Later, while sipping wine in the quiet living room, she phoned Ethan.
He answered on the first ring. “Hi, Dallas. Glad you called back.”
“I apologize for the delay. I was busy bathing Piper when my phone rang.”
He hesitated. “Sorry, I didn’t think of that. I’ll call later next time.”
“I’m usually free by eight-thirty or so. What’s up?”
“My mother called this evening and said she’s coming for a visit next week. I want to introduce you. In fact, Mother asked to meet you. She said she’d make dinner—she’s a fabulous cook. I’m taking the afternoon off to help her. Mother loves having me in the kitchen as her sous chef. This all happens Wednesday evening. Will you please come?”
Dallas took a sip of wine and let it settle in her mouth. Meet his mother? She never even met Piper’s father’s parents, and they were together almost two years. But, then, look how well that turned out. This meant that Ethan had told his mom about her. Huh. That was kind of awesome. “I’d love to meet your mother. Dinner sounds wonderful.”
“Great! I’ll send a car for you so you can enjoy wine at dinner and, as you know, the nanny service is at your disposal.”
Ten minutes later, her phone rang again. “Cash, hi, how are you?”
“Thinking about you.”
A warm flush spread through her as she imagined him on the huge leather sofa with soft antique lighting lending a cozy touch. “Are you now? That’s nice.”
“I’m disappointed I can’t be with you and Piper this weekend. I need to haul some cattle to the auction.” He paused. “However, Jesse called this afternoon to ask if I wanted to go to The Cowboy Saturday night. I know you’ll be busy as hell, but at least I’ll see you.”
“Wonderful, and I’ll come sit at your table during my break.” She never, ever did that, but Cash had proven he was worth breaking her rules for. To her surprise, she found she was missing him. Like, really missing him. Since when had that started?
“It’s a date then. Or, whatever. So, if you have a minute, tell me how you’ve been.”
She didn’t want to hang up either. As she went through her day and asked about his, she leaned back, closing her eyes and loving the sound of his deep voice. By the time he wound down, she was almost asleep.
He finished up. “So, that was my day. Nothing like yours. Things here are busy, but pretty laid back.”
She opened her eyes and said groggily, “But good. It’s a wonderful life.”
He was quiet for a while. “Well, yeah, I think so.” He sighed and said with a smile in his voice, “You sound like you’re ready to fall asleep. I’ll let you go, and see you Saturday.”
SATURDAY AFTERNOON, Dallas slammed the door on her car and raced for The Cowboy’s front door. She was ten minutes late, and she was never late. Slapping open the saloon doors, she jogged to the bar. If anything, she needed to be here early. One of the top Red Dirt bands was featured on stage that night, and the place would be packed. Now she had to scramble like hell to get set up.
Today had been a nightmare. After lunch, water had started spewing from the ice maker on the door of her refrigerator. She dragged it out from the wall only to find there was no way to turn the water off. Putting in a frantic call to her dad, she learned there should be a valve under her sink to turn it off. By the time she accomplished that, the water was an inch deep on her kitchen floor. It had taken every towel in the house before the floor was clear of water.
She put in a huge load to wash. Hoping to add a second load before leaving for work, she stopped by the laundry room on her way out the door. Her towels were sitting in a full tub of water. The damn washer was broken. Disgusted and ready to cry, she loaded Piper in the car and headed to her parents’ house.
She shook her head and glanced at the stage. Of course, a Red Dirt band was playing tonight. Though she loved the music, it made the crowds crazy. The beginning of a headache throbbed in her temples, and she dreaded the start of the loud music.
Where was she going to find the money to repair both of her appliances? What if her washer couldn’t be fixed? Things like this brought home how hard it was to be a single parent. She had no one to turn to—nobody to help her when she had setbacks. This, like the other crises that happened to her, reinforced her intense drive to return to law school. She would not spend the rest of her life broke and scared. The heat of tears formed behind her eyes and she scrubbed her hand across them. Tears solved nothing.
“You okay, Dallas?”
Without turning around, she said to her boss, “Sure, I think I’m getting a headache, is all. I’m fine.” Taking a deep breath, she slid into her routine. This job would make her dream come true, and it had to be her focus tonight.
The band started playing and the loud pounding music pierced her ears, lancing through her head. Her headache ratcheted up.
A handsome cowboy leaned on her bar in the lull before the place got really crowded. “Hey, Dallas, why is that pretty face of yours frowning?”
“Is it? I should watch that. This headache is a beast, and the music isn’t helping. How are you, Doug? Do you want a beer?”
“Sure, I’ll take one. I’m much better now that I’m here with my favorite girl. What’s it going to take to make you go out with me? I’m not giving up.”
Dallas grinned and handed him his beer.
He held on to her hand a moment too long, and said, “Keep the change, sweetheart.”
She laughed. “You’re a flirt. Good thing you’re harmless.”
He put on a wounded look, hand over his heart. “Harmless? I beg your pardon? I’ll have you know the women in Wichita Falls are all begging for my attention!”
As she turned to her next customer, she rubbed her forehead. Her headache might actually be better. Doug always perked her up on her long weekend shifts, and he was such a nice guy. She always wondered why he came in alone every week. He danced with unaccompanied women and flirted like crazy, sometimes leaving early with one woman or another. She sighed. He must not have found the right one yet.
A half-hour later, the place was jammed with people, and the band was on fire, the raucous beat bouncing off the walls and splitting her head in two. And, in tune with a perfect day, they were short on waitresses. Her boss said he didn’t have anyone to relieve her for break. There was a constant line at her bar. Just as she knew they would be, the people were rowdy. It took everything she had to keep smiling and keep moving.
She handed a cowboy his change and looked to the next customer. It was Cash. In all the mess of the day, she’d forgotten he was coming. His grin loosened the tightness in her chest, and she gave him a shaky smile.
He covered her hand where it lay on the bar. “You don’t look too good. You okay?”
Shaking her head, she clasped his hand like a lifeline to a sane world. “I have a headache. Today has been terrible, and it looks like I won’t get a break.”
He squeezed her hand. “No sweat. I’ll be here. You let me know if you need anything. I’ll be watching you.”
“You want a beer?”
He nodded.
After he left, the tight band of muscles around her head relaxed a little, knowing he was across the room. True to his word, each time she looked, he met her gaze and smiled.
Her headache pounded away. Her boss knew she was sick and said he’d ask one of the waitresses to finish at the bar as soon as they closed so Dallas could head home as quickly as possible. Break time came and, though she couldn’t take off, her boss stepped behind the counter so she could head to the restroom.
As she came around the bar, she looked up at Cash and froze. A curvaceous cowgirl with gorgeous blonde hair leaned down for a kiss and slid into his lap.
He turned his head and caught her shocked stare.
Dallas lurched into motion, heading to the ladies’ room. Who was this woman who felt so free with Cash that she plastered a kiss on his face and plopped into his lap? Was he seeing her too? Hur
t and confusion made her already pounding head feel like it would explode.
Once in the ladies’ room and safely in the stall, she sat and closed her eyes, trying to make sense of what she saw. Then it hit her. What right had she to be shocked or angry? She did the same thing to Cash with Ethan. A sick feeling overcame her, adding nausea to the nearly blinding throbbing behind her eyes. God, help me make it through this night.
Cash met her on the way back to her bar. “Dallas, it’s not what you think.”
Without meeting his eyes, she held up her hand, the pain in her heart matching the pain in her head. “No. You have every right. My head’s killing me right now. I need to get back to work.” She pushed past him and got behind the bar, starting with the first of the long line of customers bellied up there.
Around one forty-five, when things slowed some, her boss came to relieve her, telling her to go on home and do something about her head. She slipped out without Cash noticing.
Lying in bed an hour later, filled with meds and an icepack on her throbbing head, she was unable to sleep. Now that she’d had a dose herself, she couldn’t bear what she was putting Cash and Ethan through. It wasn’t fair to them. How had she ever thought it was? She didn’t consider herself a cruel person, but that was exactly what this situation was. She had to stop. It wouldn’t be right to choose one man since she didn’t love either yet.
Though she knew letting both men go now was the only right thing to do, the hollow feeling in her chest disagreed. She hadn’t realized how much the two had filled her heart—with laughter, anticipation, joy. How could she bear no more nights on the couch listening to Cash’s deep sweet voice on the phone—no more cuddling on the lakeshore with Ethan? A heavy weight pressed her into the mattress. Hot tears welled under her closed lids. She had no choice. She’d break up with them tomorrow. She couldn’t hurt either man anymore.
Chapter Eight
Cash looked at his watch for the tenth time Sunday morning. Ten-thirty. Surely, he could phone Dallas now. He was beginning to think she wasn’t going to answer when she finally picked up. “Hey, this is Cash. Well, you know that. Listen, please hear me out. Last night—”
“It’s okay,” Dallas interrupted. “I was going to call you, but I was waiting for my headache medication to kick in.”
“Damn, your head’s still hurting?”
“Yeah, my headache usually goes away after I take something, but this time it hasn’t. Anyway, like I said, I need to talk to you.” She paused, not having expected his call, she hadn’t found the right words yet. “After last night—”
“Dallas, you don’t—”
“Cash, it’s okay. Just let me speak. After last night, I realized how unfair I’m being to you and Ethan. My reaction, which was uncalled for, by the way, showed me that I’m hurting each of you by dating you at the same time. In fact, it’s cruel. That’s not who I am. I have to stop seeing you both. It’s the only way to make this right.”
Cash was silent for a moment. “Dallas, I told you I’m dealing with this. Now, if you want to stop seeing the other guy because he can’t take it, then that’s up to you. But I’m okay. I care about you, and I want to see where this relationship goes.”
She sighed. This might be the last time she heard Cash’s voice. “Cash, I feel terrible about this.” She paused. “Look, my head is killing me. I can’t talk about this right now.”
“Okay. Rest. Take care of yourself, Dallas. But I’m not giving up. Don’t you do it, either.”
Her thoughts spun as she disconnected. What if Ethan felt the same way as Cash? How could she go on seeing them, knowing how it felt to see someone she cared about with another person? Damn, she couldn’t think about this now. She got up and refreshed her ice pack. Thank goodness Piper was playing quietly with her toys and watching her favorite cartoon on TV. Dallas closed her eyes and refused to think about either man.
“Mama, I’m hungry.”
She opened her eyes to Piper patting her arm. Dallas licked her dry lips. Lord, she’d fallen asleep. “Okay, hon, let’s fix you some lunch.” Her headache was still there but much better.
An hour later, with her daughter down for her nap, Dallas couldn’t put off calling Ethan any longer.
Her anxiety increased as his rich, cultured voice came on the line. “Dallas, how are you? It’s great to hear from you.”
Unsure how to approach the subject, she jumped right in. “Ethan, I realize now that I’m being unfair to you and Cash. Dating the two of you is hurtful, and I don’t want to be that kind of person. The right thing to do is to stop seeing you both.” She took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry for any pain that I’ve caused.”
There was a long silence, then he said, “Dallas, I’m not sure where this is coming from. I always knew the score. I’m quite confident you’ll choose me in the end. Go ahead and see the cowboy until you make your choice. Of course, I’d rather you stop dating him. But that’s for you to decide. I’m tougher than you give me credit for.” He laughed. “Really, Dallas, it’s not a problem. If it becomes one, I’ll let you know.”
“Well—”
“Come on, let’s talk about something else. I’ve gotten hold of some Broadway play tickets. Don’t worry. We have some time yet. I want you to be brave and tell me you’ll go. Friday and Saturday night. Back Sunday. I’ll donate to your school fund. You’ll have plenty of time to find someone to work for you at the bar, and we can figure out the nanny details. Please say you’ll come?”
Some of her anxiety slipped away, replaced by the warmth his kindness always made her feel. She remembered sitting snuggled against him in the limo drive home from California and a tiny thrill ran through her. It still surprised her sometimes that this handsome, successful man cared about her. What a wonderful life she’d have if she fell in love with him. “It sounds fabulous and, as usual, you’ve thought of everything. Can I think about it? At least let me make sure I can find someone to cover me.”
“What do you think of taking Friday off? Do you save your vacation for anything special? It’s up to you. I just thought it would be nice to have some time to see the sights when we get to New York.”
She laughed. “Oh, like this isn’t special? But, no, I don’t. I sometimes end up using vacation days if Piper is sick more than usual, though. If we go, I’ll ask for Friday off.”
“Amazing! And, about the other, please don’t worry your beautiful head about it.”
How was she supposed to do that? Sighing, she said, “Thanks for the invite, Ethan. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Apparently, she was the only crybaby of the three. The two guys were keeping it cool. Did that make what she was doing right, though? Despite being excited about Ethan’s plans, she still had a niggling feeling of guilt.
Chapter Nine
Early Thursday evening, Dallas stared anxiously out the kitchen window for the town car to pull up at her house. Opening her small bag, she checked for her lipstick—again. Meeting someone’s mother hadn’t been a big thing in high school. Then it didn’t matter. But Ethan was close to his mother, and tonight meant a lot to him.
Knowing his mother came from Dallas society, Dallas wore a conservative black sheath and medium heels. In her book, it was better to be conventionally dressed than the other way around. She sighed in relief as her ride pulled up to the curb.
She locked the house as the driver got out of the car and opened her door. She smiled. Would she ever get used to this luxury?
On the drive, she wracked her brain for topics of conversation that might interest his mother. Her name was Linda. Their lives were so different. Maybe Dallas’s best strategy would be to have Linda talk about herself. Dallas only hoped his mother’s conversation skills equaled her son’s.
Dallas took a deep breath and pushed it out. She had this. Ethan was kind, surely his mother would be, too.
The car pulled up a long drive to a gorgeous house—two stories with huge walls of glass on a massive lot.
E
than met the car as they arrived. “Dallas, come in. Mother can’t wait to meet you.”
He tucked her hand under his arm and led her into the ... living room? Great room? Whatever it was, it was enormous.
His mother stood and intercepted them, holding out her hand. “Dallas? I’m Linda, Ethan’s mother, of course. I’m so glad you could come tonight.” Her smile didn’t quite meet her beautiful, obviously-Botoxed, blue eyes.
A tiny alarm bell went off in Dallas’s brain. As she eyed Linda’s clothes, it didn’t appear the black sheath Dallas wore was off the mark, so why did she sense his mother’s disapproval?
Ethan led Dallas to the bar. “What would you like to drink? Mother made some hors d’oeuvres, too.”
Dallas swallowed and took a deep breath. “A Cuba Libre, please.”
“A woman of simple tastes,” Linda said.
Dallas turned around. “I don’t usually drink anything but wine, so simple suits me. What do you like?”
Linda offered her that same confusing smile. “I often drink Manhattans. I’m having one now.” Raising her glass to her son, she said, “Another, please, darling?”
Dallas took a step closer to Ethan before she realized she’d done so. It was as if her Neanderthal instincts were telling her something feral was on the other side of the room.
Linda had reseated herself in the middle of the sofa. This left Ethan and Dallas sitting separately in the opposing chairs.
He raised his glass in the air. “To new friends.”
With a dry smile, his mother raised hers.
Dallas held her glass up. “To friends,” she said, feeling like she stood outside a wolf den.
After taking a sip of her Manhattan, Linda asked, “So tell me, what do you do at my son’s law firm?”
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