She laughed, and there it was, that easing in his soul again.
“Then you better sit down over there, and I sit down over here—”
“Or I could just sit next to you on the sofa and we could hold hands and watch the sun set.”
“You’ll behave yourself?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Her smile revived memories of their dance rehearsals, and she seemed to think that too, as her amusement softened, and she traced his jaw with her hand. “I miss all those dance practices with you.”
“Maybe we should do some more sometime.” Or maybe he could find an excuse for a team function involving dance that he’d label an exercise in team building, team bonding, or whatever.
“When I watched the game with Molly she mentioned that she and Travis might be interested in dance lessons for their wedding.”
“He popped the question?”
“I don’t think so. But I get the feeling she hopes it’ll be soon.”
“Well, look who’s just dived into the deep end with the team’s girlfriends.”
“It was really good to sit with her and Poppy. They both explained the game pretty well.”
“So, do you think you might enjoy it one day?”
Her nose wrinkled, and his heart fell. “Maybe not as much as someone I know enjoys doing the tango.”
He chuckled. “I gotta admit, the tango is up there. At least if I get to do it with you.”
He drew her legs over his knees. “So, what else has been happening? I know it’s only been a few days, but I feel like it’s been so much longer. So tell me everything. How’s the business? How are your folks? What’s news?”
Her face blanked for a second, so he knew she had news. But the fact she didn’t light up and tell him suggested it wasn’t good. “Bails? What’s going on?”
She shook her head. Sighed.
“What is it?”
“I went to my folks after church on Sunday. Their church, not yours. I’d rather go to yours when you’re there.”
He nodded. He understood. It was big. “And?”
She sighed. “Dad warned me about you. Again.”
“Again?”
She stretched, then inched closer, tucking her head next to his. “I’m so sorry. He’s so judgmental, and still hasn’t got over that fight.”
He exhaled silently. He should’ve refrained, been the bigger man, even if what he’d done had stopped the aggression against his team. “I’m sorry.”
“And that’s the other thing. I realized last weekend how often I don’t actually say what I mean when I’m around them.”
He nodded, but couldn’t verbalize that. Not yet anyway. The door to her self-revelation had to crack a little wider before he threw any truth bombs in there. “You love your parents and don’t want to hurt them.”
“Exactly. And yet, sometimes I wonder if it’s not helping if I don’t say what I really mean. Although I did manage to tell Dad to stop.”
“Stop? You mean with the business?”
She blinked, her brow furrowing. “No, I mean about you.”
He kissed her brow, hoping she’d hurry past that slip of the tongue. “What did you tell him? That I kiss so divinely you want to kiss me all the days of your life?”
“Yeah, that.” She rolled her eyes, as a smile played around her lips. “I think my dad would explode if I said something like that.”
“Best to not tell him that then. Not yet, anyway,” he added, without thinking.
“Not yet?” She sat up, turning to face him in a lateral crunch his trainer would applaud.
“I mean, one day you’ll probably need to tell him how much you adore me, and that you want to spend forever with me.” Just like he did with her.
Her eyes were wide, and he realized how much of his own heart he’d just opened for her to see, so quickly added, “But that’s a one-day thing.”
“Definitely a one-day thing,” she agreed, settling beside him again. “I honestly think Dad would have a stroke if I was to say that. Not when he wanted me to end things with you.”
His heart sank. “Wow. I didn’t think he disliked me that much.”
“It’s not you. I think it’s more the thought of you. He doesn’t really know you yet.”
“Well, there’s a way to change that. Why not invite them here? We could have dinner together. You could even invite Rhett and that happy wife of his.”
