Sweet, Sexy Heart – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)

by Melissa Foster

  He pulled out the black sweater he’d bought her and tossed it to her. “If you’re going to be stealth, you have to dress the part. Take that pretty pink sweater off, baby. Time is slipping by.”

  She finally relented, putting on the black sweater, and they climbed out of the car. While she got Reno out of the back, Dash opened the trunk and began setting out boxes of supplies on the grass.

  Amber watched in confusion. “What is all this?”

  “Solar lights. I brought string lights to wrap around the columns of the gazebo and ground lights to light the path from the gazebo to the entrance of the trail she takes through the woods when she comes to the park. We’ll hang solar lanterns in the trees to light her way through the woods. I’ve been charging them in Sin’s backyard since I first met Hellie, when she told me about Edgar and how she came here every year on their anniversary. I also brought these to hang around the gazebo.” He pulled out a string of heart-shaped solar lights. “I enlisted Nana and her friends to make paper hearts and write something about Edgar and Hellie on them.” He opened a box and showed her the pink and white paper hearts, picking out one by the red ribbon Nana had tied to it. “I thought we could hang them around the railing of the gazebo. And lastly, I stopped by the Stardust Café and got one hamburger, no ketchup, and a bottle of Coke with two straws, which was all Edgar could afford on their first date. It’ll be cold when she gets here, but that’s how they ate it that night.”

  She looked awestruck. “I can’t believe you did all of this. Hellie is going to be so surprised. How did you come up with the idea?”

  “My grandfather does things like this for my grandmother sometimes, and after my dad left, my grandfather and I did it for my mom when she needed a pick-me-up. And I did it for my sisters when they were having a hard time or when guys were being jerks.” He tugged her into his arms. “Are you disappointed that the mission wasn’t just for us?”

  She gazed up at him with disbelief. “How could I be disappointed in a man who thinks of everyone else before himself? You know how much the people here mean to me. I’m thrilled for Hellie. You’ve known her for less than two weeks, and you’re about to make this her most memorable anniversary since she lost her husband. I think you are officially the most romantic man I’ve ever known.”

  “I don’t know about the most romantic, but I sure as hell am the luckiest.”

  THE GAZEBO SPARKLED like a holiday bandstand against the evening sky with string lights wrapped around the columns and heart-shaped lights dangling from the rafters. Amber and Dash tied the last of the paper hearts to the railings. It was a magical sight with the path of lights in the grass leading from the gazebo to the trail that Hellie frequented through the woods, where lanterns dangled like giant fireflies swaying from branches deep into the distance. They’d set the bag from the diner and the Coke with two straws on the bench. Dash had failed to tell Amber that he’d also brought a single rose just because he thought Hellie should have one. Amber’s heart was so full as she watched him, with his black sweater and ninja hat, gathering boxes and putting one inside the other. She had a feeling there was nothing he couldn’t do. Or maybe wouldn’t do was a better way to think of it, because if she’d learned one thing about Dash Pennington, it was that he always led with his heart, and it sure seemed like when he set his heart on something, he made it happen.

  “We finished just in time.”

  He set the boxes down and turned a sexy smile on her, closing the distance between them. “We’re not quite done.” He handed her a pen and a paper heart, keeping one for himself. “She’ll be here soon, so if you want to leave a note, do it quick.”

  He’d thought of everything. How had she ever worried that he was too much man for her? She couldn’t imagine another man holding a candle to him. As she leaned on the bench to write Hellie’s note—Dear Hellie, I believe you can see the truest love in a person’s eyes, and I saw it every time Edgar looked at you. Happy anniversary, love, Amber—she glanced at Dash, hanging his paper heart. Edgar Camden had nothing on him.

  “Ready?” Dash reached for her paper heart. As he tied it to the railing, she read what he’d written on his. You look marvelous, m’lady.

  “That’s a funny thing to write.”

  “That’s what Edgar said to her every time they went on a date, right up until their very last one.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “When I walked her home from breakfast, I asked her what things she missed most about him, and that was one of them.”

  You walked Hellie home from breakfast? He was surprising Amber at every turn, but one thing was for sure. There weren’t enough words in the English language to describe his thoughtfulness. “You forgot to sign your name.”

  “I didn’t want to. When I was a little boy, my grandfather told me never to give gifts looking for thank-yous. He says making someone happy should be enough, and it is. I like the idea of Hellie knowing she was on people’s minds but not knowing who was behind all this.” He grabbed the large box containing all the smaller boxes in one hand and took her hand. “We’ve got to get out of here. She’ll be here any minute. Are you up to a quick run?”

  “Absolutely. Come, Reno.”

  They ran up a hill and out of sight behind a row of bushes. Dash reached into the bushes and pulled out a duffel bag. “Hellie can’t hear us talking up here.”

  “You really are good at this ninja stuff. What’s in the bag?”

  He pulled out a blanket and began spreading it out beside the bushes. “I figured you’d want a front-row seat when she arrives.” They sat down, and Reno settled in beside the blanket, resting his chin between his paws. Dash put his arm around Amber and kissed her temple. “After that, we’ll be busy stargazing, making wishes, and spilling secrets.”

  Happiness bubbled up inside her. “You remembered.”

  “Why does it surprise you every time I remember something you said?”

  “Because it was nonsense. High school stuff.”

  “Nothing you say is ever nonsense.” He leaned in for a kiss as Hellie came out of the woods.

  “Look.” Amber pointed down the hill to Hellie standing at the edge of the woods wearing a long, flowing dress and a colorful cardigan, with a shiny blue scarf draped over her shoulders. Her silver braids were twisted into a knot on the top of her head, and she had one hand pressed over her heart as she took in the lights on the ground and gazebo.

  Amber could barely contain her excitement as Hellie stepped tentatively down the lighted path, looking all around her. “I bet she thinks it was decorated for someone else.”

  “That’s what the hearts are for, so she knows without a doubt it was meant for her.”

  They watched as she climbed the gazebo steps and walked around, her fingers trailing along the railing as she looked up at the heart-shaped lights. She read one of the paper hearts and looked around again, as if she couldn’t believe it was all for her.

  “I have goose bumps,” Amber whispered.

  Hellie went to the bench, looking at the food they’d left; then she began reading more of the hearts.

  “Can you imagine loving someone so much that you cling to every little thing they did and said?” As she said it, she realized she’d been doing that with Dash.

  “I think I can.”

  His words were drenched with emotions, sending her nerves into a wild flurry. She wanted to see his face, but she was afraid to look, afraid of what seeing such raw emotions might do to her, so she kept her eyes trained on Hellie. “I’m glad you thought of doing this. Seeing her so happy is a beautiful sight.”

  “You sure are.” Dash’s voice was low and husky.

  She stole a glance and found him watching her, his emotions as real as the butterflies swarming inside her. “Why are you watching me instead of Hellie after all the effort you put into this?”

  “Because seeing you happy for someone else is ten times as beautiful as anything I’ve ever seen. I love when you get dream
y-eyed, like you were when your friends got engaged at the barn. Getting to see that look twice in two weeks? That’s beyond beautiful.”

  “You’re too much. What are you hiding?”

  “What makes you think I’m hiding anything?”

  “You’re too perfect.”

  “I’m far from perfect. Remember the toddler smile?” He grinned, pointing to his smile.

  “Your smile is not a flaw.”

  “You want to hear my flaws? I’ve spent more than a decade so entrenched in my career, I barely saw my family for weeks at a time. And what do I have to show for it? Money? A little notoriety? Who cares about any of that? I already told you what I was like for the first few years of my career. Did I mention that I feel like a bit of a fraud? I wrote a book that I believed in when I was writing it, telling people to work their asses off to achieve their goals. But until recently, I didn’t even have a clue what my next step was going to be, much less what goal I had for the next fifty years of my life. I knew I was missing something, but I’m only now realizing what that was.” He gazed deeply into her eyes. “It was you, Amber, and moments like these, nights like the ones we’ve shared.”

  Me too, her heart whispered back.

  “But it’s even deeper than that. I never imagined trusting anyone enough to want to share all of myself, to admit my faults and fears and be comfortable just being the guy who grew up in Port Hudson and loves his family. The guy who enjoys getting together with the people here and walking with older ladies. Not the football player, motivational speaker, or bestselling author. With you, all of that is as natural as it was instantaneous. Maybe I’m a fool, but if I am, I never want to be smart again. I finally feel like I’m becoming the man I was always meant to be, and that’s because of you.”

  Her heart turned over in her chest. “I feel the same way about you, that I can just be myself all the time, but it’s kind of scary. I’m falling for a guy with a big life, and I don’t even know what will happen after you leave town.”

  “I’ll come back—that’s what’ll happen—and we’ll figure it out from there, because I’m falling for an amazing woman who lives a big life in a small town, and I want to be the guy who never stops giving her reasons to look at me the way she is right now.” He leaned closer, his breath whispering over her lips. “Don’t be scared. I won’t let you down.”

  He sealed his promise with a kiss so sweet and tender, she wanted to disappear into it.

  “I know the timing of the tour sucks, and these next few weeks will be trying when we’re apart, but we’ll talk every night.”

  “It’s okay. If it weren’t for your tour, we might never have met.”

  “That’s our silver lining. I don’t know exactly what my future schedule looks like. I’ve got ongoing sponsorships and speaking engagements, and I’m toying with some other ideas, but I know I want to figure it out with you, not without you. I’m flying back to New York in two weekends to see my family and attend the fundraiser I told you about. I want you to come with me.”

  “To the fundraiser?”

  “And to meet my family if you can take the time off. I thought we’d spend Friday evening with them in Port Hudson, then drive to the city and stay at my place. Saturday we’ll hang out in the city and go sightseeing before the fundraiser. My buddies will be at the event, and I really want you to meet them. I’ll have to leave Sunday for Monday’s signing on the West Coast, but we’ll have most of the weekend together, and then there’ll only be two weeks left of the tour.”

  Excitement bubbled up inside her, and her mind raced from meeting his family through schedules for the bookstore, zipping right back to—You want me to meet your family!—immediately followed by worries over what to wear to the fundraiser. “That sounds wonderful. I can arrange the time off.”

  “Yeah?” His smile expanded to heart-melting proportions.

  She nodded eagerly. “I’d love to meet your family. I have no idea what to wear to a fundraiser, but I’ll figure it out. Is it formal?”

  “It’s pretty formal and themed. Casino night, old-Hollywood style. But don’t stress over it. You’ll be the most beautiful woman there, no matter what you wear. We can shop for a dress in the city if you want.”

  Her giddiness bubbled out. “Are you kidding? I can’t wait until the last minute. I’m already a nervous wreck. I’ll find a dress—don’t worry.”

  “Why are you nervous?”

  “I’m leaving Oak Falls, meeting your family and friends, and attending a formal event. This’ll be the most exciting thing I’ve done in years.”

  He hauled her into a hard kiss. “This is going to be great. You’ll love my family. You know my mom, and my brothers are the best. My sisters will adore you and tease the hell out of me, and…” He took her in another toe-curling kiss, the air around them electrically charged. “I’m so frickin’ happy.”

  They kissed again, both of them laughing.

  “It’s going to be our greatest weekend yet. Or at least I hope so. We’ll be meeting my mom’s boyfriend, which is a little weird for me, but that won’t even matter. I’m so freaking happy you’re coming with me.”

  “Me too! And after everything you told me about your mom, I’m glad she has someone in her life.”

  “Yeah, I am too. It’s just weird thinking about my mom and a guy in the new stages of a relationship, like us.”

  “Try catching your parents making out behind the barn at a jam session. That’s awkward.”

  He laughed. “I knew I liked your parents. I’ll arrange your flight and meet you at the airport.”

  “I’d rather drive, if you don’t mind. I’ve only flown twice before, and there was so little room at my feet for Reno, I felt bad for him. Some other passengers also gave me uncomfortable looks because of him, and that made me anxious. I don’t have to bring Reno to the event, but I need to have him with me when I travel. Driving would be less stressful for me.”

  “That’s fine, and if you’d be more comfortable if he’s with you, we can bring him to the event. Whatever you need, we’ll make it happen. You’ve just made my night.”

  “And you’ve not only made my night, but you made Hellie’s, too. Look.” She nodded toward Hellie sitting on the bench with a pile of paper hearts beside her and another in her lap, reading one in her hand.

  Happiness vibrated around them as they enjoyed their perfect evening. A long while later, when Hellie made her way back toward the woods, her arms full of paper hearts, Dash and Amber lay on the blanket, gazing up at the starry sky, hands joined between them, hearts full of hope.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever taken the time to look up at the stars.”

  Amber could only see his profile as he stared up at the sky. Did he know she was falling harder for him even now? That she was going to miss him like crazy and count down the hours until they talked each night?

  She looked up at the sky, thinking about him. He’d shared so much of himself, but she wanted to know more about where he thought he might be heading. “If you could sum up what you want in life in one or two sentences, how would you say it?”

  He didn’t answer for a long moment, and she didn’t rush him, because she was mulling over her own answer. Their fingers were laced between them, and his thumb began brushing over her finger in a soothing rhythm.

  “I’ve lived in a boiling pot of never-ending excitement and pressure, so I guess I’d like a lot less of that and a lot more of this.” He squeezed her hand. “Maybe a trip to Maui, lying in the hot sand with my wild thing in a bikini.” He pushed up on his elbow, smiling down at her. “How about it, sweetheart? Are you up for Maui after the book tour?”

  “I don’t know. That’s an awfully long flight. Maybe you can send me pictures.”

  “What fun would that be?” He leaned in for a kiss and tickled her ribs.

  She squirmed. “Virginia Beach is right around the corner.”

  “Virginia Beach?” He tickled her again, making her squeal with deligh
t. “You deserve to see the world with your toddler-grinning guy.” He gave her another quick kiss, running his fingers through her hair. “To see the stars from special places.”

  “But I like my safe little world.”

  “I know you do. I like it, too.” He settled onto his back again. “Ready for another secret?”

  “Always.”

  “I’ve never wished upon a star with someone special, either.”

  She turned her face to the side so she could see him and found him looking at her again, emotions brimming in his eyes. “I love that this is a first for both of us.”

  “Me too. I don’t need to ask what you’re going to wish for.”

  “Why is that?” she asked.

  “Because I already know.” He gazed deeply into her eyes, so steady and sure, she couldn’t have looked away if she’d wanted to. “A man who thinks of you first thing in the morning and last thing at night, a magical proposal that tops your friends’, and a lifetime of looking deep enough into every moment to see the seeds of all of the wonderful things to come.”

  She could do little more than stare at him.

  He looked up at the sky again. “And if all that comes with a sexy, muscle-bound retired football player who grins like a toddler and has filthy fantasies about you, well, you’d be set for life, wouldn’t you?”

  She laughed. “And you’re going to wish for the dirty fantasies, aren’t you?”

  “You know it. Close your eyes, baby. It’s time to make our filthy fantasies—I mean romantic wishes—come true.”

  She closed her eyes, and as their hands joined between them, she knew that even if she never got all those future wishes, she’d be happy with a lifetime of this.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “I’LL BE RIGHT back.” Amber popped to her feet for the fourth time in what felt like as many minutes early Saturday morning.

  Dash grabbed the back of his T-shirt she was wearing, the one he’d worn last night when they’d had dinner with her family, and tugged her back down to the bed, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “What could you possibly need to do now?”