Page 53 of More Than a Blind Date

She drops down next to me and hands over a medium-sized box with a small box in matching paper on top. “I got you two things. One is just kind of silly. And I hope you like the other.”

I tear open the small one, then toss the paper. Floofy runs after it. Inside is a keychain with a teddy bear on it.

“That’s the silly one, but when I saw it, I thought of you.” She twists her hands into a knot. “You’re kind of hard to shop for. And I wanted to get you something meaningful.”

I throw the paper on top of Floofy, who is now pouncing on any shred he finds, then open the box. “You made me a book?”

“Tandy helped me connect with people at the ranch. It has pictures of you over the years, and I think I managed to include photos of you with everyone.” Her voice wavers.

I flip through the pages, hoping and praying there is one of Rose in here. And I find it on the last page. It’s a photo of us dancing at Anderson’s wedding. Rose is in that blue dress.

I’ve gone too long without saying anything, but I’m too choked up to speak.

“On the next page, I had everyone write you a note and sign it.” She touches my arm. “Do you like it?”

After setting the book aside, I slide my hand around the back of her neck and pull her to my lips. Rose shifts into my lap, and when her fingers find the back of my neck, I sigh. I feel loved in ways I didn’t know were possible.

But because I can’t tell her how I feel—not yet—I say something really close. “I absolutely love it. It’s the most incredible gift I’ve received in a long time. Maybe ever.” Then I kiss her again before handing her the small jewelry-sized box. “This is for you.”

She carefully opens one end of the paper, then tears away the rest. After she lifts the lid, tears brim in her eyes as she stares at the charm bracelet. “Dallas!”

“I started it off with a few. A rose, of course, a black kitty, and a flip-flop because that was a contributing factor the night we met.” I’ve thought a lot about the timing of that night. If she’d come in while the other guy was still around, things could’ve been so different. I can credit my happiness to a blown-out flip-flop.

She fingers the fourth charm on the bracelet. “Brave. You got me a charm that says Brave.”

“Because you are.”

CHAPTER 23

ROSE

Daphne points at a deep red. “What about this color? It has a subtle sparkle to it.” With her dark hair and olive skin, she looks striking with that color on her nails.

“That’s really pretty. I’m thinking about going with this ice blue one because I know it won’t clash with my bridesmaid dress.” My brother’s wedding is coming up soon, and I want to look amazing. For Dallas.

“Ooh, I like that. And Dallas really seems to like blue.” She laughs and dances her eyebrows. “So what happens after the wedding? Are y’all just going to continue like nothing’s changed or do you think he’ll make some declaration about how he’s fallen for you?”

“I’m not sure. And while all the signals he’s sending make me think we aren’t pretending anymore, I’m afraid to get my hopes up, you know? I guess I’m afraid of jinxing it.”

“I get it. It’s really too bad that all those other cowboys are married. Saying that makes me sound like an awful person. But I just want a guy like that of my own. The way Dallas looks at you makes my heart melt, and he’s not even looking at me.”

Daphne and I have been friends for years. We complement each other. She’s confident, and I’m just discovering my spine.She’s strikingly beautiful with a figure that gets her lots of attention, and I’m the opposite of that. She always has my back, and I so wish I knew someone I could set her up with. The hard part is knowing who she’d like. Daphne has this image of the perfect guy, and she’s turned down a whole lot of dates because the guy doesn’t fit her ideal. And it’s not only because of looks. She claims she’s waiting for a spark.

Until I met Dallas, I thought she was crazy. Now I understand.

“Changing topics, the new location is fully built. All the shelves are in place. But Dad refuses to discuss the opening or who will run the place. I have a bad feeling about it. Mom probably talked him out of letting me run it, and they’re just waiting to tell me until after the wedding.”

“With your shiny new backbone, they’re probably afraid that you’ll say or do something rash at the wedding.”

“I would never do that to Sage and Cara.”

“I know. But we think like normal people. What’s your backup plan?” Daphne pins me with a stare. “Because you need one. I know you love flowers, but your parents will play this game forever. You’ll never win, Rose. I’m tired of seeing you disappointed.”

I swallow. “I’m not sure yet, but I’m working on it.” I rub my face, hoping the pedicure techs aren’t listening too carefully. “I’m going to tell you something that you can’t tell anyone else.”

She lifts an eyebrow. “You’re scaring me, Rose.”

“The house I’m living in belongs to Dallas’s aunt. And when I looked at the place, I told Dallas I couldn’t move in because I knew the rent was too much for my budget.”

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