Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
DALLAS
C olt nods a greeting as I walk into the barn. “Hey there. When will you be full time here?”
I’m splitting my time between ranches until Clint finds a replacement for me. “Not sure yet. Soon, I hope.”
There is a ton of stuff I want to get done here, and my evenings are spent working down that list. But Rose has added a wrinkle to my routine.
“You don’t have to do everything all at once. You can add cattle, goats, or whatever else Tandy wants around after she starts matchmaking. Believe me, people who are meant to fall in love won’t care if there are cute goats roaming around the cabins. They’re goats. Pretty sure Cupid isn’t a goat.”
“Is that your way of telling me not to get stressed over everything I want to get done?”
“Yep. Spend time with your lady friend.”
I haven’t said anything to Colt about Rose, so this remark is curious. “Tandy told you about Rose?”
“No, sir. I just saw you with someone the other day and guessed that she’s your girl.”
“My fiancée actually.” The words roll off my tongue more easily than I expected, which is good.
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks. I proposed just the other day. Her parents aren’t so happy about it, so she’s looking for a new place. Plans to move into Tandy’s at the end of the month, but the next two weeks will be interesting. I’m taking care of her cat, and Rose comes over every day to see him. I’ll introduce you the next time she’s around.”
“Sounds good. And I have a spare room if needed.” Colt doesn’t even look up as he speaks.
I like Colt, but there is no way I want Rose living at his house. Tamping down my irritation at his offer, I try to answer diplomatically. “She doesn’t know you, so I’m not sure she’d be okay with?—”
Colt whips around and waves his hands. “No. You completely misunderstood my offer. I offered my spare room in case you wanted to crash there for a couple of weeks. Then she could stay with her kitty. I was not suggesting that she move in with me. No.”
I chuckle, both from relief and because of Colt’s expression. “That makes much more sense. And I might take you up on that. I’ll talk to Rose.”
“And I’m sorry she’s having trouble with her family. That’s rough.”
“Yeah. Her mother seems to think she can make all the decisions about Rose’s life. And obviously, Rose doesn’t like that.”
“It’s good that she has you.”
I feel a twinge of guilt lying to Colt, but there is no way to contain the secret if I let him in on the deal. And I can’t risk blowing up Rose’s plan.
“The reason I came by was to find out when the horses arrive. Do you need me here to help with anything?”
“Friday. And I think I’m good. But thanks.”
“Great, well. I’m going to get out of here and go check out fencing to see what needs to be replaced before we bring in cattle.” I tip my hat and stroll back to the truck. Once I’m behind the wheel, I text Rose.
Me: If staying at the apartment is awkward or if you miss Floofy too much, I can crash in Colt’s extra room if you want to stay at my place.
I hit send before I can change my mind about offering to let her sleep in my bed. Then I drive toward the back of the ranch, trying not to think about how big her smile will be when she reads that text and discovers she doesn’t have to be separated from her kitty until the end of the month.
After parking along the fence, I glance at my phone and smile at her message.
Rose: Seriously? YES!!!! But I don’t want to impose.
Me: Bring your stuff when you come tonight. And remind me to give you the information about the wedding this weekend.
I toss the phone aside, then pick it up again and send another message.
Me: I’ll pick up dinner for us. Or we can go out when you get here. There is a cute diner not far from here.
Rose: Let’s go out.
She follows her message with a heart.
Spending time with her now will make pretending easier this weekend and next. I’m not nervous about introducing her to my friends at Anderson’s wedding. But facing her family and friends is a different story.
Me: See you tonight.
I inch along the fence line, taking photos and dropping pins on the coordinates at each needed repair. As I’m finishing my trek around the pasture, my phone rings.
“Hello?” I answer on speaker so that I can keep working.
Anderson says, “Doing matchmaker work today?”
“I’m working on that ranch, yes. What’s up?” Taking a job where my aunt will be matchmaking has garnered a bit of ribbing.
“I’m giving Jeffrey the final headcount for the rehearsal dinner. Are you bringing Rose?”
“If that’s okay, I’d like to.”
“Absolutely. Everyone is eager to meet the woman who stole your heart.”
I groan. “She didn’t steal anything.”
“Dallas, there are actors who couldn’t fake as well as you did at dinner that night. There’s got to be something there.”
“She’s attractive. Too young for me, but I couldn’t risk her getting tangled with some creep. And it’s been a while since I’ve dated anyone. Now I have a pretty girl who likes to hold my hand. And, not gonna lie, it feels pretty good.”
“You’ve been touch starved. And it sounds like she’s good for you.”
“It’s temporary. I’m just helping her out.”
He’s quiet half a second. “But remember that there is no shame in changing your mind when the deal comes to an end. Forgetting the fake part altogether.”
“I don’t see that happening, Anderson. I’m content being single. But she needs?—”
“You. You’re exactly what she needs, and it’s cool that you’re helping her.”
I stop and stare at the phone. “It’s crazy how all this happened.”
“Almost as weird as sitting on a cactus.” He chuckles. “I’ll see you Friday evening. And Rose. Prim is very excited to meet her.”
“Have a good one.” I end the call and go back to checking fences.
Rose is already at my place when I get home. And it’d be a lie if I said I didn’t like being greeted with a smile when I walk in the door. Today, she adds a hug to that smile.
“I’m gross. You don’t want to hug me right now.”
Grinning, she rests a hand on my chest. “You smell like you’ve been working hard. But you don’t smell bad.”
“Now you are just lying to me. Let me grab a quick shower. Then we can go grab dinner.” I brush a hair out of her face. “Did you decide to stay tonight?”
“If you really don’t mind, I’d like that.”
“Perfect. I called Colt earlier and let him know I’d be crashing there.” I bend and give Floofy a scratch before going to take a shower.
While I get cleaned up, I try to remember all the questions I thought about, things I need to know if we’re going to pull this off. It’s good that we get to practice around my friends.
When I walk down the hall, buttoning my dress shirt, Rose leans against the wall and grins. “I really appreciate everything you are doing for me.”
“Sure. It’s not a problem. I’ve been thinking of questions we need to tackle. But first, where do you want to eat? In Stadtburg, that way, there is a fantastic barbecue place. And in the opposite direction in Keyhole, there is a new diner that has good food.”
“Let’s go to Keyhole.”
I like that she makes decisions and doesn’t answer every question with “whatever you want.”
After I grab my hat, she reaches for my hand. “What’s the first question?”
“How did we meet? I feel like that’s a question people will ask.” I’m not sure how to answer that one.
“Smart. Yeah. So when I first saw you, I was majorly attracted and then dropped something in hopes of getting your attention, and it worked. It’s been a whirlwind ever since.”
I open the passenger door for her to get in. “Don’t lay it on too thick. People will know you’re making it up. Because I’m not the kind of guy women feel instantly attracted to.”
She buckles her seat belt and bites her lower lip. And she’s quiet until I start the engine. “Maybe not some women, but when you crossed the parking lot on your way into the restaurant, I noticed. I’m not making that part up. I didn’t drop the ring on purpose, but if I’d known how it would end up, I might’ve.”
This little burst of honesty has me discombobulated. “But I’m short and not all that good-looking.”
She runs a hand down my arm. “I think you’re good-looking.”
Her directness stuns me, enough that I don’t even argue.
But I do change the subject. “Another question we haven’t covered. When are we planning to get married? I’m not asking that question. I’m suggesting we need to be prepared for that question.”
She pulls her hand away and crosses her arms. “We’ll just say we haven’t set a date yet.”
“That works.”
I hope I haven’t hurt her with my reaction, but I’m like someone who’s spent a long time in a dark place and is just stepping into the light. It’s an adjustment. She’s definitely the sunshine in this analogy.
At the diner, the waitress points to a table in the corner. Rose slides onto the bench, but before I can slide in across from her, she shakes her head and taps the seat beside her.
“Sit by me. It’ll be easier to talk.”
She’s not wrong. The diner is crowded tonight, and the hum of noises would make it harder to hear each other if we were sitting on opposite sides of the table. So I slide in beside her.
Quietly, we look over the menu.
And when the waitress comes over, I nod to Rose for her to order first. I make mental notes as she orders. It seems important to know that she prefers her cheeseburger without onions and with mayo instead of mustard.
After I order, the waitress hurries away.
Then Rose bumps against my side. “Can I ask a personal question?”
“Sure.” Opening up to her is getting easier. But there are a few topics I haven’t brought up.
“You haven’t said anything about your parents. And it’s okay to tell me to mind my own business.”
I drop my hand onto the bench and find hers. And I could lie and tell myself that it’s because I’m about to deliver sad news and I want her to feel my support, but she’s my support. I rarely talk about my parents at all, let alone losing them. And feeling her cool hand against my rough palm somehow helps. “They were great. But they both died in a car accident years ago.”
She squeezes my hand. “I’m sorry. It must’ve been so hard losing them both at the same time.”
“It was the lowest point in my life, for sure. My fiancée had dumped me just weeks before that, and I went through a really rough time.”
“Dallas, I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine the pain.”
I drag my thumb across her soft skin. “Like I said, it was a long time ago.”
“Now I feel guilty for the way I treated my mom. Maybe I should just?—”
“Get rid of Floofy? No, you shouldn’t. Standing up for yourself isn’t being disrespectful. There’s a difference. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”
She leans her head on my shoulder. “Thanks. I might need to hear that reminder a few times. The people pleaser in me has major anxiety right now.”
“I’m eager for you to meet my friends. They’ll love you.”
Tucked in a corner booth at the little diner, which has its wall covered in art from various decades, I tell Rose all about the other ranch hands and the women who have stolen their hearts.
This weekend will be interesting.
My friends know me, but only as much as I’ve allowed them to. That’s the only reason I can get away with this outrageous plan. The massive hurts I suffered back-to-back changed me. Since that low point in my life, I’ve held people at arm’s length.
But now Rose knows more about me than most of the ranch hands. And I’ve worked with those guys for years.