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“Oh no!” Samantha said. “Of course I’ll come with you. I’m sure it won’t be easy to remind him he needs to slow down. What time should I be ready?”
He breathed out a sigh of relief. The conversation wouldn’t be easy and having her there would help. “Thanks, beautiful. I’ll pick you up around eleven. It takes about an hour and ten minutes without traffic. Lizzie, my dad’s girlfriend, said she’d make lunch.”
“Great. Can we stop on the way so I can pick up dessert?” Samantha asked.
“Sure thing,” he said.
His father and Lizzie were going to love her.
***
The long ride to Dex’s father’s house gave Samantha plenty of time to overthink. Of course, she wanted to be his emotional support while talking to his dad about slowing down. No man, or woman for that matter, wanted to hear they couldn’t keep up with their normal activities. She understood why Dex was hesitant about the conversation.
Samantha worried about meeting his father and girlfriend. Being by his side and supporting him through something so emotional might lead them to assume she and Dex were a couple. But a friend would definitely be by Dex’s side, too, and that’s how she had to think of them.
Dex pulled up to a beautiful home set far back from the road. An explosion of peonies, petunias, hydrangeas, and other flowers Samantha couldn’t name brought a variety of pinks to life outside the house between the green shrubbery.
“Here we are.” He gestured with one arm as he cut the engine.
“It’s beautiful.” The massive colonial house was nothing like her mother’s Florida home because theirs was a pale yellow stucco but it was equally as large.
She could imagine Dex and his siblings roughhousing on the front lawn… and then remembered they’d moved here at least three or four years after their mom died, having lived with their father’s parents while Alexander Sterling grieved the loss of his wife, and the kids their mother. But there were four boys, so she decided they’d definitely played around on this grass or in the backyard she hadn’t yet seen.
“Come on. I’m sure Lizzie’s waiting.” He climbed out and walked around to her side, opening the door and extending a hand to help her out.
Together, they strode up the path to the front door where a pretty woman and a good-looking man met them on the outside porch.
“Dex! It’s good to see you.” His father stepped forward and pulled him into a hug, patting him on the back.
“Hey, Dad.” Dex stepped back. “Lizzie,” he said, kissing the woman on the cheek. “This is Samantha Dare.” Reaching back, Dex clasped her hand and pulled her parallel with him.
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Samantha said. “I brought a cake from my favorite bakery.” She extended the box and Lizzie accepted it.
“Perfect! We’ll have some after lunch. Though you didn’t need to come with anything. You taking the trip here with Dex is enough.”
Lizzie held the cake in one hand and hooked an arm into Samantha’s. “We’re going to the kitchen. You two hang out. I’ll call you when lunch is ready,” she said.
Samantha walked through the house, taking in the modern feel. Along the way to the kitchen, she passed gorgeous canvas paintings with pops of stark color that stood out. “I love these,” she said, pointing to one in particular.
“Oh, Fallon made that one along with all the others hanging in the house. You should stop by the gallery where she works and check out her paintings,” Lizzie said with pride. Though Fallon wasn’t her daughter, it was clear Lizzie considered her family.
Once they were settled in the kitchen, a room large enough to cook for and hold the whole family, Lizzie pulled up a chair by the table and invited Samantha to sit.
“I hope you don’t mind that I pulled you in here. I want Dex to have time to talk to Alex about overdoing things,” Lizzie said.
Samantha shook her head. “Of course not. Dex told me he needed to have a word with his dad.”
“I don’t know if Dex mentioned it, but his father had a mild heart attack almost one year ago and the doctors warned Alex about his diet and activity. He’s supposed to do mild walking and exercise but he doesn’t understand the word mild. He’s been going to work most days and staying late. The man’s going to give me a heart attack if he doesn’t relax,” Lizzie said with a chuckle but Samantha sensed the seriousness behind the words.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Lizzie asked.
“No, thanks. I’m fine for now.”
Lizzie rose to her feet. “Well, I could use a glass of ice water. I’m thirsty.” She walked to a cabinet and took out a glass, then filled it with water at the Sub-Zero fridge. “Dex tells me you’re from a large family, too?”
“Oh, yes. I grew up with five siblings. Three brothers and two sisters.” She debated going further then decided, why not? “I also have three half-siblings.”
“Well, then. The size of this table isn’t a shock for you.”
