“Sometimes,” he acknowledged. “But even then I admired the trait. I was proud of you for making your own decisions. For your conviction and tenacity. I still am.”
Dakota bit her lip and her belly burned. If her father only knew what a mess she’d made of her life and career, it’d break his heart. She would have to tell him eventually, but it didn’t need to be today. She watched, one brow raised, as he poured the syrup on his pancakes. “Sugar free? That’s not like you.”
“Watching my figure.” He patted his belly, now practically gone, and chuckled. There was something concerning behind the smile, and his laughter felt forced. Besides, her father had always despised diet and sugar-free anything.
She was all for her father living a healthier lifestyle, but why the sudden change?
“You’re sure everything is okay?” she asked, unconvinced.
“Peachy.” He set the bottle down and sliced into his pancakes.
Dakota poured more blueberry syrup on her plate. Something was definitely going on with her father. And she would make it her business to find out what it was.
“Looking forward to the Fourth of July Festival?” He seemed eager to change the subject.
Dakota shrugged, her muscles tense. “I don’t know if I’m ready to be paraded around town. I thought I’d hang out here. Decompress. Do some job hunting.”
“But you’ve always loved the Fourth of July Festival. And it isn’t small-potatoes stuff anymore. The town goes all out. You should see it.”
Dakota could remember everything about the last Fourth of July Festival she’d attended on Holly Grove Island. The heat had been unbearable, and it was sticky and humid. But none of that had mattered to her because she and Dexter had been together. And she’d been head over heels in love with him.
In her head, she’d already mapped out their future together. They’d both go to Texas A&M and get married after she graduated. But they’d hold off on having children until they were both established in their careers. Him as a pro football player and her as a nightly news anchor.
Back then everything had seemed simple. She’d been so sure of what lay ahead for them. But here she was, seventeen years later, decidedly single and with no clue what her future held in store.
“I don’t know, Dad.”
“Look at it this way,” he said. “The festival will give you a chance to get all of those awkward hellos out of the way in a single day. If you don’t, you know what’ll happen.”
She did. If she didn’t make an appearance, everyone in town would eventually stop by. One by one.
“You’re right. I should get it over with.” She shoveled more pancakes into her mouth. They really were delicious. Her mother would be proud.
“That’s my girl.” Her father settled his big brown eyes on hers and grinned. “Now that you’re going to the festival…Lila Gayle has a favor to ask of you.”
“How’d Ms. Lila know I was…” Dakota shook her head and laughed. “Never mind. For a moment I forgot where I was.” Word of mouth traveled faster here than the high-speed internet she was already beginning to miss. “What’s the favor?”
“She was asked to sponsor and judge an event at the festival. But she needs someone to help cover the café booth during the event. She’ll have a cook there,” he added quickly, likely in response to the look of alarm on her face. “But she’s short waitstaff. She just needs you to take the orders, pour coffee. Stuff like that. Should be a walk in the park since you’ve worked the festival booth for her before.”
Dakota had been a server at Lila’s Café on weekends and during summers while in high school. So she’d also worked the booth during the Fourth of July Festival.
“She’d pay you, of course.”
Dakota waved off that bit of information. “I’m happy to help Ms. Lila out, Dad.”
“I’ll let her know.” Her father munched on a crispy piece of bacon triumphantly.
She had always liked Ms. Lila. It would be good to see her again. Besides, working the booth would ensure that any prying conversations remained short and sweet.
Still, the thought of seeing everyone in town made her a little queasy. In the months before she’d left for NYU to pursue a degree in journalism, her mother had cornered anyone who would listen and compared Dakota to icons like Ida B. Wells and Gwen Ifill, proclaiming that her baby girl was headed off into the world to “make a name for herself.” The scandal with Marcello had certainly accomplished that. Just not in the way her mother had hoped. If just one person discovered the truth, the entire town would know within hours what a failure she was, making her humiliation complete.
Her father’s place felt safe and comfortable. Outside these doors she’d be a nervous wreck, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Chapter Three
Dexter Roberts had attended the annual Fourth of July picnic at Holly Grove Island Park nearly every year of his life, except the summers he’d worked during college. Yet he was more nervous than he’d been while awaiting the results of the surgery to repair the devastating knee injury that ended his football career.
A salty morning breeze blew off the Atlantic Ocean, rustling the canvas tents in the Food Alley section of the festival. Dexter hovered between the booths where Ms. Lupita was already preparing all manner of mouthwatering Mexican dishes and Ms. Louise and her daughters were setting out their delectable, handmade fudge and taffy. He tugged down his baseball cap and tried to be inconspicuous as he scanned the early crowd through his dark shades.
“You look as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, Dexter Roberts.” His mother jabbed his side, surprising him. “Skulking around here looking for—”
“I’m not skulking, Mama. And I’m not…exactly…looking for anyone. I’m just—”
“Dakota Jones! How wonderful to see you, love.” Lila Gayle Eriksson, owner of Lila’s Café, had as thick a British accent now as she’d had the day she’d arrived in town nearly thirty years ago. “I can’t thank you enough for popping ’round to help me out.”
His attention snapped to the two women the moment he heard Dakota’s name. It’d been a long time since he’d seen her. Longer still since they’d spoken.
She wore a simple sleeveless denim shift that hinted at the curvy frame hidden beneath. The midthigh length of the dress revealed miles of smooth mahogany brown skin and toned thighs and calves.
A curtain of glossy, tousled chestnut-brown waves shielded her face from view. But then she tucked her hair behind her ear, making half of her face visible.
She was even more stunning than he remembered.
“You wanna tell me again how you’re not looking for anyone in particular.” His mother stood with her arms folded and one brow hiked. “Nearly got whiplash turning to see Dakota the moment Lila Gayle called her name.”
Dexter rubbed his neck, turning his attention to his mother. There was no fooling Marilyn Roberts. It was foolish of him to try. But that hadn’t ever stopped him and his younger brothers from trying to pull one over on her, just the same.