Page 45 of More Than a Blind Date

Aunt Tandy wraps me in a hug. “The guys tried to get you over here. But then they called me, and I texted Rose.” She pats my cheek. “She’s a gem, Dallas. I hope you know that.”

I know. And almost daily, I try not to think about it.

Within seconds, Rose and I are separated. She’s catching up with the wives, and I’m loading a plate with desserts as I chat with the guys.

Clint walks up, the new ranch hand with him. “Dallas, this is Carson Blake.”

I balance my plate on one hand and extend my other. “Hey there. I’m glad they found someone. You from around here?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not. But I like it so far.” He points across the room at a boy about Mason’s age. “I recently took custody of my nephew, and he’s super excited about living on a ranch.”

“And I imagine Mason is thrilled about it too.”

“I'm really happy about that. And these desserts.” Carson pats his stomach. “I’ll have to work extra hard to burn calories. The food is incredible. And I’m going to refill my dessert plate. It was great to meet you.”

“The food is always good. Nice to meet you too.”

Clint tips his head, motioning me toward the corner. So I carry my plate and follow him to where Beau is standing.

“This is nice. Thank you.” I’m hoping no one gets mushy because the mortar in my walls is more like porridge when Rose is around.

Beau crosses his arms. “You’ll be missed. And you better not be a stranger.”

“I won’t be.”

“This surprise was Beau’s idea. I wanted to get a card and have everyone write out their feelings.” Clint flashes a half smile.

“Talking about feelings is bad enough. Never ever write them down.” I laugh.

He pats my shoulder. “We’ll see you at Thanksgiving. You are coming, right?”

“I think that’s Clint’s way of saying it isn’t optional. But Tandy is probably doing something with Matthew’s crew. Let Ava know what’s going on. Maybe she can find a time that works for both,” Beau says.

I’m ahead of the game on this one. “Already handled it. Rose and I will be here. Wouldn’t miss it.”

Beau looks over at Rose, then back to me. “You’ll invite us to the wedding, right? She seems like a great girl. You deserve nothing less.”

My head bobs, but I don’t say anything. I can’t make myself lie to Clint and Beau. And Rose deserves way more than someone like me. But that would only be something to trouble myself about if the relationship were real.

It’s fake.

But my feelings are very real. And I’m getting worse at hiding them.

CHAPTER 19

ROSE

My phone has buzzed three times, and I’ve used Thanksgiving dinner as an excuse not to even glance at the screen. But my plate is empty, and now we’re all sitting here laughing while members of Matthew’s family share stories.

I’m not sure how I’ll have room in my belly for a second meal today, but if dinner at the ranch is anything like the dinner with Tandy and Matthew, I’d show up and just sip tea.

Matthew’s family has been wonderful and welcoming. A few of them are people I’ve seen around town. As I’m making these new friends, I try not to think about how things will change—or if they will—after the pretending is over. Will Tandy want me to move? I can’t expect Dallas to keep subsidizing my rent.

This is an inconvenient time to ponder those questions, so I pack up the thoughts and tuck them back in my worry chest. Normally, I wait for bedtime to think about what will happen. But this Thanksgiving has been so different than what I’m used to, and I’ll miss not being a part of it next year.

Dallas drapes an arm around my chair. “Have you looked to see who keeps calling?”

“I should in case it’s an emergency.” I slip the phone out of my pocket. “It’s Sage.” Since this isn’t at all what I expected, I spring up from the table. “I need to call him.”

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