Page 43 of Love at First Flight

It was also possible he’d said it without thinking it through because, on his side, there were those damn reappearing and disappearing bubbles again.

She did her best to brush it off and not read too much into it.

Anyway, the reason I’m texting is Mom’s insisting you join us for dinner this Friday. Obviously, no pressure if you can’t. But if you want the whole experience of her home cooking, you should come.

Yes!

This was quickly followed with another text.

Was that too desperate? Should I have been more aloof?

She laughed again.

It’s okay. We’re kind of used to people reacting that way with her cooking. She uses it to her advantage.

Especially these days. After her father passed away, her mother used her cooking to draw not only her immediate and extended family closer, but to adopt new members into it. If the house was always full, it was easier to ignore the one member who was missing. It might explain why her mother’s interest in cooking and baking only increased in the aftermath and, many times, it completely absorbed her attention.

I mean, the food is a nice perk, but getting to see you is the main attraction for me.

And there it was. He was right back to sending those warm tingles into her chest again.

Chapter Nineteen

When Dex parkedat the Moreno farmhouse, he searched for Selah’s truck, but there wasn’t any sign of it. Checking the time, he realized he was a touch early. He wasn’t sure if he should text her or wait for her or what. He was nervous about this dinner and not sure why.

It didn’t make sense since he’d met the family before and they’d been warm and welcoming. But, then, he’d merely been an acquaintance. Things were different now because he and Selah were... he didn’t know if he could say they were officially together, but he had feelings for her and it was clear she felt something for him. They were in an awkward period of their relationship, sort of a no-man’s-land, each one too nervous to crawl from their respective foxholes and say things out loud. If their previous text exchange was any indication, he hadn’t become courageous enough yet and neither had she.

Dex ran his hand over his newly showered hair and across his jawline. Why hadn’t he shaved? He should have, instead of showing up at Selah’s mom’s house for dinner looking like a slob. Ever since Selah said she liked it, he’d preferred the unshaven lifestyle, as well, but his doubts were creeping in. Knowing his mom’s opinion on the subject increased his anxiety.

Grabbing the bottle of wine Jon had recommended, he got out of his truck and smoothed a hand across his shirt. Was the wine too much? Or would it have been rude to show up empty-handed, especially since Selah’s mom was feeding him? Before he could overthink and change his mind about everything, he knocked on the door.

It swung open and Elena greeted him with a large smile, pulling him in by the arm. “Dexter! It’s good to see you. Girls, Dexter is here!” She fawned over the wine, yanking him into the biggest hug and—He noticed a small clump of dirt on his boots, which he was currently getting all over her floor. His chest seized with a moment of panic.

“Ms. Moreno, let me just take my shoes off, so I don’t—”

“Call me Elena. Don’t worry about it. It’s just dirt. We live on a farm, so we’re used to it. You should have seen all the dirt my Robert used to track inside. Drove me bananas. Now I miss it, so you’re really doing me a favor. I’m so glad you’ve come. Are you hungry?”

Dex had a moment of bitterness sweep over him. He got more from this woman he barely knew than his own parents. He wanted to soak up this family like a sponge.

He wasn’t able to think about it too long before Selah’s sisters came into the room to greet him. Naomi pulled him into a sweet hug. “Hey, Dex. Selah should be here soon. We were out of paper towels, so she just ran to the store for my mom to pick some up.”

“And we’re still waiting for Boone. You remember Boone, right? He helps us at the balloon launch. But come, come, make yourself at home. You can relax until the food is ready. Do you want to sit down?” Elena asked.

She pulled on his arm, leading him into the living room. “Here, you can take Robert’s recliner. It’s very comfortable. He said it was the best napping chair.” Dex allowed himself to be pushed into the chair because it felt rude to resist, but he definitely didn’t feel he deserved to occupy another man’s throne, even if he was no longer around. “Here’s the remote. Feel free to watch whatever you want. I’m sure you can figure it out. It’s Robert’s remote, as I hardly ever watch TV, except sometimes Hailey will put on baking shows for me. There now. Are you okay? Do you want anything to drink? Water or some of the wine you brought?”

“I think I’m okay,” Dex said, somewhat overwhelmed with this level of attention, as he sat stiffly in Robert’s recliner. Although it was hard to feel nervous when someone was bending over backwards to make sure he was comfortable.

“Okay, I’m just going to check on the food. Naomi, can you set the table? Hailey will keep you company until Selah arrives.”

Hailey stood near a darkened staircase. She approached tentatively and took a seat on the couch closest to the recliner, giving him a small smile. “Did you want to watch TV?”

“I’m okay. Thanks.” An awkward quiet descended around them.

Dex took the opportunity to inspect the room. It was a very lived-in, older home, closer in style to his own place. It was different from the bright, minimalist style of his parents’ house. His mom would hate it. There was no way to play it up as farmhouse rustic chic or whatever they called it. It wasn’t dirty, but it was filled with all kinds of knickknacks, mementos, and untamed house plants. The walls were covered in family photos—lots and lots of photos of hot-air balloons, in particularThe Blue Wonder. Dex assumed the older man featured in many of the pictures was Robert. Sometimes other members of the family were with him, but many featured Selah and Robert.

He was an older white guy with windswept salt-and-pepper hair and a beard. A chip on one of his front teeth revealed itself when he smiled, giving him a roguish, but fun-loving pirate vibe. Besides the shared love of balloons, Dex didn’t detect any physical resemblance between him and Selah. But her dad always held his daughter close to his side in the pictures, and she glowed with happiness. Dex was glad he knew her now, but there was a part of him wishing he’d known her then too. He wanted the opportunity to know her at every stage of her life.

“Can I talk to you before Selah gets here?” Hailey asked, interrupting his thoughts.

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