DALE
I paced my house, fuming, ready to jump out of my skin, while my child sat on the lawn next door and played with that annoyingly cute puppy. I had no idea when Clare had gotten it, but I felt as if it were a ploy to take my daughter away from me. Anger bubbled as I watched the two play with the dog, Sally laughing in delight whenever the puppy licked her face.
The doorbell rang. I couldn’t help but feel glad that someone, anyone, would distract me from the agitation I felt at that moment. I walked toward the door, stopping when a woman breezed in.
“Mom?” I stared, surprised, as she walked up and hugged me. God, she was exactly the person I’d needed, but hadn’t realized it until I’d seen her.
“Dale! I thought I’d drop by for a few days. I missed you and my grandchild, so, yeah, here I am!”
I kissed her cheek, the stress immediately melting off me, then stepped back to let her enter. She dropped her bag by the door and followed me into the kitchen, glancing out of the window before smiling.
“I was going to ask where Sally is, but I guess a puppy trumps everything else. I wanted a chance to talk to you alone for a few minutes anyway.” Her smile slipped. I wondered what was going on. We’d spoken just last week and she’d sounded perfectly fine.
I smirked. “Why? I swear, I didn’t do it.”
She cocked her head, then shook it. “When we talked last week, you sounded off. Exhausted, tired. And not just from lack of sleep, but weary. What’s going on?”
I rubbed my palms across my face, wondering how best to answer that question, then leaned back against the counter, crossing my feet at my ankles. “Sally sleeps like shit, and I’m…” I sighed. “I’m awake all night, wondering how it would be if I weren’t alone. Most nights, I tell myself I want a woman around for her, but sometimes…”
Mom smiled. “Sometimes you wish you had someone to share the worries…and everything else. Someone who kisses you and gives you a hug when you need it, right?”
An image flashed through my mind—me kissing a woman’s forehead, messy curls tickling my chin. Startled, I wiped it from my mind.
I knew those curls and would sure as hell stay away from them.
“I don’t know. I mean, I’m… I went out Friday, just to relax, but couldn’t because I was worried about the person watching Sally. Turned out I was right.” Her eyes widened. I held up my hand. “Sally was okay. The hellion next door took care of her. But I cannot free my mind, Mom. I just need one night off, you know? Just to be a guy out in a bar, knowing he can come home and sleep off his buzz.”
“I’m here, Dale. I’ll watch Sally. Get drunk, if that’s what you want, and sleep it off.”
God, I liked that idea. Maybe I’d find someone to share a bed with for a few hours.
“No, son. You’ll be coming home…and you’ll be alone,” my mother stated sternly, her hands on her hips, as if I’d said my last thought out loud.
“I didn’t say anything,” I replied innocently.
She shook her head. “You didn’t have to, Dale. I saw it on your face. Yes, you’re lonely, but I don’t think you need someone for a night. The only thing you’ll accomplish with that is a mess, so forget that right now, buddy.”
I arched a brow. “I’m no longer eighteen, Mom. You can’t tell me what to do.”
She glared at me. I knew she would be more than able to and would chew me out if I actually showed up with anyone later. Not that I would, mainly because I didn’t want to give Sally any wrong ideas.
I considered calling Cane—after he’d apologized for the way our last bar trip had ended, we’d actually made up—to have him join me, but realized I wanted to be alone, mope in a bar, come home after some beers, then hopefully eventually fall into a peaceful sleep.