Page 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I sat down on a wooden bench just outside the store. After a few seconds, Courtney sat next to me, leaning forward to meet my eyes.

“Everly?” she said, her voice soft.

“Yes,” I said with a sharp breath.

“Are you okay?”

I swallowed hard. “I’m fine. I just didn’t know he was Mason’s dad.”

“I didn’t mention that?”

I shook my head.

“Oh, well, yeah, he is,” she said, taking my hand and pulling me toward the boutique. “He’s a good dad, but he doesn’t visit Mason nearly enough, but I’m not sure why that made you have to sit down.”

“It wasn’t that,” I said, getting to my feet. “I just stood up out of the car too fast.”

“Yeah, that happens to me sometimes, too,” she said, leading me into the store. “All good now?”

I managed a small smile, my legs still feeling a bit unsteady as we walked into the boutique. “I’m fine now, really. I haven’t been sleeping the best.”

“Mason wakes up at least once a night with bad dreams,” she said, shaking her head as she held up a dress. “How about this one?”

I wrinkled my nose.

“I wish things had worked out for Kellan and me. I really do, but he’s always so busy. That man always has something going on,” she said, holding up something pink with ruffles. She put it back without waiting for my response. “Last night, he stopped by in the middle of the night. Scared the hell out of me, too. He asked if he could crash on the couch so he could be there when Mason woke up in the morning. It’s not like I could say no. I want him to see his son and be part of his life. A boy needs his dad, right? Anyway, nothing happened between us. He fell asleep almost instantly.”

I nodded sympathetically, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling spreading through my chest. “I guess this is why you got so upset with me the other day.”

“I mean, yeah, I guess. I wasn’t that upset with you. It’s just more like… um… it just kind of stings. I’ve always thought that I would find a nice man, marry him, and have kids. A nice, happy family living the easy life in the country, and that isn’t at all how things turned out,” Courtney said with a heavy sigh. “Anyway, we shouldn’t talk about this. We’re here to find you a dress!”

“Can I help you ladies find anything?” a sweet woman with thick pink-framed glasses said as she cautiously approached.

“We’re just looking,” I said, quickly, before she had me in the back trying on frilly gowns. Once the woman was gone, I turned to Courtney. “I’m sorry if I said anything that offended you about Kellan. I didn’t know you had history.”

Courtney waved a hand in the air. “It’s fine. We’re good. I know you didn’t.”

“Either way, I didn’t mean to?—”

“Seriously, Everly, we’re good.”

I nodded, letting the subject drop as we continued our search through the racks. The boutique was small but filled with an eclectic mix of dresses — some elegant, some casual, and everything in between. Nothing was really speaking to me, though, and after twenty minutes of browsing, I was about ready to suggest we try somewhere else.

“I think maybe this isn’t the right place,” I said, pushing aside yet another pastel floral print that wasn’t my style.

Then I saw it, tucked between two matronly dresses that someone had probably misplaced — a strappy red silk dress that caught my eye immediately. I pulled it out, holding it up by the hanger. The material cascaded down, stopping at what would definitely be an inch above mid-thigh.

“Hmm, it’s a bit short,” I said, cocking my head.

Courtney’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, you have to try it on. I couldn’t pull off something like that, but with a body like yours? You totally can. It’s perfect. Please, Everly, try it on!”

“I don’t know…” I said, turning it back and forth, eyeing the plunging neckline and thin straps. “It might be a bit much, don’t you think?”

“No, no, no! I think it’s exactly what you’re looking for. He won’t be able to take his eyes off you,” Courtney said, already steering me toward the dressing rooms. “Sometimes the best dress is the one that makes you feel a little nervous.”

The attendant unlocked a room for me, and before I knew it, I was alone with the red dress. I slipped off my jeans and t-shirt, carefully stepping into the silky fabric. It slid over my skin like water, the material cool and light. I adjusted the straps, pulled up the zipper, and turned to face the mirror.

“Oh,” I whispered to my reflection.

It was definitely too short, but it made my tits look amazing and a bit bigger. The dress hugged my curves, and the red was striking against my skin.

“Are you coming out or what?” Courtney called from outside.

“I’m not sure,” I said, biting my lip.

“Come on, it’s just me,” Courtney said.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped out. Courtney’s mouth dropped wide open.

“Holy crap, Everly!” she said, bringing her hand to her mouth.

“Yeah?” I asked, looking at myself in the mirror, and in the slightly brighter lightning. “I don’t know.”

“That dress was made for you!” Courtney said, holding out a pair of matching stilettos. “Try these.”

I slid my feet into the shoes and buckled the little straps at the sides. “Well, at least I won’t look as comically short next to him as I do now.”

“Gosh,” Courtney said, shaking her head. “Absolutely stunning. You could be in a fashion magazine.”

I felt my cheeks flush as I smoothed my hands down the sides of the dress. “You don’t think it’s too much?” I leaned closer, so the saleslady didn’t hear me. “It might be a little too slutty.”

“Nonsense,” Courtney said, waving a hand. “It’s perfect. You look smoking hot. He’ll absolutely fall head over heels in love with you. Honestly, if you don’t buy this, I will literally never speak to you again.”

I turned to check my reflection in the larger mirror outside the dressing room. The dress caught the light as I moved, giving it an almost liquid appearance. Despite my initial hesitation, I couldn’t deny how good it felt to wear something so boldly feminine, so unapologetically sexy.

“I don’t even know where he’s taking me,” I said, a smile spreading across my face.

“I have a guess.”

“Where?” I asked, raising a brow.

A smile curled the corners of Courtney’s mouth. “The bedroom.”

“Courtney!” I said, secretly hoping she was right.

I gave in and bought the dress, along with the heels Courtney had insisted on. The saleslady packaged everything carefully in tissue paper, sliding it into a fancy shopping bag with rope handles. Even though it cost more than I’d planned to spend, the expression on Courtney’s face convinced me it was worth every penny.

At least I still had the money from working at The Timber Tavern that I could put toward the purchase, since Trevor had refused to take anything from me for fixing my car. There wouldn’t be much left, and I’d have to dig into my savings to pay the moving company a second time, but I’d most likely be able to get my job back in the city once I returned.

“Can we stop at the gas station for a snack?” Courtney asked as we climbed into the SUV. “I think I forgot to eat lunch.”

“Sounds good,” I said, my stomach rumbling.

We pulled into the gas station near the highway. Courtney was still talking about the dress as we went inside. While Courtney loaded up on chips and candy, I grabbed a bottle of diet soda and a pre-packaged sandwich on seeded bread.

“I’m going to get this for Mason,” she said, stepping up beside me, holding a little toy truck.

“I thought the candy was for him.”

Courtney rolled her eyes. “Please, he doesn’t need any more sugar. I don’t either, for that matter, but I need to recover from the shopping.”

“It wasn’t that long,” I said, paying for both of our items.

“You don’t have to do that!” Courtney said, pressing her hands together.

“I insist,” I said, handing her a bag filled with her snacks and the toy truck. “It’s my way of thanking you for your help and time.”

She got back into the passenger seat and opened her drink. “You’re really too sweet. Like this candy, I shouldn’t eat.”

I laughed and turned back onto the road. We munched our food and chatted about nothing as we headed back to our part of the countryside. I kept the conversation deliberately light, steering clear of any mention of Kellan. If I were only going to be here a few more days, I didn’t want to waste any more time talking or thinking about Kellan.

When I pulled up to Courtney’s house, I stopped at the end of the driveway instead of going all the way up. “Thanks again for coming with me.”

“Do you want to come in? Say hi to Mason?” she asked, sliding her purse off her shoulder and gripping the plastic bag in her other hand.

“I would, but I need to get back home and start getting ready,” I said, giving her a quick smile.

“Oh, right? Duh,” Courtney said, shaking her head. “Have a really good time, but not too good. Let me know how it goes, okay?”

“I will,” I said, waving.

She closed the door, and I reversed out onto the country road, speeding toward home without another look at her house. I didn’t even watch her walk to the door, afraid I might catch a glimpse of Kellan through a window or coming out on the porch to greet her. The thought of seeing him again made my stomach twist uncomfortably.

Back home, I hung the dress carefully in my closet and headed to the bathroom to shower. The hot water helped wash away some of the tension I was still holding onto, and I took my time shampooing and conditioning my hair until it was silky-soft.

I blow-dried it until it fell in gentle waves to my shoulders and then applied my makeup with more care than usual. A subtle smokey eye, with pink blush and red lipstick that matched the dress almost perfectly. My hands shook as I applied the final touches.

The butterflies in my stomach grew more intense as I slipped into the red dress and stepped into the heels. Looking at myself in the full-length mirror, I barely recognized the woman staring back at me. The dress transformed me, making me look sophisticated and sexy in a way my usual jeans and t-shirts or business attire never could.

It was 7:55 pm when I finished. I paced around my living room, my heels clicking against the hardwood floor as I alternated between checking my phone and adjusting my hair every few seconds. At 7:59 exactly, I heard the low rumble of Ryder’s truck pulling up outside. My heart hammered against my ribs as I took one last look in the mirror, smoothed the dress down over my hips, and took a deep breath.

At precisely 8:00, he knocked at the door — three confident raps.

I walked to the door slowly, trying not to wobble in the heels, and pulled it open.

Ryder stood on my porch looking devastatingly handsome in dark jeans and a crisp button-down shirt, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms. When his eyes landed on me, they widened, and his mouth actually fell open.

He swallowed hard as his eyes traveled slowly from my face down the length of my body and back up again. “Holy shit.”