20. Abigail
TWENTY
ABIGAIL
I didn’t actually need a ride to work—and I needed to have my car with me, so it was more inconvenient for Rex to drive me—but I appreciated the sentiment. No one had ever offered to drive me to work without me asking before.
And no one had been so up front about their interest in me. Rex hadn’t danced around it this morning; he’d told me exactly what he wanted. I loved that.
As I smiled for the potential buyers who came through the Baker property, my mouth rattled off about the home’s features, but my mind replayed my conversation with Rex.
There was no hesitation. No murkiness. He wanted to date me—for real. And he’d said it to my face, right before he plopped me on top of the kitchen counter and kissed the daylights out of me.
I was the kind of woman who men called “intimidating.” I’d dealt with a lot of men flirting with me and acting like they were interested, only for them to back away or ghost me without a word.
Never once had a man been so clear about his intentions with me. And never once had a man apologized to me so cleanly, without pretense, without excuses or justification. Rex had been wrong, he’d hurt me—and he knew it. He didn’t try to play it down or make me feel like it was my fault. He apologized and promised to be better.
My ex-husband and I had dated in high school, and he’d hung around, slowly circling me until I finally got sick of the uncertainty and asked him out. When it came time to get married, I sat him down and told him that I wanted a ring on my finger within the year. I was clear about my career aspirations and how I saw my life.
And when we broke up, he had the gall to tell me that I’d been too forward. Too masculine. Too pushy.
So when Rex left last night, I’d been pretty sure it was the end between us. We’d keep faking it for a couple of days, and then we’d go back to being casual acquaintances only connected through my brother.
I was wrong.
When I pushed Rex, he stood tall and pushed right back. He didn’t seem to dislike it when I showed my strong personality—he liked it.
It almost seemed like a dream. I hadn’t realized I’d been craving this until now. I didn’t have to make myself small. I didn’t have to pretend to be Suzie Homemaker. I could just be myself and be accepted for it.
By the time I got home after work, I had almost convinced myself that it was a dream—until Rex greeted me at the front door with a soft smile and a kiss on the tip of my nose. He wore a navy suit with a crisp white shirt, and I ducked upstairs to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.
As I slipped on gold drop earrings and smoothed my black dress over my hips, Winston watched from his perch on the windowsill. “How do I look?” I asked the cat, and he gave me a slow blink.
Grinning, I went to give him a few goodbye scritches, then headed downstairs. Rex was waiting in the living room, and when I entered, he jumped to his feet and froze. His eyes ran down the length of my gown and back up to the simple knot I’d put in my hair. He traced the high neckline of the dress and smiled when I spread my arms and gave him a twirl.
“Winston says I look fabulous,” I informed him.
Rex prowled toward me, a soft smile on his lips. “For once, I agree with the cat.”
When he hooked his arm around my back and tugged me close, I put my fingers up to block his lips. “I’ll get lipstick all over your face.”
Growling, Rex pressed a kiss to my fingertips. “Later, then.”
A flush went through me, and I let Rex tangle his fingers with mine as he tugged me to the door. Donny and Blair had already gone ahead to the restaurant with the bridal party, so I locked up the house and turned to follow Rex to his truck.
But there was no truck.
A sleek, black Maserati waited in my driveway, new tires gleaming in the fading sun. Rex pressed the fob, and the lights flashed.
“What’s this?”
“Sebastian said I could borrow it,” he said. “Didn’t want you getting all dolled up just to get in my old truck.”
I sashayed toward the passenger seat, which Rex held open. “I happen to like your old truck.”
“Still,” Rex said, smiling at me as I slid into the car. “Figured you’d enjoy this too.”
“Rex Montgomery,” I marveled, “you are a romantic.”
“Just don’t slash any tires this time.” His smile was a quick flash, and then he was closing my door and circling around to get behind the wheel. We drove into town and parked down the street from the restaurant, and Rex got to my door before I could open it for myself. He took my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world, and we walked to the rehearsal dinner as a cool autumn breeze fluttered the end of my dress.
Determined not to make a scene, I painted a smile on my face and made myself pleasant for the evening. We entered a private room at the restaurant, which had been decorated in sage and rust orange, just like the arbor we’d set up earlier. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were dressed to the nines, and three videographers set up half a dozen cameras to capture every angle. Big, soft lighting glowed on Donny and Blair as they held court from the head of the table.
Rex squeezed my hand. “This the type of thing you want for your wedding?”
I shot him a glance. “Who said I’m getting married again?”
He shrugged. “A man can dream.”
A thrill went through me. Was he for real?
“Rex, honey!” Rex’s mother seemed to jump out of the crowd and wedged herself between us, a nearly empty glass of champagne in hand. “There you are. I haven’t seen you all week.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve been tied up,” he replied.
“A little pomade wouldn’t hurt, dear.” She smoothed his hair away from his face, and he let her.
“Hi, Mrs. Montgomery,” I said, making my presence known.
“Mom, you remember Gabe’s sister, Abigail.”
Mrs. Montgomery sent me a tight-lipped smile. “Of course I do, but I don’t remember you telling me the two of you were together.”
“Really? I could’ve sworn I mentioned it,” Rex said, then shared a somewhat panicked look with me.
“Maybe you did. I have been a little distracted with Donny getting married,” she admitted. “ Finally one of my sons is doing the right thing.” Mrs. Montgomery gave me a once-over. “You clean up very well, dear.”
I frowned. That sounded like a compliment, but?—
“Mom!” Blair’s voice blared in the room as she swooped in and wrapped her arm around her mother-in-law-to-be. “You have to come meet my brand deal manager, Dennis. He’s single and handsome.”
Mrs. Montgomery’s cheeks turned pink. “Oh, Blair, I’m not looking for my happily ever after. I’m only interested in yours this weekend.”
“And I love you for it.” Blair mimed a kiss at Mrs. Montgomery as if the two were thick as thieves. I felt a pang of envy.
“Isn’t she just perfect?” Mrs. Montgomery asked Rex and me. “It’s like I said, I don’t care which one of my sons you marry as long as you’re my daughter-in-law!”
“Aw, stop!” Blair played coy but was lapping it all up. And now my pang of envy turned into full-fledged jealousy. Would Mrs. Montgomery ever say the same about me? No, of course not. She knew I was Gabe’s little sister, which I’m sure meant she knew I was the town’s troublemaking real estate agent. I needed to walk away but didn’t want to be rude, so I faked a call.
“So sorry, I have to get this. It’s one of my buyers,” I said and headed in the opposite direction and outside for some fresh air.
I was out there for less than five seconds when I heard Rex behind me.
“Are you still on your call?”
I glanced at my locked phone. “No.”
“I think my mom’s had too much champagne already.”
“Well, she’s getting Blair Hollins as a daughter-in-law, so what’s not to celebrate?”
Rex put his arm around my defensively tense shoulders. “Don’t let it get to you. My mom’s like Blair. She can be shallow and only care about how things look. But I have to agree with her on one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You really do clean up nice,” he said, and I laughed. He put an arm around me, and I nuzzled into him. “Let’s go back inside.”
We sat down and accepted glasses of champagne. Blair had a makeup artist at her elbow, blotting the bit of shine between her brows as one of the photographers set up for the perfect shot. And then another perfect shot. And another.
My cordial smile became a little tired by the time the appetizers were served, but Rex sat beside me and draped his arm over the back of my chair, and every once in a while, his thumb would slide over my shoulder in a soft, private caress.
“Thank you for doing this,” he said when our plates were whisked away and our glasses were topped up, though we were instructed not to drink from them until the next round of photos were taken.
I met his gaze. “Were you serious this morning, Rex? About you and me?”
“Still doubting me?”
Biting my lip, I shrugged. “A little. I’ve had a lot of men let me down in my life.”
It wasn’t just Travis. If I were honest with myself, I’d admit that Gabe disappointed me every time he thought so little of me. And before him was my dad. When my parents got divorced, Dad blamed us for never calling him. He blamed me when he forgot my birthday, because I was supposed to remind him. Even though I was a child. I was his child. Our relationship became strained, and it never recovered. I always felt like I wasn’t quite enough to be worth it to him.
Was it any wonder I acted out? I was a hurt preteen who’d been rejected by the most important man in her life. The only way I knew how to deal with it was rebelling. And I guess I never stopped. After my marriage broke down, I figured the only way I’d make it with another man was to finally get around to fixing my personality. But Rex was making me think differently. Maybe I didn’t have to change. Maybe I was good enough to date—good enough to love, even—just as I was.
Rex leaned over and pressed a kiss to my lips, and a flash went off. I pulled away and saw one of the photographers glancing at the screen on the back of their camera. “Cute,” she said.
“Excuse me, photos of the bride and groom, please,” Blair called out, staring the other woman down.
The photographer nodded and started shooting in Blair’s direction. Rex chuckled softly beside me, and I softened against him. It wasn’t so bad attending this thing with him by my side. And if he was serious about dating me for real…well…I could get used to feeling like I had a partner in crime.
We had dinner, made toasts, and then were invited up to the rooftop for drinks. Trundling up the steps behind the bridal party, I glanced over my shoulder at Rex, who said, “We’ll stay for ten minutes and head home.”
I saw the unsaid promise in his eyes: that we’d pick up where we left off last night, and he’d make it up to me for leaving me alone.
The rooftop was strung with fairy lights, and a multitude of heat lamps kept the temperature comfortable. Rex caught my hand and twirled me into his arms, and we joined the other couples on the dance floor under a blanket of stars.
It wasn’t my wedding, and I didn’t particularly like the couple getting married, but I had to admit this rooftop was pretty nice.
“You look beautiful in that dress,” Rex said quietly. “You look beautiful all the time, Abigail.”
I flushed and plucked at the lapel of his jacket. “Not bad yourself.”
“While you were at work, I asked Gabe to go to lunch with me next week. I want to let him know about my intentions with you. ”
“He doesn’t own me, you know.”
Rex smiled. “I know. But he’s my best friend.”
I tilted my head to concede the point. “And what are your intentions with me?” I asked.
“Steak and wine dinners. Lazy Sunday mornings. A long, protracted campaign to win your cat over to my side.”
I laughed, delighted. “That might be tough.”
“I ordered treats and half a dozen catnip toys online today. They get here on Monday. He won’t be able to resist.”
“You’re really serious, huh.”
Rex pulled me closer. “You have no idea.”
“Who knew blackmail was such an effective dating strategy with me.”
It was Rex’s turn to laugh. “Woulda done it years ago if I’d known.”
He twirled me once, twice, and then on the third, he caught me around the waist and kissed me. Right there, in front of everyone, he kissed me like he meant it—and I knew it wasn’t for show.
Giddy and overwhelmed, all I could do was nod when he asked me if I was ready to leave.