Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
DALLAS
I linger at the table, chatting with Rose until my friends are finished with dessert. It would be cruel to interrupt that part of their dinner. Because when I walk out that door with Rose, these guys will be asking for the check.
And I’ll be spending the rest of the evening answering questions while we play poker.
Tanya stops by our table and asks, “Ready for the check? I bet your phone is blowing up! That pic is so adorable. Y’all are the cutest.”
I glance at Rose. “Want anything else?”
She shakes her head.
“We’re ready for the check, and will you bring me the check for that table please?”
“The cowboys? Which check? They are all separate.”
“All of them.” I intended to cover dinner for the guys because of the bachelor party, and I won’t let the unexpected twist in the evening derail that plan.
“I’m sorry I pulled you away from your friends. Is it a special occasion?”
“See the tall guy who keeps looking this way? That’s Anderson. He’s getting married on Saturday. Oh, wait. The rehearsal is on Friday. What time is the engagement party?”
“The party is the next Friday. Not in a week. After that.”
“Okay. Perfect. Since we’re engaged, would you like to be my date on Saturday?”
“Sure. Of course. But isn’t it too late to RSVP?”
“Nah. I’ll just let Anderson know you’re coming with me. Anyway, this dinner is his bachelor party. The first part of it. After this, we’ll head back to the ranch and play poker for hours.”
“Please tell them thanks for allowing you to spend all this time with me. I’m grateful, and I had fun.”
“I’ll let them know. And I enjoyed myself. For real. Not just pretend.”
Tanya brings the receipts for me to sign, and after I do that, I reach for Rose’s hand. “Ready? I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Awesome. Thanks. And if I shuffle a bit, it’s because my shoe fix is a tad too loose, and it’s a struggle to keep it on my foot.”
“We’ll go slow.”
I walk Rose to her car. Without an audience, there isn’t any reason to kiss her for show, which shockingly, I have mixed feelings about.
It’ll be better all around if we keep the kissing to a minimum, but that’s like stopping at one cookie. And in all the years I’ve been eating Ava’s chocolate chip cookies, I have never had only one. I expect kissing will be the same.
Rose stops beside a silver Camry. “This is mine.” Instead of opening the door, she inches closer to me and rests a hand on my chest. “Last chance to change your mind. I won’t hate you if you do. You don’t even have to give me a reason. Just walk away and I’ll never bother you again.”
It’s been a very long time since a woman has touched me this way. And if she’s paying any attention to my heart rate, she’s probably figured that out.
I lean into her hand. “Have you changed your mind?”
She gives a quick head shake.
“Then give me your phone.”
Once she hands it over, I enter my digits, then send a message to my phone so that I have her number. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay.” She worries her bottom lip while smiling at me. And after staring for several seconds, she reaches for the handle. “I should go.”
Footsteps draw closer, and then Dag’s distinctive laugh rings out. He’s walking this way because his truck is parked beside Rose’s Camry.
Now we have an audience, so I lean in and brush my lips on hers. “Goodnight.”
She grins, then wraps me in a tight hug.
I open her door and wait until she’s buckled in before closing it. She probably has a hundred messages waiting for a response, and that’ll keep her occupied for a while.
I might get a few, but on the drive back home, I’ll have time alone to think about how I want to respond. Deceiving my friends feels meh, but I’m not much help if Rose’s parents figure out her plot.
In my truck, I start the engine, then check my phone. There are a couple of messages waiting. Just before I shift into gear to pull out of the parking spot, the passenger side door swings open.
Anderson climbs in. “I rode over with Parker. But I’m driving back with you because I have questions.”
So much for having time to think.
“Ask away.” This will be good practice for when I’m with all the guys.
Of all the ranch hands, I’m probably closest to Anderson. Not sure how that happened, and I’m sure we look ridiculous when we stand around and talk. But he’s a good friend. Not being straight with him will be hard.
“But first, thank you for getting dinner. That was unexpected.”
“It was nothing. This is your bachelor party. I’m really excited for you. And I’m glad you sat on that cactus.”
“Me too.” Staring at me, he rubs his jaw. “Is she in some sort of trouble? Is this a thing where she needs to get married to avoid being deported? I mean, she looks like a local, but I’m grasping here. Or is it about an inheritance? If she’s not married by her twenty-sixth birthday, she gets nothing. Am I close?”
I’m shocked that he guessed so close to her actual age. “You’ve been watching too many Hallmark movies.”
He grins. “Primrose likes them. So, yeah. But seriously, what’s happening? I know the proposal wasn’t planned. I saw her pull the ring out of her pocket. Not you. Besides, you hadn’t met this woman before tonight. For someone who swore they’d given up on the white-picket-fence dream, you sure proposed quickly. So I’m not buying it.”
It's stressing me that Anderson is skating so close to the truth. And that he knows me so well. “You don’t follow me everywhere. Maybe I’ve been dating her a while.”
“You haven’t. Normally—with a few exceptions—you walk around looking like you’ve been sipping pickle juice. And since that woman showed up, that look has not appeared. Even now, you look…” He laughs. “Brace yourself for this bit of truth, but Dallas, you look happy.”
“That’s some real science you’re basing your ideas on.”
“Were you married or just engaged before? Or was it just a serious relationship?”
Now I’m getting downright uncomfortable. “What are you talking about?”
“You transitioned from grumpy cowboy to doting boyfriend in the flip of a switch. It was mesmerizing to watch. But I’m thinking you’ve been in that role before.”
Maybe giving a little truth will help me keep my secret with Rose. “I was engaged. She broke it off right before the wedding. That was years ago. Before I worked at Stargazer Springs.”
“That explains a lot. And I’m sorry that happened. Want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“Fair enough. But let’s talk about tonight and your new fiancée. What’s her name?”
“Rose.”
“Oh, and the ring was a rose. Super cute. She did a great job picking it. Anyway, I’m guessing she asked you to keep the real reason for the engagement a secret. Not that I don’t think you look happy with her, because I do, but I know you. So don’t tell me. Just answer the following yes-or-no questions honestly. How does that sound?”
“Honestly, this all feels a little like torture.”
“You are going to need backup to sell this story. And I’m your guy. But I need some info.”
I sigh, knowing he’s right. “She’s in a frustrating situation. I’m posing as her fiancé for six months. But absolutely no one can know this is fake. And, by the way, she’ll be my plus one at your wedding.”
A wide grin spreads across his face as we turn into the ranch. “I see white picket fences in your future.”
“Shut up.” I park in front of the main house. “Are you going to help me?”
“Yep. I like seeing you happy.”
I roll my eyes, then slide out of the truck.
Dag laughs when I step into the game room. “I never believed in aliens before tonight, but that’s the only explanation. What happened to the real Dallas?”
Before I snap back, Anderson says, “Love is a funny thing. It sneaks up and grabs you when you least expect it. You of all people should know about that, Dag.”
Parker drops into a chair. “Except with Dag, love beat him over the head for a few years before he recognized what it was.”
“Some of y’all pretended it was fake.” Tyler starts shuffling the cards, intentionally avoiding eye contact with Parker.
Kent carries in a tray of snacks from the kitchen that Ava prepped for us. “What are y’all talking about?”
“Love. But some of y’all pretended it was just friendship for way too long,” Grayson says.
I always find it funny when he slides into the conversation. He’s quiet, but he can get jabs in with the best of them.
Anderson takes a seat. “I’m happy for Dallas. I think he and Rose will be very happy together.”
Tyler looks up from the cards. “Rose? That’s awesome. Y’all were made for each other.”
I’m already tired of the rosebush jokes. “That’s gold coming from someone married to Jasmine Rice.”
Not all the guys’ wives have funny married names, but several of them do. And before tonight, no one has teased them.
“Y’all are not allowed to give Rose a hard time. No one gives Poppy Meadows a hard time, right, Kent? Parker, how would you feel if these guys teased Bluebonnet Fields?”
Archer snickers.
“Don’t start, Archer. You’re married to Violet Hayes.” Now I’m on a roll. “And after the wedding, Anderson will be married to Primrose Lane. The teasing ends tonight.”
Grayson takes the cards from Tyler and starts dealing. “They weren’t making fun. Just saying y’all are meant to be. Congrats, by the way.”
“Thanks.” I’m pricked with guilt because these guys seem genuinely happy for me.
Dag drops into the chair beside me and holds out his phone. “I got a video of the proposal. At least the end of it. Want me to send it to you?”
“Sure. Yeah. Thanks.” I scoop up my cards and try to think strategically. But it’s hard because I keep thinking about Rose.
Later, I’ll give her a call.
Parker slides two cards toward the middle of the table. “I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone, Dallas.”
Anderson chuckles. “Dallas has all kinds of secrets we don’t know about.”
Looping in my friend was a great decision. Plus, he’s closer to the truth than he knows. I have a couple of big secrets. Rose is only one of them.