Page 37 of Fall for You
“But you’re not.” A thought struck him. “Wait, are you staying here?”
She frowned. “No. Of course not. I’m staying at home while I’m in town.”
“Right.” And that was definitely not disappointment he was feeling right now. It was relief. “Then what are you doing here?”
“She’s here to visit me.” Bailey’s voice was close. Like, right behind him.
Either his twin had developed mad ninja skills, or he’d been way too distracted by Ronnie.
She came to stand in front of him, right next to Ronnie like they were on the same team.
Because they were. It might have been a minute, but seeing the two of them together like that was so oddly familiar it brought a wave of nostalgic memories.
Bailey planted her hands on her hips. “Why are you being rude to my friend?”
“I wasn’t!”
But his sister was already shaking her head. “You have no right to make Ronnie feel uncomfortable?—”
“How did I?—”
Bailey steamrolled right over him. “If you even think of being unkind to Ronnie?—”
“Unkind?” he echoed. He heard a little huff come from Ronnie and turned to look at her. And then he froze, thoroughly transfixed.
Bailey kept going, but he couldn’t make out her words because he was too busy watching Ronnie’s lips twitch as she tried to fight a smile. Her eyes danced with laughter. At his expense, but that hardly mattered.
Wow. He’d forgotten how pretty she was when she was trying not to be amused.
“Do you hear me?” Bailey wagged a finger in his face. “If you’re going to stay here indefinitely, you have to play by my rules.”
He gave her a look that said loud and clear how unimpressed he was by her lecture. “Or what?”
This got another little snort of amusement from Ronnie, and he tucked it away. A tiny victory.
Bailey shoved his shoulder. “Or I’ll tell Dad that you’re playing hooky, hardly working at all.”
He frowned. “Hey.”
Bailey smirked, crossing her arms with a gleam in her eye and brashly taunting him. “Unless this is how you work even when you’re in the office? All rolling in late and falling asleep during meetings.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she suddenly made a face. “Ugh. You stink.”
Another muffled laugh from Ronnie.
He turned to her with an arched brow. “Hence why I’m heading to the showers.”
Ronnie pressed her lips together, but her eyes still danced.
“Then go get in the shower already. We’re not stopping you.” Bailey tugged on Ronnie’s arm. “Come on, Ronnie. I’ll show you Willow’s little greenhouse now. We need to get you away from this stench before you keel over.”
Dallas gave an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. As they walked away, he turned to go into the bathroom, but right before he entered, he looked back…
And found that Ronnie was watching him walk away.
He grinned and gave her a wink that had her whipping back around. But it was too late. He’d caught her staring.
And he was definitely going to chalk that up as another little victory.
Chapter Sixteen
