Page 85 of More Than a Good Friend

She squeezes my hand. “I hope your move goes well.”

“It’ll be great.” He scans the room, and his gaze settles on Regina. “I think I’m going to ask a pretty lady to dance. Wish me luck.”

Once he’s out of earshot, Goldie looks up at me. “He should be fine, right?”

“How far away is he moving?”

Laughing, she rolls her eyes. “Point made. I’m being weird. Who knows? Maybe they’ll hit it off.”

I drape an arm around Goldie’s shoulders. “You wouldn’t hear me complain if Regina moved to Tennessee.”

When we stroll up to the table where Grayson, Daisy, Parker, and Bluebonnet are sitting, Daisy squeals and claps.

A grinning Bluebonnet hugs Parker’s arm. “I figured after y’all left the festival that you were somewhere talking things out.”

“Talking?” That one word earns me a big laugh.

We spend the next few minutes recapping our day, leaving out a few details. Not everyone wants to hear about kissing.

The band starts up, and Goldie springs out of her chair. “Dance with me.”

“She’s already telling me what to do.” I make a show of rolling my eyes, but then I dance my eyebrows. “Isn’t it awesome?”

Couples fill the floor, and her body is pressed to mine as we dance to a slow song. With Goldie, I’m doing everything differently than I usually do. I’ve already told her I love her, which isn’t exactly taking things slowly, but I’ve never said that to any woman except my mom and grandmothers. But that’s a whole different kind of love.

What I want for us is long-lasting, not a hot fiery passion that burns out quickly. I want us to be like when a spark lights a pile of manure. It takes ages to get that fire out. It just burns and burns.

I want us to be like that except without the stink.

When we get back to the table, Mason is bouncing up and down, a wide grin on his face. “It worked!”

“You gave me good advice, and I appreciate it.” I lean in closer and pretend to whisper. “I think Goldie is happy about it too.”

He shakes my hand, a smaller and bubblier version of his dad. “Are you going to get married?”

The band has just gone silent, and it feels like all eyes are on us.

“We only just got to the kissing part, so we’ll have to see.”

Nodding, he gives us a thumbs-up. “Cool. I bet you will get married. That’s what happens when people love each other.”

Before he runs off, I ask, “What about you?”

He shakes his head. “I’m way too young to get married.”

Then he’s gone again, and we’re all laughing.

* * *

Stretchedout in the bed of my truck, we stare up at the stars. The fireworks ended over an hour ago, but neither of us are ready to call it a night.

I roll to my side and prop my head on my hand. “At that birthday party, your dad asked me if I wanted to marry you. And I know that technically this is our first date, so I’m not proposing right now. But I do want you to know that’s where I see this going. And not just because Mason mentioned it.”

She blinks, moonlight reflecting in her dark eyes. “I want that too.Eventually.”

“Yeah. And how worried should I be about your mom? Do I need to leave the country temporarily when you tell her we’re dating? Admittedly, I am a tiny bit worried about her reaction to all this.”

Goldie laughs. “Dag, she was content to set me up with a guy whose mom cuts his steak so that he can eat it with a spoon. She might do backflips when she hears you utter the word marriage.”

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