Dahlia heard the bang again, and this time, the thunder went right through her. “Open up, Dahlia. I know you’re in there.”
“Shit.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. It was Spence. Dahlia’s heart wildly beat under the cotton, like there was still something to fear from this man.
“Yeah, one minute.” She wrapped her robe tighter and took a deep breath. She slowly turned the bolt and opened the door. “What on earth are you doing here?” she asked quietly, inching out of the door.
“I’m dropping off the papers you asked for,” he said, looking clean-shaven and proper in his golf shirt.
Her eyes felt wider than the ocean. “I thought you were going to email them.” This was so inappropriate, but it was also Spence’s style.
“I’m playing golf in Greenport with some clients, so I figured I’d do you a favor,” he said, with a smug tone, looking past her and into the house. “I’ve tried to call you several times. It’s not my fault you didn’t answer or call me back.”
“I did call you back,” she hit back, wanting to bite her knuckles. “You should have left a voicemail.” She was still bitter with him for hiding Lil’s deed. Who does that? Especially when you’re a serial cheater who clearly doesn’t want to be married. Yet another way he tried to control her. She wasn’t sure what had prompted him to do it; she guessed that he didn’t want to lose the comfort of having Dahlia take care of him. He was oddly dependent on her as a wife and mother to Daisy. But that was where it ended. One canonly take feeling invisible for so long. Toward the end, she’d felt like she was dying a slow death in this off-kilter, one-sided relationship.
“I shouldn’t have to.”
What had she ever seen in this entitled, arrogant man? “Well, I surely would have called you right back if you did,” she said with a blasé tone.
“What have you been doing out here the past few weeks?” He stepped back, scanning the exterior. “Doesn’t look much different than it did before.”
“Thanks. The papers?” Dahlia felt her eyes narrow. Although this was an inconvenience, at least it saved her a trip to town to print. She had never been more eager to sign the damn things.
“They’re all signed. They just need your signature.” He handed her the large manila envelope. “This has been the longest fifteen years of my life.”
Dahlia rolled her eyes. He had no idea how long those years had really been. She took them from his grip, hearing footsteps from inside draw closer.
Noah stepped onto the porch—shirtless and damp—with Harry. “Everything okay out here?”
Dahlia did a double-take as Harry started to bark at Spence. Her first instinct was to make herself smaller and explain. But instead, she stood taller and said in a firm tone, “Harry, come.”
“Got it. Now I know what you’ve been up to. Well, that didn’t take long.” Spence eyed Noah up and down and puffed out his chest, trying his best to claim the alpha title. “Real classy. And robbing the cradle, I see. My family was right about you all along. I did marry beneath me,” he said, staring at Noah’s shoulder. “Nice tat.”
Dahlia shuddered at his condescending tone out of habit. She prayed he didn’t mention Daisy. The last thing she wanted was for Noah to find out this way.
“Come on, man, don’t belittle her. If you have something to say, say it to me,” Noah said.
He was standing up for her. Dahlia’s heart swelled. No one but Lil had ever done that for her. But she knew, too, that she needed to do it herself.
“That’s rich coming from a serial cheater.” Her hand landed on her hip as she inched closer. “What I do on my time is none of your business. And as far as your family is concerned, I may not have your status, but I sure as hell have a heart and a conscience.” There—that felt good.
Noah nodded once. “I think you need to go, bro.”
Spence stood there blinking. Rarely did anyone challenge him. Dahlia’s insides swirled like a cotton candy machine. In all the years she was stuck with Spence, he was seldom without words.
“You can have her, man. Good luck opening that steel door. I’m done,” Spence said, walking to his car as Harry chased him, nipping his golf pants. “Back off, Harry!”
Dahlia was the only person who didn’t put Spence on a pedestal, which had irked him fiercely from the start. But really, he lacked confidence in himself because everything was handed to him on a silver platter. Inside, he was an insecure little boy, still under the influence of his parents—and on their bankroll too.
“That dog hates him with a passion.” Dahlia laughed.
“I can see why. He’s a pompous prick.” Noah huffed, folding his arms.
“We should have stayed in the shower,” Dahlia said, hooking her finger through the loop of his jeans.
“He would have found a way in. Plus, now you have the papers.” Noah wrapped his burly arms around her. And even his armpits smelled good. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m just a little shocked he showed up unannounced. He’s the last person I’d want you to meet.” She pulled back wide-eyed. “Did he scare you off?”
“No. D, I told you, nothing could.” He reassured her, hugging her again. At that moment, she wanted to tell him everything. About Daisy, what her life was like as a single mother, and how hard some days, weeks, and even months were. But this seemed like enough for one day.
