The Patriot A Small Town Romance - Jennifer Millikin Page 0,53
work and get you. We’ll go somewhere to eat.”
It’s the most depressing planning for a first date in the history of first dates. But I mean, really, how exciting do I expect it to be?
The curtain moves again. Wes’s back is to the house, and he’s so big he covers me completely. I let my arms run up his back and into his hair and press my lips to the space right beside his mouth. Whoever is watching will think we’re kissing. When Wes walks back in there, he’ll be answering some questions.
“Dakota?” His voice is low, asking for me to explain why I’m mauling him this way.
“We have an audience,” I explain.
He clears his throat. “Right.”
I end our fake embrace and open my car door. I’m lifting one foot into the car when his hand encircles my wrist and pulls me into him.
He doesn’t say a word, but he doesn’t have to. His lips brush over mine, and though they are barely touching the electrical current is there. I drag my lips away to suck in a much-needed breath.
“We might as well give them something good to ask me about when I walk back in there.” He lets me go as suddenly as he seized me.
I climb into the car, feeling frazzled. Frankly, I feel like I was just grabbed and kissed. Oh wait, I was.
Before I close the door, he says, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
My body flares with excitement, but I’m careful not to show it.
When I’ve driven far enough away from the house, I let out a wild yell to release some of the adrenaline, then I laugh like a howling, deranged coyote.
I’m in bed in my hotel room when I get a text from Wes.
It worked. My brothers and sister were all over me.
I grab my phone and type out a response. Excellent. We should come up with a name for our plan. Operation…???
The typing dots appear. The typing dots disappear. Appear. Finally his message comes through. Do we have to?
It took all that time for him to decide on those four words? Too military? I ask.
And that’s the end of our conversation. I fall asleep to the thought of what my family is going to say when I tell them.
17
Dakota
Here’s what I thought would happen: I tell Abby I’m soon-to-be-engaged to the Lake Guy aka the Wow Guy and then she vomits whatever sneakily healthy recipe she’s working on while simultaneously trying to keep her bulging eyeballs in her head.
But, no.
I’ve just called Abby to tell her I’m going to marry Wes and she’s silent. The silence stretches on for so long that I grab my phone from where it sits in my center console and steal a glance while I drive, just to make certain she’s still on the line.
“Uh, Ab?”
“Processing,” she answers.
I deposit the phone back into the cupholder and wait, my lips pursed. Finally, she exhales slowly.
“You’re going to get engaged to Wes after you speed date for two weeks?”
“Yes.”
“Please help me understand.”
I blow out a noisy breath. Something warm spreads through my chest cavity. A pinch of embarrassment, a dash of shame, maybe a couple shakes of reluctance. “He needs to take over the ranch because his dad just had a heart attack, but he can’t do it without a wife. I—”
“Why does he need a wife?” I can tell just by her tone that her face is scrunched in judgy disbelief.
“Archaic family rule. Outdated or not, a rule is still a rule.”
“And this is where you come in?”
“Yes.”
“What are you getting out of this? Because I know it’s not a happily ever after.”
I bristle. “Not everyone pins their future on the idea of a happily ever after.”
“Is this because of Barrett?” She’s using her exasperated big sister voice. “Just because he broke your heart and disrespected his own marriage doesn’t mean the institution is worthless.”
I don’t blame her for the question, even if it does irritate me. I haven’t spent a single second thinking about Barrett since I arrived in Sierra Grande. “I’m getting something out of it, too.”
“And what would that be?”
“I’m in debt and Wes is going to pay it off.”
Silence again. I pull into the parking lot of the meeting I have this morning. I’m pretty excited to pick out tiles for the restaurant. I’m a few minutes early, though, so I can keep talking.
“Clearly you’re shocked,” I say, flipping open the visor and checking my makeup in the mirror.