Page 54 of The Ruse of Romancing
“No, you’re my guest! I made the mess. I can clean it up.” She went to step around me to the sink, but I blocked her path.
“I’ve got this. Go take care of yourself and be thinking about what movie you want to watch. I’ll order takeout and we can have a quiet night in.”
She bit her lip, studying me for a moment. “Are you sure?”
“Positive! Now go.” I gave her a gentle nudge out of the room, and she disappeared down the hall.
I looked around the kitchen one more time, hands on hips as I assessed the situation and tried to determine the best plan of attack. As I took in the dough blob on the counter, I couldn’t helpbut feel an odd sense of warmth. Sure, the attempt had failed spectacularly, but Dani had wanted to make me sourdough. It might be the kindest thing a woman had ever done for me.
And I was lying to her face.
I pushed the thought away, grabbing the washcloth from the sink, and got to work cleaning the kitchen. I’d tell her, just as soon as I found a way to prove to her that, no matter how this all started, I truly cared about her.
I hoped it would be enough. It had to be.
Later that night, Dani and I sat snuggled on the couch watching an old movie she’d dug out from my grandma’s stash of DVDs tucked into the hall closet. She was almost as excited when she found the DVD as she was when she’d realized I was taking her to Powell’s the day before. I might have been offended if it wasn’t so fun to watch her face light up as she talked about the magic ofPillow Talk.
“Doris Day is gorgeous, and Rock Hudson,” here she stopped, shaking her head, “that manknewhow to play a love interest.”
The movie only partially held my attention at first as I took advantage of the opportunity to pull Dani in close, playing with her hair and sneaking occasional kisses.
“You’re distracting me,” she half-heartedly protested as I nuzzled her neck while Rock Hudson’s character attempted to cram himself into a too-small car.
“If you turn your head a little further this way, I can distract you even more,” I said, pressing my lips to her ear.
“Shh! Some of the best parts are coming and you’re going to miss them,” she said, laughing and scooting away from me.
I looped an arm around her waist and pulled her back toward me.
“Fine, I’ll be quiet, but you can’t sit over there. It’s too far away,” I said, resting my arms around her shoulders. I hardly recognized the man I was becoming with Dani in my life. I couldn’t get enough of her: her smiles, her laugher, her touch. And I was terrified I would mess everything up.
With Dani snuggled in close, the movie began to hold my attention, the conclusion rapidly approaching. As I toyed with Dani’s bracelet, an accessory that I had learned was a gift from her cousin Poppy, the plot started hitting a bit close to home. In the movie, Jan Morrow was just finding out the truth about Brad Allen, and my gut clenched as I watched her storm away.
“Would you forgive Brad if you were Jan?” I asked in a whisper, genuinely curious.
“Depends,” Dani said, clearly distracted by the movie she’d told me she’d seen more times than she could count.
“On?” I asked, needing to hear her answer and know if she’d ever forgive a man who lied to her.
“How good of kisser he is, obviously,” she said with a smirk and a knowing smile.
“I’m serious,” I said. I was being ridiculous, but I needed reassurance that I hadn’t ruined my chances with Dani completely.
This relationship had gone beyond the possibility of designing book covers to something more. Forget about my past with Rebecca. Forget about rules surrounding summer flings and dating tourists. I was falling for Dani, and I needed to know if we stood even the smallest chance of this becoming something real.
Seeming to sense my desperation, Dani paused the movie and turned to face me fully.
“You know, I’ve thought about it, and I genuinely don’t know. It’s easy to cheer for Brad and Jan on the screen, when I haveno stake in the game. And I’d like to think that I believe love will win, no matter the circumstances. But I can’t deny I’d be hurt if a guy lied to me this much.” She bit her lip, her forehead scrunched in thought. “I’d probably forgive him eventually. Though he’d have to earn it.”
I opened my mouth to respond, to finally come clean. But the words stuck in my throat.
Instead, I shook my head, mumbling something noncommittal, not ready just yet.
I needed more time. More time to prove to her who I was, regardless of what name she called me. More time to be with her. More time to ease her into the truth.
An idea started to form. Maybe if I could get her away from here, from our easy routine and the familiarity of Cascade Harbor, I could break the news to her, help her see that whether she called me “Allen” or “Mason”, I was the same guy who had come to genuinely care for her.
My grandparents had flown to Utah to visit my mom and brother for a week and had asked me to stop by their place to check on things. What if I took Dani with me to their house? We could get away, go somewhere neutral to talk. I could tell her the truth without the constant risk of someone from town blowing my cover. With my grandparents gone, there was no danger of them showing up or of anything else throwing off my plans with Dani.
