Page 27 of Fall for You
“Dallas is sticking around for a while,” Bailey gritted out.
Drew, at least, seemed pleased, a broad smile taking over his face when he slung his arm around Bailey’s shoulders. “Oh yeah?”
Bailey shot her boyfriend a look, but his smile was still warm and friendly. “For how long?”
“Uh, not totally sure yet. Just…needed a break from the office.”
“Cool, cool.” Drew punched his shoulder. “Glad to have you on board, man. Always nice to have more helping hands around this place.” Now it was his turn to give Bailey a look. “Right, babe?”
Bailey nodded, her lips straining into a tight smile that looked as though it hurt. “Right.”
Dallas stared at her in surprise. Wow. She just gave in without a fight. That was a first.
“Is this…atruce?” He stressed the word, making it sound like some kind of crazy, foreign concept.
Bailey’s lips twitched. “Don’t get your hopes up, Cowboy. But—” Another look passed between her and Drew. “We do have a crazier-than-usual month coming up, so…”
“Really? Isn’t this offseason?”
Bailey nodded. “Technically, yes. But between a Halloween party, the town’s Fall Festival, and Margot Colbert’s wedding next month…”
She blew out her cheeks, and everything about her said—overwhelmed. He might have teased her about biting off more than she could chew if his brain hadn’t gotten caught on the wedding part.
The last name was enough to call up the image that had been haunting him for the last two days. Big brown eyes, full lips…
Regret ate at him when he recalled the way she’d flinched. At the tired look in her eyes before it had switched to anger.
Had he been a jerk?
He winced as Ronnie’s words about him following in his dad’s footsteps came back to him.
It still rankled, days later. But it didn’t make him feel any better about the way he’d teased her when she was clearly stressed about something…
Bailey and Drew had started talking shop and were heading out the way they’d come in.
“Hey, wait. Did you know Ronnie’s back?” Dallas called after his sister.
Bailey spun, her eyes lighting with pleasure. “She is? I knew she was coming back for the wedding, but I didn’t know she was here already.” Turning to Drew, she bounced on her toes with a grin that made her boyfriend disgustingly smitten. “Oh my gosh, I have to call her. Do you mind if I?—”
“Go, go!” He shooed her away with a laugh, following not far behind.
Dallas watched them both disappear through the doorway, lost in thought.
So Ronnie had come home for her sister’s wedding—but she was too preoccupied to tell her childhood bestie?
He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, frowning at the empty doorway, his mind darting back and forth between what Ronnie had said that day and the look he’d seen on her face when he’d first spotted her.
It was almost a relief when the sight of Willow darting by in the hallway caught his attention. He heard the side door open and close.
“Where’s she off to?” He was already moving to follow her before the words were out of his mouth.
Chapter Eleven
Willow breathed in the fresh air with a grin.
She let her shoulders sink as she shook off the crazy morning. She’d never been one to hate on Mondays, but this morning she’d been feeling it.
After a busy weekend, this morning was more chaotic than usual as they’d fed the guests and ushered them out the door. But breakfast was over, and she’d worked like a speed demon to make sure lunch was all prepped.
