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Chapter Twenty-One
By the time Dale got home, his head was reeling. But he still had the stupid grin on his face as he dropped his bag and sat on his bed. The smile that had started while Zoe’s mom was telling him what to do.
He fell backwards. Why women had to make things so complicated he had no idea. He loved Zoe. He’d told her. But apparently that hadn’t been enough. Surely if he told a woman he loved her, she would know what he wanted?
His phone rang. Without lifting his head, he answered. It was Don.
“Hear your trip to Hermanus didn’t go so well,” Don said, not quite succeeding in hiding his laughter. He’d obviously heard about the whole thing from his mother-in-law.
“Did you know?” Dale asked. “With Caitlin. Did you know to ask?”
Don laughed. “It took me a heartbeat to know what I wanted. If it’s the right woman, you don’t want anything less. Hang on, Caitlin wants to talk to you too.”
“I tried to tell you,” Caitlin scolded, but he could hear the smile in her voice.
“Well, hell. I knew what I was going to do. But I didn’t know I had to spell out every single bloody thing.”
“We women are strange that way. We need to know things. Exactly.” Caitlin giggled. “But you’ll learn. And Dale?”
“Yeah?”
“I didn’t mean it when I said I don’t like you. I do.”
Still smiling, Dale put down the phone after Don had insisted on speaking to him again. He wanted to give him some more pointers, as he’d called it.
Tomorrow was going to be a crazy day. There was still some groveling to be done among all the other things. But for now, he was happy to lie here knowing he had a chance to get the girl. The one who’d touched his soul.
*
Her mother andDana chatted nonstop all the way from Hermanus. Zoe had opted to sit in the back of the car. The frantic workings in her brain had finally calmed down. She had to talk to Dale. He did say he loved her. She was hanging on to the thought for dear life. The how and the when weren’t quite clear at this point, but she’d figure it out.
“Isn’t it a beautiful day?” Her mother sighed as they rounded the last corner over Sir Lowrys Pass. Stretched out before them was the breathtaking view of False Bay. Today, the sea was a deep, clear blue.
“Beautiful.” She and Dana sighed.
“So, Dana, have you heard from David Cavallo again?” Zoe’s mother asked.
Dana gasped. “Why would you think that?” she asked, clearly flabbergasted.
“Mother, really!” Zoe called out from behind. “Sorry, Dana, it’s because you’re like a sister to us. So, to Mom you’re another daughter, that’s why she feels entitled to interfere in your life.”
Her mother gigged. “Dana is part of the family, she doesn’t mind. I saw the way he danced with you at Caitlin and Don’s wedding.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“He used to be a journalist. You know how I feel about those. And anyway, I… we…” Dana stuttered.
Zoe groaned out loud. “Mother, seriously. Dana, just ignore her. I thought she’d stopped playing matchmaker after Caitlin got married. But no such luck. She’s busy with me as well.”
Dana laughed and looked at Zoe’s mother. “Tell me?”
“Please don’t get her going,” Zoe pleaded from behind them, but her mother just ignored her.
“Dale told her he loved her. And she loves him.”
Dana whipped around to face Zoe. “What? Does Caitlin know? When are you getting married? Why hasn’t anyone told me yet? When did this happen, for crying out loud!”
“Zoe is still dissecting the whole thing to death,” Zoe’s mother teased.
Dana touched her hand. “You scared?”
