22. Hux
22
HUX
“I’ve always wanted to do one of these.”
“This is your first?”
My pulse stutters, worry creeping up my spine like kudzu through the woods. What did I get us into?
“Most brides are too afraid, even after the wedding. Which, I can understand. They did spend thousands of dollars. But seriously, what else are you going to do with it?”
I shrug, not having an answer for that. Hence why we’re here. Although, when Willa suggested this, she made it sound a lot more commonplace than Meredith Sweet of Sweetheart Photography is leading me to believe in this moment. And as much as I trust my sister, right now I think this stranger might have one up on her.
“Thank you again for doing this,” I say, trying to fill the awkward space. “And really, I’ll pay for your time.”
“Psssh.” She waves me off, giving me a look that tells me she wouldn’t dream of accepting my money. “Happy to be here. And after what happened to Dolly, I’m thrilled to be a part of something that can help her put all of that behind her. She deserves to be happy.”
She deserves the world…
“And here she is now,” Meredith adds, nodding toward the cloud of dust moving our way. She gives me another nod, then walks away, leaving me to stand and watch, my nerves kicking into high gear again.
Petite, with dark curls, Meredith is what my mama would politely describe as “svelte.” While I’d simply say she’s in desperate need of a cheeseburger—or three. She’s also exactly the type that, until recently, I would have taken home from the bar on any given weekend night. Something that Dolly had been quick to point out after hiring her.
“She’s just your type,” she’d told me while sliding a plate full of steak and potatoes in front of me. “She’s sassy, and funny, and food is her love language, so you know she’s good people.”
Watching the photographer now, as she opens Dolly’s car door, the two of them squealing and hugging each other, I can see why my best friend thought that. If only she knew how wrong she was.
“Okay, Hux, spill,” Dolly demands, pulling away from Meredith. “What are we doing all the way out here on this far corner of the Hayes estate, and why is Meredith here?”
I smirk, impishness filling my veins, wondering how long I can drag this out. How riled up I can get her.
“Did you bring it?”
“My wedding dress?”
I nod, waiting for her to try and put it together. Crossing her arms, she cocks a hip to the side, her own sass bubbling up. The move also pushes her glorious boobs even higher, stealing my attention for a second, a move I’m pretty sure she planned, but I’m on to her. I don’t give in.
“I did.”
“Put it on.”
“Why?”
“Thought you trusted me.”
She sashays across the open field, closing the space between us in three steps. All her confidence and bravado falls away the second she’s in front of me though, our toes touching, her hands resting gently on my hips. Without her saying a word, I can feel her insecurity. Her unsteadiness.
And my heart breaks.
“Doll,” I whisper, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
“I do trust you. It’s just that…” She swallows hard, blinking slowly, her eyes glassy as she fights back emotion. “The last time I wore this dress, things didn’t end so well…”
Her voice is small, barely above a whisper. Almost inaudible. If I wasn’t listening carefully, I might have missed it over the sound of the breeze. But there is no mistaking her words. There is also no missing the pain in them.
Or the way it slices right through me.
Because I’m an idiot.
Fuck. I should have known. Should have taken the time to think about how putting on that dress again might make her feel. But I didn’t. And that was seriously fucking stupid of me.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” I tell her, yanking her into me. I hold her close, wishing I could absorb all her pain, all her worry, and make it melt away. “You don’t want to put that dress on ever again, then you don’t have to. I’m a guy, so don’t actually quote me on this, but I don’t think there are rules to this whole trash the dress thing. Pretty sure if all you wanted to do is light it on fire and dance around it naked, that would be allowed.”
Actually, I’d really like to have those pictures, now that I think about it…
“That’s what we’re doing?” Dolly looks up at me, then over her shoulder to Meredith. She relaxes in my arms, leaning against me, her muscles loosening as she exhales. “A trash the dress session?”
“That was the intent. Give you a chance to wear it, ruin it, and then be done with it.”
“Get up to no good?”
The tiny waggle of her eyebrows, paired with the lilt in her voice, fills me with hope. If that’s the question she’s asking, then maybe not all is lost.
Tightening my hold on her, I press a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling her sweet scent. It fills my nostrils, with hints of food from the diner sneaking in, and I can’t help but feel alive, my heart racing from nothing more than holding her. Something that even after all these years and the shift between us over the last few weeks, I’m still convinced I could do for the rest of time.
Fuck me, I don’t know what I did to be lucky enough to be the one that Dolly McLain chose.
“Always, Doll. Always.”
“Then let’s ruin a dress. Let’s get wild and dirty and do all the things that would have made Jeff furious.”
She pulls away, a sly smile tugging at her pretty pink lips, her blue eyes sparkling with the same wild glint from when we were kids. My dick twitches at the fearlessness inside her shining through, making me want to show her just how dirty we can get. But my heart wants to make sure of something first.
I grab her hand, stopping her before she can get all the way away. “You sure? Because if you’re not…”
“I’m sure, Hux.” She nods, her eyes meeting mine, giving me that assurance I need. “And if at any point that changes, you can take the dress off me.”
Gladly…
“I took if off you once; I’ll happily do it again.” I wink.
She starts to say something, but stops herself, snapping her mouth shut. Pink flushes her cheeks, and she looks away, letting go of my hand quickly. I desperately want to ask her what she was about to say, where she was about to take this. To know what on earth could make her blush like that.
But I get cut off.
The sound of my phone slices through the air, catching me off guard. Shit, why the hell is the ringer even on? I scramble, digging into my pocket for it, answering without looking.
“Hello?”
“Huxley, it’s Rick Babcock, Hickory Hills Town Treasurer.”
Yes, Rick, I know who you are. I distinctly remember kicking the shit out of your kid in the fourth grade for picking on Alice, and threatening to do it again in high school when he tried to spread rumors about Emily. I also remember you covering for him all the times he shoplifted from Wright’s. This is a small town after all.
“Hi Rick. What’s up?”
“Just callin’ to let you know that your proposal and plans have been approved. Should you like, we can announce it right after the parade next weekend.”
My…my proposal? Wait…that doesn’t make sense. They vetoed it.
“Project: Second Star?” I ask, my brain still trying to catch up. “I thought the town council voted against it.”
“It was voted on again this morning and passed.”
I stop in my tracks, my head spinning from the news. It’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Yet still doesn’t make sense. How? What made them reconsider? Or what made Seth Jennings reconsider?
Maybe I shouldn’t question it. Just be thankful that the universe is working on my favor and that I’m going to be able to build this playground. That I’m going to be able to give Dolly something that will show her what she means to me. What she means to this town.
Dolly.
Those cinnamon rolls might just become unavailable…
I shake my head, realization slamming into me like bumper cars. I can’t believe she did it. She actually did it.
Looking back toward her Jeep, I try to catch her, but she’s nowhere to be found. I wonder if she knows that she was able to pull this off. That she’s the one who is responsible for getting this pushed through. Knowing her, she’ll shrug it off, tell me it was nothing and that she was happy to do it. Because she has no idea how powerful she is.
“So, can we expect an announcement at the parade?” Rick asks, cutting through my thoughts.
“Errr, yeah. If you get the approval sent over to Hayes, I’ll get it all worked out with the parade committee this week.”
“Perfect! Now, I know Willa sent it all over, but should it go back…”
Rick’s voice fades into the background, his words jumbling together, turning into a monotone mess of nothing in my ear. Hell, he could be an entire three-ring circus right now and still not have any of my attention. Not when I’m staring at an actual angel.
Dolly steps around her Jeep, letting the train of her dress drag though the grass, looking like she stepped straight out of heaven. If I thought she’d looked incredible on her wedding day, she’s even more so now.
“I gotta go,” I mumble into the phone, hanging up without any more of an explanation.
I snap a quick photo while she’s not paying attention, then slide my phone back in my pocket, drinking in everything about her. My mouth waters, my pants tightening as my dick stiffens, unable to control myself. She might have bought that dress for another man, and even as I stand here and want to believe that today she’s wearing it for me, she’s not. She’s wearing it for herself. Which might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
Twisting toward me, she catches my eye, smiling shyly. That’s all the signal I need.
I march over to her, moving as fast as I can without breaking into an all-out run, stopping just short of grabbing her and lifting her into the air. Instead, I take her head in my hands, running my thumb along her cheek, and kiss her. Hard.
Like I’m a soldier who has just returned home from war and hasn’t seen his girl in months, I deepen the kiss, leaning her back slightly. I want to make sure she feels this all the way in her toes. She whimpers, grabbing on to me, wrapping her fingers in my Henley and holding on. The softness of her lips is almost as amazing as the softness of her pressed against me, the two of us losing ourselves in this moment.
A moment that was made for us. Her and me, in this field, getting lost in one another.
My insides ache, wanting more. Wanting to be able to taste her—all of her—and make her fall apart. All while holding her close and keeping her safe. But that’s not what right now is about.
Later though.
Pulling back slowly, I nip at her bottom lip, silently letting her know that I’m only doing it because I have to. Her sigh tells me she knows, sending a thrill right through me.
“You talked to Seth Jennings.”
Dolly furrows her brow, looking at me like I’m a dumbass. “I told you I would.”
Fuck, that sass…
“Rick Babcock just called. They voted again this morning, and it passed. So your little threat worked.”
I yank her impossibly closer, swatting at her backside. Her face lights up, her excitement overflowing.
“Good, it should have passed the first time. Wait, did you think my threat wouldn’t work? And is that what that kiss was for?”
“Didn’t doubt you for a second,” I tell her, kissing her again. This time it’s softer, sweeter. Like I’m greeting her after coming in from the yard. “And that kiss was because you’re magnificent.”
Scrunching her face, she wiggles out of my arms, tugging up the dress. Her boobs jiggle, sending a zing through me. I’m about to start a countdown until I can take that thing off of her.
Click!
We both turn, finding Meredith standing there, camera lifted to her face, snapping away. I’d almost forgotten why we were even here. The camera clicks again, Meredith focused in on Dolly as she adjusts her dress, and I wonder how long she’s been standing there. How much she captured. I hadn’t intended for that kiss to be a part of it, but I’m not going to be sad to have that memory either.
“You two ready?”
“Dolly, this is all about you,” I say.
“My biggest question is what to do first. Climb a tree or roll down the hill?”
I laugh, loving that her mind immediately went to climbing a tree in a wedding dress. It’s not exactly the getting up to no good that we did as kids, but considering the price tag on that thing, it’s a bold move.
The unanimous vote is to climb a tree, so we set off toward the creek on the back part of the parcel that is lined with live oaks. We stop along the way, Meredith giving Dolly directions on how to pose, capturing her in the beautiful sunlight. I hang back as much as I can, letting the two of them do their thing. Other than the initial boost into the tree, Dolly does everything on her own, maneuvering around everything, even in that massive amount of tulle.
Two hours later, muddy, grass-stained, and ripped, Dolly’s dress is without a doubt trashed. Her spirit, though, is the exact opposite. Laughter fills the warm spring air, her bright smile giving off more heat than the sunshine. Everything about her is absolutely glowing. I don’t know that I have ever seen her this happy. Ever.
That’s saying something.
“There’s just one last thing I want to do, if that’s okay?” she asks Meredith.
“You’re in charge!”
A devilish grin takes over, and instantly my stomach does somersaults. When it comes to this girl, I’ve always been ready for anything, and that’s the look that has always preceded one of her wild ideas.
“Hux…”
My name sounds like magic as she licks her lips, eyes sparkling with mischief. Oh, I am so here for this.
“Dolly…”
“Empty your pockets.”
She places her hands on her hips as she makes her demand, the sun setting behind her giving it even more power. I do as she says, my heart pounding, ready for wherever this leads.
Taking my hand, our fingers interlacing, she tugs, guiding me toward the creek. We start off slow, picking up pace the closer we get, her giggles giving away her plan. But two of us can play this game.
I stop suddenly, without letting go of her hand, causing her to recoil into me. I use the momentum to scoop her up, pulling her into my chest. I have to fight the urge to kiss her, knowing that will only slow us down. So I take off running again.
Splash!
The cold water of the creek envelops us, Dolly’s shriek lost in the sound of the splashing water. My clothes cling to me, making it tough to move while still holding on to her, but I don’t let go. Not until I’m sure I have my footing and can set her down gently.
She giggles again, pushing her wet hair from her face, looking up at me like she can’t believe we just did that. To be fair, there is a part of me that can’t believe it either. These boots are going to take forever to dry. But it’s worth it.
“Thank you. I needed this.”
“I’m happy you enjoyed it.” I lean in and kiss her, the feel of her against me potent enough to counteract the cold of the water, making my body react all over again. “And if I do say so myself, you might look better in the trashed version of the dress.”
“Ha!” She gives me a playful shove, before tugging at the top of the dress again, the weight of the water working against her and pulling it down almost instantly. “I’m just glad we did it now before it really doesn’t fit. It’s already a little tight. I found some of that weight that I lost for the wedding.”
“You could stand to find some more of it.”
The comment flies out of me faster than I can think to stop it. Almost as fast as Dolly’s head whips up.
“Excuse you?”
Well…shit. Didn’t mean to say that out loud. Ever. And since I can’t unring that bell, might as well go all in.
Here goes…
“Since you brought it up, you lost too much weight for the wedding.”
“I’m sorry?” She holds up a single finger, like she’s about to poke my eye out. “You think I lost too much weight? Are you nuts?”
“Nope, perfectly sane. I miss your curves.”
“My…”
Dolly drops back, her attitude and energy falling away, turning into something more somber. A muddled apprehension. Suddenly, the water isn’t just cold, it’s frigid. And not simply because she isn’t pressed against me anymore.
“Hux…”
Unlike before, this time my name is strangled, like she has to choke it out. My heart plummets, those somersaults my stomach was doing turning into something sour. Fuck. My comment wasn’t meant to hurt her. It was meant to let her know that I liked her the way she was. How did I mess this up?
“I realize that I’m not your type…”
Not my type. How many times has Dolly said that? More than I can count. Hell, that was her reason for trying to pass me off on the photographer at the wedding, because she thought Meredith was my type.
Here’s to another bell I won’t be able to unring…
“I don’t prefer brunettes,” I cut her off. She stops, eyes going wide, her head tilting like she wasn’t sure she heard me correctly.
“That’s all you’ve ever dated. Skinny brunettes,” she tosses back.
She has me there. That is pretty much all I have ever dated. And we can use the term dated loosely—she’s already accused me of being allergic to relationships. But there’s a reason for that. One I’ve never admitted out loud.
Until now.
“Because as long as there was a thinner brunette in my bed, I wasn’t going to be thinking about the curvy blonde I wished she was.”
The smart, sassy, insanely beautiful, absolutely perfect wild child who has always been, and will always be, too good for me. The one that I will never ever come close to deserving.
“You mean…”
I nod. She doesn’t have to finish that sentence. We both know exactly who I mean.
Dolly throws herself at me, pressing her mouth to mine in a hot, hard kiss. Her lips are soft, supple, but without a doubt in charge as she pulls me close, wrapping her arms around my neck. I reach down, grabbing her ass and lifting her up so she can wrap herself around me. There’s nothing gentle about this kiss. It’s passionate, punishing, and full of so many unsaid things that I’m not sure sparks aren’t flying off us.
Rocking her core against me, Dolly mewls into the kiss. My dick stiffens and I groan, knowing that once I can finally get my hands on her for real, it will be game over. These curves are mine, and I plan on worshipping them.
“Hux,” she whispers, breaking the kiss.
“Yeah, beautiful?”
“Take me home and get me out of this dress.”