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I’d first seen Dean at Pollard over six months ago and pegged him as the man who had everything. I thought he was rich, blindingly attractive, charming, and probably never had to slow down for a speed bump in his life. But Dean’s life hadn’t been perfect. I saw that now, and seeing the man he was despite the things he’d been through only made me appreciate him more. It also made me wonder if the women he’d been with had ever stopped to see that in him. Maybe they only used him like a shiny toy they could take for a spin and leave behind when the maintenance got to be too taxing.
It all broke my heart, especially when I saw that smile and the recognition in his eyes at my dad’s words.
Maybe Dean would never be mine. Maybe he never should be. But I made myself a silent vow that if he ever was, I’d take care of him. I’d help him to fill that hole in his heart and I’d let him see what it was like to be part of a family with me.
28
DEAN
The Spot was filled with a quiet hum of conversation and the distant clatter of kitchen noise. Pearl sat across from me in a green dress I recognized from our first night together in Asheville. She looked absolutely amazing, and I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes off her.
“What?” she asked with a shy smile.
“Sorry,” I said. “You look nice in that dress. It’s the one from the hotel, right? The one I picked out?”
“Mhm,” she said. Her cheeks started to flush red.
I couldn’t help myself from asking. I knew I shouldn’t, but the words just came out. “Did you stick with my complete suite of recommendations from that night?” I asked. “Or did you go rogue in the panty department?”
“Well, there’s a washing machine and dryer here. So I cleaned all my stuff our first night.”
I waited, eyebrows raised.
“And those panties just happened to be next in the rotation.”
I felt my cock go instantly hard. Bad idea, Dean. I was just telling myself how I was ready to be Mr. Fucking Noble and let the girl go because it was best for her. Hard cocks and questions about little pink thongs were not the correct path to that decision. I might as well go take a tour of a donut shop right after promising myself to go on a diet.
But would one last fuck really be the worst thing in the world? We’d already crossed that bridge, after all. What difference would one more visit make? It could be like that last, ceremonial bite of a sweet before you swore them off for the summer.
“This food is really good,” Pearl said, changing the subject, which was for the best. “I could even read the entire menu. Bonus points.”
“It is,” I agreed. “I can see why they needed us to make a reservation. Harper is amazing.”
Pearl gave me a look. “Harper is, or her food is?”
I laughed. “Is that jealousy? It looks cute on you.”
She folded her arms.
I laughed again at the look on her face. This was not a woman to cross, and that was partly what made her so damn irresistible. “Her food is amazing. I’ve only got eyes for one woman in Fairhope, and I’m sitting across from her.”
“That’s better,” she said, smirking as she took a bite of her steak. “You’re full of shit, but at least the correct words are coming out of your mouth.”
“When I pretend, I don’t play around. You really are the only woman I’m thinking about.”
She looked down, smiling and not seeming to know what to say. I saved her the embarrassment by changing the subject again.
“How was the wedding dress thing?” I asked.
“Boring. Lizzie kept talking about her cleavage. How was the fishing trip?”
“Really nice, actually. I learned all the stereotypes about people from Alabama aren’t completely false.”
Pearl covered a smile. “Don’t let those two give Alabama a bad name. It’s a beautiful state. We’ve visited several times. My cousins are just… unique. They’re also from a really remote small town in the mountains. They hardly ever get out.”
I held up my palms. “No judgment here. I like those guys. They’re hilarious.”
“They are. Just make sure you don’t ever let on to them that you’re not treating me right. They can be super sweet unless they think someone isn’t treating their family well.”
“Yeah, I gathered that from our conversation at the bonfire.” I took a sip of my wine, sitting back and taking in the scene. I could see the mountains from the window with the silvery moon and stars behind. “It feels like this whole thing is going by so fast.”
“I know,” Pearl said. “Before, I thought I would want to get this all over with. Weddings have never really been my favorite thing. I know some girls want a picture perfect wedding. Something like what Lizzie has here. I’ve always just wanted a backyard wedding. Private with no guests. Just me and the groom.” She smiled and laughed at herself. “At least, that’s what I used to want before I decided I might never have that future. Maybe I’ll just get a bunch of cats.”
