Chapter 10
Dawson
“Men like you aren’t real,” she said.
I scooped up water and drizzled it down her hair while I waited for her to elaborate.
“You dazzle on a Friday night. Then, show just enough interest to get me hooked by Saturday.” Her tone changed. “Then Sunday comes and you start texting back slower and slower until you forget to respond altogether. By Monday, you’re a ghost.”
My beautiful girl, Amy, had been burned before.
“I assume you’re speaking figuratively.”
“Yep. I’m speaking about the collective pool of mankind.
At least the single ones. It’s my belief that all the good men get married young.
Then they’re off the market. That’s why it gets harder and harder to find one as you get older.
At this point, I’ve stopped looking for a man.
And someone like you? There’s a reason you’re still single, and it can’t be a good one.
So tell me the truth. Why hasn’t anyone tied you down yet, Dawson?
You’re six feet of sex appeal, and you play the nice guy role really well.
I can’t imagine you don’t have women throwing themselves at you. ”
I rinsed her hair again while I thought about my response. One of the things I liked about Amy was that she didn’t play games. She just said it like she saw it.
“I’ve been looking for someone who’s the right fit for me.
It’s not just about… lust. Your lives have to merge well, too.
And I don’t like game-playing. I’ve found that a lot of the women I’ve tried to date wanted to play games.
As though that’s more exciting than settling down and having a lifetime commitment to someone.
Underneath the jokes, I’m kind of a serious man when you get to know me. ”
“And none of those women were willing to reform their game-playing ways for a man like you?”
I chuckled and gently squeezed her hair, getting the last of the shampoo out before moving on to the conditioner.
She moaned as if I were giving her an orgasm. The woman was starved for attention. Poor thing.
“Now that’s where you might run into one of my hangups. I haven’t been very forgiving in the past. If a woman started to show any hints of games, I’d just move on. Like a zero-tolerance policy. But unfortunately, it’s a good way to end up alone in life.”
A thoughtful look crossed her face as I massaged the conditioner into her hair. Then she said, “Maybe you prefer it that way. Like you’re renting a girlfriend for a while without having to make a commitment.”
I snorted. “You might have me confused with someone else. I’ve kind of written off women, just like you’ve written off men. But last night something came over me. I saw you, and I knew I had to get to know you better.”
She met my eyes, and I couldn’t get over this moment. She looked so beautiful and vulnerable in the water, staring up at me. I may have forgotten to keep my eyes shut, and she may have forgotten to reprimand me for that.
I ran my fingers down the pulse points on her neck as she asked, “So you don’t hang out at the Bear Den looking to catch-and-release a new woman every week?”
A tiny smile popped up on my lips. “No, ma’am. That was me in my twenties. Not now.”
Amy was absolutely stunning. A goddess before me. It took a valiant effort to keep my eyes from wandering to the naked expanse of her flesh, and I may have stolen a look or two.
Her breasts were two curvy temptations, and the dark hair between her thighs was singing a siren song to me. I wanted to explore this woman. My cock was throbbing so hard it was difficult to focus on the conversation.
“So no game-playing. Okay. What else are you looking for in a woman?” she asked.
You.
But saying that would be a good way to chase her off. It was too soon. We hardly knew each other, even though it felt like I’d known her for years.
Amy was drilling down deep. I had the feeling she was working from an invisible checklist to see if I met her parameters. She’d probably think it was funny to know that I had the same kind of list.
“You really want to know?” I asked as I started scooping water to rinse the conditioner out of her hair.
Amy didn’t say anything, silence was her clear response.
So after a moment I said, “My future wife needs to be pragmatic about life. With a healthy dose of fiscal responsibility. I don’t get into that traditional role shit where she sits at home spending my money while I work my ass off.
I’m looking for equal contributions. Unless of course there’re children involved.
I understand that might change some equations, and we’d have to have conversations to see what she wanted to do about raising them.
But she can’t be a spender. That kind of thing drives me nuts.
I sound like a nutbag, don’t I? I promise not a Scrooge.
I’m okay with spending money, but I like to do it responsibly.
If I want something I save up for it. And no debt.
That’s a tough one these days. Everyone has debt.
But I believe in living within your means. ”
A smile landed on her lips. “No debt. I like that, too.”
I took a breath and went on, “And she needs to be kind. That’s a requirement. And family’s really important to me. So she’d have to be… open to spending time with my folks a couple times a month. We do big Sunday dinners and picnics in the summer.”
“Those don’t sound like deal-breakers, Dawson. They sound like a dream come true.”
“Really?”
She nodded, then winced as the movement caused her pain. “Anything else on your list?”
This one made me nervous. “Uh, well, there is one other thing.” Actually, there were two things. But I started with the easiest one. “I love Red Oak Mountain, so whoever I marry has to be comfortable living on the mountain with me. I… couldn’t move to Fernwood.”
“Is it a nice place? It was after dark when my friends and I drove out there, so I didn’t get to see much of the town.”
“I think it’s the nicest place on the planet. Maybe I could give you a tour sometimes.”
She peered up at me, and in a quiet voice said, “I’d like that.”
I got the last of the conditioner out, and while I rubbed her shoulders, I said, “All right. You’re all cleaned up, Amy. Should I help you out of the tub?”
“Mm. I don’t know. You can keep doing this if you want. Where’d you learn how to wash a woman’s hair, anyway? That was the most blissful experience I’ve ever had.”
Should I tell her?
It was probably time. I was starting to feel invested in her. Might as well get all the cards out on the table.
But I hated the idea that my revelation might ruin everything growing between us.
I took a leap of faith and told her, “From washing my daughter’s hair.”
Her eyes flew to me, and a surprised look spread across her face. “You have a daughter?”
This is where I’d lost some women in the past. Not everyone wanted that kind of baggage. My daughter wasn’t baggage to me. She was my everything. But that didn’t mean Amy would want that kind of complication in her life.
“Yup. And an ex. She’s still in my life because of Talia. We have joint custody. I have her every other week.”
“That’s such a pretty name. How old is Talia?”
“She’s fourteen now. Straight-A student, except for the occasional C. That’s the dad joke I always tell. She’s a good kid. And she’s the most important person in my life.”
I waited a beat, then added, “Is that a deal-breaker?”
A big smile popped out on Amy’s face. The biggest smile I’d seen from her yet. “Are we in a situation that involves deal-breakers? Right now you’re just the man who dropped everything to nurse me back to health. You’re looking for more than that?”
My cock was straining in my pants, clamoring to be released, and Amy knew it. She was just teasing me.
With a husky growl, I told her, “Yeah, I want more than that. In fact, I’d like to be your replacement Boinkacorn. When can we throw that thing away?”
Her expression changed. It was softer and more open. “Talia doesn’t sound like a deal-breaker to me. She sounds delightful. How does she feel about her dad dating?”
Something warm gathered in my chest. Amy and I were wading into deep waters now.
“She’d like me to find someone, if it’s the right person. All Talia wants is to see me with a special someone. She remembers how much I liked being a family. Single life is fine, but… we both know it can lead to a lot of quiet nights.”
“That’s the truth.” Amy let out a deep breath, shifting in the tub while I continued giving her a shoulder massage.
Then she added, “Are you over your ex? That’s one of my requirements.”
“Yeah. Me and Laney aren’t a thing anymore. Haven’t been for a long time. We weren’t a good fit. She’s been remarried for quite a few years now. I don’t harbor any thoughts of rekindling things with her.”
“Was she the spender in your life?”
I chuckled, but it was full of regret. “Yeah. Just about bankrupted us. After the divorce, she kept spending and eventually she did go bankrupt. She’s a good woman, but she can’t control herself when it comes to shopping.
I think I developed a knee-jerk reaction to that.
If you have fifty pairs of shoes in your closet, you should tell me now so I can run screaming. ”
Amy got a playful glint in her eye. “I’d be willing to dump a few pairs of shoes for you. You’d be worth it.”
“Even those pink cowgirl boots?” I’d pursued her despite them. But they were weighing heavily on the back of my mind. They could be a sign of hidden terrors lurking in her closet.
She shook her head. “They’re not mine. They belong to Dee. She let me borrow them last night.”
I laughed at that. “So you’re not a huge spender?”