In other words, another pretentious restaurant. “I’d better tell my foster parents about our ‘relationship’ before our second date. The more time they have to get used to it before I announce we’re engaged, the better chance of them buying it. I can’t spring an engagement on them.”
He nodded. “You’ll also have to formally introduce me to them at some point. It might help if they see us together, looking happy and stable.”
“I hate that I’ll be lying to them. Won’t you hate that you’ll be lying to people?”
“No.”
I blinked. “Just no?”
He shrugged.
“I know your relationship with Travis is strained, but I got the impression that you get along well with Kent.”
“I do.”
“But you’re fine with lying to him?”
“My personal life isn’t his business. Why I choose to get married isn’t his business.”
Since just thinking about the wedding had the potential to give me indigestion, I changed the subject. “I take it you don’t want me to dress as your PA on our second date either.”
A phone pinged. He fished his cell out of his pocket. “No, I don’t,” he replied, his eyes on the phone screen as his thumbs tapped it like crazy. “Wear another fuck-me dress.”
I sighed. “It’s not a fuck-me dress.”
Chapter Four
Lifting her mug of coffee from the round patio table, Melinda blinked at me. “You’re dating Dane? Dane as in your boss Dane?”
The rusty wrought-iron patio chair creaked as I squirmed a little in my seat. “Yes.” I usually found it relaxing to sit in my foster parents’ backyard and listen to the sound of wood snapping in the firepit. Today? Not so much. Because I had to lie to them. I knew they’d be disappointed in me for being so unprofessional as to get involved with my boss, but I couldn’t tell them the truth.
I took a swig from my beer bottle, bracing myself for a “that’s not smart, you could jeopardize your job” lecture. I wouldn’t go on the defensive. Nope. Their concern would be well-warranted.
As if the dog sensed my tension, Ranger padded over to me. I stroked his short, coarse fur, becoming more and more uncomfortable as the silence dragged on.
I looked at Melinda just in time to see her shoot Wyatt a smug grin.
“Told you,” she taunted him.
I felt my brow crease. “What?”
Wyatt shrugged. “We’re not stupid, sweetheart. We worked out for ourselves that you two are interested in each other. I mean, you made it clear that he can be hell to work for at times, but you never once told us you were thinking of quitting.”
Melinda nodded. “When you first got the job, you told us not to get too excited; that he’d probably fire you after a week or so. Weeks went by, and you were still there. Those weeks turned into months, and those months turned into years. Unless there’s something I don’t know, he’s never threatened to fire you.”
“I’m good at my job,” I said.
“We don’t doubt that,” Wyatt assured me. “But we know our girl. We know you lose all tact if someone pushes your buttons hard enough. You can’t tell us there were times when you didn’t show him a little attitude.”
Okay, so I’d occasionally flipped him off or called him a rude asshole. But I’d come to learn that Dane wanted to have at least a few people who’d be honest with him; who’d see past the CEO title and not pussyfoot around him. Of course, if I’d ever showed him attitude in the presence of others, he’d have probably fired me on the spot.
“Wyatt said that you and Dane wouldn’t cross the platonic line,” added Melinda. “But I said it would happen eventually. There’s only so long you can fight what you feel for someone. So, who made the first move, you or him?”
I shook my head. “Oh no, I’m not giving you the ins and outs of how it all went down.” I’d tell them as few lies as possible. “But I will say that it’s serious.”
“Serious to you or to both of you?” she asked.
“To both of us.” I rubbed my arm as a cool breeze swept over my skin and rustled the dandelions and long grass. “I know you must be thinking it’s too soon for me to be sure of that—”
“No, sweetie, I’m not,” said Melinda. “You two have spent pretty much every day in each other’s company for the past four years. You might not have been sleeping together, but your relationship probably hasn’t been emotionally platonic for a while now. You’ve had a sort of workplace-partnership for a long time. If you care for each other, I can imagine it feels almost effortless for you to switch to a real partnership.” She squeezed my hand. “I’m happy for you, and I hope it works out.”
And now I felt awful. They were being so understanding and supportive, and I was being a big fat liar.
Standing, Wyatt grabbed some firewood from the pile and tossed it into the pit. “Have you told your dad yet?”
I sighed. “No. I will. I just … I worry he won’t take it well. He doesn’t like change.”
“Your happiness is important to him, though.” Retaking his seat, Wyatt grabbed his beer from the table. “He’ll be pleased for you if he thinks Dane makes you happy.”
“Yes, but if some part of Simon feels threatened or off-balance by my having a man in my life, I might find myself dealing with Deacon.”
“I’ve never come face to face with Deacon—he doesn’t seem interested in talking with me or Melinda. But from the things you’ve told me about him, I don’t believe he would hurt you.”
“He might try to hurt Dane, though.” Deacon in a rage wasn’t pretty. I’d seen him lash out at people and knock them down flat. “Then Simon, Freddie, and Maggie would be upset.”
Melinda let out a long breath. “The situation breaks my heart, you know.”
I nodded. “Yeah, mine, too.”
“Does Dane know about it?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I’ll tell him at some point. It’s just such a hard situation to properly explain. And then questions will follow that won’t be fun to answer.”
Just then, the sound of a door shutting came from inside the house.
“Oh, that’s probably Heather and Junior,” said Melinda. “She called earlier to say she might visit.”
I kept my groan of annoyance to myself. I knew it pained Melinda and Wyatt that Heather and I didn’t see eye to eye. I wished, for their sake, that I could make it happen. But even if too much hadn’t gone on between us, Heather would never be interested in us having a sisterly relationship.
I’d never quite worked out why she hated me so much. Maybe it was simply that all her parents’ attention had been focused on her until I came along. I was the first child they’d fostered, and Heather had made me feel unwelcome from second one.
Okay, that was an understatement. She’d been an epic bitch who’d loved to sneakily bully and terrorize me.
She’d knocked me around, forced dog food in my mouth, bit me hard enough to mark, and pulled a knife on me several times. That wasn’t even the worst of it.