Chapter 18 #2
“We were just chatting about her babysitting Toby,” I tell him.
“Ah, okay.” He nods and then looks back at her. “She’s got a really, really unique smile, doesn’t she?” he says.
“Yeah, I suppose so.”
I wonder if he’s questioning me. I wonder if he can see that I’m attracted to her.
“She almost looks like a woman I knew once,” he says, laughing.
“You know plenty of women, Jimmy.” I grin. “She’s too young for you.”
“I know,” he says, shaking his head. “And you know I don’t date anymore. I’m plenty happy, just working here and going home.”
“What about those dinners you’ve been having with Gracie?” I ask him.
He blushes and looks away. “We’re just friends—you know that. We became close when she was dating your dad, and I worked for him. I would never cross that line.”
“You don’t work for him anymore, Jimmy.”
“I know, but there are some loyalties that you don’t ever betray.”
“Okay,” I say. “Let me go and deal with this issue.”
I head toward the table and plaster a smile on my face because even though the customer sounds ridiculous, the customer is always right. I stop at the table and look down at an elderly lady with thick glasses and a sour expression on her face.
“Good day. I’m Dalton, the owner here, and I understand you had an issue with the beef stew.”
“I thought it would be tofu.” She points to the menu and taps it. “It says vegetarian option.”
“Available,” Lucia mutters under her breath. “It says available. You have to ask for it.”
“Don’t worry, ma’am. We’ll get you a veggie burger to make up for it. Can’t have you sitting here with a frown.”
I look at my watch. It’s eight p.m., and I feel a slight burden of guilt as I sit across the table from Brett at Kettle King.
“Didn’t you say you had to get back home?” he says, chugging the last of his beer.
“Sage is looking after Toby for me. It’s okay.”
I don’t mention to him that she had a date this evening.
I don’t mention to him that I should have been back home hours ago.
I don’t feel like I’m sabotaging her dating life, but a part of me doesn’t want her going on another date.
Part of me is scared she will meet someone, fall in love, and I won’t even have a shot.
A shot at what? I don’t know, since I am not looking for love or marriage, and I don’t have close to the amount of money she is looking for in a partner.
But there is just something so easy in the way that we converse, in the way that we smile at each other.
“So, I’m going to speak to Toby’s mom tomorrow.” Brett leans forward. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”
“I think you should handle this. I think maybe I’m the last person she wants to see right now.”
“Maybe,” he says. “But you could definitely explain to her better how much Toby needs her.”
“I think that, right now, it should just be you.”
I look down at my phone. I have another missed call from Sage and several text messages. I let out a sigh. “I trust you, Brett. You’ve never let me down, and you know how important this is. You know everything Toby’s been through. You know everything I’ve been through.”
“You’re a good guy—you know that, right, Dalton?” He gives me a rare smile. “Not many men would’ve stepped up as you did.”
“I felt like it was my responsibility, you know?”
“It wasn’t though.”
“But it was,” I say and stand up. “Anyway, I should get out of here. Duty calls and all that. I have a feeling Sage might be a little bit upset with me.”
“Oh, I hope not.” He leans back. “How’s her sister, by the way?” he says casually.
“Who, Rosie?” I ask him, grinning. “Why? You got an interest in her?”
“No, not at all. She is definitely not the sort of woman I would ever have any dalliance with, but I was just curious.”
“Uh-huh,” I say, grinning. “You should ask her on a date or something.”
“No way,” he says. “She is not the sort of woman who should date a man like me. She’s way too light and bubbly and carefree, and we both know that’s the exact opposite of me.”
“But you know what they say, opposites attract.”
“Have you asked out her sister?” He leans forward, crossing his arms, his eyes narrowed.
“No. Why would I?”
“For the same reason you’re telling me that I should ask Rosie out.”
“Touché. I suppose we’re both right. Neither one of us is right for these women.”
“Exactly,” he says. “Doesn’t mean we don’t care about making sure they’re safe and doing well.”
“You’re making sure that Rosie is safe?”
“Not actively. Is there something she’s doing that she needs protection from? I mean, aside from this crazy dating app.”
“Ha. Anyway, I really should get going.” I hold up the phone and show him that Sage is calling again. “I have a feeling she’s upset with me. You keep me updated about tomorrow?”
“Will do, boss. I’ll see you later.”
I hurry to my car, get in, and drive the fifteen minutes to the house. As soon as I get out, I see Sage running out of the door.
“Do you know what time it is?” She sounds frantic.
“I’m so sorry. Everything just went much later than I’d expected.”
“You didn’t pick up my calls. You didn’t text me. I didn’t even know what to tell my date.”
Her hair is long and wild. She looks stunning in a black skirt and sequined silver top. She’s got on shimmery blue eyeshadow, and her lashes look longer than I’ve ever seen. Her lips are bright red, and she’s wearing heels. She looks seductively sexy.
“I’ve missed my date now. Can you believe this?” She shakes her head.
“I’m sorry. I totally lost track of time.”
“And what is it with you men and time?” She sighs. “I can’t believe you didn’t text me or call me. I was also worried. I didn’t know what happened.”
“I’m sorry. I won’t let that happen again.” I feel a twist of guilt and remorse. I was irresponsible because I was jealous, and that is not okay. I have to be a better man than that. Especially now that I’m a dad.
“I would hope not,” she says.
“I think you look really pretty. Beautiful even,” I say as I look down at her. “I’m sorry you missed your date.”
“Yeah, well, he rescheduled, so …” She shrugs.
My heart contorts. I don’t want to hear that information.
“It’s going to be okay, I suppose. It just looks really bad that I wasn’t there.”
“Let me make it up to you,” I say softly, my heart racing.
I stare up at the moon and the sky and the stars. Her face radiates passion as she glares up at me. I want her to forget her date. I want her to fall for me, enough so that she can forgive me for being a jerk who has already told her some lies.
“How are you going to make it up to me? I’ve already eaten mac and cheese with Toby, who’s asleep, by the way.”
“What if I did what your date was likely going to do at the end of your date tonight?”
“What would that be?” She stares at me.
“Well, if I had been your date and you were wearing that outfit, I’d grab your hand like this.” I pull her down the couple of steps onto the driveway, and I start humming under my breath.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s a beautiful night. If I were on a date with you, I’d pull you into my arms like this, and we’d dance back and forth under the moonlight and the stars.”
I twirl her around, and she giggles as her hair goes flying.
“And then I’d pull you into me like this.” I grab her around the waist and stroke the back of her hair.
She’s breathing deeply now as she looks up at me, lips parted. “What are you doing, Dalton?”
“I’m just giving you the good-night kiss that your date would’ve wanted to give you.”
I press my lips down on hers, and this time, I make sure it’s more than a peck.
I hold her to me, running my fingers through her silky hair, and she reaches up and squeezes my shoulders.
Her lips part just enough to slide my tongue into her mouth.
She tastes sweet, and she feels soft. I deepen the kiss.
She moans as she runs her fingers around the nape of my neck and presses herself into my body.
I grab her by her hips and bring her in so she can feel my hardness against her stomach, and she stills.
We continue to kiss, and my fingers slide down the side of her body.
I love the feel of her. I love the taste of her.
I want this to go further. I want to take her into my home.
I want to make all her dreams come true.
And then she pulls back, gasping for air.
“I don’t think the kiss would’ve gone on longer than this,” she says, blushing deeply.
I grin down at her, my heart racing as I press my fingers into her wrist. “But it would’ve been a mighty good kiss, right?”
“One of the best,” she says. “I might even have given him a second date.”
“Might have?” I grin. “What would have ensured a second date?”
“Don’t think I forgive you for being late, Dalton. Your charm and touch don’t erase that you took my time for granted.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. So, would you give me another date?”
“I don’t know,” she says. “I guess you’ll just have to see if there is a date two.”
“I’ll see, or your original date will have to see?” I want her to say me.
“I have absolutely no idea,” she says. Then she runs back up the stairs to the house like she’s Cinderella and the clock’s about to strike midnight. “I have to grab my stuff. I have to go.”
She stops at the top of the steps, looking like the belle of the ball and totally in charge. She blows me a confident kiss and then turns away slowly.
This woman has bewitched me.
I stand there and watch as she heads inside, then walk up slowly behind her.
My lips still tingle from the kiss. It was a mistake to kiss her like that because I know once is never going to be enough, and even though I have rules, I am going to break every single one of them just for another chance to kiss and touch her again.
And I have to stop messaging her as Bradley. I don’t want to keep up the lie, no matter how much fun it has been chatting with her.