Chapter 6 Lainey
six
Lainey
My phone buzzes with an incoming message from my group chat with Marigold, Esme, and Ruby.
Esme: Has he shown up yet?
It’s hard to tell from a text whether she’s happy or upset at the thought of Dawson showing up for our date.
Me: Not yet. He’s already ten minutes late, so I might just call it a night and go home.
Esme: You can’t. I mean, he’s expecting you. You can’t just walk out on your date.
Marigold: Esme’s right--it wouldn’t be polite to leave. If anything, take a few turns on the ice. I know how much you love ice skating.
She’s not wrong. Most of my childhood was spent in Minnesota, where if you didn’t know how to ice skate or snowmobile by the time you were five, you weren’t a true Minnesotan.
Luckily, all my foster parents believed that, and I was given ice skates whenever my feet outgrew the last pair.
They might have been hand-me-downs or from the secondhand store, but I still loved the freedom of skating across the ice, as free as a bird with no worries in the world.
Ruby: I feel like I missed something.
Marigold: Maybe if you’d unlock lips with your boss for five seconds, you’d know what’s going on.
Once again, Marigold isn’t wrong—ever since Ruby got her Galentine’s Day wish, she and her boss have been inseparable. Who would have guessed that celebrating being single the day before Valentine’s Day would lead to those two finally revealing their feelings for each other?
Lucky bitch.
Esme: Long story short, Lainey and Dean made out in his office last night. Wilder and Aspen accidentally interrupted. Dean told Lainey it would never happen again. Lainey was matched with Dean’s brother, Dawson, through Aspen’s mail-order bride dating service, and they’re going on a date tonight.
Ruby: Wow, okay, you’re right—I do need to be more on top of things.
Marigold: Speaking of being on top of things... Is Dawson there yet?
Esme: Why don’t you worry about who Warren’s on top of? I heard he’s looking for a date for Wilder and Aspen’s wedding.
Marigold: Son of a bitch, he better be asking me.
Me: Or you could ask him first.
Marigold: That’s not a bad idea.
Done with this conversation, I text my goodbyes and decide to take their advice and do a few laps around the skating rink since it’s not very crowded tonight.
I tighten the laces on my brand-new ice skates—a rare splurge for me, but I needed something to make this night special. They are exactly like the ones I always dreamed of owning, a pale blue with white fur at the top. Too bad that man by my side tonight won’t be the one I dream of every night.
With a final tug on the laces, I lift my head only to be greeted by a large bouquet of every color of rose known to man. They’re bold and beautiful, but it’s not the right man gifting me with them, and something inside of me snaps.
“I’m sorry. I thought I could go through with this date, but I can’t,” I say to the flowers as if they’re the most interesting thing in the world, so I don’t have to look at Dawson’s face when I turn him down.
He’s a nice guy, but he isn’t the guy for me.
Gathering the rest of my courage, I continue, “I can’t go out with you, because I’m in love with Dean. ”
“Well, that’s good, because I’m in love with you, too.”
“Dean?” I snap my head up to find Dean holding the roses and not Dawson. “What are you doing here?”
“Sorry, I’m late — it took me forever to get here.
” A playful grin spreads across his face as he places the flowers on the bench beside me and extends his hand.
“Skate with me, Lainey.” Without hesitation, I place my hand in his, letting him help me stand and lead me onto the ice.
Once we’re on the ice, he threads his gloved fingers through mine, holding my hand as we glide across the ice, just like in my dreams.
“Do you mean what you said, about loving me?” We skate past a couple, each holding a child's hand, as he skates between them, reminding me of the future I want.
Dean comes to a stop, pulling me into his arms and away from the skaters around us.
“Every word of it, Lainey. I love you.” He brushes a lock of hair that was stuck to my lip gloss away from my lips.
“If I’m being honest, I’ve loved you since the moment you talked me into wearing that pirate's hat for Halloween last year. But unlike a pirate, I want more than just your booty—I want your heart. Tell me you want mine too.”
“Even though that was pretty corny,” I tease. “All I’ve ever wanted is a place to call home with a man I love and who loves me back. You’re that man for me, Dean.”
His lips meet mine in a gentle but possessive kiss, silently showing me how much he loves me. “Do you want to get out of here?” he whispers against my lips.
“I thought you would never ask.”