Chapter nine #3
His lips turn up in disgust. “Yellow? Are you insa—” He stops himself and tries again. “I mean, why such a… vibrant color?”
“I think it’s cheery, will make even the grumpiest person feel happier.” My smile peeks through my words and Dallas catches it.
“You’re joking, aren’t you?”
Chuckling under my breath, I reply, “Yes. I just wanted to see how’d you react.”
“Well, if you didn’t read that correctly, it was utter disgust.”
“I mean, I don’t have anything against yellow, but I feel like a light gray is more neutral, and it entices buyers. You can decorate in pretty much any color scheme with gray walls.”
“I agree. That’s a smart choice. Especially to this buyer.” He points his thumb at his chest.
I squint at him, chuckling. “Subtle.”
We arrive at my car moments later, which just happens to be right next to his, a classic car that is enticingly sexy and something that I can totally see Dallas driving.
“Do you have anything else planned today?” I ask him without thinking. For a second, I wish I could take my question back, but Dallas doesn’t read too much into it.
“It’s Saturday, so I’ll be at the restaurant. Saturdays are always busy.”
“Right.”
“You should come by for dinner.”
“I’m not sure. It probably depends on how I feel after all the painting.” But does that mean he wants me to come by?
For a second, Dallas almost looks disappointed by my answer. “Makes sense.” His eyes dart out over the park, and then back to me. “Well, this was a surprise, Willow, but I’m glad you came by.”
“Me too. Astrid told me that you and Penn coach Bentley’s team, and I guess I just had to see it for myself.” With a shrug of my shoulders, I unlock my car with the key fob.
“So you weren’t just wandering around town then?”
Damn it. “Yes, and no. I also wanted to thank you for the scarecrow, so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to do that and see you in action, doing something noble instead of just sneaking onto people’s property in the middle of the night and putting up polite signs.”
“It was actually the early hours of the morning,” he corrects me, grinning from ear to ear.
“Where did you get it by the way?”
“Judy’s Knick Knacks. It’s on the boardwalk near my sister’s photography studio.”
The mention of his other siblings rings a bell. “Oh. I haven’t been to visit that area yet.”
“You should. The view alone is amazing, but so are the businesses. Judy can make almost anything and she takes custom orders. I put a rush on it, but she followed my instructions to the letter.” He smirks as he unlocks the door to his car and puts his bag and clipboard inside.
He catches me admiring the car for a moment before I bring my gaze back to him. “I can tell you were very specific about details.”
“I needed it to be perfect.”
“It was scarily accurate, that’s for sure.” A thought pops into my head. “You own a business, help out your brother, sneak around town in the early morning hours to deliver gifts, and coach soccer.” I shake my head at him. “How do you manage it all? And why do you do it?”
His gaze is steady. “I like helping people. With the soccer thing, it’s more than just them needing a coach.
A lot of those boys have parents in the service, so they’re not here.
Or, they lost a parent like Bentley did.
So Penn and I help out because no matter how old you are, you need a positive role model in your life, and Marines always stick together. ”
My insides melt. “That’s pretty incredible of you, Dallas.”
“And I have amazing employees who keep my business running smoothly, so that’s not as demanding as you might think.
” He reaches up and scratches his chin through the scruff that’s grown out.
“Maybe it’s the oldest brother in me, but I take pride in taking care of people.
I feel like everyone needs someone they can depend on in life, Willow. Don’t you agree?”
A resounding yes is on my lips, but the truth is, I’ve only been able to depend on two people besides myself, so I’m not sure that I’m qualified to answer. Instead, I offer, “I think the people in your life are lucky to have you.”
Dallas’s lips spread into a soft smile. “Thank you. Well, I hope Penn gets some work done for you today. I need to get to the restaurant to prepare for the evening rush.”
“Oh yeah. Sure. Good luck with that,” I manage to say, stumbling through my reply.
I’m not sure how to leave things, or that I want to leave at all.
The last ten minutes have been eye-opening, revealing glimpses of a man I'm only just beginning to understand beyond the surface, to the parts that truly matter.
“Thanks. I’ll—I’ll see you around?”
“Um, yeah. I’ll be here.” I give him an awkward wave and then move to get in my car as he does the same, the sound of his motor firing up and vibrating behind me, igniting awareness in my entire body.
When I sit in the driver’s seat of my car and look out my window, I catch a glimpse of him backing up, his hand draped casually over the wheel as he spins it then shifts into drive and presses on the gas, not so much as casting another look in my direction.
But I look at him, admiring the sight of the man driving his car that only adds to his allure, leaving me a pile of mush before I realize I’m still sitting in this parking lot and I haven’t moved at all.
“Jesus.” I slap a hand to my forehead and then prepare to drive home, knowing I have more than enough work to keep me busy and hopefully keep my mind off Dallas for a few hours.
Except there’s not much else to do while painting except think, and forgetting about Dallas is much easier said than done.