Coop chuckled. “Yeah. The Sparks girls are good at that. So you got an end game?”
Porter nodded. “You know I do.”
“How long are you going to wait before you pop the question?” Coop asked.
“I haven’t even sprung the L word on her yet. Addie’s a little trigger shy with me. Doesn’t seem to believe I’m serious when I tell her I want to be with her.”
Coop leaned back in his chair, nodding slowly as if considering that. “Guess you can’t blame her. You’ve held tight to that bachelor status for forty-two years.”
“Yeah. There also seems to be a fair amount of talk among the local ladies about my reputation as Maris’ one-night-stand king.”
Coop laughed. “Oh, I’ve heard all about that. I happen to be married to the Queen of Gossip.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not helping me plead my case. Sometimes it feels like she’s waiting for me to come to my senses and move on. Not sure how to prove to her I’m serious.”
“Tell her what you just told me. Tell her you love her. Tell her your plans for the future.”
“You don’t think that’ll scare her away? We’ve only been going out a few weeks.”
Coop shrugged nonchalantly. “Adele and Macie are similar souls. I think they both appreciate straight-shooting, and I don’t think either of them spooks easy. Plus, I’ve seen the way Adele’s been looking at you tonight. That girl’s more than halfway to head over heels for you already.”
Porter smiled. “You think so?”
Coop nodded, but before they could continue the conversation, Porter felt a tap on the shoulder and heard a female voice.
“Happy holidays, cowboy.”
Adele laughed as Macie tried to do some sexy dance moves, shaking her ass in time with the music. It wasn’t the moves that were funny as much as a pregnant Macie trying to look hot in a black top that said “Jingle Belly” over her stomach.
“So…how are things going with you and Porter?” Macie asked, speaking loud enough to be heard over the music.
After Porter outed them at the restaurant to her dad, Adele had fielded calls from Macie, as well as her cousins, Jeannette, Sydney, Lacy, and Paige, all curious about her newfound love life.
Adele had tried to play it cool because she didn’t want to look like an idiot, falling for a confirmed bachelor if things went south. Of course, she figured she’d fallen off the cool boat at least a week ago because there was no denying she had it bad for Porter and she was walking around with her heart on her sleeve.
“They’re going great. Like unbelievably good. It’s sort of freaking me out.”
Macie’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would that freak you out?”
“Because it’s Porter. What if…this is just a fluke? What if—?”
She didn’t finish because Macie was already rolling her eyes so hard, they were in danger of sticking. “Jaysus, Adele. Stop getting in your own way. So what if Porter played the field in the past? He never lied to any of the women he slept with, never gave them false hope or played them for fools. He’s always been honest and up front about what he wants. So why do you think he’s suddenly a liar just because he’s saying something different to you?”
Adele didn’t have an answer to that. Mainly because…
“Damn,” she said. “That helps.”
Macie grinned. “Must be all the soon-to-be mommy hormones flowing through my body. I’m getting wise.”
Adele snorted, then glanced over to the table where they’d left the guys. She frowned when she saw a pretty blonde woman she didn’t recognize tap Porter on the shoulder. He stood up, his smile wide, as he picked the woman up and spun her around. It was clear he was delighted to see her and that—whoever she was—she and Porter were very close.
“Who is that woman?” Adele asked, drawing Macie’s attention to Porter.
Macie stopped dancing, studying the woman’s face. “I don’t know. She looks kind of familiar, but I can’t place her.”
Once Porter stopped spinning the woman, she playfully smacked his shoulder before resting her hand on his forearm, the two of them leaning close to talk.
Adele recalled her response to Betsi’s flirting and how Porter said he wanted her to stake a claim, to make sure the other women in town knew she was his girlfriend. If it had been Betsi talking to Porter right now, Adele wouldn’t hesitate to do just that.
But Porter didn’t look like he wanted to be saved from this woman. There was a genuine fondness between them.
“Adele,” Macie said. “I’m sure they’re just friends.”
Adele considered that, then realized her sister was right. And then she comprehended something else. She trusted Porter. Trusted him when he said she was his.
“I’m sure they are,” Adele said easily, enjoying the surprise on Macie’s face that said her sister expected her to either succumb to a jealous rage or run from the room weeping. “Porter said I can trust him and I believe him. He also said I was his. And I believe that too.”
“Hot damn. You and Port. So freaking awesome. You ready for a break?” Macie asked. “I’m dying to know who that woman is. Plus, I feel the need to give my guy a kiss.”
“You’ve been away from him for the sum total of two songs. Is the honeymoon ever going to end?”
Macie shook her head. “Never. And don’t pretend you aren’t just as anxious to get back to the table.”
Adele grinned but admitted nothing. Truth was she couldn’t wait to nuzzle next to Porter. And not because she felt threatened by the other woman but because sometimes it felt like there was an invisible rubber band tying her and Porter together. Whenever they got too far apart, she felt the undeniable tug, the unending desire to be with him.
She and her sister had just made it to the edge of the dance floor when Adele felt someone tap her on the shoulder.
“Hey, beautiful lady. Damn if you aren’t a sight for sore eyes.”
Porter had just invited his cousin, Virginia, to join them, looking toward the dance floor to wave Adele over. He hadn’t seen his favorite cousin in nearly fifteen years and he couldn’t wait for her to meet Adele.
“I must confess, I’m dying to meet this girlfriend of yours,” Virginia said. “Started to give up hope you’d ever find the one to convince you to settle down.”
“Addie is one in a million. You’re gonna love her, Ginny,” Porter said.
He scanned the dance floor again, but Adele was nowhere to be seen. Then he glanced around the room, surprised when he found Macie standing alone near the front entrance. The way she was hovering there without talking to anyone sent up a red flag.
“What’s Macie doing?” Porter asked, pointing her out to Coop, who frowned when he spotted his wife.
“I have no idea.” Coop rose, clearly intent on going over to her, but he stopped short when Betsi sauntered up to their table.
“Hey, Porter. Think I can convince you to take a spin on the dance floor with me tonight?”
Porter sighed. Betsi Brooks had been flirting with him for years even though he’d made it perfectly clear he wasn’t interested. Unfortunately, Adele hadn’t lied about the woman’s mean girl inclinations because, since discovering he and Adele were dating, she’d upped her game, seeking him out way more than usual, determined to cause a rift between him and his girl.