Chapter 5 #2
He didn’t know why he got so angry. She wasn’t the first person to think the worst of him.
But for some strange reason, her distrust hurt as much as Jaxon’s.
“I don’t give a shit about my inheritance.
And I didn’t lie. I didn’t say anything about grieving for my mama.
I said I wanted to know more about her last days. ”
“That’s the same thing. Then you glanced at the book on grieving and then back at me with big puppy dog eyes.”
“I don’t do puppy dog eyes.”
“You most certainly do. In fact, that’s what I’m going to start calling you.” She lifted up on the toes of her boots and got in his face. “Puppy . . . Dawg.”
He scowled. “Over my dead body.”
“That can be arranged.”
The thought of Magnolia in all her pink glory having the ability to take him out caused all his anger to fizzle. Laughter bubbled up from nowhere. He was as surprised by the deep chuckle as she was.
“You think I can’t do it?” When he only grinned, she gritted her teeth. “Oh, you make me so angry.”
“Which is a good thing. Nobody should smile all the time.”
“Says the man who is grumpy all the time!”
“I’m not grumpy all the time.”
She stared at him, her eyes reflecting the back light like twin emeralds. “Really? Name a time when you haven’t been grumpy.” She didn’t let him answer. Not that he could. “For a split second, I thought it had to do with grieving your mama, but now I know it’s just your permanent state of being.”
“Okay, so maybe I did insinuate that I was grieving. But I didn’t want you telling Tully and then Tully telling Jaxon that I’m nosing around town trying to find out who’s contesting the will.”
“And just why would that be a problem? I’m sure Jaxon wants to find out who is contesting the will as much as you do.”
“He does. He just doesn’t trust me to do the job without causing issues.”
“Ha!” She threw up her hands. “And can you blame him? You seem to cause problems wherever you go. I thought for sure you were going to start another brawl tonight.”
He shrugged. “That cocky asshole needed to be cut down a peg or two.”
“For simply flirting a little?”
“No, for touching you.”
The words just popped out. Luckily, Magnolia assumed he was referring to women in general.
“So, you’re telling me you always get permission before you touch a woman? Sorry, but I find that hard to believe.”
“What? You think I just force myself on women?”
“I doubt you have to do much forcing.”
He’d never really cared one way or the other about what women thought of his looks. But if the happy feeling in his stomach meant anything, Magnolia’s compliment did mean something.
She knew it too.
“Don’t be getting the wrong idea. I’m just making a general observation. I’m not into grumpy men with anger management problems.”
His smile faded. “Instead, you’re into cocky quarterbacks who don’t need to buy a razor for at least five years?”
“I wasn’t into that sweet college kid.”
He should have left it at that. He didn’t. “Why? Do you have some California surfer dude you’re saving yourself for?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. I’m not saving myself for anyone. There will be a time and a place to get serious about someone, but right now I’m focused on getting my daddy married off to his next soul mate.”
He squinted at her. “His next soul mate? I thought you only got one of those in your life. And from the sounds of it, his was your mama.”
He didn’t think Magnolia could get any angrier. He was wrong. She looked like she was ready to murder him and toss his body into the river. Why did he find this blazing-eyed spitfire so much more attractive than the cheerful smiling bookstore clerk?
“That’s not true!” she snapped. “Having just one soul mate in your lifetime is a ridiculous concept thought up by people who have never lost a loved one—never seen how devastated a person can be when they lose what they think is their one and only love match in this world. Well, I have seen it and I don’t believe for a second God would do something like that.
I believe there can be as many soul mates as you need to keep you from turning into a broken-hearted man who can’t even look at a picture of his late wife without falling apart! ”
Once she finished her rant, she looked horrified, like she had revealed too much of the person behind all the happy pink and sparkle.
Dawson wasn’t happy about it either. He hadn’t meant to open up a can of worms. He was a strong believer people should keep their worms to themselves.
His can was busting at the seams. And if she hadn’t looked so devastated by her outburst, he might have made up an excuse and headed back inside.
But the pain swirling around in her eyes was just as bad as tears and he couldn’t bring himself to leave her.
Especially when she whirled and headed for the river’s edge.
The spring runoff had made the river deeper and faster than usual.
He didn’t want her stumbling in the dark and taking a plunge.
As a California girl, she should know how to swim, but Magnolia had proven she was good at surprising him.
Her emotional speech had certainly surprised him.
He followed her.
She stopped a few feet from the water, and he moved up next to her.
The river glistened in the moonlight like the rhinestones on her skirt.
And yet, it didn’t compare to the beauty of the woman standing next to him.
Even in profile she was stunning. Her nose had the perfect slant, her lips the perfect pout, her chin the perfect tilt.
He looked away and studied the river. “Look, don’t listen to me. I know nothing about soul mates. My daddy loved gambling more than he loved my mama and my mama loved Honky Tonk Heaven more than she loved . . . anything. So Hennessys aren’t soul mate material.”
“You don’t think Jaxon and Tully are soul mates?”
“I don’t know about soul mates, but Jaxon is the happiest I’ve ever seen him. And maybe that’s all that matters . . . finding someone who makes you happy.”
She hesitated for a moment before she spoke in a soft voice. “That’s all I want for my daddy. I just want him to be happy again.”
He wished he didn’t understand that, but he did. He had spent years trying to make his mama happy after his daddy passed. And had failed miserably. Finally, he’d just given up and gone in the opposite direction, causing her as much trouble as he possibly could just to get a second of her attention.
“If I’ve learned anything in this life,” he said. “It’s that happiness is something people have to find for themselves.”
“And I disagree. I don’t think people can find happiness without help from other people. If Daddy and I hadn’t had each other, we wouldn’t have made it through Mama’s passing.”
She had a good point. If he hadn’t had his siblings after his daddy passed, he didn’t know what he would have done. Mama certainly hadn’t been there for them.
The breeze picked up, rustling the leaves of the old oak tree and causing Magnolia to glance up.
“So, is this the infamous Kissing Tree?”
His gaze snapped up to the low hanging branches and fear consumed him. “Umm . . . we should probably get back inside.”
She glanced over at him in confusion before a smile bloomed on her face. “Wait a second. Don’t tell me gruff Dawson Hennessy is scared of The Kissing Tree.”
“Not hardly. That’s just a foolish town legend.”
“Ahh . . . so I guess you’ve proven that legend wrong by kissing plenty of girls beneath these branches and walking away with your heart unscathed.”
“Actually, I’ve never kissed any girl beneath it and I don’t intend to.” He took her arm. “Now come on and let’s go back inside.”
But she refused to budge. Or stop grinning. “I think I just found Dawson Hennessy’s biggest fear. You’re afraid of love. You’re terrified that if you kiss a girl beneath these branches, you’ll fall head over heels in love with her. Aren’t you, Puppy Dawg?”
He didn’t know what pissed him off more.
The nickname or the fact that she’d hit the nail right on the head.
He was terrified of falling for a woman.
His mother had made sure of it. And the thought that his mama still controlled his thoughts and emotions made him want to prove Magnolia wrong in a bad way.
There was only one way to do it.