by Kay Lyons
A short time later, he sat at the bar of Eddie's Restaurant pondering the menu when Ireland came through the door. He watched as she chatted briefly with the hostess before heading his way. He knew the moment she spotted him due to the hesitation in her step. "Evening."
"Good evening," Ireland said. "I'm glad I ran into you. Can we talk?"
"Sure. Why don't you join me?"
He could practically see her going over the pros and cons in her mind, but a moment later, she took the stool beside him.
"Would you like a drink?" the bartender asked.
"Uh, yeah, thank you," she murmured. "A sweet tea, please." She flashed a smile in his direction. "After my talk with Samuel, I'd like something stronger than tea but feel the need to keep a clear head."
"Ahh, he told you about the beer."
"Oh, yeah. Sammy told me all about the boys stealing the drinks and the chip fiasco with the tourists as well as a few other things I didn't really want to know. Once he got started, I think he felt the need for a cleansing and decided to tell every deep, dark secret he held."
Dominic chuckled at the image, well able to imagine Samuel doing just that in the hopes of redeeming himself. "He's a good kid."
"I know he is. A handful at the moment, but good."
"For what it's worth, I think he's telling the truth about not knowing what the older ones had planned. I could see them duping him given the age difference."
"They're lucky they weren't caught and taken to task by the owners right there on the beach, much less caught drinking the beer." She met his gaze. "He said he didn't drink it, and maybe I'd prefer to keep the blinders on, but I believe him. But even if he didn't do it today, what if there's a next time?"
"Cross that bridge when you come to it. Maybe there won't be a next time."
"Well, I appreciate what you said to him, about becoming who his friends are and being careful who he chooses. I think it resonated with him."
"I'm glad. It's something my father shared with me at that age and something I shared with my son and the kids on the ball teams I coached."
The bartender set Ireland's drink in front of her.
"Here's to surviving parenthood," he said, lifting his glass.
She lifted her iced tea and lightly clinked it with his.
"Sammy also told me what you said about hanging out with you while you're here."
"Speaking of which, what did you decide about the game tomorrow? Are we still on?"
Ireland twisted her mouth in a wry grimace. "I'm not sure." She shot him an inquisitive glance. "I don't suppose you have any insight about that, seeing as how you've already raised a son?"
"I've thought about that all day, actually."
"And?"
"I'd take him. It's a time to bond and praise his honesty and remorse. Hopefully it will instill more confidence in being a good person and behaving himself, and that'll keep him from the wrong sorts of friends in the future. At least give him pause when it comes into play."
She nodded slowly and inhaled. "After he spilled his guts and came clean, I hated the thought of not taking him."
"Sounds like we're on the same page then."
"But what you said… You do remember you're on vacation, right? You should be going out, touring Southport and Wilmington, doing fun things. Not babysitting my son."
"Hey, cut me some slack. It's my first vacation in years, so I'm out of practice. Besides, Samuel is proving to be quite entertaining."
She laughed and shook her head, and he liked the way the smile transformed her from worried mom to beautiful woman.
He shifted uncomfortably on the stool because of the thought. It felt disrespectful to Lisa but… it didn't change the fact it was true or that it wasn't the first time he'd noticed Ireland's beauty.
"He is that."
Brought back to the topic at hand, he asked, "What about you?"
"What about me?"
"When do you get to go on vacation?"
Her long lashes lowered over her eyes. "Ahh, hmm… It's different when you live and work at the beach."
"What, you don't vacation? Or does that require a trip to the mountains away from your guests and everyone needing your attention? Have you actually done all of the stuff you just mentioned since you moved here?"
"I thought we were talking about you?"
He sipped his drink but lifted a finger from the glass and pointed it in her direction. "That's a no."
"I've been… busy."
"Are you ready to order?" the bartender asked them.
Carol's words about practice dating came to mind, and while he wasn't sure he was even ready for a practice date, they both had to eat. "Join me for dinner. I've eaten every meal alone since I arrived, so the least you can do is keep me company."
"That's not true. We ate together on the pier." She shifted on the stool and shoved the menu toward the bartender without looking at it. "But I will," she added with a nod. "Just give me the pasta special and one to go, please."
"I’ll take the same. And add her order to my bill."
"Oh, no. Dominic, I can't accept."
"I insist," he said, nodding toward the bartender, who stepped back to go put in the order.
"Thank you but you don’t have to do that. I should be buying you dinner for your talk with Samuel."
"Like I said. Entertainment. That kid has made me laugh more in the last couple of days than I have in the last year. It's fine. Besides, Lisa spoke of you often. She really enjoyed her time here and thought of you and your family as friends. I'm grateful for the time you spent with her and how you welcomed her."
"Her girls’ weekend with her friend was a pleasure to see. Lisa seemed like a wonderful woman."
"She was."
"My situation is different, as you know, but I imagine that sense of loneliness is about the same."
He nodded. "It's not easy starting over, is it? A friend of mine went through a bad divorce about the same time as Lisa's passing. I think he had a harder time accepting the end of his marriage than I did Lisa's death." He felt her staring at him as though in surprise. "Did I sound insensitive?"
"No, it's just… I've tried to explain that to my family but they don't get it. It's horrible regardless of how a marriage ends, but it's different when someone you love chooses to walk away."
"My buddy says the same thing."
Ireland fiddled with the paper napkin beneath her glass, a multitude of expressions flickering across her features in a matter of seconds. Dominic watched, fascinated by the play of emotions.
"My family insists that I need to start dating. I don't know about you, but who wants to put themselves out there again after what we've been through? It takes guts and I'm not sure I'm that brave. Not anymore."
Dominic stared at her, drawn by her words, her expression. He felt the same way. Which made him wonder what it was about her that made him want to find his courage again.
Chapter 13
Ireland stepped from the restaurant and stared up at the darkened sky, surprised that she'd just spent the last two hours talking to Dominic. And not just talking but conversing. They'd discussed everything. Life, love, dating, their children, current events, favorite things to do. And a part of her was amazed at how much she'd enjoyed herself.
While she’d been sitting there eating her dinner, Frankie had texted to say practice had ended and Samuel had fallen asleep on her couch, worn out from his adventures. Her sister had ordered Ireland to enjoy a night off and get some sleep before tomorrow's game… and she hoped the guy they were going with was as good as Samuel made him out to be.
Ireland inhaled the salt air and the way the breeze carried the freshness of rain with it, knowing no matter where life took her she would always relish the scent.
"Wow. You can see the storm over the water out there."
She glanced up at Dominic's profile and then out to sea. A thunderstorm flashed in the distance, the clouds lighting up with each glorious display. "Hmm. I
love watching the thunderheads roll over the water."
"Wanna get some ice cream from the pier house and sit on the swings?"
"I couldn't eat another bite, but some time on the swings sounds nice."
They moved down the street in unison, the noise from the arcade drowning out the sound of the waves for just a moment until they moved past it and crossed the narrow street to the boardwalk.
An older gentleman was leaving the first swing across from the pavilion just as they walked by.
"Hey, Miss Ireland. Here you go. Take my spot. It's time for me to get myself home. You two enjoy yourselves."
"Thank you, Roland," Ireland murmured. "Don't drive too fast on that cart."
"I'll keep it under sixty," the man joked. "You treat her nice now," Roland said, wagging a finger at Dominic. "This pretty girl deserves a good man."
"Uh, yes, sir. I couldn't agree more."
Ireland flushed and couldn't decide if it was out of embarrassment or because of the possibility Dominic might mean what he said and find her as attractive as she did him.
So you think Lisa's husband is handsome?
But she wasn't sure what to think of that realization, only that it was true. During their time in the restaurant, Dominic had laughed and relaxed, and she'd seen a different man than the one she knew only as Lisa's husband. This man was an attractive, intelligent, funny, and seemingly genuine man.
Ireland shook her head at herself and settled on the swing, leaving plenty of room for Dominic to join her. He sat down beside her, and the breeze carried his cologne to her nose. It smelled rich and spicy, with hints of sandalwood.
She lifted her hand and brushed the hair from her face, and Dominic set the swing in motion. Unlike their nonstop conversation in the restaurant, they remained quiet, but it was a comfortable quiet.
As the lightning flashed high in the clouds out at sea, she stared in awestruck wonder at the power and beauty of it. The temperature had dropped radically from earlier in the day, the rain-cooled breeze having a chill, but the heat and size of Dominic's body beside hers kept the wind from blasting her too much.
Tourists came and went along the boardwalk, the air filled with laughter and conversation, flip-flops flapping against the planks behind them. Birds squawked as they battled the wind, and the pier lights revealed the shadows of fishermen lined up along the railings.
"I'm starting to get it," Dominic said. "Why Lisa loved it here."
The mention of his wife reminded Ireland yet again that he was a man mourning the love of his life. She crossed her arms over her front and stared off into the distance.
Dominic was the last person she needed to be thinking of as handsome or funny, especially when his plans were as unpredictable as the storm they watched.
"Are you cold? Should we go?"
Using the excuse, she nodded. "Yeah. Sorry. I need to get home."
"I'll walk you."
"It's not far. I'll be fine."
"It's not a problem. I'll need to know where to pick you and Samuel up tomorrow for the game."
Walking the four blocks to her home took longer than usual due to the congestion of summer traffic and pedestrians around the pier and pavilion, but once they crossed the intersection, things quieted and slowed, and it was more like it was in the off-season.
Every now and again, her hand or shoulder brushed Dominic's as they walked, and with every touch, her heart picked up speed. "Nice house."
"Thanks. It's Holland's," she said, leading the way up the stairs. "She works out of town so often that when Sammy and I moved here, she asked us to stay so that the house wasn't sitting empty."
When they arrived at the top and entered the screened-in porch, she noticed he paused to take in the view of the neighborhood. The house was several blocks from the water, so there wasn't an ocean view unless they continued up the stairs to the crow's nest.
She fished her key from her small purse, juggling the bag of food she'd ordered for Samuel thinking he'd be there after practice.
"Here. Allow me."
Dominic took the key and unlocked the door for her before handing it back to her. "Thanks. For dinner and walking me home."
"My pleasure."
Maybe it was the storm and the electrically charged air affecting her senses. Maybe it was the conversation they'd had in the restaurant. It could be the way Dominic spoke of his late wife with such reverence and love, but whatever it was in that moment… she felt pulled to him in a way she'd wondered if she could ever be drawn to a man again.
But why did it have to be him? Dominic, who still reeled from Lisa’s death? Who lived much too far away to make dating a viable option even if he was ready?
"I should go before the storm gets here."
She quickly nodded. "Yeah, you'd better. You don't want to be struck by lightning." She held up the bagged food. "Thanks again."
“My pleasure. Good night, Ireland.”
Ireland waited and watched as he left, all the while reminding herself that very soon he'd return to Atlanta, to the life he’d built with the woman he’d never get over losing.
Chapter 14
By midafternoon the game was over and they were on the way back to the island.
"That was so much fun! Can we go again sometime?"
"It was fun, and we'll see," Ireland said, flashing a smile over her shoulder to where Samuel sat in the backseat. "What do you have to say to Dominic for driving us in his 'cool car'?"
"Thanks, Dominic! This is awesome!"
"You're welcome. Thank you for letting me tag along. That was a great game." The windows were down, and it was a gorgeous day thanks to the storms last night that had lowered the humidity and cooled the temps a bit.
Dominic glanced across the expanse of the vehicle to where Ireland sat looking every bit as adorable as her son. She wore a Sharks T-shirt and cutoff shorts that highlighted her tan legs, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't noticed how long they were more than once.
The wind blew the curls around her face, and with the sunglasses perched on her nose and lips rosy from the red Icee she and Samuel had shared, he found himself struggling to pay attention to the road in front of him.
"Can we ride the ferry?"
Dominic glanced in the rearview mirror and met Samuel's gaze. "To Southport?"
"Yeah! Please, Dominic? It's fun."
"Samuel, Dominic may have made plans for the day, and besides, we just went to the game."
"I know. But we're having a fun day, right? So can't we have more fun?"
Dominic laughed at the boy's statement and shared a glance with Ireland. "You can't fault his reasoning. Sound fun to you?"
"Really?"
"Why not?"
It took some time to get through the traffic, but once they crossed the bridge to the island and turned onto Dow, the ride got a little faster. In a matter of minutes, he turned onto the road taking them to the ferry, and they managed to make it onto the one currently loading. "That was some good timing, Samuel," he said, getting out of the car and holding the door for Sam to climb out.
"Let's go up on the top deck. Okay, Mom?"
"Yes, see you there in a second."
Samuel ran toward the stairs leading to the upper deck of the ferry, but Dominic waited for Ireland to gather her purse and exit the Porsche.
"Nice car," a man said as he followed his family toward the stairs. "You must have hit the lottery."
Ireland glanced up at him, and Dominic shrugged, embarrassed by the man's comment given the attention it drew from other passengers. "Actually, it was a gift."
The man whistled. "Nice gift."
Dominic shut the passenger door and found Ireland staring at him with a peculiar expression.
"A gift?"
"Yeah. Lisa had this delivered about a month ago."
"Seriously?"
He nodded and motioned for her to precede him toward the upper deck where Samuel had gone. "I knew nothing about it. You can only imagine h
ow surprised I was when the doorbell rang and there it was."
"You have to tell me this story," she said as she climbed the stairs.
Dominic realized he was eye level with her behind in those cutoff shorts, and it took a moment for Ireland's request to sink in. "Uh, yeah. Of course. Lisa had taken out a life insurance policy years ago when the kids were young. After she was in a car accident. I knew that, but what I didn't know was that she'd increased the amount several times since. The note that came with the car said she knew the kids would always have what they needed but that it was my turn."
"So she picked out the car?"
"Yeah. We'd gone to a car show years ago, and I'd told her I'd have a car like that one day, once I retired or something."
"And she remembered and got it for you. That's… Wow, what a great surprise that must have been."
They'd made it to the top of the stairs, and Dominic paused to look at the view. Samuel stood at the railing and turned to wave when he spotted them. "Yeah. It was. The note she wrote informed me it was nonrefundable, nontransferable. I had to keep it and drive it and remember… I had to remember to live."
"That sounds like Lisa. I mean, from what I know of her when she was setting up the trip for you. She worried about you. How you’d… be afterwards."
Their gazes locked and he tensed at the impact. It was like Ireland saw into his soul. Saw way too much.
"Mom, look!"
Samuel pointed toward a cargo ship in the distance.
"I see it. Wonder what's on it, hmm? What do you think, Sammy?"
Dominic braced his hands against the metal rails of the ferry and gripped them until his knuckles hurt. What was he doing? Thinking? He stood there telling Ireland about his wife and all that Lisa had done for him… while noticing her legs and her smile and her eyes, her laugh? The way she looked in those shorts?
Where was the love, honor, and cherish in that?
Chapter 15
Something had happened.
An hour later, Ireland sat across the table from Dominic in one of Southport's popular seaside restaurants very aware that his mood had shifted with the telling of the car story.