I kissed him. My fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck. I’d never expected David to keep up with the Joneses. Or for him to make enough to reach the level my parentsfound themselves. But having him so earnestly want to both mended and broke my heart.
“I’d be with you if you never got signed, you know that, right?” I whispered against his lips. “If you wanted to work some crappy job or live in a small apartment with noisy neighbors and awful water pressure.”
“You would not.” His laugh felt like a cool breeze on a perfect evening.
“I would.” I brushed my nose against his. “I also would probably go home to take a decent shower now and then, but that’s beside the point.”
David continued to laugh and pulled me closer, so my cheek rested against his collarbone.
“You don’t have to impress me,” I promised, voice muffled from his shirt.
“Maybe not.” He pressed his nose into my hair. “Regardless, I’m going to.”
“Why are you so stubborn?” I playfully pulled away and shoved him in mock-disapproval.
“Learned from the best.” He reached for my hand again. “Come on, I want to give you a tour.”
Our weekend getaway had two bedrooms, a roaring fireplace, a fully stocked fridge, and a hot tub with a mountain view. The place was beautifully decorated, covered in browns, greens, and reds. Shag carpets felt like sinking into a layer of velvet. After a walk-through, David let me stay inside while he grabbed our bags. It hit me then: I was away on a trip with a guy I could barely stomach being in the same room with for more than an hour at the beginning of this year. And now, watching him go back and forth between the car and the house to bring in all my luggage had me fantasizing about spending years to come in plenty of vacation homes with him. And eventually, some permanent place where we could argue over furniture, wallpaper, and couch placement. I wanted towear any and every jersey of his team, and come home to him after a long day at work, just to vent about how much my feet hurt and how exhausted my bones were.
“All good?” David closed the door, untangling his scarf and running a hand through his hair to brush off the lingering snow.
I nodded, heart skipping from holding onto all these wishful imaginings and realizing they could come true. I trusted David enough to believe every one of my dreams could come true. “What should we do first?”
“Whatever you want,” he permitted with a shrug.
“Hot tub?”
“Already trying to undress, I see,” he teased.
“I am.” I smiled. “It was a long drive. And you’ve been ordering me around all day. Why did you think I kept readjusting?”
“You serious?” His jaw tightened at the thought of me turned on and ready for him.
“This time,” I warned. “Don’t think it’ll always work.”
“This time is enough for me.” He shed his jacket and nudged his chin toward the hot tub. “Lead the way.”
I laughed and did what I was told…. this time.
35
The magnolias were in bloom,so Rose and Ren wanted to have the rehearsal dinner in our parents' backyard. The colors were orange, pink, and white. And the day shone brightly enough to burn away the remaining cold of winter. David and I arrived early enough that most of my family hadn’t made it out to the backyard. My mom and Rose were the only ones buzzing around the tables, making sure the people hired to help set each table with the right amount of flowers and name cards.
“People from town will be here,” David reminded me in a whisper. We stopped at the garden entryway, taking in the painting before committing to being in it.
“And?” I straightened his perfectly straight pink tie just to have an excuse to touch him. The white button-down and black slacks he wore were tailored to perfection thanks to yours truly. He’d protested the bill, but I presented a counter-offer of letting me ride shotgun all semester, and he folded.
“We’ll be official.” He looked down at me. “No take-backs.”
“I can’t change my mind after one measly wedding rehearsal dinner?” I raised an eyebrow in mock-horror.
“No, you can’t; those are the rules,” he joked.
“Well, in that case…” I kissed him. “Full steam ahead.”
“But seriously.” David brushed his thumb lightly across my jaw. “When they see us together, we’re cemented in this story. Before now, we could have been a rumor. But after this, when we become small town official, anytime you go to the corner store, and they’ll ask you how I’m doing.”
“Sounds like my kind of story.”
