16
Sadie took her son from Dawson as soon as they got back to the truck and strapped Jayden in his safety seat while Dawson used his phone to research the contact information for Safety First in Santa Barbara. He found a listing and shot her a “wish me luck” look before dialing. There was always a possibility that the company wasn’t even in business anymore.
She fended off her son’s pleas to eat his sucker two or three times with a “not now” or “after lunch” while trying to listen to Dawson’s side of the conversation. Finally, she gave in, just to keep Jayden quiet. She figured one treat at an irregular time shouldn’t cause any lasting damage.
Dawson had already identified himself and asked for the owner. She could hear him saying, “When will he be in?” and “Can you tell me if you have access to job orders for the company going back thirteen months or so?” over the crackle of the wrapper.
When he hung up, she raised her eyebrows in expectation. “So?”
“That was a woman by the name of Amber.”
“And?”
“The good news is that they have every single job order since they opened their doors eight years ago.”
“What’s the bad news?”
“She wouldn’t give me any more information. Said I’d have to speak to the owner, who won’t be in until Monday.”
“Did you get his name?” She’d heard him ask for it.
“Big Red.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s all she gave me.”
“I’m sorry you have to wait even longer.”
“That isn’t all bad. At least I still have hope,” he said and waited for Sadie to get in before climbing behind the wheel.
“You let him have his treat?” Dawson asked, hitching a thumb at the pleased-as-punch Jayden.
“He couldn’t wait any longer.”
“You mean you got tired of saying no,” he said with a chuckle.
“Essentially,” she agreed.
Dawson leaned forward to see her son. “You got lucky today, huh, bud?”
Jayden offered him a sticky but toothy smile.
Sadie was surprised when Dawson parked in front of The Mint Julep instead of continuing on to the farm. Silver Springs didn’t have a lot of clothing stores. There was no mall, Target or Walmart, just a few small, expensive shops that catered to the wealthy tourists who came through. Sadie had purchased her blouse the other day from this place; it was her favorite boutique. But she’d found the blouse on the clearance rack. Typically, she couldn’t afford to shop here, even though she stopped in once in a while to browse.
“What are we doing?” she asked as Dawson cut the engine.
“You need clothes,” he said simply.
“I can wait. Chief Thomas told me I could give him a list of the things I need. I was planning to do that today.”
“He also said that the bedroom was one of the most damaged parts of the house. I doubt there’ll be much to salvage, and in the meantime I’m sure you’d like a few things—beyond that T-shirt and those baggy sweats.”
She was so glad she’d grabbed her shoes before running out of the house, or she’d need those, too. She just wished she’d managed to save more of her and Jayden’s belongings. She’d been afraid the electrical box or something else would explode, or she’d get blocked in if she lingered. “But...I don’t really have the money right now. And what little I do have I need to reserve for Jayden.”
“We’ll get him some things, too. There’s a ‘nice twice’ place for kids a few blocks off the main drag.”
“I’m familiar with it.” That was where she’d purchased most of his things since leaving Sly.
“We’ll go there next.” He lifted a hand. “No need to worry about the money. I’ll front what you need as an advance against your wages.”
Problem was, she’d need every bit of those wages for other things—like car insurance, day care, rent and utilities, so she could move out of the farmhouse and get back on her own two feet. She hated having to lean on someone she hadn’t known all that long, someone who had enough of his own problems.
But what could she say? She and Jayden were wearing what they’d slept in. At a minimum, they’d need underwear and socks for when they bathed or showered later. Which meant she had to buy them.
“Okay. Thanks.” She scooted out the driver side right after he did and would’ve walked around to get Jayden, but Dawson beat her to it, and Jayden didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t reach for her once, didn’t even look over at her as he would have if his father were carrying him. She found it so ironic that they both trusted Dawson more than they did Sly—intuitively—in spite of how everyone else felt about him.
Jessica Spitz, the owner, was inside the shop, creating a new display. She glanced up as the buzzer sounded over the door and stopped what she was doing. “Sadie! I read about the fire in the paper this morning. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Sadie managed a smile, even though she felt extremely uncomfortable in what she was wearing, given how fancy the shop was, and how Jessica was always dressed like she was ready to walk down a red carpet in LA. It didn’t help that she didn’t have much money with which to rectify her situation and would have to check price tags so carefully. “Thanks. It’s a bummer—that’s for sure.”
“But you have renter’s insurance, right?”
Sadie didn’t. She’d been so broke she hadn’t even considered an additional bill. But Jessica made it sound as if every renter would have insurance, so she avoided answering more honestly by saying, “I’ll be okay,” as if she did have coverage.
“How do you think the fire got started?” Jessica asked.
“What’d it say in the paper?” Sadie hadn’t even thought to look. She’d been too distracted with the simple act of recovering and helping Dawson find the vagrant he believed murdered his parents.
“Not much—just that a fire broke out in your home after midnight last night and destroyed half of it before the fire department could put out the blaze. I hope you didn’t lose too many of your things.”
Sadie drew a deep breath. “So do I. The police won’t let me go back yet, so it’ll be a day or two before I find out what’s left.”
“I read that they’re still investigating the origins of the fire.”
“Yeah. That’s what they told me, too.” She wasn’t about to mention that she thought it was arson. She supposed there was a chance that seeing a man in her yard right before she smelled smoke was a coincidence, but it had to be a very small one.
“I’m guessing it was faulty wiring,” Jessica mused. “My aunt once had an electrical fire break out while she was on vacation. Burned her place to the ground.”
“Wow. I’m sorry to hear that,” Sadie said.
“Don’t worry about it. Happened years ago.” Her gaze shifted to Dawson. “And you are...” Once again, Sadie witnessed recognition dawn before she could introduce her new employer. “Dawson Reed,” Jessica finished before they could answer.
Sadie knew he couldn’t enjoy the notoriety he’d gained, but he dipped his head politely in spite of that. “Nice to meet you.”
To Jessica’s credit, she offered him a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, too. So...what can I do for the both of you?” Her gaze swept over Sadie’s comfortable but shapeless apparel. “I take it you need a few things to wear.”
“A blouse and a pair of jeans should get me through, for now.” Sadie didn’t want Jessica to suggest too much, didn’t want Dawson to feel as if he’d have to buy her a lot. Not only was she sensitive to the fact that she couldn’t really afford to shop here, she didn’t want him to feel she was taking advantage of his willingness to loan her what she needed until payday.
“I have a new brand of jeans that’ll look great on your slender figure,” Jessica said.
Slender sounded better than skinny, but mention of her size made Sadie self-conscious in front of Dawson. She knew what he thought of her weight. “Great. I’ll try on a pair,” she said. If Jessica liked the jeans, she knew she would, too, but she had no real hope that she’d be able to buy the latest and greatest, so she slowly gravitated over to the clearance rack, where she found a lightweight sweater that might work and a long-sleeved blouse.
Dawson was playing with Jayden. Sadie could see her son darting between the racks, trying to hide from him, could hear the squeals of delight when Dawson “found” him. Dawson seemed preoccupied until Jessica returned with the jeans she’d suggested and asked if Sadie was ready to “start a room.” Then he looked up as if he was interested to see what she’d chosen.
“Sure.” Sadie followed her into the two-stall changing room in the corner of the boutique.
“Make sure you come out so we can take a look,” Jessica told her as she left.
Sadie checked the price on the jeans first thing—$125. She wasn’t even going to bother putting them on, she told herself.
She tried the sweater first. She liked it, but it was on sale for $44 and the blouse was only $35.
“Are you coming out?” Jessica called.
Afraid she’d sound rude if she refused, Sadie reluctantly pulled on the jeans and walked out to model them. “I like the blouse, but...I’m going to pass on the jeans.”
Jessica’s face fell. “Why? They’re stunning on you. Look at that ass!” She glanced over at Dawson for support, but he immediately went back to playing with Jayden. “And don’t worry about the price,” she added. “I’m going to give you whatever you need half off. It’ll be my way of helping you bounce back from the fire.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Sadie said. “But...are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Thank you.” Although Sadie was grateful, she hated having to accept charity.
Jessica waved her off. “It’s the least I can do after what you’ve been through.”
Sadie allowed her gaze to stray to Dawson. Jayden had hid again and was waiting quietly to be found, but Dawson wasn’t going after him. She’d thought, when everything grew quiet, that he must be on his phone, but he was looking at her, and the expression on his face surprised her.
“I think someone else likes the way they look, too,” Jessica teased, but that only made everything grow awkward very fast. Dawson instantly shuttered the appreciation that’d been so apparent a moment before and pretended, like Sadie did, that he hadn’t even heard what Jessica said and started patting the clothes rack Jayden was in as if he didn’t already know Jayden was there.
“You should get them,” he said once he’d flushed Jayden out.
She was still deliberating in front of the mirror. Together with the blouse, she’d be spending close to $100, even with the discount. That sounded like a fortune to her. She’d had to watch every penny for so long. But she couldn’t complain about the expense, not when Jessica was giving her such a good deal, and she needed clothes right away. She’d been trying to figure out how to say no so that she could visit a thrift shop instead—she’d gotten really good at finding gems other people had given away—but with Dawson supporting Jessica, she felt cornered. Suppressing the nagging worry that she’d need the money she was spending, she smiled. “Okay. I guess I will.”
When she came back out of the dressing room, she found Jayden sitting on Dawson’s shoulders. “Look, Mommy! See how tall I am?”
At least he seemed to be having a wonderful time... Briefly, she wondered why his own father couldn’t make him this happy.
“You’d better get some underclothes,” Dawson said before she could approach the register. “You need that most of all, right?”
She didn’t even get the chance to answer before Jessica jumped in. “Oh, I’ve got the perfect thing!”
The shop owner went to the lingerie section, where she picked up a pair of champagne-colored lace panties with a matching bra that’d been on display.
Sadie had never seen anything so beautiful and delicate, but that was what told her it would be out of her price range.
“Isn’t this gorgeous?” Jessica said. “We have it in a small, too, which would be your size.”
Sadie opened her mouth to try to direct Jessica to something more affordable. She didn’t even need to see the price tag to know that set wasn’t for her. But Dawson spoke before she could formulate the words. “We’ll take those, too,” he said and pulled out his wallet.
One carefully manicured eyebrow slid up on Jessica’s lovely face. “You’re taking care of the bill?”
He didn’t answer that question, either. He just handed her his credit card, as if that should speak for itself, and she shot Sadie a knowing smile. Dawson had been watching Sadie’s son while she tried on clothes, and now he was paying for what she’d selected—was even buying her underwear. Sadie knew how it appeared.
While Jessica took her time wrapping everything in perfumed tissue paper and putting it all in a pretty sack with a pink ribbon, Dawson started out ahead of her. Not wanting to be far behind his new hero, Jayden hurried after him, which gave Sadie a moment alone with the shop owner. “We’re just friends,” she said, hoping to set Jessica straight.
But Jessica wasn’t buying it. “A man doesn’t look at a friend like that,” she said with a laugh.
* * *
As they picked up a few things for Jayden at the secondhand shop and then drove home, Dawson kept picturing Sadie as she’d probably look in the lacy underwear and bra set he’d just purchased. He tried to distract himself by turning on the radio. When that didn’t work, he started going over everything he had yet to do today. And when that didn’t work, he tried to think about whether or not he’d find the man who might’ve seen the hitchhiker he’d picked up the night his parents were killed. Usually, the murders triggered enough anger to drown out any other emotion, even sexual desire, but the vision of Sadie in those snug-fitting jeans had elicited such a deluge of testosterone it was hijacking his brain. The bra and panty set only made matters worse.
He was so consumed with fighting a constant erection it took him a while to realize Sadie hadn’t said anything since they left the nice-twice shop.
“You okay?” he asked, glancing over at her.
She stared straight ahead. “Yeah. Fine. Thanks for fronting the money back there—for both of us. I’m grateful.”
“And yet...you don’t sound grateful. You sound upset.”
She checked to see what Jayden was taking in—Dawson saw her do it. But the boy was so absorbed in playing with the measuring tape he’d found in the truck he wasn’t tracking the conversation. “I’m not upset, exactly. It’s just...that boutique we went to for me was expensive,” she said. “And I have a lot of bills to cover.”
He’d known her situation when he stopped at The Mint Julep, which was probably what was bothering her. “You need clothes,” he pointed out.
“I know, but there are other places to buy them. I could’ve gotten mine secondhand, just like what we did for Jayden.”
“There’s nothing like that here for adults.”
“There’s one in Santa Barbara.”
“You were planning to drive to Santa Barbara today?”
“I could have. I might have. But it was so nice of Jessica to give me a discount, and you to loan me the money, that I felt as if it would be rude to refuse, and now I’m worried about what I’ve done.”
Thanks to the space Jayden’s safety seat took up, he could feel the warmth of her next to him. He liked having her so close, but it certainly didn’t help him rein in his libido. “Sadie, you don’t have to pay me back. As a matter of fact, I don’t even want you to. I only said it was coming from your wages so you’d relax and, hopefully, enjoy yourself. Otherwise, I knew you’d refuse.”
“Because I want to pay you back. Don’t you get it? I appreciate your kindness and understanding, but I don’t want your pity. I’m in a bad situation, which puts me at a disadvantage at the moment, but I’ll get back on my feet eventually.”
“So I bought you a couple of things,” he said with a shrug. “What does it matter?”
“It matters because...” Her words fell off and she blew out a sigh.
“I’m listening,” he said.
“It matters because I like you.” She answered grudgingly while continuing to stare straight ahead. “I want you to be able to respect me.”
He swerved around a pothole. “I do respect you!” Otherwise, he wouldn’t be working so hard to keep his mental and physical distance. Not only was he trying to give her a little help, he was trying to give her the time and space to recover from ten years of emotional abuse—without asserting his own needs and desires.
“Then you can’t treat me like a charity case,” she said. “It makes me feel like you’ll never view me as...as a responsible, likable, respectable adult. Someone who could...you know, be your equal.”
He slowed to turn in at the farm. “Sadie, buying you those clothes had less to do with you than it did me, okay? Sure, you need them, but that only gave me the excuse.”
She seemed surprised by his statement. “What do you mean?”
“It felt good to forget about my situation by buying you something pretty. Something you didn’t have to reject because of price. Something that would be beautiful on you. And, okay, maybe even something that was a little extravagant. That was the appeal of it. I wanted to feel like a man again and not a suspect for murder or someone who, like you, has a lot to rebuild. I only said you could pay me back when we went in so you wouldn’t refuse. I never planned on taking the money out of your wages. I know I chose things you wouldn’t.”
“But you spent so much on...on underwear!”
He couldn’t help grinning. “I know. That was the best part.”
* * *
Dawson’s words stuck in Sadie’s head for the rest of the day. She insisted on going out and helping him in the fields, but Jayden wouldn’t stay close enough for her to be as effective as she wanted. She had to keep stopping to catch him before he wandered off. Not only that, she wasn’t accustomed to such physical labor. And she was already battling such fatigue from being up so much last night.
“Go in and relax,” Dawson told her. “You look like you’re about to faint.”
She dusted the dirt off her sweatpants. “I’m doing okay,” she said, but his assessment had been far more accurate than she cared to admit. “If you can keep going, I can.”
“I could keep going a lot longer if you’d go in and make us something to eat,” he told her.
But they’d had lunch when they got home—meatball sandwiches—and it was only four-thirty. “You’re hungry again?”
“I’m always hungry,” he joked.
Breathing a silent sigh of relief, she pulled off the gloves she’d been using to protect her hands while she fought with some particularly deep-rooted weeds. “What would you like?”
“Why don’t you warm up some of that Stroganoff? That’s my favorite of what you’ve made so far.”
“I can do that.” She had the sneaking suspicion he was only trying to provide her with a good excuse to give up, but she was just weary enough to let him. “I can help more tomorrow, once I get back from the restaurant,” she said. “I’m just so darn tired.”
His muscles flexed as he kept fighting with the stubborn plant he was determined to remove. “You should take a nap after we eat.”
“If I do, I won’t sleep tonight. Nights are hard enough, you know? I can make it. Aren’t you tired?”
She grew self-conscious when he looked up at her. She was covered in dirt and sweat. “I am, but I promised Angela I’d come see her tomorrow, which means I won’t be able to work for a big part of the day. I need to make some progress this weekend.”
“I feel bad,” she admitted. “I’m the one who’s getting in the way—me and all my baggage. I’ve just sort of...crashed into your life.”
“It’s fine. What happened last night was Sly’s fault and not yours, anyway.”
“Or whoever set the fire,” she added.
Dawson leaned on his shovel. “You no longer think it was him?”
She shaded her eyes to be able to see Jayden. Her son had finally settled down and was digging in a muddy hole at the edge of their row. “I talked to Chief Thomas before I came out here. I had to tell him what to get, if he can, from the house.”
“What has he found that would lead him to believe it wasn’t Sly?”
“Nothing, yet. But he had a few things to say that made sense to me.”
“Let me guess. He said that Sly would never do anything to hurt his own son.”
“He did, but you already know I’m skeptical of that.”
He stretched his back. “So what’s causing you to second-guess yourself?”
She lowered her voice, in case any part of what she said carried over to Jayden. “He wouldn’t want to do something that could possibly ruin his image or get him kicked off the force, let alone sent to prison. He loves his badge. It makes him a big shot, gives him power in this town. And power is what he loves most.”
Dawson shook his head as he went back to work.
“You don’t agree?”
“It’s none of my business,” he said.
“I’m asking your opinion.”
He stopped again. “Honestly? I think he did it. Maybe what Chief Thomas mentioned—his badge and his ego—would stop him if he believed there was any chance he could get caught. But he thinks he’s too smart for that.”
“People blamed you for something terrible because you seemed like the logical choice, and they were wrong. I’m tempted to believe he did it, too—you know that. But I’d hate to make the same mistake with Jayden’s father.”
“I wouldn’t wish what’s happened to me on anyone, even Sly,” he said. “But I was blamed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, essentially. I didn’t mistreat them beforehand, wasn’t bullying, threatening or abusing them, the way Sly has bullied and threatened you. There was no pattern of aggression, not that anyone cared to cut me any slack for that. I was adopted, had a rough past and found them. That was all it took.” He jammed his shovel even deeper into the ground. “If I have my guess, Sly didn’t like that you suddenly had an ally, some other way to make money and survive. He felt he was losing his grip on you and needed to do something to shore it up, something that would force you back under his control once and for all.”
He was echoing her own thoughts—the thoughts she’d had before Chief Thomas got in her head, anyway. “Yeah. You’re right,” she agreed. “It’s just hard to believe that...that he would do such a thing. Because if he would go that far—what might he do next?”
“Good question,” he said. “Regardless of what Chief Thomas had to say, you have to stay on your guard. We both do.”