Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
ROSE
A fter last night, I’m not as nervous about the wedding. But I still have that fluttery feeling in my middle. However, the reason for that might be the sight of Dallas in a suit coat.
I know that not everyone finds him attractive. He’s not magazine-cover gorgeous. But wherever he goes, he owns that space. And I love it.
Seeing the way Bailey greeted him last night solidified his reputation as a kindhearted guy. He’s never been anything but nice to me, but now I know he wasn’t just putting on a show for my benefit.
Dallas pulls into the venue and parks in a grass lot not far from the entrance to what looks like a small western town. It’s like something out of a movie. “The chapel is that way. But it isn’t too far. If you’re chilly, you can wear my jacket.”
“I’m fine. The sun is out. But thank you.” I grip his hand maybe a bit too tight as he helps me out of the truck.
He closes the door, then takes my hand. “And you probably heard some whispers of it last night, but in case you didn’t, I’m giving you a warning. I’m not known for being the most…” He scrunches up his nose like he’s trying to find the right word. “Most people would say that I’m a bit of a grump.”
“Seriously? That surprises me.”
“It’s easy to be not grumpy with you. But if you hear people say it, you won’t be shocked.”
Remembering what he told me about his ex and his parents, I’m piecing together the image Dallas shows to the world. And why.
“So you show the world your grizzly bear side, and I get to spend time with the teddy bear side.”
His lips curl into a smile as he cuts me a sideways look. “Pretty much.”
“Lucky me.”
When we reach the chapel, more than half the chairs are full. Dallas leads me down the side aisle toward the front.
In the third row, a woman pats the seat beside her. “We saved y’all seats.”
I’m racing through my mental list of names from last night. I think she’s Goldie. And her husband has a name that’s different. And I want to kick myself for not remembering.
“Thanks.” I ease into the chair.
“I’m Goldie. And I know we met last night, but you were introduced to so many people. It had to have been overwhelming. And this is my husband Dag.”
Dag reaches over to shake my hand. “I never thought anyone would snag Dallas.”
I give a polite laugh. That is something I heard several times last night. The grumpy part, not so much. Maybe Dallas’s friends were being extra careful since they hadn’t met me before.
Dallas drapes his arm around the back of my chair and leans in front of me. “Hey, careful not to make me look bad.”
Dag puts up a hand. “I’d never. Because there are way too many things y’all could say about me.” He pats Goldie’s leg. “She knows all that stuff, but it’s probably best if she doesn’t get reminded all the time. I want her to like me.”
From the adoring look Goldie is giving Dag, it’s obvious she loves him in spite of whatever he’s done.
I turn my head to whisper in Dallas’s ear. “You look super hot all dressed up. I mean, I think you’re good-looking all the time, but today… yum.”
His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. Then he meets my gaze and smiles. “Thanks.” He focuses on the front as a man begins playing the guitar.
My attempt to relax him with a compliment backfired. His arm is still around me, but all his muscles are tight. Dallas is complicated. But I have six months to figure him out. Hopefully, that’s enough time.
Music echoes through the room, and the crowd hushes. Anderson steps to the front and stares at the double doors at the back of the room. His eager smile is contagious.
When the double doors open, his grin widens. Bailey skips down the aisle, tossing flower petals. As she reaches the front, Anderson squats down, and Bailey throws her arms around him.
Dallas has told me about Anderson, Primrose, and Bailey. And seeing the way he is with her is choking me up.
I swipe at a tear, kicking myself for crying before the bride even makes it down the aisle. But can anyone blame me? This whole scene is tugging on all my heartstrings.
Dallas pushes a tissue into my hand and whispers in my ear. “I brought a few in case I started getting emotional, but you beat me to it.”
After dabbing my eyes, I lean into him. And Dallas curls his hand around my shoulder.
The doors open again, and it’s a good thing I’m holding a tissue because Primrose looks stunning in her dress, and Anderson looks like a poster for love. They both do, honestly. One day, I want someone to look at me like they’re looking at each other.
“Happy tears, I hope.” Dallas’s breath tickles the sensitive skin below my ear.
I nod. “They’re so in love.”
“Yeah. They are.”
Thankfully, most of the ladies in this place are sniffling and shedding tears. So I don’t feel too bad about getting emotional.
I’m gripping Dallas’s hand a bit too tight as we walk into the reception. I met a bunch of his friends last night, but there are more people here today. And somewhere in this crowd is his aunt, Dallas’s only living relative. And she knows the truth. Will she hate me for using Dallas? When I asked him to pretend, I had no idea he’d offer to cover a chunk of my rent. I’m not a mooch. My plan is to save as much as possible so that I can repay Dallas every cent. It might take me a while, but it’s the least I can do.
An older woman in a sunflower yellow dress waves from across the room, then hurries toward us.
Dallas kisses my cheek. “Aunt Tandy is headed this way. She doesn’t bite. I promise.”
I smile, hoping I don’t look as nervous as I feel. “That’s a funny thing for people to say. ‘They don’t bite.’ Nobody wants to be compared to a dog.”
Tandy opens her arms when she reaches us. “Rose, dear, I’ve heard so much about you.” She wraps me in a tight hug and whispers, “You are perfect.”
“Hi. It’s so nice to meet you. And I can’t thank you enough for letting me move into your house. It’s beautiful and I love your cats, Chip and Dale. They are so cute.”
She laughs. “You should see them when I put on their little bowties. I tried adding the cuffs, but they won’t keep them on. I couldn’t believe they had those dancer costumes for cats. Isn’t that awesome?”
“Told you.” Dallas squeezes my hand and chuckles. “Can I get you ladies anything to drink?”
“Something stiff and sweet for me. Matthew is driving.” Tandy grins.
“Something sweet but not too stiff for me.” I’m not quite ready to let go of his hand.
He gives me a wink, then walks away.
Tandy watches him cross the room, then steps closer to me, holding out a slip of paper. “This is my number. Keep it. Put it in your phone. And if you need anything, call me. Day or night. You’re important to Dallas and that makes you important to me. He’s a gem. To some, he looks a little rough around the edges, but?—”
“That’s not my experience at all. He’s amazing. And thank you for this.” I slip the number into my phone case after snapping a picture. “It’s hard to believe he’s still single. She did a number on him, didn’t she?”
Surprise shows on her face, then it morphs into delight. “He told you about her ?”
The emphasis on the word her makes me think Dallas chooses not to mention the ex’s name. “He hasn’t said much. Just that he was engaged and that she dumped him.” I keep my voice low. “But he didn’t say much else.”
She nods, then shifts aside as Dallas returns.
“I am thrilled that y’all met. Simply delighted.” She accepts the drink and takes a sip. “Rose, it was fantastic meeting you. I’m going to find Matthew and then hug the happy couple. But I’ll catch up with y’all later. And I better see the two of you on the dance floor.” With a wave, she walks away.
Dallas tucks an arm around my waist. “Hopefully, she behaved.”
“I kind of love your aunt. She’s awesome.”
“She is. But I don’t say that out loud very often.” He motions toward a table. “Ready to find a seat?”
“Yes. And you were right. Everyone has been great. All the time I wasted being nervous wasn’t warranted.”
“I’m surrounded by a bunch of awesome people.” He pulls out a chair. “That drink okay? If you don’t like it, I’ll grab you something different.”
I take a sip. “Oh, it’s yum. I like it a lot.”
“Good.” He sits down beside me. “I will say that it’s been nice not being the odd one out at the wedding. Thanks for coming with me.”
“Thanks for inviting me.” I bite my tongue before suggesting that even after our deal is over, he can still call me if he needs a plus one to events. Saying that would make me sound desperate and not just to avoid Richard.
Dallas leads me onto the dance floor, and I’m worrying that I’ll do permanent damage to his toes. He’s in boots, so that might protect him some.
We start moving, and I inch closer, hoping that will help me follow his lead. By the end of the second turn around the dance floor, I’m flush against him.
He’s quiet through the first song, but the second song is slower, which makes it easier to talk.
“Earlier, I wanted to tell you how stunning you look today, but your super-hot comment had me tongue-tied for a bit. You’re beautiful, Rose. And I’m not just saying that in case someone is listening.”
“Thank you.” I’m used to people telling me how young I look, but I’m definitely not used to people telling me how pretty I am. It feels kind of good. Especially coming from Dallas.
Since he’s only two or three inches taller than I am and we’re dancing so close, his voice cuts through the music when he speaks. “The best thing about having you with me today is that I don’t have to do the silly garter toss.”
I laugh, then whisper in his ear. “I think only married people are excluded, so don’t be surprised if someone drags you out there.”
“Or maybe they won’t do it at all. I can hope, right?” Amusement dances in his brown eyes.
It’s shocking that anyone would have ever described him as grumpy. He’s the opposite of that.
We dance a few more songs, then retreat to the table. Now that I’ve had more time to talk to his friends, I like them even more. I’m a tiny bit jealous. Daphne is fantabulous, but she’s only one person.
The deejay calls all the unmarried ladies out to the floor, and I wink at Dallas as I step away from the table. There aren’t many ladies waiting to catch the bouquet, but I’m not the only one, which means, I can avoid catching it without being obvious.
Primrose tosses the flowers, and a young woman snags them out of the air. Anderson goes pale, which makes me think that it’s his sister that caught the bouquet. Dallas has been great about filling me in on the people and stories, so I don’t feel completely in the dark.
Then the deejay asks for all the unmarried men to go out onto the dance floor.
Dallas stands next to a kid about ten. “Seriously? Was this really necessary?”
Anderson chuckles and doesn’t even bother to turn around. He shoots the garter like it’s a rubber band, smacking Dallas in the chest. “Kent isn’t ready for Mason to catch it. That leaves you.”
Dallas picks up the garter, then hugs Anderson. They have a noticeable height difference, maybe a foot. But it’s clear they share a deep friendship.
My sweet date is gazing at me as he walks back to the table, and before he sits down, he leans in and kisses me. It’s all for show since everyone is watching and he just caught the garter. But I love every second of it.
It’s late when we walk out of the venue, much later than Dallas typically leaves to go to Colt’s. And since Dallas has checked the time twice since we walked out the door, I’m guessing that is what’s on his mind.
“If it’s too late for you to go to Colt’s, I can just drive back to my apartment. It’s not a big deal.”
“I don’t want you driving by yourself this late.” His fingers are laced with mine until we get to the truck.
Before climbing in, I press a hand to his chest. “Well, what if we both stayed at your place? I can sleep on the sofa tonight. Then you won’t bother your friend. I’m guessing that’s why you keep looking at the time.”
“I don’t want to wake him. And that works. Except I’ll be the one on the couch. Not you.”
In the dim glow from the tall light in the parking area, I see him raise his eyebrows as if he’s daring me to argue. So I bite my bottom lip, trying not to laugh. “Yes, sir.”
He rolls his eyes, then smiles. “Then it’s settled.”
“Yep. And I had fun tonight. It was magical.”
His gaze drops to my lips, then snaps back up. “Yeah. It was.”
Dallas pushes open the door and steps aside so I can enter first. He’s so chivalrous. It’s spoiling me. And I’m realizing that I’ve set the bar too low in past relationships. In my defense, I didn’t know that guys like Dallas existed outside of movies and books.
“If you’ll give me two minutes to get changed, I’ll be out of the bedroom and out of your hair.”
“Sure. Okay.” I squat and pet Floofy, being careful to avoid getting my dress snagged by his sharp little claws.
When Dallas walks back into the living room, I bite back a laugh. “Did you buy those sweatpants because of me? Because I’m spending so much time here?”
The gray sweats have the cuffs folded over a couple of times.
“How do you know they’re new?” He crosses his arms over his white tee.
I ease up beside him and flick the tag hanging off the pocket. “This was a clue. And I’m sorry about the upheaval of your normal routine and the need for new bedtime attire.”
With that charming half smile tugging at his lips, he walks to a drawer in the kitchen and pulls out a pair of scissors.
“Let me help.” I snip off the tag. “You’ll have to get the little plastic piece from inside. Because you probably don’t want me reaching in to grab it.”
He shakes his head. “Definitely not. Thanks for cutting it.” He points down the hall. “The room is all yours.”
“Thanks.” I hesitate before deciding to hug him. “I’m glad I met you, Dallas.”
“Me too. And I’m glad the guy with the rose had a change of heart. He looked a little shady to me.”
I feel his gaze on me as I walk to the bedroom. After changing, I grab one of the pillows off the bed. Dallas only had one, so I brought a few from home. And he walked into the living room without a pillow or blanket. That situation needs to be remedied.
Carrying his pillow and a blanket I found folded in the closet, I tiptoe down the hall. The lights are already off, and I’m cautious, hoping not to step on Floofy. This is when having a black kitty can be inconvenient.
“Dallas, here. I brought you stuff.”
He switches on the lamp. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that, but thanks.”
After handing him the pillow, I drape the blanket over him. “I feel bad booting you out of your own bed.”
“It’s fine. Really.”
“Good night.”
“If you need anything, just holler.” He punches his pillow. “I’ll be right here.”
I tap my leg, wanting Floofy to follow as I go back to the bedroom. Once he runs in after me, I close the door and get in bed.
Floofy meows and scratches at the door.
“You don’t like it closed, huh?” I slip out of bed and open the door a crack. “Happy now?”
But that darn cat doesn’t climb up with me. He runs down the hall.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who wants to cuddle with Dallas.