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What Della wanted, she would get.
She smiled up at me. “See you then.”
I didn’t want to leave, so I walked backward, drinking in my beautiful girl standing under her porch light. Her hair was wild from earlier, and her cheeks still had that post-orgasm glow.
“Hayes Madigan,” she said, a hint of awe in her voice. Like she didn’t know she was the amazing one.
“Della Dwyer,” I called before getting in my truck and driving away.
I smiled to myself as I pulled out of the driveway, feeling like I’d found something I hadn’t even known I was looking for. And judging by Della’s smile, maybe I wasn’t as bad at relationships as I’d initially thought.
Even so, a sinking feeling competed with that sense of rightness the closer I got to home.
I pulled into the driveway, my gray stucco house looking so fucking cold compared to the home I’d just left. My chest tightened, knowing I’d be going inside by myself.
Sighing, I got out of my truck and walked through the front door, looking around. The dark leather couches felt cold. The glass table staunchly sharp.
I walked back to my bedroom.
Too fucking empty.
And then a new worry crossed my mind. If I had a flashback dream after planning a date with Della, what would getting even closer to her do?
The thought kept me away from my bed, taking my time to shower, to get dressed for bed, to plan the following morning and set my alarm to make sure I’d be at her place when I said I would.
But finally, I couldn’t avoid my bed anymore.
I lay down under the covers, heaving a sigh. Of worry, stress, of not wanting to have a bad night of sleep when the day had been so fucking perfect.
But soon my thoughts of Della turned to my mom. Most of my memories of her were so fuzzy. I couldn’t really remember her when she was healthy. But I did remember one thing. A song she used to sing.
Rolling over, I grabbed my phone from the side table and went to my music player, finding the song.
“Red River Valley.”
I put it on repeat and closed my eyes.
When I woke up, a smile touched my lips.
I hadn’t dreamed at all.
36
DELLA
I take back everything I said about no one waiting on me. Because when the doorbell rang at seven in the morning, I was just barely getting out of the shower.
Wrapping a towel around me, I got out my phone and dialed Hayes’s number.
A few rings later, an amused voice came over the phone. “Did I wake you?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, but I’m not ready yet. You can come in and wait in my living room. There’s coffee brewing in the kitchen too.”
“You sure? I can wait outside,” he said.
“Don’t be silly,” I replied. “I’ll be out in five.”
“I don’t know that anyone has ever described me as silly,” he replied, and I heard the doorknob turning in the background.