felt like a creep, so I deleted it two days later.” He shakes his head, like he’s trying to get back on track. “Anyway, I’m telling you all this because I have something to give you, and I want you to know that even though we’re going through with our plan, I’m not taking it lightly.” Wes reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring.
He holds it up, and in the moonlight I notice the simple gold band has a floral design cut into it. “Can I put this on your finger?”
“Of course.” I offer him my ring finger. As sweet as this is, there is a small part of me that feels disappointed, but what did I expect? It’s a marriage of convenience, whether we’re developing feelings for each other or not. No grandiose proposals necessary.
Even through my disappointment, a tremor of excitement shakes me deep inside. I twist the ring a few times, familiarizing myself with its feel.
Wes cups my face, kisses me tenderly. Eventually he lays me on my back and the moon rises higher until it’s directly behind his head.
We both drift off, and I wake up to Wes gently shaking my shoulders. He presses one finger to his mouth and motions with his hand. When my eyes adjust, I see what he’s pointing to. A bobcat and two kittens sit across the pond, lapping at the water. I watch in awe, not sure if we should be scared or if Wes has anything to protect us. They continue to drink until there’s a sound in the distance, something like a tree branch falling. The mother and her kittens bolt into the trees and disappear from sight.
Wes stands and reaches out a hand to help me up.
“Were we in danger?” I ask in a whisper.
Wes shakes his head. “Bobcats are more afraid of us than we should ever be of them. They’re like large house cats. If you ever get close to one, just stomp. It’ll run.”
“Or just hope a tree branch falls nearby and scares it away.”
He glances out into the trees. There’s nothing out there that I can see, and yet he has the hard look on his face of a man who’s facing down a problem. “Right.”
He grabs a fistful of blanket and plucks it off the ground, then we climb in his truck and head for his cabin.
I fall asleep the second my head hits Wes’s pillow. This has been the best night of my life so far, and not even the memory of Dixon can taint it.
33
Dakota
I’m breathless from taking the stairs two at a time at the hotel. The elevator was busy and I’m running late for the video meeting I’m supposed to have with my dad and Brandt. I’d meant to leave Wes’s bed when my alarm went off, and I kind of managed it, but when I came back from the bathroom… well, just like every other morning this week, Wes persuaded me to come back to bed. This morning, however, we fell back to sleep. Oops. Maybe I should rethink staying the night at his place during the week. Weekends, however, are a different story. Last weekend, after the near-brawl at The Chute, Wes and I stayed in bed the next two days. Tearing myself away from him on Monday morning had been difficult, and so far it hasn’t become any easier.
I tear into my room, change from last night’s comfy clothes into a sensible lavender blouse and black pants, and run a brush through my hair.
At three minutes past nine, I open my computer and set it up on the table. My eyes perform a quick sweep of the hotel room to check for stray bras or underwear. I’m assuming I’ve been anointed housekeeping’s favorite guest because I haven’t given them a reason to clean my room or make my bed. Whether it’s coffee in the morning or wine in the evening, all my non-working time is spent at Wes’s.
The video connects and the conference room at Wright Design + Build fills up my computer screen. My dad sits on one side of the long table, Brandt on the other. We say hello, exchange pleasantries, then get down to business.
“I’ve been in touch with Scott,” my dad says. “He says things are coming along without any problems.”
I bristle at the mention of Scott. I’m the project manager, my dad should be talking to me and me only when he wants updates. I don’t say anything