Page 19 of Finding the One (River Rain #7)

Points

Blake

O h God, was I going to do this?

Ugh.

I was going to do it.

I knocked on Davi’s bedroom door.

“Aye?” I heard from the other side.

I opened the door and walked in, only to have Davi shoot a beaming smile at me while she shrugged on a cardigan.

“I’m leaving Mum and Ned to their whiskies tonight and coming up early to spend hours in that tub,” she announced. “I’m rubbish with that kind of thing. I’m thinking of redoing my bathroom at home. Do ye think you’d have time to help?”

Startled, for a second, I didn’t know what to say.

“I ken you’re probably busy,” she went on.

I was never busy.

But, wait.

I was.

I was always busy.

How was I always busy?

And how had I not noticed I was always busy?

“So forget I said anything,” Davi finished.

“I’d love to help. I love doing things like that,” I told her.

Her face lit up. “Really?”

I nodded.

“That would be pure dead brilliant,” Davi gushed.

“And it’d be my pleasure,” I replied.

Davi’s brows knit. “I thought ye were going out with Dair about now?”

“I am,” I told her. “He just knocked on my door and told me he’s ready when I was. But, I…could you…” I took in a breath. “Okay, I know I’m going out on a date with your brother, so this might be a strange thing for me to ask, but do you think my outfit is okay?”

I was wearing high-waisted, parchment-white trousers that fit snug at the ass, hips and upper thighs but had a wide leg.

I topped this with a sleeveless, high neck, soft super-faded denim top that was blousy and gathered at the waist and had a bit of a crop, so it showed a hint of skin at the midriff.

High, wedge espadrilles on my feet. Hair down in beachy waves. Makeup two steps up from casual day, three down from nighttime drama. Gold hoops, a bangle, a thick ring with a big white, oblong stone in the center on the middle finger of my left hand. And a camel, Dior saddlebag as my purse.

Davi’s eyes grew huge as she stared at me.

“I’m used to going out in New York,” I explained.

And not with hot, ex-professional rugby players who kissed like a dream and saw a me I did not see.

“Blake, ye always look great,” Davi said. “Tonight, perfect for a mountain-town date with my big brother.”

“Sure?” I asked.

Something moved over her face, and she came to me.

Slinging an arm around my shoulders, she led me to the door, saying, “I need a drink, and ye need to let my brother drink ye in wearing that outfit. You look perfect and he’s not going to be able to keep his hands off ye.”

“We have a lot to talk about before any of that,” I noted awkwardly.

She stopped us in the hall. “Ye ken your ex was the wanker to beat all wankers, except for maybe my father.”

“Uh, yeah, I ken that,” I replied.

She grinned.

But it didn’t last long.

“I was at that wedding-not-wedding, Blake. I was proud of you, even if it wasn’t my place to be.

It gutted me all the same. That said, ye were always snooty, like your mother, but ye could be funny.

After that happened, ye found yourself, and I won’t give that wanker the credit, but he sure led you to the right path.

Dair was once-bitten, a thousand times shy.

I haven’t seen him this into a woman since Signe.

And we all know his dick was more into her, literally and figuratively, than his brain was. ”

I let out a startled laugh at her brutal honesty.

I also thought about the woman I’d met briefly at their wedding, and had disliked intensely, and I did that immediately. She was crass and obvious. And the way she took so much time to arrange her hair, body and expression anytime a camera was anywhere near her gave me a sinking feeling.

“You found you, be that you,” Davi went on. And now I got a saucy grin from her. “Dair obviously likes it.”

This was very true.

He obviously did.

I wasn’t sure how or why, but he did.

I nodded.

She guided me downstairs in my own house.

And when we hit the living room and Dair turned to me, the look on his face…

Oh yes.

He liked me.

My nerves instantly settled (but other parts of me came alert).

He walked my way, his eyes roaming all over me, but when he took my hand, they rose to mine.

“Ready?” he asked.

Was I?

That kiss said yes.

His speech about my cake said yes.

The way his eyes just roamed all over me also said yes.

My head screamed no.

But my mouth said, “I’m ready.”

Dair turned us to the living room where Dad and Kenna were sitting on the sofa, enjoying a cocktail, and Davi was at the bar mixing herself one.

“Don’t be out too late, kids,” Davi bid.

“Enjoy yourselves,” Kenna said.

I looked to Dad. “Dinner is?—”

He didn’t move an inch, except his mouth. “Darling, I’ve read your detailed instructions. I can heat up an oven and put a lasagna in it.”

“Ooo we’re having lasagna?” Davi asked excitedly.

That day, while I helped Chloe at the shop, then came home and cooked, Davi and Kenna spent the day in Jerome, thus she didn’t know the evening’s menu.

“The garlic bread—” I began.

“Go,” Dad urged.

Dair tugged my hand.

Time to go.

I went with him.

He guided me down the steps, opened the car door, helped me in, then closed it.

Okay.

Good kisser.

Add one (a big one, so big, it was more like ten).

Loved my cooking, showed it and thought it worthwhile.

That was two.

Didn’t get turned off when I was being snotty, which happened a lot.

And we were at three.

Didn’t bolt when I threw a strawberry, or I yelled at my father.

Now four.

Didn’t paint me with the same brush as my mother after that crazy scene at the wedding, and the fallout.

Up to five.

Opened my car door for me.

And six.

Boy, he sure was racking up the points.

We were on our way before he broke the silence. “Have a good day?”

“Yes,” I said formally. “You?”

“Not sure your father is best pleased with me considering I walloped him at golf.”

Oh dear.

“Dad’s particularly proud of his golf game.”

“I bought the drinks after.”

“Well then.” I didn’t know what else to say.

I knew nothing about golf. I wanted to know nothing about golf. Except Dad liked to play it and he took every opportunity to improve his game.

“Lasagna?” he asked, his tone lightly teasing.

“Dad grills. That’s all he does. Someone had to feed your family.”

“My mum cooks and there’s a town full of restaurants,” he pointed out.

“Your mum needs to chill.”

“She needs things to do to keep her occupied.”

I twisted in my seat to look at him. “Sometimes it’s better to think things through, Dair.”

“She can think and do at the same time, lass,” he returned. “But she’s always been a busy person. Even during holidays, she’d find reasons to bustle about. It’s her safe space.”

“Oh.”

“If she wants, let her cook tomorrow for our last night.”

Their last night.

Why did that sting?

I sat forward and mumbled, “Of course.”

He drove for a while before he asked, “Hear from your superhero friends?”

“Yes. They don’t mess around. Mission complete. Apparently, Mum’s already gone. But they checked anyway and sent pictures. All is in order.”

“That’s good, lassie,” he murmured.

It was.

Actually, it was a huge relief.

“Do ye ken where your mum went?” he asked.

“No, I don’t know. I also don’t care. Just as long as she’s leaving Alex and Rix alone.”

“How long are they gone?”

“They’ll be home the Sunday after next.”

“Good long honeymoon, then,” he muttered.

“Yes,” I confirmed.

There was small talk the rest of the way into town, mostly about how we spent our days, and Dair found a precious parking place close to the popular restaurant.

I picked Farm Provisions, and I was surprised he could get a reservation at such short notice, because it was so popular. Maybe it was because it was a weeknight. Maybe it was because of his deep voice and accent, and the person who took the booking was gay or a female.

What it wasn’t, was romantic.

Then again, I hadn’t had any reason to scout romantic restaurants in Prescott.

But it was delicious food, locally sourced with a busy, bustling vibe that I enjoyed.

And it was bustling, so how Dair scored a table inside was a miracle.

We sat. We ordered drinks. We perused the menu. We ordered food.

As the server was leaving, Dair turned a serious face to me.

Damn.

Here we go.

But he led into it sweet. “We have a lot to talk about, baby.”

I cleared my throat and asked, “Like what?”

“We can start with what you said to me at the rehearsal dinner.”

So much had happened since then, I didn’t remember what I said.

Then it hit me.

Shit.

“You were kind of a jerk to me growing up, Dair,” I pointed out.

“You were a prissy wee miss, Blake. As a young lad, it’s a moral imperative to be a jerk to a prissy wee miss.”

For a second, I sat stunned.

Then I busted out laughing.

I only stopped when Dair rumbled, “Jesus Christ.”

He was staring at me like…

Like…

I didn’t know.

But it felt great.

So I asked, “What?”

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. But when you laugh, I see a wee bit of that little girl I knew, except she isn’t unhappy like she was always unhappy.”

I was utterly shocked he thought I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

I was not unaware of what I looked like. I knew I was attractive.

But he’d dated models and actresses (and, I’d noted, had one particularly long stint with a pop star).

It was the “always unhappy” thing that freaked me.

“I wasn’t always unhappy,” I denied.

“Lass, I think we can validate and set aside the fact your mum was a shit mum.”

“Yes,” I agreed, because…obviously.

“So ye won’t be taking any offense when I note she was a horrible mum to you girls.”

“She didn’t attempt to hide it,” I confirmed.

“No. She didnae. If ye were up at our place, Alex would tramp out and do her own thing. But it’d take forever for Mum to get you settled in. Then you’d be in the kitchen with her, making stews or pies. But I think that was the only time ye seemed really happy.”

God, I’d forgotten about cooking with Kenna. The last time we’d done that was so long ago.