Silence.
Shrugging, she turned to go inside and kicked a picnic basket with a note taped on top. Not at all sure she wanted to check the contents she stood still then turned her head to check both sides of her porch. “What the—?”
She reached for the note and snatched her hand back when the basket shifted. Sidling past it, she stood in the relative safety of her doorway. She took a breath and yanked the paper off the handle. The note was written in childish cursive.
Hello, Marla Danaher. I don’t have a mama. Will you be my mama? My name is Dandy, but you can call me DD.
A barely audible whine sounded from the basket and it wobbled again. Marla’s heart pounded. A dog? Had someone left a dog on her porch? She knelt down, and with a trembling, tentative hand, lifted the hinged lid. A Yorkie puppy stared at her with imploring eyes far too large for its bitty head. It stood on its hind legs and pawed the air with a tiny foot.
Marla’s hands flew to her face but couldn’t stifle her sob. She blinked back tears, lifted the pup from the basket, and hugged it to her chest. “Oh, you sweet thing, you sweet, adorable baby.”
Eyes damp, she hugged the tiny creature whose little heart tapped rapidly against her collarbone. “Oh, you precious baby.” A miniscule tongue lapped her chin and the small body nearly wriggled from her grasp.
Holding the pup in both hands, she lifted it level with her face. “Hello, Dandy DD. Would you like to live in my house?”
Marla stood and kissed DD’s nose. “You can come out now, Dempsey.”
Rustling of the large bush at the corner of her house gave away his hiding spot. Amber, dressed as Cinderella, blond wig and all, stepped into the light first, followed by her dad.
Amber bounced on her toes. “Do you like her, Marla? She’s rilly cute, isn’t she? Will you keep her?”
Marla nodded and met Dwayne’s gaze. Neither of them spoke. One corner of his mouth twitched a brief smile, and he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his heavy work pants. He mouthed, I love you.
A Ping Pong ball-sized lump formed in her throat. She pressed her lips together and told herself to breathe.
Amber reached for the dog. “Can I hold her?”
By way of answer, Marla put the pup in her outstretched hands. Amber sat on the top step and cradled DD in her lap.
Dwayne took a step, removed his hands from his pockets, and held them open. The motion was a question. Marla answered by stepping into the circle of his embrace. He nearly crushed her. No words were exchanged. She merely rested her forehead against his neck and breathed his wonderful scent of soap, sweat, and newly sawn wood. The scent no longer detectable on her pillows.
He took a deep breath. “I’m so lousy at this, Red.”
She smiled against his neck. “I know.”
“Damn, I want you so much. Please find a way to forgive me, before I hang myself.”
She tilted her face to him. “I’m working on it, Dempsey.”
“That’s all I ask, Danaher.”
“Trick or treat!” A couple of stragglers came down her walk. Amber slid the bowl of candy to the step, reached in and took a handful for each kid, and dropped the treats in sagging pillowcases. They happily accepted the mini-Milky Ways, grinned, then patted DD’s head.
Dwayne whispered close to her ear. “I have to get Amber home. Tomorrow’s a school day. Please say I can come over tomorrow night. Rosie and Pete offered to keep her for the weekend.” He tightened his arms and ran a hand into the back of her hair. “Please, honey. I’m begging you. I’ll get down on my knees if I have to.”
She stroked his cheek. “Kiss me, and make it a good one, Dempsey.”
“My pleasure, Danaher.”
His kiss was a good one. In fact it was a great one. She didn’t want it to end. Light as a feather, she was ready to float away.
Amber muttered, “Everybody in the whole world can see you. You’re rilly embarrassing me.”
Dwayne dropped his arms but didn’t take his eyes off Marla’s. “Give DD to her mama, squirt. It’s almost your bedtime. We’re outta here.”
Amber got to her feet and held the puppy up. With trembling hands, Marla took it and pressed it to her cheek. She directed a pointed look at Dwayne’s eyes. “Um, DD?”
“Danaher and Dempsey?”
He pecked a quick kiss on her forehead then on DD’s head while sliding a surreptitious hand across her derriere. “See you tomorrow, Red.”
Every cell in Dwayne’s body vibrated at the thought of winning Marla back, of having her in his bed again, but not just that, having her in his life. In their life. He wanted a wife, and he wanted more kids. At least one kid with Marla. She’d be a great mom, a dream-come-true wife and partner. How could he have screamed at her like that? Why should she forgive him?
He glanced across the cab of the truck. Amber carefully sorted through her plastic pumpkin filled with candy. She chose some of her favorites, opened the console and dropped them inside. “These are special for you, Daddy.”
He grinned and rubbed her neck. “Thank you. Is that my reward?”
“Yes. Marla rilly likes DD, and she said you could come to her house tomorrow night. I think Plan B is working.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Are you going to have a sleepover over with Marla tomorrow?”
Holy shit, did his kid miss anything? He sucked in air between his clenched teeth, patted her head and answered, “If she’ll let me.”
“Don’t mess up, Daddy. We might not get another chance.”
A cough of laughter erupted from his throat. He pulled into their driveway and switched of his engine. “I’ll do my best, squirt. We need a woman in our family. And Marla is the only woman I
