After the Dawn (28 page)

“Take care of yourself, Sam.”

She glanced up, but he was gone. So, he cared about her. It wasn't enough. She wanted his love and was destined never to have it.

*   *   *

Dillon had his mother on the phone before he reached his car. “Sam's not eating. Can you invite her over to eat with you and Roman this afternoon? I have to drive up to the high-performance garage to meet a new client.”

“She's not the only one not eating.”

After activating the automatic lock on his car, he slid inside. “I probably won't be back until night.”

“Be stubborn, but tonight I'm grilling chicken breasts, and when you get back I'm going to watch you eat every bite.” The line went dead.

Dillon almost smiled. His mother wasn't to be messed with. He should have remembered. She was handling dating Roman just fine. He was the one floundering, and if he didn't get his act together and put Sam out of his mind for good, he was going to sink like a rock.

*   *   *

Samantha absently picked up the ringing phone. “Collins Industry.”

“Hello, Samantha, it's Marlene. You got a second?”

“Always.” She liked Marlene. Her crashing with Dillon wouldn't ruin their budding friendship.

“I want to invite you over for dinner tonight. Roman is coming as well,” Marlene said. “I'm grilling. You'll hurt my feelings if you don't come.”

Suspicion entered her mind. Who wanted a third person when a date was coming over? “Did Dillon ask you to call me?”

“He did, but I really want you to come over and just relax. Abe would have wanted me to look after you, but I'm asking because I truly like you and hope we can be real friends.”

Samantha massaged her forehead. Real friends meant she might run into Dillon when he came back to visit.

“I cooked an Italian cream cake for dessert. Your favorite.”

“How did you know that?”

“I baked one for Abe last year and he told me.”

Samantha's eyes misted. “I wish we could have had more time.”

“You were there when it counted. You made your peace with each other. Sometimes that doesn't happen, and you have to live with the regrets.”

Samantha wasn't sure if Marlene was talking in generalities about Samantha and Abe or about Samantha and Dillon. She'd made the wrong decision so many times in the past. Was she right to ask Dillon for what he couldn't give her?

“Is five all right?” Marlene said into the lengthening silence. “For once, you can leave before Evan.”

The idea had instant appeal. Tonight, she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. “You talked me into it. I'll see you at five.”

“Wonderful. Bring an appetite. Bye.”

Samantha went back to work, yet somehow she didn't feel as melancholy as she had before Dillon's visit and Marlene's subsequent phone call. He didn't have to call his mother. He cared. Perhaps not in the way she'd hoped, but he did care. She just had to convince herself that it was enough.

*   *   *

Dillon drove to Dallas with the pop station blaring, and at just over the speed limit. His thoughts were too scattered to speed. By the time he pulled into the parking lot of his high-performance garage, it was an hour later and he had no idea how to settle the problems with him and Sam. All he was certain of was that he wanted her more than ever, wanted her more than any woman before her.

Climbing out of the low-slung car, he spotted the black Lamborghini immediately. Sleek and mean, with enough horses to hit 120 in five seconds. He'd worked on other million-dollar cars, but to him the Lamborghini was in a class by itself.

The front door of the office opened and two men came out. Both had broad shoulders, were over six feet, and moved with the loose-limbed grace of athletes. One was dressed in steel-toed shoes, well-worn jeans, and a chambray shirt. The other wore one of those tailored suits that cost five figures, the kind Nathan preferred. They walked easily beside each other, as if old friends.

“Mr. Montgomery?” asked the one in the expensive suit.

“Dillon, please.” He stuck out his hand.

“Cade Mathis, and this is Zachary Holman.” The handshakes were firm. “Thank you for coming on short notice.”

“I had the time, and I owe Nathan,” Dillon said, then twisted his head to one side as the men studied him openly. “Did I grow another head?”

“Sorry. I guess I'm in awe of meeting you,” Cade said. “You made quite the splash with headlines over the weekend.”

Dillon waved the words aside. “I put on my pants the same as you do.”

The men shared a smile. Zachary explained, “A mutual friend of ours said the same thing when my wife met his fiancée. Only it was panty hose.”

“Your wife is…?”

“Madison Reed. She's the one who brought your accomplishment to my attention. I called Nathan and asked for the introduction for Cade.”

“I've heard of her. She's one of the few live programs my mother allows on the TV at our garage in Elms Fork.”

“Please thank your mother,” Zachary said. “I'll be sure and tell Madison.”

“Was there a reason you wanted to see me so quickly?” Dillon asked.

Zachary slapped Cade on the back. “Cade recently became engaged and needs to enjoy that toy of his before he has to park it. I drive a truck with a booster cab.”

“He has two adorable children,” Cade explained. “And I won't mind parking it one bit.” He nodded toward Dillon's Ferrari. “Nice.”

“Thanks. I was admiring yours.” Dillon walked over and unlatched the hood.

“Looks good, but it's sluggish.” Cade peered under the hood with the other men. “Traffic is too crazy for me not to be able to accelerate.”

“Not to mention embarrassing.” Dillon laughed, and the men laughed with him. They were easy to talk with and friendly. Lots of his clients were stuck-up. “Start her up.”

Cade got inside, started the motor, then rolled down the window. “Rev the motor a couple of times,” Dillon instructed.

The car rumbled, but it wasn't smooth. Dillon flicked his wrist, indicating to cut the engine. “I think it's spark plugs, but I won't be sure until I put it through a full analysis. You can make an appointment and bring it in next week, if that's all right.”

“Will you be working on it or one of your trained mechanics?”

“I will.” Dillon slammed the hood. “Don't worry. We'll take care of your car.”

“If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be here.” Cade stared at the car for a moment. “Another reason I want it at peak performance is that my fiancée has been hinting that she wants to drive it.”

“Madison was the same way about my truck after we became engaged.” Zachary chuckled. “What is it about driving your man's car?”

“My guess would be that they want to know that everything we own is now theirs, even our prized automobiles.” Cade turned to Dillon. “What do you think?”

“Probably, and that's why I've never handed over my keys,” Dillon said. “Nobody drives my cars but me.”

“You're obviously single and not ‘seriously dating,' as they say these days,” Zachary said.

Dillon shrugged. “I'm too busy for anything serious.”

“I sometimes have twelve-hour days, but when I go home there's Madison and our two kids. They make the long day, all the problems associated with building homes, fall away.”

“The same with Sabrina, my fiancée,” Cade explained. “She pushed her way into my life, but I'd be lost without her.” He briefly clasped Dillon on the shoulder. “One day I hope you know what it feels like to have a woman who loves you waiting at the end of a long, hard day. You won't even mind her driving your car.”

Dillon wasn't sure about Sam driving his car, but he did want her in his life. For how long, he wasn't sure.

Charlie, Dillon's office manager, stuck his head out the door. “Dillon, phone.”

“Is it Mama?”

“No, it's the woman who messed up the Ferrari.”

Dillon rolled his eyes. “Surely she didn't try to drive the car again and screw up the gears.”

Charlie nodded. “She's hysterical.”

“Tell her I'll be there in a minute.” Dillon turned to Cade and Zachary. “Unlike the women in your lives, the customer on the phone would rather sneak and drive her husband's car when he's out of town.”

“That's a marriage headed for disaster,” Zachary said. “You can't build anything solid without trust, and that works both ways.”

“My mother said the same thing,” Dillon told them.

“Smart woman. We'll let you go.” Cade stuck out his hand again. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

“Since Sabrina has never driven a stick, that might be sooner than you imagine,” Zachary kidded.

“Just so she's safe. I can replace the car, but not Sabrina.” Cade turned to the car, then looked back. “We're going to dinner later with another couple. Would you like to join us? You can bring a date, of course.”

Dillon immediately thought of Sam. She needed more friends. “I'll take a rain check. Good-bye.”

“I'll see you when I bring the car back in.” The car rumbled to life. “Thanks again.” Cade pulled out of the parking space and hit the streets.

“Dillon. Please,” Charlie said, his face and voice frantic.

“Coming.” Dillon started toward the office, his thoughts on what Zachary had said about not being able to build anything without trust. He and Sam might trust each other, but they saw things differently and were headed in different directions. Yet even knowing all that, he still wanted her.

*   *   *

“Dillon looked even more like A. J. Reed in person than he did in the pictures Madison showed us,” Zachary said. “It's a good thing she saw the interview in the newspaper.”

“He might be the spitting image of A. J., but thank goodness he's the opposite in personality.” Cade checked the mirror and took the ramp to the freeway. “He didn't have a BS meter that was off the charts. I liked him.”

“Same here.” Zachary turned in his seat to stare at Cade. “He might be our brother.”

Our brother. The two words resonated through Cade. They had different mothers, but the same arrogant man for their father, A. J. Reed. Cade had discovered his brother, Zachary, only six weeks ago. The thought of finding another brother was scary and exciting at the same time. “According to the report from the private investigator I hired, it's rumored in his hometown that he was the son of Abe Collins. Collins died recently, and now Dillon works for the company as a consultant.”

“We have to assume that he might not know who his father is. He didn't react when I mentioned Madison's professional last name.”

“A. J. Reed didn't stick around after the woman became pregnant,” Cade said, the words coated with bitterness. “His mother raised Dillon alone.”

“Looks like we'll have to contact her first. Neither one of us wants to cause her any embarrassment or discomfort,” Zachary said.

“No. A. J. put our mothers through enough misery to last a lifetime.” Cade shifted gears and passed a slow-moving car. “We'll see how my meeting with him goes when I bring back the car, then we'll take it from there. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

 

Sixteen

Samantha pulled up behind Roman's car in Marlene's driveway and got out. It was barely five. Looked like he was anxious to see Marlene again. She was glad someone's romance was going well. She opened the gate to the backyard, rounded the corner of the house, and came to an abrupt stop.

Roman and Marlene were standing just outside the back door, his arm around her waist, hers looped around his neck, their mouths inches apart. Obviously Marlene was no longer unsure about dating Roman. Good for her. Roman was a great guy.

Samantha turned to leave. Three was definitely a crowd.

“Hi, Samantha,” Marlene said, her voice a bit breathless.

“Hi, Samantha,” Roman said, his strained.

Samantha turned to see Marlene in front of the grill. Next to her Roman held a platter of skewered vegetables.

“Hi,” Samantha greeted, slowly approaching. She didn't want to embarrass them. “Smells good.”

“We should eat in about ten minutes.” Marlene closed the lid of the grill, her gaze sweeping over Samantha. “Wine or raspberry lemonade?”

“Wine, definitely.”

“I'll get it.” Roman touched Marlene's shoulder as he passed.

“We didn't mean to embarrass you,” Marlene said when Roman closed the back door.

“You didn't.” Samantha smiled. “I'm happy for you.”

“It took me a while, but so am I.” Marlene waved Samantha to a seat at the round glass-topped table.

“Here you go.” Roman came back with a glass of wine for Samantha and raspberry lemonade for Marlene. “I'll start taking things to the flower bed.”

“Thanks, Roman.”

“Good practice for Saturday.” He dipped a kiss on her head, then headed around the side of the house toward the garage.

“If I might ask, what's happening on Saturday?” Samantha sipped her wine.

“I'm helping Roman landscape his house,” Marlene told her. “From the pictures he showed me yesterday, it's badly needed.”

Samantha glanced around the backyard with its colorful flower beds of azaleas, geraniums, and daisies. “You certainly have the talent. Your home and yard are spectacular.”

“Thanks to Dillon.” Marlene picked up her glass. “He had this house built for me, indulged me with the extensive flower beds although he can't stand yard work. I couldn't ask for a better son.”

“Without him, there is no way I would have made it this far,” Samantha said. “We certainly wouldn't have gotten the press or be in the process for a new design.”

“But you wanted more,” Marlene said softly.