The Family Man (15 page)

Sara looked up into Adam’s eyes. Law or no law, how could she argue with that? Wouldn’t she do the same for Tana or Lilly if necessary? She sighed. “I don’t want you to say anything more than absolutely necessary, understand?”

“I’ll say whatever will help the kid.”

“Then say nothing you don’t have to. Trust me.”
Trust me now, even if you didn’t before
. “This is serious.”

“I know.” He looked over his shoulder toward the living room, where Tana kept up a steady stream of largely one-sided conversation. “I just want him to be safe.”

In that moment, Sara could see him as a father, even one good enough for her precious daughters. But would he ever see himself in that role?

“I’ll do everything I can for him,” she said.

He returned his gaze to hers, and she saw a determination there she’d never seen before.

“So will I.”

A
DAM WATCHED AS
Sara walked back into the living room, as she and Tana did their best to reassure David. As he watched the boy head for the door, his protective instincts, long buried, nearly overwhelmed him. He’d thought them incinerated under the merciless Middle Eastern skies, but it seemed they had a bit of life in them yet.

For years, he’d lived with the knowledge that he had been a miserable failure in his protector role. But so had David’s father, so had his own dad. Tana’s and Lilly’s parents. He didn’t want to be like any of those people. Maybe he didn’t have to be, if he was willing to try again. Get back up on the horse, so to speak.

When David’s eyes met his, so full of fear and doubt, the last vestiges of Adam’s reluctance to be responsible for anyone else burned away. This kid needed a protector, and damned if Adam didn’t want to assume that duty.

He rounded the end of the bar separating the kitchen from the living room and gripped David’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there for you, every step of the way.”

Adam caught the look in Sara’s eyes, one of admiration and bone-deep belief in his words. She couldn’t have given him a better gift.

But then she turned away without a goodbye, without any word at all.

“T
HINKING ABOUT
A
DAM
?”

Sara looked up from the pot of spaghetti she was stirring, at Tana leaning against the door frame that led from the kitchen to the living room.

“David, actually.” But weren’t the two of them now tied together in her mind?

“How is he?”

“As well as can be expected.”

“They’re not going to send him back to his dad again, are they?”

Sara shook her head. “There was enough evidence to keep him in state custody this time.” The guilt over what he’d endured after his return to his father ate at her even though it hadn’t been her call.

Tana eased into the room and came to stand next to Sara. “Have you talked to Adam since the other night?”

“I’ve been busy.” Sara added a little salt to the boiling pot.

“The past four days have been so busy that you couldn’t call him?”

“He hasn’t called me, either.” Okay, that sounded more bitter than she’d intended.

Tana just stood there, staring at her as if she’d encountered the world’s dumbest animal, until Sara couldn’t stand it anymore.

“What?”

“You’re a detective. You figure it out.”

Sara watched Tana spin on her heel and leave
the room, until the pot boiling over drew her attention back to the stove. She muttered an oath and grabbed the pot holders to move the pot to a cool burner.

Someone knocked on the door, and she noticed Tana answering it. When she tossed the pot holders back onto the counter, she turned to see Tana step back from the door and make for the hallway.

“The guy who didn’t call you is here,” she said, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

Sara gave her a hard stare, promising some sort of retribution later. But first, she had to deal with Adam—and the way her heart was thundering at seeing him again. She admitted to herself that she’d missed him, that it hurt that he hadn’t called.

But Tana was right. She hadn’t left Adam’s place with a “call me” vibe. Maybe he wasn’t cutting and running. Maybe he’d just been giving her time. Well, he was evidently done waiting.

She couldn’t seem to move as she watched him close the door and walk toward her. Even with dark circles under his eyes and an unsure expression on his face, he looked wonderful. After everything that had happened the past few days, was she crazy to think about grabbing him by the front of his shirt and dragging his lips down to hers?

“I would have called, but I seem to be the ‘drop in unannounced’ sort of guy.” His teasing sounded halfhearted, like it was no longer effortless.

Her face warmed when she thought about the last time he’d done exactly that and where they’d ended up.

“You certainly don’t play by the rules most of the time.”

He shoved his hands in his pants pockets, and for the first time she noticed he had on khaki slacks and a green button-up shirt.

“Things change,” he said.

She tilted her head slightly. “How so?”

“I’ve spent the day talking to all kinds of people with official titles.”

Sara’s breath caught. “What? I didn’t…”

“I know you didn’t say anything about how long David had been at my house. Otherwise, I doubt I’d still be walking around a free man.”

Sara shook her head. “Then who were you talking to?”

“The child advocate, a nice lady at the foster care system who sets up training and background checks, and a lot of other people who push paper for a living.”

Sara stared at Adam for a moment and realized the take-no-responsibility guy she’d talked to at the Beach Bum that day wasn’t the one standing in her kitchen.

“You’re going to foster him?”

“Going to try. Looks like these things take awhile. But, hey, I’ve been in the military. I’m well acquainted with government red tape.”

“Are you sure about this? Because David’s been through enough. He doesn’t deserve to get his hopes up only to have them dashed if you change your mind, decide the responsibility thing really isn’t for you.” She saw the disappointment in his expression, but she had to know. Not only because David would get his hopes up, but because hers were on the verge of skyrocketing, too.

“Not everyone walks away, Sara.”

She should let it go, accept this new Adam at face value, but something in her couldn’t. Some insecure part of her kept picking at the scab, wanting incontrovertible proof than he’d changed, that he was truly the man she so desperately wanted him to be.

“But you already did once. You walked away from life, responsibility, from caring too deeply because you were afraid to.”

He held her gaze for a few moments before saying, “You’re right. But I wouldn’t start this if I didn’t mean to finish it.” He paused. “I hope you come to believe that.”

She didn’t know what to say, what to believe. Had he been talking about his relationship with her as much as his plans to foster David? Even as she watched him turn and head for the door, she couldn’t form words for what she was feeling inside—that she didn’t want to live life without him in it.

When the door clicked closed softly, she jumped as if it had slammed shut on a beautiful future.
Prompted to movement, she ran to the door and jerked it open. But it was too late. She watched as Adam drove away.

The house’s red front door opened to reveal Elizabeth Alston, whom Sara had gotten to know through the foster care program. She and her husband were fostering David while his case worked its way through the system.

“Sara, it’s so good to see you,” Elizabeth said as she smiled and pulled Sara into a quick hug. “And Tana, girl, you are taller every time I see you.” Elizabeth ruffled Lilly’s hair before motioning them all inside. “Ben is showing David the fine art of grilling steaks out back.”

David spotted them as they neared the sliding-glass door that led to the back patio. He smiled and offered an awkward wave.

Sara touched Tana’s arm. “Go on and introduce Lilly. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Tana took Lilly’s hand and headed outside. Sara watched as the three of them retreated to lawn chairs at the edge of the patio.

“How’s he doing?” Sara asked Elizabeth as the other woman retrieved cold sodas from the refrigerator.

“Really well. Honestly, I think we would try to become his permanent fosters if Adam hadn’t already expressed interest.”

“You think he’s serious?” She really needed a third-party opinion that wasn’t one of her daughters’ or matchmaking Ruby’s.

“Judging by the fact he comes to see David every day, I’d say so. I’d also say it’s odd that the two of them bonded so quickly, but I can see how that would happen with David. He’s a great kid.”

“Yeah.” Plus, Adam and David had bonded over more than the single day she’d led everyone to believe David had been at Adam’s house. She was glad she wasn’t so by the book that the slight misdirection of the truth bothered her. Sometimes, adhering to the rules wasn’t the best course of action.

“Actually, Adam should be here any minute.”

Sara jerked her attention from where Lilly was playing patty-cake with David, who was laughing at her.

Elizabeth smiled wide. “I heard the two of you were an item.”

Sara lowered her eyes. “We…went out a few times.”

“Sara, honey, I love you, but you’re a terrible liar.”

“I’m not lying.”

Elizabeth put her arm around Sara and ushered
her toward the patio. “Not technically. But there’s more to the story than a few casual dates.”

“How do you know that?”

Elizabeth stopped and took a step away to look at Sara with an amused expression. “You do remember what I do for a living, right?”

Sara sighed as she admitted she’d been accurately pegged by an ace psychologist. Elizabeth had an uncanny knack for reading people—thus the reason the police department contracted her services every now and again.

“If it helps, I’m pretty sure he’s hung up on you, too.”

Sara raised her gaze to Elizabeth’s. “What makes you say that?”

“I heard David ask him about you one day, if he’d talked to you, and I swear the man blushed.”

Sara laughed a little. “Okay, I think you’re losing your touch. Adam Canfield doesn’t blush.”

“Stranger things have been known to happen,” Elizabeth said as she opened the sliding-glass door and stepped outside.

Sara only half heard the conversations going on around her for the next several minutes as she anticipated seeing Adam again, wondering how he’d react when he saw her. After all, it’d been three days since he’d left her standing in her house, more deeply lonely than she’d ever been. She’d picked up the phone several times but never dialed his number.
And this time, it should be her who made the call. What could she say? What did she want to say?

That she loved him. That she hated every day that went by when she didn’t get to hold him, touch him, kiss him.

“Sara.”

His voice, so deep and so close, startled her. Only when she forced her gaze up from the grass did she realize she’d been staring at the ground for who knew how long.

“Adam. Hey.”

“I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Me neither. I mean, I didn’t know you’d be here.” She felt like all the wrong words were coming out of her mouth. “It’s nice to see you.”

She thought she saw him relax a little. “You, too.”

“Perfect timing, Adam,” Ben said as he placed a platter of steaks on the patio table.

Was it? Perfect timing? Sara wanted to drag him away from the others and tell him everything, but she didn’t have the opportunity.

Instead, she sat across from him all during the meal and couldn’t keep herself from glancing at him every few seconds. He finally caught her, but she didn’t look away. And she didn’t care that all her feelings were probably naked in her eyes.

Heaven help her if she was wrong, but she thought she saw them reflected back.

A giggle from the opposite end of the table drew
her attention. She noticed the knowing look on Tana’s face, then on David’s. Even Lilly’s wide grin held a touch of awareness. She didn’t dare meet Ben’s and Elizabeth’s eyes.

“This was great,” Adam said several minutes later as he wadded his napkin and tossed it onto his plate. “But I’ve got to get to work. Took the afternoon shift today.”

Sara wanted to grab his arm and make him stay until they’d said everything that had been floating unspoken between them. But somehow she restrained herself. And watched him go yet again.

When she redirected her gaze to the other end of the table, Tana and David were leaning close and talking. Why did she get the feeling they were planning something?

“What are you two up to?” she asked.

Tana put on her best innocent face, and David followed her lead quickly but less effectively.

“Nothing,” Tana said.

Lilly’s giggle gave them away, but even she made as if she were zipping her lips and throwing away the key.

Sara was facing a kid conspiracy.

N
O MATTER HOW MUCH
she grilled the girls over the next twenty-four hours, neither of them broke. Finally, Sara gave up. She’d just deal with whatever mischief they were cooking up when the time came.
Knowing her girls, it wouldn’t be too bad. Even though David was a new player in the mix and older, Sara had no doubt that Tana was still the ringleader.

After a long day of work the next day, she arrived at Ruby’s to find a note.

All she wanted to do was soak in a bubble bath for about an hour, but maybe she and the girls could watch the sunset together. She’d been so wrapped up in Adam lately that she worried she’d been neglecting the girls. Her common sense told her she hadn’t, but she guessed that fear of not being the perfect parent wasn’t going to go away overnight.

After changing, she headed to the Blue Cove beach access. But when she didn’t find Ruby or the girls, her heart sped up. She turned in a quick circle atop the dune, but all she saw was a white table on the beach flanked by a tall tent with white fabric sides blowing in the breeze. She was already dialing her phone as she turned toward the parking lot in time to see Adam pull in beside her car.

The moment he got out of the car, she asked, “Have you seen Ruby or the girls?”

A look of surprise crossed his face. “No. I got a call from David to meet him here.”

“David?” Sara looked over her shoulder to the
table, noticed that it appeared to be set for a meal. A flash of Tana and David whispering to each other at Elizabeth and Ben’s house helped her realize what was going on just as Adam joined her on top of the dune.

“I think we’ve been played,” she said as she nodded toward the table.

He stared at it for a moment before the truth sank in. Then he smiled. “Well, I’m game if you are.”

Sara accepted Adam’s offered arm and allowed him to lead her to the table. She had to admit that this setting was really romantic. For that, she was sure she had Ruby to thank. As Adam sat across from her, uncharacteristic nerves fired within her. She tried not to think about where this might end up, especially when she suspected the kids were in that tent several yards away.

But it wasn’t the kids or Ruby, not even Elizabeth or Ben, who emerged from the tent. It was a waiter in black slacks, white shirt and black bow tie. He arrived at the side of the table bearing two shrimp cocktails and a bottle of champagne. Sara couldn’t find words, but Adam managed to thank the unknown man before he disappeared back into the tent.

For a moment, she thought she could see someone peeking out the side of the tent, but she wasn’t sure. She’d go along with all this because she missed Adam, and here he was so close.

He popped the cork on the champagne bottle. She
laughed when the liquid rolled out and down his arm.

Adam shook the excess liquid off his arm. “I never was good at that.”

“More of a beer kind of guy, huh?”

He grinned at her. “Yeah.”

“How have you been?” she asked, hating that she found talking to him so awkward now.

He shrugged. “Okay. Busy. The state certainly has a lot of hoops to jump through before you can foster a kid.”

“It’s to protect the kids from bad situations.”

“I know,” he said as he poured some champagne in her glass.

She lifted the glass and took a drink. “So, you’re going to go through with it?”

“Yes. Kid kind of grew on me, I guess.” He met her eyes. “Lots of people been doing that lately.”

Sara’s heart sped up, fueled by hope. “I know what you mean.”

She asked him about where he was in the foster process and he responded with details as they ate their shrimp cocktails.

The waiter arrived to remove their dishes just as they finished. “Your main course will be out momentarily.”

Sara watched as the waiter retraced his steps.

“Where do you think they got him?” Adam asked.

“I’m sure that’s Ruby’s doing.” She looked back
at Adam, taking a moment to appreciate how wonderful he looked in the slant of setting sun, like some gilded gift to women. To her. “I’m sorry about all this. They’re determined to play matchmaker.”

“I’m not.”

“Not what?” she asked, a lump threatening to form in her throat.

“Sorry.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I’ve missed you.”

Sara bit her bottom lip to keep from spilling every single feeling that was swirling inside of her. He didn’t even release her when the waiter returned with the main course, a delicious-smelling combination of grilled chicken and steak.

How was she supposed to eat when Adam’s thumb was stroking the top of her hand?

Her stomach growled, betraying the hunger she’d temporarily forgotten.

Adam laughed. “Hungry?”

“Apparently, I can never hide that fact,” she said as she remembered doing the same thing on movie night in the park. She lowered her gaze to her food.

Despite her hunger, she was only able to take a few bites before her nerves got in the way.

“Your food okay?” Adam asked.

“Yeah. It’s just…” She looked up at him. “I’m sorry about the way I acted when you were at my house the other day. I shouldn’t have questioned you like I did.”

Adam lowered his fork to his plate. “I’m glad you did. It made me examine my reasoning one more time.”

“And?”

“And, crazy as it might seem, I don’t like the idea of anyone else raising him. I’ve changed in the past several weeks, in ways I didn’t think I ever would. Thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You liked me, the me behind all the flirting and bluster.”

“It’s not hard.”

Soft music drew their attention, and Sara had to laugh when she saw Tana’s iPod dock sitting in the sand outside the tent.

“I think that’s our cue to dance.” Adam extended his hand.

She went willingly into his arms. Oh, she’d missed this, the wondrous feeling of being encircled in his strong arms, their hearts beating so close together, the male scent of him tickling her nose. She gave in to her yearning and laid her cheek against his chest, closed her eyes and drank in all the sensations of being next to him, listened to the waves and the soft music intertwining.

Sara dropped the barrier she used to protect her heart from further loss and let the truth come out. “I’ve missed you, too.”

Adam stopped dancing and moved so that she faced him. Then he dropped his lips to hers and
kissed her like they’d been looking for each other for a thousand years.

When Adam lifted his mouth from hers, he kept her close and ran his hand gently over her windswept hair. “You know, I think our kids might be smarter than we are.”

The way he said “our kids” melted her heart, and she knew without a doubt she’d found her Mr. Perfect.

“I love you,” she said, no hint of fear or tentativeness in her voice.

He looked startled for a moment, then smiled before capturing her mouth again.

She was still floating on a cloud of satisfaction when she heard Adam chuckle. She looked over her shoulder to see a handmade sign sticking out of the side of the tent that said, “Ask her!”

Ask her what? When she turned back toward Adam, she saw such an intense look of love on his face that it took her breath away.

“I think they’ve been reading my mind.”

Sara’s pulse kicked into overdrive as she suddenly knew what was about to happen.

Adam caressed her cheek as softly as the beach breeze. “For a long time, I didn’t think I could fall for anyone again. I was wrong.”

Sara’s heart stopped in anticipation.

“I’m ready to try happily ever after if you are,” he said. “I know I’m not perfect, but—”

Sara placed her fingers against his lips, forcing
him to stop speaking. “I’ve been looking for Mr. Perfect for a long time, and I finally found him. You’re perfect to me.”

Adam pulled her closer. “I love you, Sara Greene. Will you marry this lowly pier worker?”

Happy tears sprang to Sara’s eyes as she said, “Only if you promise to flirt with me forever. I kind of miss it.”

“That I can do,” he said just before he kissed her to seal the deal.

Voices from inside the tent drew their attention.

“Should we put them out of their misery?” Adam asked.

Sara laughed and nodded.

“You can come out,” Adam called out. “She said yes.”

The tent threatened to collapse as Tana, David and Lilly ran out, followed by Ruby. As the kids careened into Sara and Adam, squealing with happiness, Sara’s heart swelled. She had her family. Life was perfect.