Chapter 40
ALWAYS AND FOREVER
DAVINA
“Give me a hint.”
“No.”
“One tiny hint.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Dallas.” Davina shifted in the passenger seat of my truck, angling her entire body toward me in a way that made her sundress ride up her thighs.
Deeply distracting. “I have been in this vehicle for forty-five minutes. I packed a bag based on your extremely vague instructions of casual but nice, bring something dressy, and comfortable shoes. I deserve at least one hint.”
I kept my eyes on the road, fighting back a grin. “You deserve nothing except my undying love and devotion.”
“I have that. I want information.”
“Greedy.”
“Curious.” She poked my arm. “Come on. Just tell me if we're staying overnight.”
“We're staying overnight.”
“Ha!” She pumped her fist in triumph. “I knew it. Are we staying multiple nights?”
“Two nights.”
“Two nights!” She was practically bouncing now, blonde curls bobbing with excitement. “Okay, okay. So it's a whole... thing. A destination.”
“It's definitely a thing.”
My phone buzzed in the cupholder. I glanced down just long enough to see Brooke's name.
Brooke: Florist arrived early, hiding arrangements in...
I read the first few words before I flipped the phone face down before Davina could see.
“Who's that?”
“Matt. Asking about fantasy football.”
“It's May.”
“We're very dedicated.”
She narrowed her eyes, but let it go. “Fine. Keep your secrets. But I'm going to figure it out.”
“You can try.”
The truth was, I was barely holding it together.
Three months of planning. Three months of secret phone calls and covert meetings and an elaborate web of lies that would have made a CIA operative proud.
And now, finally, we were less than fifteen minutes away from the place where tomorrow I would marry my wife.
Again. For real this time.
“Okay.” Davina held up her hand, ticking off fingers. “It's not Tampa. We've been driving too long. It's not Orlando, wrong direction. It's somewhere rural based on all these...” She gestured at the rolling hills and farmland outside her window. “...cows.”
“Astute observation.”
“Is it a bed and breakfast?”
“Warmer.”
“A resort?”
“Colder.”
“How is a resort colder than a bed and breakfast? They're basically the same thing with different price points.”
I just smiled.
Another buzz from my phone. I didn't look, but I could feel Davina's curiosity like a physical weight.
“You're being very mysterious today, Dallas Dodger.”
“It's our anniversary. I'm allowed to be mysterious.”
“One year.” She said it softly, wonder creeping into her voice. “Can you believe it's been a year?”
“Best year of my life.” I reached over and took her hand, threading my fingers through hers.
She squeezed back, and when I glanced over, her eyes were suspiciously bright. “You're going to make me cry before we even get wherever we're going.”
“That's the plan. Soften you up for the big reveal.”
“The big reveal!” She sat up straighter. “So there IS a reveal!”
“There's always a reveal. I'm a showman. It's what I do.”
The GPS announced our turn in half a mile, and my pulse kicked up another notch. This was it. The moment I'd been waiting for, planning for, dreaming about.
I made the turn onto a tree-lined drive, and the landscape transformed. Endless rows of grapevines stretched out beneath massive oak trees. A wooden sign appeared on the right, elegant script announcing: Sunset Ridge Vineyards.
Davina gasped.
“Oh my God.” Her hand flew to her mouth. “Dallas. Oh my God.”
“Surprise.”
“I know this place!” She was craning her neck, taking in the views, eyes huge and sparkling. “I came here once with Matt and Brooke when they were looking at wedding venues. It was… Dallas, it was gorgeous. The barn and the oak tree and the little cabins…”
“The cabins are pretty nice,” I agreed, pulling into the main parking area. “Or so I've heard.”
“We almost convinced them to do their wedding here.” She stopped abruptly, turning to look at me. “They chose Vegas.”
“They did.”
“I guess we did too.”
The words hung between us, loaded with meaning neither of us fully acknowledged. I put the truck in park and turned to face her, drinking in the sight of my wife, flushed with excitement, practically glowing in the late afternoon sun, completely oblivious to what awaited her tomorrow.
“I wanted to bring you somewhere special,” I said. “Somewhere that wasn't just another hotel or resort.”
“It's perfect.” She leaned across the console and kissed me, soft and sweet and full of a year's worth of love. “You're perfect. Well, not perfect. But perfect for me.”
“I'll take it.”
My phone buzzed again. This time, I had to check; I needed to know where Brooke was so I could steer Davina in the opposite direction.
Brooke: Your parents are here. They're in Cabin 7. Cheyanne's in Cabin 8 and Austin’s in Cabin 9. Matt's handling Davina's family and Kali, James, Marcus, and Abby. ALL GUESTS CONFIRMED and either in cabins on the opposite end of yours or on their way. We are GO for tomorrow.
My heart stuttered.
All guests confirmed.
Everyone who mattered to us, our families, our friends, was here. Hiding in cabins scattered across the property, waiting to watch us say vows we'd remember this time.
“Matt again?” Davina asked, eyeing my phone.
“Yeah. He's very needy today.” I typed a quick response.
Dallas: We're here. About to check in. Where are you?
The reply came immediately.
Brooke: Reception barn, supervising chair setup. Stay away from the west path. Your mom keeps trying to sneak out to get a peek at everything.
I bit back a laugh. That sounded exactly like my mother.
“Come on.” I pocketed my phone and climbed out of the truck. “Let's go check in. I requested a specific cabin.”
“Of course you did.” But she was smiling as she reached for her door handle.
The check-in process was smooth. I'd coordinated everything in advance with the venue manager, Patricia, who had been a saint throughout the three-month planning process.
She greeted us, handed over our keys, and gave us a map of the property that conveniently had several areas marked in red as closed for maintenance.
The areas where I knew chairs were being arranged, flowers were being positioned, and a stunning arch was being constructed beneath an old oak tree.
“The wine tasting starts at four,” Patricia said with a knowing smile in my direction. “And your dinner reservation is at seven. In the meantime, feel free to explore the grounds. Though I'd recommend sticking to the east side of the property. We're doing some landscaping work on the west end.”
“Noted.” I grabbed our bags and steered Davina toward our cabin. “East side only. Got it.”
Our cabin was everything the website had promised. A cozy living room with exposed beams and a stone fireplace. A bedroom with a king-sized bed draped in white linens. A private porch overlooking the vineyards with two Adirondack chairs positioned perfectly for sunset viewing.
Davina spun in a slow circle, taking it all in. “Dallas. This is... this is incredible.”
“Only the best for my wife on our anniversary.”
She turned to face me, and the look in her eyes made my chest ache. “You really put thought into this.”
You have no idea, I thought.
“I wanted it to be special.”
“It is.” She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around me, pressing her face against my chest. “It already is.”
I held her, breathing in the familiar scent of her shampoo, counting down the hours until I could give her the rest of the surprise.
Tomorrow morning, I would slip out before she woke.
Brooke would be waiting in the living room with the dress, Davina's dream dress, the one she'd sketched in college, brought to life by a designer who had nearly cried when Marcus showed her the original drawing.
And then I would be standing under that oak tree, waiting to watch her walk toward me.
“Hey.” Davina pulled back, studying my face. “Where'd you go?”
“Nowhere.” I kissed her forehead. “Just thinking about how lucky I am.”
“Sap.”
“Your sap.”
We spent the next hour exploring the east side of the property. Davina exclaimed over the view from every angle, took approximately forty-seven photos on her phone, and kept squeezing my hand like she couldn't quite believe this was real.
My phone buzzed every few minutes with updates from Brooke, who was running the operation with military precision.
Brooke: Davina's parents are in Cabin 12.
Brooke: Caterer confirmed. The menu is set. The beef tenderloin is apparently transcendent.
Brooke: Delilah just arrived. She squealed so loud I think dogs in the next county heard her.
Brooke: Where are you now??
Dallas: Heading to a wine tasting. East pavilion.
Brooke: Perfect. I'm on the west side.
“Who are you texting?” Davina asked as we approached the tasting room.
“Just work stuff. Championship match coming up. Lots of logistics.”
“On our anniversary?”
“Wrestling never sleeps, baby.”
The wine tasting was exactly the kind of activity Davina loved. The sommelier walked us through six different wines from the estate, but I was too busy watching my wife's face light up with each new pour.
She was radiant. Relaxed in a way I rarely saw her, all the usual tension she carried gone. Here, in this place I'd chosen for her, she was simply happy.
Tomorrow, I was going to make her happier.
“I like this one,” she announced, swirling a deep red in her glass. “The, um... what did he call it?”
“The reserve cabernet.”
I pulled out my phone under the table to check Brooke's latest update.
Brooke: Officiant arrived. Same Elvis impersonator from Vegas. Currently rehearsing his serious face. He will NOT be wearing the costume.
I choked on my wine.
“You okay?” Davina patted my back, concerned.
“Fine. Just… went down the wrong pipe.”