The Patriot A Small Town Romance - Jennifer Millikin Page 0,84
She’s going to keep you at arm’s length until she sees that—” He cuts off. “Never mind.”
“Until she sees what?”
But Wes doesn’t answer, and suddenly we’re surrounded by his entire family. Gramps says grace. Warner has his kids this weekend, and I watch him with them. He’s a good dad, helping Charlie fill his plate and reminding Peyton to place her napkin in her lap. Wyatt is quiet, as he almost always is. Of all the Haydens, he is the one I know the least about.
I’ve just taken a bite of food when Beau asks Wes if we’ve set a date. My eyes bulge. Wes blinks. Jessie squeals.
“What?” she shouts. “Date? A date for what?” Her excitement is directed right into my eyes. “Dakota, what’s going on?”
I’m still chewing and attempting not to choke.
“Thanks, Dad,” Wes says sarcastically.
Beau makes a face. “Christ, how can I be expected to keep this shit straight?”
I duck my head to hide my smile. After last night and this morning, I can’t keep this shit straight either.
“Language, Dad,” Warner cautions, pointing at his kids. Beau makes another face.
“Wes and Dakota, do you have something to tell us?” Jessie asks, bouncing in her seat.
Wes looks at me. I offer a barely perceptible shrug, telling him to go for it. A deal is a deal, even if we did complicate it.
“Dakota and I are going to get married.”
And there it is. We’ve said it between us plenty of times, but now it’s out, available for public consumption. The surreal just became the real.
Jessie’s hands fly to her mouth. Her eyes are as large as the plate her pancakes are piled on. Wyatt blinks rapidly. Warner looks… pained. He’s quick to banish the sorrow and regret in his eyes, replacing it with disbelief. Gramps stares at Wes, two wrinkled fingers pressed to his lips. He is not fooled, not by a long shot.
Wes looks out at his family. “You know what they say. When you find the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
Everyone is silent, staring at Wes after he delivers the sappy quote that is so uncharacteristic of him.
“Um, please don’t ever do that again,” I joke, deadpan.
Wyatt laughs first, then Warner and Gramps. Jessie joins. Beau smirks. Juliette is as glacial as ever.
Wes joins his siblings and Gramps. “Yeah, that felt weird to say.”
“It was even more odd to hear.” Warner grins.
For the rest of breakfast, Jessie hounds me about a wedding. I’ve given no thought to it, and her disappointment shows. “I’ll get on it,” I promise her.
“Where’s the ring?” she asks, gaze zeroed in on my bare finger.
“I haven’t found the right one yet,” Wes tells her. “Now stop asking so many questions.”
Wes and I clean the kitchen after everyone is finished, then head back to his cabin.
“So we’re engaged, huh?” I ask on the walk over.
“Sorry about that,” he murmurs. “I would’ve done a better job making an announcement, but it was sprung on me.”
“No, it’s okay. I don’t think I could’ve handled something romantic. This way it doesn’t feel like more than it is.”
Wes’s gaze cuts to me. He takes my hand as we walk. “I don’t know what it is anymore.”
“Me neither.”
“I still need the ranch.”
“I still need to get rid of my debt.”
When we get to his place, I go inside and lug my suitcase to the front door. Wes grabs it from me and walks it to my car.
“We’re moving forward then?” he asks, coming to where I stand in the open car door.
“Yes.”
He kisses me. It’s soft and sweet, with the promise of more. When he pulls back, he tucks a strand of blowing hair behind my ear. “Meeting at the VFW, huh?”
I nod. “That’s what the flyer at the Merc said.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“Sure.”
He backs away, eyes on me.
I get in and drive away. Maybe our marriage of convenience isn’t the only thing moving forward.
28
Dakota
The next morning, after I’ve finished a video conference with my dad updating him on The Orchard, I get in the shower so I can head to the jobsite. I grab my phone before I step in and call my sister.
“Hey, Abby.” I press the speaker button on my phone and turn the volume all the way up, then lay it on the highest shelf above the toilet, directly beside the shower.