Page 86 of Sundown Somewhere

“Perfect! Now, I know Willa sent it all over, but should it go back…”

Rick’s voice fades into the background, his words jumbling together, turning into a monotone mess of nothing in my ear. Hell, he could be an entire three-ring circus right now and still not have any of my attention. Not when I’m staring at an actual angel.

Dolly steps around her Jeep, letting the train of her dress drag though the grass, looking like she stepped straight out of heaven. If I thought she’d looked incredible on her wedding day, she’s even more so now.

“I gotta go,” I mumble into the phone, hanging up without any more of an explanation.

I snap a quick photo while she’s not paying attention, then slide my phone back in my pocket, drinking in everything about her. My mouth waters, my pants tightening as my dick stiffens, unable to control myself. She might have bought that dress for another man, and even as I stand here and want to believe that today she’s wearing it for me, she’s not. She’s wearing it for herself. Which might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

Twisting toward me, she catches my eye, smiling shyly. That’s all the signal I need.

I march over to her, moving as fast as I can without breaking into an all-out run, stopping just short of grabbing her and lifting her into the air. Instead, I take her head in my hands, running my thumb along her cheek, and kiss her. Hard.

Like I’m a soldier who has just returned home from war and hasn’t seen his girl in months, I deepen the kiss, leaning her back slightly. I want to make sure she feels this all the way in her toes. She whimpers, grabbing on to me, wrapping her fingers in my Henley and holding on. The softness of her lips is almost as amazing as the softness of her pressed against me, the two of us losing ourselves in this moment.

A moment that was made for us. Her and me, in this field, getting lost in one another.

My insides ache, wanting more. Wanting to be able to taste her—all of her—and make her fall apart. All while holding her close and keeping her safe. But that’s not what right now is about.

Later though.

Pulling back slowly, I nip at her bottom lip, silently letting her know that I’m only doing it because I have to. Her sigh tells me she knows, sending a thrill right through me.

“You talked to Seth Jennings.”

Dolly furrows her brow, looking at me like I’m a dumbass. “I told you I would.”

Fuck, that sass…

“Rick Babcock just called. They voted again this morning, and it passed. So your little threat worked.”

I yank her impossibly closer, swatting at her backside. Her face lights up, her excitement overflowing.

“Good, it should have passed the first time. Wait, did you think my threat wouldn’t work? And is that what that kiss was for?”

“Didn’t doubt you for a second,” I tell her, kissing her again. This time it’s softer, sweeter. Like I’m greeting her after coming in from the yard. “And that kiss was because you’re magnificent.”

Scrunching her face, she wiggles out of my arms, tugging up the dress. Her boobs jiggle, sending a zing through me. I’m about to start a countdown until I can take that thing off of her.

Click!

We both turn, finding Meredith standing there, camera lifted to her face, snapping away. I’d almost forgotten why we were even here. The camera clicks again, Meredith focused in on Dolly as she adjusts her dress, and I wonder how long she’s been standing there. How much she captured. I hadn’t intended for that kiss to be a part of it, but I’m not going to be sad to have that memory either.

“You two ready?”

“Dolly, this is all about you,” I say.

“My biggest question is what to do first. Climb a tree or roll down the hill?”

I laugh, loving that her mind immediately went to climbing a tree in a wedding dress. It’s not exactly the getting up to no good that we did as kids, but considering the price tag on that thing, it’s a bold move.

The unanimous vote is to climb a tree, so we set off toward the creek on the back part of the parcel that is lined with live oaks. We stop along the way, Meredith giving Dolly directions on how to pose, capturing her in the beautiful sunlight. I hang back as much as I can, letting the two of them do their thing. Other than the initial boost into the tree, Dolly does everything on her own, maneuvering around everything, even in that massive amount of tulle.

Two hours later, muddy, grass-stained, and ripped, Dolly’s dress is without a doubt trashed. Her spirit, though, is the exact opposite. Laughter fills the warm spring air, her bright smile giving off more heat than the sunshine. Everything about her is absolutely glowing. I don’t know that I have ever seen her this happy. Ever.

That’s saying something.

“There’s just one last thing I want to do, if that’s okay?” she asks Meredith.