Playing for Keeps (Hope Valley Book 10)

by Jessica Prince

  I’d never seen Dalton in anything other than jeans and well-worn cowboy boots. Occasionally he’d pair them with a button-down, untucked with the sleeves rolled up, but he usually favored tees that had been washed within an inch of their lives. However, tonight he’d pulled out all the stops. And dayum, he’d done it well!

  His navy suit fit like it had been custom tailored for his large, strong frame. He’d foregone a tie, wearing the collar of his crisp pale blue button-down open. The color of the suit made his gray eyes look like the darkest denim, and the rich, dark brown of his leather belt matched his dress shoes perfectly.

  His hair was still overly long, flipping around his collar, and that short beard still coated his jawline, and I loved how the hair gave his otherwise clean-cut look a hint of wild and unruly. Just like him.

  “Well damn, cowboy. Don’t you clean up nice?”

  He didn’t respond to my comment; instead silently dragged his face from the tips of my pale pink toes all the way up. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ,” he grunted, his eyes taking on that melted steel quality I was quickly coming to love.

  I did a whole body shiver and had to brace against the open door to remain standing.

  “It’s not too much, is it? I was excited about the dress at the store, but when I put it on a few minutes ago, I worried it might be a little too provocative for a family dinner. Should I change?”

  Those quicksilver eyes came to me, pinning me in place. “Don’t you dare.” My lungs seized in my chest. “Goddamn, baby. You look incredible.”

  With my knees feeling a bit more stable, I let go of the door and stepped into him, tipping my head back so he’d get the message to lean in and give me a kiss.

  It was short and sweet but still packed a hell of a punch, and when he pulled back, I felt light as a feather, all my previous anxiety having melted away. “Well, all right then. I’m ready if you are.”

  He looked down at my little purse. “Just missin’ one last thing.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. Overnight bag, Thumbelina. You’re stayin’ at my place tonight.”

  I grinned wickedly. “I am, huh?”

  “Absolutely. Don’t bother with sleep clothes, but you might want somethin’ else to wear when I take you to breakfast in the mornin’, not that I’d mind you in that dress again.”

  Okay, I really freaking liked the sound of that. Jogging on my heels back into the apartment, I snatched up one of my workout bags, dumping out the dirty rehearsal clothes I hadn’t gotten around to washing, and waded through my piles for the perfect Post Sleepover Breakfast outfit.

  With that task complete, I moved back out. He took the bag from me and held it while I pulled the door closed and slipped the key in the lock just as Ms. Weatherby’s opened across from us.

  “Well, don’t you young people look all kinds of fancy this evenin’?”

  I turned fully to face my neighbor, a big, cheesy smile on my face. “Hey, Ms. W, you having a good night?”

  She looked to me from where she’d been ogling Dalton. “Woke up alive, so I got no right to complain about the fact my arthritic knee’s actin’ up, I’m pretty sure I spotted some creepy man casin’ the buildin’, and I been backed up for three days now.”

  I swallowed down a snort and gave Dalton a small, subtle shake of my head when he looked at me quizzically.

  “But enough about me. What’re you kids up to?”

  “Dinner at The Groves,” I answered excitedly.

  Her eyes went huge behind those glasses before shifting back to Dalton, approval shining bright behind them. “Smart man. Glad you didn’t fart around in makin’ that happen. She’s worth dinner at a place like The Groves.”

  He chuckled rich and deep. “Preaching to the choir, ma’am.”

  “Good, good. Well, I’ll let you two get to it. Enjoy you’re evenin’ and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  We waved and started down the hall to the elevator as she closed the door behind us.

  “Someone casing the building?” he asked, repeating her earlier words.

  I let out a sigh and shook my head. “She’s a bit of a drama queen who watches way too many crime shows. Always thinks there are delinquents skulking around the halls or weird cars are parked out in the lot. She’s convinced someone’s just biding their time, waiting to break in and steal all her figurines.”

  His lips trembled with a suppressed grin.

  “She might be a little nutty, but she’s got a good heart,” I found myself defending. “She doesn’t get many visitors and only gets out once a week to play Bunco at the rec center. She’s lonely is all.”

  “She’s good people,” he agreed, and I felt a bit of warmth in my chest at the realization he thought that. Most of the people in the building thought Ms. Weatherby was a lunatic. It was nice to have someone else who saw her like I did. “Although, I could’ve lived the rest of my life never knowing she’s backed up.”

  I let my head fall back on a loud laugh, so lost in the moment I didn’t even notice the tender, adoring way he watched me like I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever laid eyes on, as I laughed with complete abandon in front of him for the very first time.

  The drive to the restaurant had been full of light conversation and laughs. I was feeling really good about this dinner, that was, until Dalton pulled his truck up to the valet stand in front of the restaurant.

  The warm glow from inside spilled through the wavy diamond-paned windows, and gas lamps lined the walkways all along the outside of the huge, rustic log cabin, giving an almost serene feel to the whole place. However, the second the truck was put in park and Dalton threw his door open, my stomach flipped, and anxiety folded and twisted my intestines into knots.

  “You okay, Thumbelina?” he asked as he pulled the passenger door open, waving off the valet.

  “I—I’m nervous,” I confessed in a barely-there voice. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “You’ve never had dinner?”

  At his teasing, I threw him a hard look. “Not at a place like this,” I indicated, throwing my arm out. “But that’s not what I meant. I’ve never done the whole . . . parent/family thing.”

  “If you think about it, you technically already did the whole parent/family thing yesterday morning at Muffin Top. You pulled that off spectacularly, by the way. My mom went on for hours about how sweet and pretty you are.”

  “Yeah, but that was unexpected. I didn’t walk in there thinking I’d meet your family like I am now.”

  “True, but you still did it, and you did it all by yourself. At least this time you’ll have me as a buffer, right?”

  Well, when he put it like that, it sounded like I was being kind of ridiculous. Letting out a heavy sigh, I took his hand and let him help me out of the truck. I looked down to check that everything was still covered and in place before giving my hair a little fluff and taking his offered hand. Then we started into the fancy restaurant.

  The atmosphere was nice and peaceful, the ambiance almost romantic as we wound our way through the tables in the large dining room. More than a few women stopped to appreciate Dalton as we passed, and I couldn’t really blame them. He really rocked the hell out of his suit. I’d scoped his ass a couple times already just because I could.

  The big windows at the back of the restaurant gave views of the foothills during the day, and once the sun went down as it was now, the trees outside near the outdoor dining patio were covered in twinkle lights and paper lanterns. The large round table the Prescott’s were currently sitting at had that beautiful view.

  Jolie spotted us first and was already on her feet by the time Dalton and I hit the table. “Hey guys!” She gave her brother a hug and rose up on her toes to press her lips to his scruffy cheek before disengaging and moving to me. “Oh my God, Charlotte, that dress is stunning,” she enthused before pulling me into a familiar hug just like the one she’d given Dalton, like she’d known me forever. “I wish I was going
to be in town long enough to borrow it. I’ve seen some men around here that I think I could really have fun with.”

  She shot me a wink, and I giggled while Dalton made a retching noise. “For the love of God. Protect the men of this town from the clutches of my sister,” he said toward the ceiling.

  We both pretended we didn’t hear him as I told Jolie, “You look beautiful too,” and she really did. Her plum-colored mini-dress highlighted all her best features. “There does seem to be something in the water here, doesn’t there? Maybe you should think about moving here and finding yourself a mountain man.”

  She laughed and gave her head a shake. “Plenty of mountains and fine men back in Pembrooke, trust me.”

  “Can we be done with this topic of conversation?” Dalton groused. “Christ, I need a drink. Where’s the waiter?”

  Lorene came around the table, giving her son a smack as she scooted toward me, offering the same warm greeting her daughter had just given me. “You really do look beautiful, dear. We’re so glad you could join us.”

  Walt was next, giving his son a back-slapping hug and me a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you guys for inviting me. I’ve actually never eaten here before. I’ve heard the steaks are good enough to have sonnets written about them.”

  We moved around the table to our chairs, and Dalton waited behind mine as I sat so he could push it in for me like a gentleman. I offered a quick smile and wink over my shoulder as he took the chair beside mine and scooted it a couple inches closer to me.

  “Come to Hope Valley for a couple weeks once a year,” Walt stated. “And we never leave without eatin’ here at least once. Love Wyoming, and you’ll never get me to leave, but that doesn’t mean I don’t dream about these steaks every night the days leadin’ up to our trip.”

  The more he talked, the hungrier I got, and I couldn’t wait to scan the menu.

  I hadn’t had a steak in longer than I could remember, and the nerves that had been eating at me just minutes ago disappeared as excitement for the meal to come took over.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Charlotte

  All the hype about the food at The Groves hadn’t been exaggerated in the slightest. If anything, people should have been talking about it more.

  After my melt-in-your-mouth filet, paired with buttery cloud-like garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus, I was more than just comfortably full and bordering on stuffed. I wasn’t sure if I had room for anything else, but the Prescotts were such a riot that, when Lorene had suggested dessert, I couldn’t bring myself to turn her down.

  I picked at my crème brûlée while sipping my wine. One bottle had quickly become two as Jolie, Lorene, and I shared while the men stuck to their beers, so on top of my stomach feeling like it might explode, I was also floating on a cloud of booze, currently resting somewhere between giggly and slurred speech.

  This had been one of the best nights of my life, and I didn’t want it to end.

  “So, Charlotte, tell us about the club where you work,” Lorene insisted, her eyes glassy as she rested her elbow on the table and propped her chin in her hands. She’d been keeping up with Jolie and me, drink for drink, but it was quickly becoming clear she was a bit of a lightweight. “Dalton tells us it’s a burlesque club? Is that fun?”

  I took another sip and placed my wineglass back on the table, silently cutting myself off.

  “It is, actually. I’ve waited tables and been a barista at my fair share of coffee shops, but I never did anything like this. I kind of fell into the job at Whiskey Dolls thanks to my friend Hayden, and it turned out to be a lot of fun, and the other girls there are pretty great. And really talented. They’ve actually taught me a lot.”

  “That’s so amazing,” she said dreamily and a bit slurry. “You deserve fun, my dear. Glad you found it.”

  We’d touched briefly on the Cormack case, mostly with Dalton fielding questions, so I wasn’t taken completely off guard by her comment, but it still felt a little strange to receive praise like hers. The past few days with Dalton had been like living in a bubble that the outside world couldn’t penetrate. However, as incredible as things had been, and as much as I was trying to see myself the way Dalton did, I still felt awkward when I got comments like Lorene’s.

  The wine had worked wonders in keeping me nice and floaty, so my muscles didn’t visibly tense up as I quietly thanked her.

  “Tell us a little about yourself, Charlotte,” Walt spoke up. “I feel like we’ve monopolized the conversation all night.”

  “You haven’t,” I insisted. “And besides, Lorene promised me embarrassing stories of Dalton growing up.” And boy had she delivered.

  “Still, we’d like to get to know you more. Did you grow up here in Virginia?”

  It was a tame enough question, but I always tended to get a little stiff when people started asking about my past. “No. I’m from Ohio.”

  “Are your parents still there?” Jolie asked.

  Don’t lock up, Charlie. Don’t lock up. I felt Dalton’s hand come down on my thigh beneath the table as he clipped, “Do we really need to play twenty questions?”

  I could see his family was surprised by his sudden brusque change in demeanor, and the last thing I wanted to do was put a damper on the evening. Reaching beneath the table, I put my hand on his and gave it a squeeze, looking over to give him a reassuring grin.

  “It’s fine, cowboy,” I said quietly before looking back at Jolie. “My parents actually died when I was little.”

  Their faces fell, and I instantly wished I could take away the guilt etched into Jolie’s face as she sucked in a gasp. “Oh, Charlotte, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

  I waved her off. “It’s fine, really. It was a long time ago and you couldn’t have known.”

  “Still, I’m sorry.”

  Man, the Prescott’s were incredible.

  I silently hoped that would be the end of the questions, but I knew there was always one more that never failed to accompany the news of my parents. And it was the hardest one by far.

  Sure enough, Walt looked across the table, his face awash with sympathy as he quietly asked, “Did you at least have any siblings? Other family to lean on after that?”

  I didn’t want to lie to these people. I was very quickly coming to like them more than I liked anyone. Their kindness shone through in everything, and knowing them, I understood why I’d so easily and swiftly begun to fall for Dalton. But I’d made a promise to myself a long time ago. The one and only time I’d searched, I’d discovered my sister was living a nice, quiet life. With that curse a part of me still believed was hanging over my head, I didn’t want to risk messing that up for her.

  That good deed had nearly blown up in my face months ago when Cormack found out my secret and threatened to hunt her down, and I’d almost died trying to protect her from a mad man.

  The only person in my life who knew was Micah, and I knew he’d take that secret to his grave.

  “No. It’s just me.” The lie rolled off my tongue as easily as it always did. Only for the first time ever, it left a bitter, acrid taste in my mouth.

  I felt something strange rolling off of Dalton, and when I chanced a glance in his direction, I saw that he’d been examining my profile with a scrutiny that sent a shiver down my spine. It was like he was trying to see inside my head.

  I quickly locked down everything I was feeling, painting my face with what I hoped was a relaxed, easy smile.

  “Well, I think it’s time to put the inquisition to bed before we scare the poor girl off,” Walt declared with finality. “Pretty sure Dalton would string us all up by the toenails if we set her running for the hills.”

  I turned to the older version of Dalton and laughed, appreciating how effortlessly he’d managed to put an end to the awkwardness that had started rolling over our table and brought it back to light and breezy. “Don’t worry, I’m not running. At least not tonight,” I teased.

  “Then we should probably e
nd this on a high note before you guys do anything to screw it up,” Dalton grunted good-naturedly.

  He waved the waiter over and handed him a credit card, not once breaking from the verbal spar he and Jolie were sharing. As I watched the two of them rib each other, I was struck with a pang of envy. They teased each other so easily, like it was something they’d been doing their entire lives, and I couldn’t help but wonder if my sister and I would have had something similar if things had been different for us. If life hadn’t knocked me in the teeth time and time again.

  With the check paid, we stood from the table, and I was once again embraced in the Prescott glow as they gave exuberant hugs goodbye. Jolie made me promise we’d get together for a drink, just the girls, one night before they left to return to Wyoming, and Lorene and Walt had insisted that I come to the lake house they’d rented for dinner one evening.

  As Dalton took my hand and led me out of the restaurant, I felt a warmth spreading inside of me that I couldn’t remember ever experiencing. I couldn’t have been sure, with my lack of experience and all, but I thought maybe it was the warmth that came with a sense of belonging.

  “So?” Dalton asked after climbing behind the wheel and putting his truck in gear. “What’s the verdict?”

  I glanced across the console at him. “Verdict?”

  “Yeah. You walked in there tonight a bundle of nerves. How are you feeling now?”

  Oh.

  “I feel . . .” I trailed off, trying to come up with the right words. I finally settled on one, but it still felt too small. “Light.”

  He grinned across at me like he understood exactly what I was trying to express, taking my hand and interlacing our fingers, bringing them both to rest on his thigh as he drove one-handed. “See. Told you it would be fine.”

  Leaning back, I rested my head on the headrest and let out a happy sigh. “I don’t know what it would have been like with anyone else, but your family is just so wonderful.”

  “Glad you think so, baby. They really like you too.”