Chapter 7 #2
But I felt him. Felt the moment he saw me. Felt the tension spike in the air between us.
“Dex,” Delaney said warmly. “Perfect timing. We’re about ready to eat.”
“Sorry I’m late. Got held up at the garage.”
“No worries. You’re here now.”
The men started filing inside, bringing with them the smell of grilled meat and loud conversation. The kids got louder, excited by the energy. The house felt full and alive and overwhelming.
We gathered around the long dining table. It was beautiful chaos figuring out where everyone would sit. High chairs needed to be positioned for the little ones. Cade wanted to sit between Dex and Gage. Amelia needed to be next to Blake where she could reach her.
I ended up between Blake and Xander, which felt safe. Not too close to Dex, who was across the table and down a few seats, but close enough that I could see him in my peripheral vision.
Close enough that every time I glanced up, he was there.
He looked good. Tired, but good. Dark jeans and a simple button-down, rolled up at the sleeves. Hair slightly messy like he’d run his hands through it too many times. The same nervous habit I’d noticed at the bar.
Stop looking at him, I told myself firmly.
But it was impossible not to.
Dinner started with the usual family chaos. Passing dishes, everyone talking over each other, kids needing attention, laughter and teasing and the comfortable rhythm of people who loved each other.
I watched Dex with the kids. Cade asked him something about fixing a bike, and Dex answered patiently, his whole demeanor softening. When Barrett dropped his sippy cup and started to fuss, Dex was the one who retrieved it, making silly faces until the baby laughed.
He was good with them. Gentle and patient and clearly beloved.
It made my chest ache for reasons I didn’t want to examine.
“So Leigh,” Xander said beside me, pulling my attention back. “Blake mentioned you’re working on a photography series about Willowbrook?”
“Planning to, yeah. I want to capture small-town life. The everyday moments people take for granted.”
“That sounds great. You should talk to Booker about photographing the ranch. Second Chance could use updated photos for their website.”
Across the table, Booker nodded. “Happy to have you out anytime. Morning’s best. That’s when the horses are most active.”
“I’d love that,” I said, meaning it. So far I’d been focused on landscapes and people. Adding in some work with animals would be great for my portfolio.
The conversation flowed naturally after that. Questions about my work, stories about the town, easy inclusion in the family dynamic. I was starting to relax, starting to feel like maybe I could do this. Be part of this family. Navigate the weird tension with Dex.
Then Delaney’s phone buzzed on the table beside her plate.
She glanced at it, and her face fell.
“What’s wrong?” Trace asked immediately.
Delaney stared at her phone, then looked up with tears in her eyes. “The photographer. She’s canceling. For good. Family emergency. She’s moving out of state.”
The table went quiet.
“What?” Trace’s hand found hers. “When did this happen?”
“Just now. Her mother had a stroke. She’s moving back to help care for her.” Delaney’s voice was thick with unshed tears. “The wedding’s in eight weeks. Everyone good will be booked. What are we going to do?”
“We’ll figure it out,” Trace said, but he looked worried too.
“Maybe someone knows someone?” Blake offered.
“I can ask around,” Billie said.
“There’s that photographer in the next town,” Gage suggested. “What was her name?”
“Booked through next year,” Delaney said. “I already checked. Everyone’s booked. It’s wedding season.”
I watched her trying to hold it together, trying not to cry over what probably seemed like a small thing in the grand scheme of life. But it wasn’t small. It was her wedding. It mattered.
And I could help.
“I could do it.”
The words came out before I could second-guess them. Every head at the table turned toward me.
“What?” Delaney blinked.
“Well, I am a photographer. I’d love to photograph your wedding.”
Silence. Everyone staring at me.
Then Delaney’s eyes filled with tears for a different reason. “Leigh, that’s incredibly generous, but I can’t ask you to give up your summer to…”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering. I want to do this.” I looked around the table at all of them. “You’ve all been so welcoming. So kind. Let me do this for you. Please. Consider it a wedding gift.”
“It’s a lot of work,” Trace said carefully. “All the wedding events, not just the day itself. Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I looked at Delaney. “I’d be honored.”
“Oh my god.” Delaney pressed her hands to her face. “Really?”
“Really.”
She was around the table in seconds, pulling me into a hug tight enough to squeeze the air from my lungs. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
The table erupted in grateful chaos. Everyone thanking me, Trace looking relieved, Blake squeezing my arm, Gage grinning.
But across the table, Dex had gone very still.
Our eyes met, and I saw it all flash across his face. Understanding. Realization. Panic.
Eight weeks of wedding planning. Eight weeks of wedding events. Eight weeks of forced proximity with no way to avoid each other.
His jaw tightened, his hands clenching around his water glass.
He knew exactly what this meant.
So did I.
But I’d made the offer, and I wasn’t taking it back. This family needed me. My family needed me. Delaney needed me. And I needed to contribute, to be useful, to have a role beyond just “the secret daughter.”
Even if it meant spending the next eight weeks pretending I didn’t notice every time Dex was in the same room.
Even if it meant torture.
The rest of dinner passed in a blur. Wedding talk dominated. Dates and times and all the events coming up. Delaney pulled out her phone, showing me her planning spreadsheet, going through everything she’d need photographs of.
Cake tasting Tuesday. Dress fitting Thursday. Venue walkthrough the following week. The list went on.
And Dex would be at most of them. Because he was family. Because they’d expect him there.
I tried to focus on Delaney’s excited chatter, tried to engage with the planning, but I was too hyperaware of Dex. He’d barely said a word since I’d offered. Just sat there, jaw tight, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else.
After dinner, I helped clear dishes. It gave me something to do with my hands, a reason to not make eye contact with anyone.
I was loading plates into the dishwasher when Delaney appeared beside me.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “Really. You have no idea what a relief this is.”
“I’m glad I can help.”
“I don’t want to feel obliged though. You don’t have to do this as some sort of way to buy yourself into the family. We love that you’re…”
“I promise, it’s not like that. I feel more comfortable when I have a camera in my hand. Honestly, this will probably make everything easier for me. Consider it a selfish gift,” I joked. Well, mostly joked.
She softly smiled in understanding, and then squeezed my arm and moved away, leaving me alone with the dishes and my thoughts.
Through the window above the sink, I could see Dex outside. He was standing by his truck, just like before dinner, but this time he looked up at the house.
Right at me.
Even from this distance, I could feel the weight of his gaze. The intensity. The same way he’d looked at me at the bar before everything went wrong.
My breath caught.
Then he was getting in his truck, the taillights disappearing down the drive, and I was left standing at the sink with my hands in soapy water and my heart beating too fast.
Eight weeks.
I’d committed to eight weeks of this.
“What did I just do?” I whispered to the empty kitchen.
No answer came. Only the sound of laughter from the other room, and the knowledge that I’d just made my summer infinitely more complicated.