Page 23 of The Night the Lights Went Out
“Sounds like heaven,” Merilee agreed, enjoying the quiet inside the car, her ears still vibrating with the noise from the party. “I recently moved to a relatively secluded house, and I have to say I do enjoy the quiet. When my phone pings with a text message, it seems like an intrusion.”
“At my fishing cabin, there’s no cell reception or Wi-Fi. It’s one of its perks.”
He grinned broadly, as if he’d just shared a secret, and she found herself grinning back. Daniel Blackford was usually the kind of man she found intimidating—successful, self-assured, not to mention gorgeous.
“And please call me Dan. I’ve been Dan—or Danny to my family—my whole life until I met Heather. She likes Daniel better.”
“I kind of like Danny,” she said, laughing at the incongruity of it. “Does the rest of your family still call you that?”
“Just my older brother, but he’s in Chicago now, so I don’t see him too much. We were both born and raised outside of Macon, and he couldn’t wait to leave. But I guess I’m a Georgia boy at heart and couldn’t stand to live anywhere else. Wanted to raise my children here, to have the kind of childhood I had—swimming holes, fishing on a dock, catching lightning bugs in a jar on summer evenings.” He was silent for a moment, and she watched his expression change so imperceptibly that she almost missed it. He’d gone from the Daniel Blackford she’d been introduced to, to a man defeated.
“It’s hard to raise kids these days; that’s for sure,” Merilee said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Why’s it so hard, Mom?” Lily called from the backseat.
Merilee turned to look at her daughter, the permanent frown line more pronounced than usual, her wrapped leg elevated on her sleeping brother’s lap. “That’s a discussion for another time. How’s your foot?”
“It’s fine—it hardly hurts. Do you think we could go back to the party? I was having a lot of fun.” She sat up straighter, her eyes round. “Oh, no! We left the silver tray!”
Even Merilee sat up straighter, too, horrified at the thought. “Let’s not panic. I’ll text Jenna’s mom and see if she can pick it up for me.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Dan said. “I’ll make sure it’s delivered to your front door tomorrow, along with your minivan.”
“I’m so sorry to be all this trouble. Really, I could call my ex to stay with the children, and I could drive back with you to get my car and the tray—”
“I’ll take care of it,” Dan said again, and Merilee knew he would.
“And our backpacks,” Lily piped up from the backseat. “We left those, too.”
“They’re in the pool house,” Merilee said almost apologetically, but she didn’t offer again to retrieve everything herself. It was clear Dan was used to getting his way. Except in his own family.
They drove the rest of the way making easy conversation, which surprised her. She’d expected to be intimidated by him, but he put her at ease, asking her about her job and the children, skirting around her divorce and the reasons why her children had changed schools. He seemed so different from Heather. Not that Merilee knew either of them very well, but he was as quiet and introspective as she appeared to be social and outspoken. It was probably one of the reasons why they’d been attracted to each other.
As Merilee and Dan entered Sweet Apple, she gave him directions to her house. “Turn right here, and when you get to the white ranch rail fence, take a left onto the dirt road.”
“This is Sugar Prescott’s place,” he said with surprise.
“Yes. I’m renting the cottage behind her farmhouse. She’s my landlady.”
“She’s what my parents called ‘good people.’ Strong principles and convictions, that’s for sure. Did you know she used to be the mayor of Sweet Apple? It was years ago—before I moved here—but I understand she ran against her own brother. That’s something, isn’t it?”
“I’d say. Have you met her?”
“Oh, yes,” he said, a soft smile on his lips. “In my office, as a matter of fact. Didn’t make an appointment, just showed up. Had to do with building a new clinic on Main Street. She wanted there to be a more aesthetic design to the building, and a lot more trees, more in keeping with the equestrian feel to the area. And I agreed. Because she was right. And because she didn’t use the ‘proper channels,’ which is usually what people call the government bureaucracy, and I respected her for that.”
“Yes, well, that silver tray belongs to Sugar.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Then I will make sure it is returned to you posthaste. I might even polish it myself to make sure it gleams.”
Merilee laughed at the image, believing that he actually might.
They drove past the large farmhouse, Merilee holding her breath until she was sure the front porch was empty, not wanting to confess she’d left the tray behind. Dan carried in Lily, who protested that she could walk herself, then settled her on the sofa in front of the television, her foot propped up on the armrest. He unwrapped it to check on it again, then rewrapped it, telling Merilee to put an ice pack on it for twenty minutes, then gave her his cell number to call if there were any problems.
She walked him out to the front porch. “Thanks so much, Dan. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“Anytime. I mean it. And if that boy of yours wants to learn how to fish, call me. I’ve tried to teach my girls, but they’re not too thrilled with sticking worms on hooks, and they’re certainly not going to skin or gut a fish. I bet we can find plenty of fish in that lake at the front of the property. And since Sugar and I are such great friends, I’m sure she’d let us.” He winked.
“Will do. And really, thanks again.”
