Page 58 of Silver-Tongued Devil
Blake was shaking hands all around, and Melody and Ingrid were smiling those insincere mean-girl smiles. Melody said, “You lookfantastic,Dakota. I almost didn’t recognize you. What a gorgeous dress. It really shows off your figure.”
“Thank you,” Dakota said, feeling as fake as a three-dollar bill and about as welcome. “Yours is beautiful, too.” It was a deep blue jersey knit with a low, draped front, and Melody was wearing a gold necklace and small diamond studs in her ears. All of her, in fact, looked rich and gorgeous and like the real thing.
“I wish I had your skin,” Ingrid said, giving a flick to her perfectly straight, naturally platinum hair, then taking a ladylike sip at her wine. “I bet you hardly have to wear makeup. You’re so exotic, you can get away with it.”
“That’s all the Indian in her, honey,” Steve said. He reached out a hand for Dakota’s, and before she realized what he was doing, leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She stiffened, and then she felt Blake’s arm coming around her waist, pulling her back even as Steve stepped back himself. Steve went on, “You gotta love the melting pot, don’t you, Orbison, when it turns out like that?”
Blake’s arm tightened around Dakota. “Not sure what you’re talking about,” he said levelly. “If you’re saying that Dakota’s beautiful, I’ve already noticed that and told her so. But then, that’s because she’s my date. Where I come from, you don’t talk about a lady’s looks in front of her. That’s not how we do it down South. Guess I’m not used to Idaho manners yet.”
The very air seemed to still, like the moments before a summer cloudburst. Then Bill Sawyer, Steve’s father, said, with a smile on his lips but his eyes cold as chips of blue ice, “You got one thing right. You don’t know everything about Idaho yet. Or maybe you just don’t know everything about Wild Horse. You might want to look around before you leap. I’m sure a man who’s done that well in business knows to do his research before he makes an investment.”
Dakota could feel Blake stiffen even through her own tension. She’d never know what he would have said, though, because Don got there first. “Isn’t that the truth, Bill. And I’m sure glad Blakediddo all that research. The resort’s looking better than anything Coeur d’Alene has to offer, far as I’m concerned, and it isn’t even open yet. Exclusive, and that’s what you want. Everything’s more valuable when it’s harder to get. Candy found Blake about the best house on the lake, too, and he was smart enough to snap that sucker up. Because that whistling sound you hear?” He spiraled a dramatic finger skyward. “That’s the air resistance from all our property values shooting straight through the roof. Before you know it, I’m going to be losing my head from the excitement and getting wild and crazy with Beth’s inheritance. Good thing I’ve got Michelle to keep me from getting too carried away.”
“HowisBeth?” Melody asked. “I’ve always looked up to her so much. So pretty, and so smart, too. She was always such a lady even in high school, wasn’t she, Ingrid? That’s the kind of person I admire.”
“She’s great,” Don said. “Just great. Up for partner at her firm next year, in fact. Works too hard, of course, but then, don’t we all? I’m going to steal Blake and Dakota away, though. Got some more people out here I want him to meet.”
With that, he slapped a hand on Blake’s shoulder and was ushering them outside onto the deck. Dakota wanted to make an excuse and run to the bathroom, check her appearance, and maybe hide out for a few minutes. Or the entire evening. On the other hand, she didn’t want to give Melody and Ingrid the satisfaction. She wasn’t even going to think about Steve.
For the next fifteen minutes, she smiled and sipped her wine and answered when somebody addressed her, and Blake’s hand barely left her waist. He talked about the Devils’ chances for next season, listened to a long critique of the team’s offensive line as if he were getting new information, and generally acted like he was having a good time. And eventually, when Dakota felt like her face had frozen solid, Blake said, “I’m going to check out the view. I see a fishing spot that’s calling my name. Come on, Dakota.” And she went with him with a gratitude she wouldn’t have though possible.
When they were standing, elbows on the deck railing, looking out across the water toward Blake’s house on the opposite shoreline, he asked quietly, “You OK?”
“Oh. Sure.” Her wine was gone, unfortunately. It hadn’t helped much anyway. “I hope dinner’s not too much longer, though.”
“Yeah. Cocktail hour can be a killer.” Michelle was heading their way, and Blake took Dakota’s elbow and said, “Come on. Over here.” He led her around the corner, to an alcove in the jigsaw pattern that was the Schaefer deck, and said, “I reallyshouldhave done more research about where I invested, except that I suppose you get rotten apples in every barrel.”
“Even in football teams, I hear,” she said. “This isn’t anything new. Don’t worry about me.”
“You’re plenty tough. Not the first time I’ve noticed that.”
He was looking at her too closely, and she wished she could be confident that her expression wasn’t slipping. She lifted her chin and said, “Maybe so. It’s all that Indian in me.”
He smiled, but he didn’t look happy. Which was when they heard the voices.
“Oh. My.God.I can’tbelievehe brought her. It’s like a slap in your face.” The voice belonged to a young woman, and Dakota could already guess who.
“Iknow,”another voice said. “I’m so mad at Steve right now, too. He knows how much I hate to even see her face. And to see him kissing her like that, it’s like it’s happening all over again. Did you see how she looked when he said that about the Indian, though?”
Ingrid’s giggle was answered by Melody, who said, “IwarnedBlake about her. That’s what gets me. Men can be so stupid. I guess it’s like Bill said, right? You do your research before making an investment, except sometimes, when you have money to throw away. You know, you go to Nordstrom for the investment pieces, but you buy the trashy stuff at Target. You’ll use it once and toss it, but it was cute, and who cares if it gets stained?”
Ingrid gasped, then giggled again. “You are sobad,Melody. I swear. And I know I should just get over it, but when I see her dressing up like that, sticking her butt out like she does, and I see Steve ready to go after it again…”
“Well,” Melody said, “if you won’t give it up… some girls do.”
Another gasp, and Dakota realized her fists were clenched, her nails digging into her palms. Nails she’d had manicured just for tonight in nude polish that she’d hoped would send the same tasteful message as her dress. A message she was never, ever going to get across in Wild Horse. The hot blood had risen to her head, and she was breathing hard. Wanting to be anywhere but here. Wanting to erase the past twenty minutes, to rewind the clock and have told Blake instead, “Oh, sorry, I’m busy Friday. How about Saturday?” It would have been the easiest thing in the world. A thing that Melody Farnsworth and Ingrid Sawyer had been born knowing, and that Dakota never seemed to learn.
She hadn’t dared to look at Blake. Now, though, he was moving. Not away from the homecoming queen and her princess, the head cheerleader and her minion, but toward them. Straight around the corner of the building.
Dakota followed him. Well, she had to. He was holding her hand.
The expressions on Melody and Ingrid’s faces as Blake nearly charged into them were nearly comical to behold. Identical O’s of surprise on painted mouths, false eyelashes making their eyes look even rounder.
“Oh, excuse me,” Blake said. “I was looking for some ladies.” His voice didn’t have one bit of its usual warmth, and when Dakota looked at his face, it was cold. Hard.Game face,she thought, and shivered. Out of embarrassment, and anger, and too many other things.
“For who?” Melody asked, clearly confused.
“Somebody told me,” Blake said, “that there’d be ladies here. But I seem to have brought the only one. Do you kiss your mama with that mouth?”
