Page 110 of One Night Only
“Never thought I’d bring a woman home, that’s for damn sure.”
I look up at him, taking in his faraway grin.
“Actually, I wanna show you something.” He moves, jumping up and pulling me with him as he leads the way out of the living room to the foyer. “Turn around.”
Confused, I turn, and I’m suddenly encased in a big, puffyjacket that smells like him and feels like a hug from a cloud. I turn back to find him shrugging on a puffer vest, shoving his socked feet into a pair of boots, and grabbing my hand.
“Where are we going?” I ask, concerned because I only have my Uggs on.
“I’ve got you,” is all he says, opening the front door and leading me out.
The night is cool, but it’s a different kind of cool than I’m used to. It’s dry, crisp, and refreshing—nothing like the night air in New York.
I follow Dallas down the porch steps and out into the front yard, curious as he leads me farther away from the house and out into the dead of night.
“I’m not going to lie,” I say. “I’m kind of scared…”
“Scared?” Dallas laughs.
“I’ve seenTexas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Dallas snorts, but I’m only half joking, glancing warily around at the shadows hiding in the darkness.
“I’ll protect you, Goldie.” Dallas pulls me close.
We keep walking down a dirt path for a few minutes, stopping by a fence. Dallas ducks down and climbs between the slats, holding his hand out for me, but I just gape at him.
“What the hell are we doing?”
“I told you, I wanna show you something.”
“Okay…” I sigh, climbing through the fence. “But just so you know, I’m starting to wonder if this is some ploy, and you’re secretly leading me to Leatherface.”
Dallas laughs again, and I follow him through a field of knee-high grass. But then he stops, turning to me, his hands finding my waist and pulling me flush against him. I look up at him, meeting his eyes that seem to glow in the dark, and when I see his dimpled smile, my worry dissipates.
“Look up,” he whispers.
Craning my neck back, I look up to the night sky, and that’s when I see it.
“Oh, my God…” I whisper, at a loss for words taking in the spectacular view above us.
The stars look as if they go on forever, shining brightly against the obsidian nothingness of sky. There are big stars. Tiny stars. Clusters of stars that look like diamond dust. There’s no moon to compete with. No city lights to steal their shine. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and I’m rendered breathless.
“Wow… have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” I mutter, in complete and utter awe.
“Never,” is all Dallas says, his voice low and hushed, almost emotional.
I look at him, but instead of the stars, he’s watching me, one corner of his mouth turned up in a small smile, and as we stand here, just looking into one another’s eyes, something shifts between us.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I say after a moment, reaching up and cupping his stubbled jaw. “I love it.”
“I love having you here. My favorite person, in my favorite place.” He closes his eyes, leaning into my touch, smile content.
“Do you think you will move back here?” I ask, his eyes opening at my question. “I mean, like, when hockey is all over,” I add with a casual shrug. But if I’m honest, I’m far from casual right now, because being here, seeing just how much he adores his home, I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t make me question if hockey was over for him tomorrow, would he even consider staying in New York?
Dallas’s gaze flits to mine, his brow furrowing a touch as he studies my face. “I used to think so. I always wanted to come back here, but… I don’t know—” He licks his lips, hesitating a moment as if to contemplate his words as he stares into my eyes. “Everything is different now.”
I smile at him because I know exactly what he’s saying. Or, rather, what he’snotsaying. Because I feel it too. My home is in New York City. I always imagined I’d live there. And die there. But now, looking at Dallas, I’m not so sure anymore.
