simple. When she returned, walking slowly so her tiara wouldn't bobble, he didn't know how he would make it through dinner without ruining their evening.
"David? Is something wrong?"
He forced a smile. "I'm fine. It's just been a long day. Are my favorite ladies ready to go?"
They both nodded, and as they walked to David's truck, he decided to put the news aside for the time being so he could enjoy their time together.
Chapter 24
Candice
The sun was setting when David turned into the parking lot at the restaurant, and the sky was a gorgeous masterpiece with hues of orange, pink, and purple dotting the horizon. She'd never witnessed a more stunning sunset, and for a brief moment, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She couldn't recall the last time she'd felt so content and at peace.
When he parked the truck and helped Sarah out of her booster seat, David took Candice's hand as they walked along the sidewalk in front of the building. He was unusually quiet, but she didn't want to annoy him with nagging questions, so she decided it would be best to just let it go. She'd seen the chaos he was dealing with at work, and he probably just wanted to unwind.
Sarah was in front of them as they approached the steps to the main entrance, and David reached out and caught her when she got in a hurry and tripped on the hem of her dress, almost tumbling backward. He picked her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way, and Candice's heart flip-flopped inside her chest. He was such a good man, and the more time she spent with him, the more she realized she was falling head over heels in love with him. She thought it might frighten her since Barry was the only other man she'd ever loved, but it didn't. In fact, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
A waiter showed them to their table, and when David pulled out their chairs and helped seat them, Sarah's excitement was evident by the look on her face.
"This place is huge!" she exclaimed.
Candice held a finger to her lips to quiet her when an elderly couple at a nearby table turned to stare at them. David sat beside her, unfolded his napkin, and placed it on his lap. The waiter took their beverage order, and when he walked away, she held David's hand. He looked at her and smiled, but it was a weary smile.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, unable to keep quiet any longer. "If you feel bad, we can go back to my house, and I'll cook dinner for you. I haven't been grocery shopping this week, so all I can offer you is a hot dog and some chips, but you can relax in the recliner and get some rest."
David smiled as he caressed the back of her hand. "That's sweet of you, but I'm fine. I promise."
Sarah scooted to the edge of her seat and put her elbows on the table. "Mr. David, guess what? Next week is my last week of school before summer!"
He gave her a wide-eyed, surprised look that melted Candice's heart. "Really? That is so awesome."
Sarah nodded, making her tiara wobble precariously to the right, but she caught it and pushed it back up before it slid off her head.
"I know! Mommy and I were talking last night about what we want to do this summer, and we came up with a bunch of fun stuff. I want to go back to Antelope Island sometime. Can we do that?"
The expression on David's face changed, and she didn't miss the way he hesitated. She worried Sarah might be rushing things and making him nervous, so she decided to change the subject.
"Sarah, why don't you take off your tiara and set it on the table, at least until we're finished eating?"
The waiter brought their drinks, and they ordered their food. When he left, Candice picked up Sarah's tea and moved it to her side of the table so she wouldn’t drink it all and get full before her meal arrived.
"But Mommy, no one will know I'm a princess if I take it off."
She pouted her lips, but Candice wouldn't be swayed. "Everyone here knows you're a princess, sweetie, but a princess wouldn't risk her tiara falling into a plate of spaghetti, would she?"
Sarah frowned. "No, I guess not."
She took off her tiara and set it on the table, and Candice breathed a sigh of relief. That was one crisis averted. She dug in her purse for the small notepad and colors she kept on hand for Sarah to play with and gave them to her. Once she was occupied, Candice turned to David. "I hate we didn't get to go to lunch together today. Did you get those forms completed you were telling me about?"
He seemed confused at first, but then he nodded. "Oh yeah, I did. I'm sorry I couldn't break loose and go with you. There's just a lot going on at work I have to deal with."
He took a sip of his tea and straightened the napkin on his lap.
"I know, and I understand," she replied. "I'm just glad you were able to get off work on time so we could make it here for dinner."
He squeezed her hand and smiled at her, but it was a half-hearted one, at best. "I am too. Maybe I can take you to lunch Monday, depending on how everything is going."
She hoped he meant how things were going at work, but with the strange way he was acting, she really didn't know. He was quiet for several minutes until their waiter returned with their food, and Sarah coerced him into a long and detailed discussion about how princesses were better than princes. David barely got a word in, but if nothing else, it made him laugh,
and for that, she was grateful because she'd missed seeing his smile, a real, genuine smile.
"Are we going somewhere tomorrow, Mr. David?" she asked.
Candice groaned when Sarah dropped another spaghetti noodle on her dress. She tried throughout the meal to keep her from getting the sauce all over her clothes, but that was impossible, and within just a few minutes of getting her food, her face and the front of her dress were matching shades of orange.
"I’m sorry, Sarah,” David replied. “I told Mr. Braxton I'd go paragliding with him in Draper tomorrow, so I'm afraid I won’t be able to take you anywhere. If we get back early enough, I'll come to see you, but I can't promise anything."
Sarah said she understood, but Candice could tell by the look on her face that she was disappointed. The three of them had spent nearly every weekend together since their trip to Antelope Island, and she looked forward to their adventures as much as Sarah did.
"If Aunt Whitney doesn't mind, I'll take you swimming in her pool tomorrow. How does that sound?" Candice asked.
Sarah agreed, but there wasn't much enthusiasm in her voice. She replayed in her mind the first conversation she’d had with her mother about David, and at times like this, she wished she'd heeded her advice about bringing David around to meet Sarah too soon. She hated seeing her sad, and she felt like she was the one at fault for that.
"I've never been paragliding," Sarah said. "Is it fun?"
David put down his fork and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "It's very fun, and it makes you feel like you're flying. You would love it."
Sarah looked at Candice, expectantly. "Can we go paragliding sometime, Mommy? Please?"
She thought David might offer to take them someday, but when he didn't, she could only shrug her shoulders. "We'll see. Right now, you need to focus on finishing your spaghetti before it gets cold."
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