by Ellie Hall
“Sounds like we’ll be able to do it again and soon. I’ll send pics of the gowns. Gotta go. Au revoir.”
Sadie got ready for work at the resort but instead of the usual autopilot, she struggled between which leggings to wear, if her red sweater matched better or if she’d be warmer in her blue one. Picking out socks was similar but she opted for the pair without the hole in the toe. She rarely wore makeup but swiped on some mascara then fought with herself over whether to wear her hair in a bun or down. Then she rolled her eyes at her reflection in the mirror. “It’ll be under a hat most of the day, you doofus.”
Breakfast was another decision-making chore. Like when she was in high school and had her first kiss, she didn’t want to wipe away the taste of Dallen’s lips on hers or the incredible dinner he’d made. It was simple but fresh and nourished her in a way no other meal had. She and Bradley usually ate take out and he didn’t even know how to boil water.
Ultimately, she opted to pick up a bagel on her way to work. But even driving felt surreal—like she was moving through clouds. She parked in the employee lot at the resort and because she had left home early, had plenty of time to grab breakfast.
She walked along the cobbled street of Hawk Ridge Hollow. It was like she was floating, the ground was mere inches away, and she couldn’t quite find her footing.
While she waited in the line at the busy coffee shop, she scanned the bins of fresh bagels. She had a standard order but decided to try something new. The special of the day was blueberry and it reminded her of summer, of open fields, and when she and Dallen had told Chloe they were planning on getting married.
As she pondered her predicament the low drawl of a familiar voice met her ears. She bounced on her toes and spun in a circle, searching for him. He sat at a table in the corner and wasn’t alone. A striking blond sat opposite him. She lifted the corner of her mouth into a flirtatious smile and said something. He smiled, revealing his dimple.
Kayla’s heart sank then crashed to the ground.
Whatever balloon had been buoying her popped. The clouds dispersed.
She’d been wrong about him. The kiss was just part of the charade. Her appetite disappeared. She was stunned, stuck, adrift.
“Miss, what can I get for you?” The counter person waved his hand for her attention.
“Right, sorry. I’ll take a sesame bagel with cream cheese, please.” She reverted to her standard order. While she waited for the bagel the door jingled and Dallen exited. She didn’t want the bagel but she didn’t want to go after him either.
She slouched against the wall.
The blond woman went to the coffee station and topped off her cup.
Kayla stared at her, wondering what that woman had that she didn’t: height, grace, confidence. Everything Chloe and her mother had taken from her. But she’d stood up to her sister and she could do the same right then.
“Excuse me,” she said. “The man you were just with—?”
The blond woman raised a severe eyebrow.
“Dallen Hawkins. Are you—” She could hardly utter the words. “Dating him? Together?”
“What’s it to you?”
Kayla drew a deep breath. “I’m Kayla Cartwright and—”
The woman’s mouth fell open. “Of course, you are. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you. Why didn’t you come over?” she asked rapid fire.
“What do you mean of course I am, why would you be able to recognize me, and—?”
“He didn’t stop talking about you the entire time, describing you in great detail because he wanted me to—never mind.”
Kayla’s brow furrowed. “Hey, that’s not fair.”
“It’s a secret. A surprise.” Then she nodded as though puzzling out the reason for Kayla’s anger. “You thought we were—” She wagged her finger in the air. “No, no, no. We’re cousins. I’m Elizbeth, Lizzie.” She held out her hand to shake. “He consulted me to figure out what he could do to soften up his rough edges.”
“He is gruff.” A mixture of relief and curiosity swept through Kayla.
Lizzie grunted. “You’re telling me. All those Hawkins boys are. I don’t blame them though. Their mother left and took with her love, affection, and their trust in women.”
Kayla’s eyes widened. Dallen hadn’t revealed that detail about his past but it made sense that he’d be extra cautious about getting involved in a relationship if the one he’d witnessed growing up fell apart.
“Dallen wanted to do something special for you and his big ideas were flowers and chocolates.”
“Well, it worked for Tripp.”
“What do you mean?”
Kayla started to describe how Tripp romanced himself back into Sadie’s good graces when a figure suddenly loomed over them. “What’s going on?” Dallen asked the two women.
“You can’t keep secrets in this small town,” Lizzie said with a shrug. “I’m going to leave you two love birds to sort it out.”
The comment reminded Kayla of what the story she’d made up about a love bird table at the Hawk and Whistle to get Sadie and Tripp to sit together and figure out their past.
Kayla reflected on how seeing Dallen with another woman brought up old fears but also pointed to the fact that she felt strongly about him. She couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not.
“It was nice meeting you. Be sure to let me know when you set a date.” Lizzie waved and hurried out the door.
They both started talking at the same time, trying to explain what had transpired. “I’m sorry, you go first,” Dallen said and his gaze dipped to her lips.
Heat spread from her chest, up her neck, and to her cheeks as she recalled the kiss. It lifted her onto her toes. He yanked his eyes back to hers and her heart stuttered as their eyes met.
She bit her lip.
His mouth quirked.
She was melting inside all over again.
“Is it hot in here?” Dallen asked in a low drawl. “I came back because I forgot my hat.” He waved it in front of his face.
They stepped outside and Kayla said, “I have to get to work.”
“Do you have time for hot chocolate? Rule number three. Or I could bring it to you?”
“What about rule number two? No going to my places of employment,” she asked, hurrying so she wasn’t late.
“Was I supposed to deliver it to your house? If that’s the case I should probably know where you live.”
She grabbed his phone and keyed in her address.
When they reached the gate leading to the employee entrance to the resort, he said, “Officially, I haven’t broken rule number two since I’m on this side of the gate. But promise to meet me right here after your shift. I have a surprise for you and I owe you a cocoa.”
Chapter 10
Dallen
The afternoon spent riding with Kayla on Dallen’s birthday was almost as good as the kiss. The cupcakes that evening were nearly as amazing as his mouth against hers. But he reckoned nothing would ever top that moment in his kitchen when his desire blazed hotter than ever as their lips met.
But the next day he needed to cool off and clear his head. Despite a long ride on the trails at the foot of the mountain with Genesis then spending extra time mucking the stalls and tending to chores around the ranch, the hours after seeing her in Hawk Ridge Hollow crept by while he anticipated meeting her again that evening.
Dallen showered and dressed, certain the kiss they shared cemented something between the two of them. It was bigger and more real than the fake date, engagement, and wedding they’d somehow fallen into. But how could he tell her that without leaving himself wide open to vulnerability? And to the future heartbreak he feared would befall him as it did his father? What if she changed her mind about him as Stephanie did?
The sun was setting and Dallen grabbed a denim jacket before returning to the resort where he hoped Kayla would meet him for the surprise he’d brainstormed at the encouragement of his cousin.
&nb
sp; Outside the employee entrance, the air cooled and he puffed little clouds with each breath. From a distance, he heard laughter. Her laughter. Then she said goodbye to someone.
Dallen tucked his hands in his pockets as she padded down the path and waved goodbye to one of her coworkers.
Even in a hat with a pom pom and a heavy winter jacket she was adorable.
“No flowers and chocolates?” She mock pouted when she reached him.
“Would you have liked that?” He’d realized earlier that day that he’d do anything for her. Fresh tulips direct from Holland? Chocolates from Belgium? A romantic evening in Hawk Ridge Hollow?
“I wouldn’t say no to them. No one ever got me flowers before unless you count my grandmother on my high school graduation day.” Kayla’s hand automatically reached for her necklace. “Bradley always gobbled up all the chocolate my parents gifted us at Christmas.”
“Scoundrel,” Dallen said with a laugh. “Good thing I came up with some alternatives for the meantime but you can be sure to expect flowers and chocolate in the future.”
“At least you kept your word and didn’t break rule number two.”
“Plan a was to break that rule, then plan b was to have Lizzie bring you a surprise earlier but she talked me out of it. She was always my cousin-in-crime when we were kids.”
“Were you mischievous?”
“With four brothers and four times as many cousins? You bet.” The memories of the good times he’d shared with his family as they walked down the familiar cobblestoned Main Street made his heart fill with a different kind of longing. The wrought iron street lamps glowed with little halos overhead. Kayla shivered even though she had her ski jacket on.
Dallen extended his hand. Even though the sun settled over the mountain peaks and the evening cooled, the heat radiating between them didn’t decrease.
“So, what’s plan c?” Kayla asked.
“You could say it’s a variation on flowers and chocolates.” He held out a small pot containing an evergreen sapling. “Flowers only last for a few days. But this tree represents everlasting love.”
“Love?” She swallowed hard.
He cleared his throat. “Symbolically. You can tell your mother how romantic I am. Unconventional. Whatever.” He wasn’t good at this stuff but Lizzie had pressed him to acknowledge in a meaningful way the feelings that he couldn’t deny that pulsed between them. He’d confessed everything to his cousin, not that he would’ve gotten all mushy and emotional with his brothers anyway, but he needed to tell someone how what had started as a chance encounter quickly turned into something solid, something real. Something he wanted to pursue. Although Genesis was a good listener, he wasn’t going to turn to her for relationship advice either. But he still wasn’t sure if he was ready to risk his heart.
Nonetheless, they stopped in front of a low stone building with fogged windows framed in wood. A curl of smoke came from the chimney to complete the quaint picturesqueness of Hawk Ridge Hollow.
“It’s adorable,” she said, clutching the sapling in her hands.
“Like you.”
“You think I’m adorable?”
Dallen’s lips lifted and his dimple popped. “You’re the princess of adorable-land.”
“Then you get to be the prince.”
His cheeks heated. He definitely didn’t mean to say any of that out loud. But the light was low and the restaurant warm as they stepped inside so he hoped she didn’t notice.
She inhaled. “It smells good too.”
“The tree or the chocolate?”
She pointed to the tree and then added, “But I smell chocolate and cheese.”
“All these years living here and I’ve never been to this place. Little known fact, I’ve never had fondue.”
“That makes two of us.”
After they sat, she browsed the menu. “I don’t think the hard part will be eating any of it but deciding what to order is going to be tough. It all sounds so good.” She read a few menu item descriptions out loud.
His mouth watered. Despite the delicious smells, it wasn’t because he was hungry. No, he craved her. He watched the movements of her lips as she talked and desired nothing more than to kiss her again.
They finally settled on the fondue feast with an assortment of cheeses, dipping items, and dessert.
Dallen tapped his glass against hers. “To the present.”
As they clinked, she added, “And the future.”
He wanted to ask her what her thoughts on the future were, particularly as it related to them, but she broke in.
“For a minute there this morning I thought you’d broken rule number one. The Hawkins men are known for having a way with women and for being a bit rebellious.”
“Rule breakers? Don’t believe everything you hear. However, the Hawkins men haven’t done much to disprove that rumor.”
Her lips twisted. “When we first met you were gruff and grouchy.”
“I’d been stuck in traffic all day then in a crowded café. Forgive me. But I’m not as wild as you think.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Kayla, I didn’t plan on telling you now, but on the topic of rule number one you truly don’t have anything to worry about.” He leaned in. “I’m waiting.”
From behind her eyeglasses, her eyebrows crimped together. “Waiting? For what?”
“For marriage.”
Her lips parted and she inclined her head. “Do you mean you’re waiting to consecrate your love?” He tried to read her expression but the light was low and cast shadows over her face.
He nodded. “Yeah. I’m celibate.” He’d never told a woman besides Lizzie and that was only earlier that day.
“Wow. That’s rare.”
“I know. My mother left when we were all still pretty young. It broke me to have her go. All of us. When I got older, I guess I got a bit rowdy and earned myself that wild reputation. Trust me, my twin was worse but we all acted out in our own ways. I quickly realized I was looking for love where it wasn’t. Then I met Stephanie. I thought she was the one. We were young. She wasn’t ready and left me for a guy she knew from work. From then on, I couldn’t put my heart on the line. I decided to wait until I was with someone that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and then decide what to do if she felt the same.”
He got lost in Kayla’s eyes for a moment but the heart wounds ran deep and he turned his gaze to the bowl of fondue as the server set it between them.
The rest of their dinner was pleasant as they chatted comfortably about life both wonderful and challenging. He was glad he told her but wasn’t sure what she thought other than her comment about it being rare.
At the end of the evening, Dallen walked Kayla to her car and kissed her on the cheek. He caught her vanilla scent and closed his eyes a moment before she opened the car door.
She shuddered a breath then started the vehicle. “Thanks for dinner,” she said and then drove away.
He wasn’t sure if he’d turned her off by telling her his personal truth but he wanted her to know that he wasn’t the wild cowboy or Hawkins brother he’d been rumored to be. At least not any longer. He was a man of faith and stood by his values.
The next day Dallen delivered a hot chocolate to Kayla’s condo as promised per rule number three. She must’ve been in the shower when she didn’t answer his knock so he left it on her doorstep and then sent a quick text before dashing off to a series of calls and meetings, unusual for the rancher. However, it was what he had to do as he got his business affairs in order and learned what he could about his father’s corporation.
The day escaped him and when the church bells from town echoed off the ridge signaling it was six o’clock, his stomach growled.
He drove into town, hungry for dinner at the Hawk and Whistle and for Kayla. For her smile, her laugh, her lips. He wasn’t sure if she would be there but a band consisting of some of his old buddies played each week so he figured he could get away with swinging in.
As usu
al, the restaurant was busy. Several locals he knew his whole life greeted him. It was hard for any of the Hawkins men to go into an establishment in town without being recognized. They were pillars of the community even though he felt like he’d been living in limbo since his father had passed. Dallen didn’t mind the friendly familiarity but his thoughts and gaze drifted around the room seeking Kayla.
She emerged from the double swinging doors of the kitchen holding a tray aloft. Her movements were confident yet elegant.
Although he preferred the tranquility of the ranch, he’d been in the restaurant dozens of times. How had he never noticed her before? Despite the uniform of black pants and the Hawk and Whistle T-shirt, she stood out with her striking eyes, her smooth skin, and a smile that made him wonder if he needed to get his heart checked.
Dallen sat at an empty table. A server with short dark hair approached, gave him a quick glance, then turned around, knocking into Kayla. She managed not to drop the tray that she had balanced with an assortment of drinks in tall glasses.
“That one is for you,” her coworker said, pointing to his table. “Knock me on my buns is right.”
Kayla did a double take and the tray tipped. Dallen leaped forward as quick as a cat and gripped the edge to keep the drinks from spilling.
“Close one.”
“Rule number two,” she hissed.
“I came here to listen to the band play.” He gestured to a local band that was warming up. “I went to high school with Lyle who plays guitar.”
She huffed. “Fine, but don’t distract me.”
“I’ll do my best. But let it be noted that there’s a flaw in your rules, a loophole. How can I avoid your place of employment but not get my bannock bread—my version of rule number three?” he asked.
She narrowed her eyes. “You did that on purpose.”
“You didn’t object.”
“Seeing as you don’t serve hot chocolate at the ranch, it’s not fair.”
“Did you get the hot chocolate this morning?” he asked.
She straightened. “Yes, and it was very sweet. No pun intended and thank you.”
A smile crept across his lips.