by Joanne Rock
Della’s brows arched. “Too busy to make time for my girl’s work?”
“No. Nothing like that.” She closed her eyes, hating the lies. And would it really matter if she told her mother the truth? Della Thibodeaux didn’t exactly have a history of running to the press with gossip. “He didn’t want me to tell anyone, but the engagement is just for show. I did it to help him.”
Or because he’d put her in a ridiculously awkward position, take your pick.
But she couldn’t regret it after how close they’d grown. The only problem was, now that she’d seen how amazing it was to be with him—even better than she’d ever imagined—she had no idea how she’d ever go back to their old friendship.
“Just for show?” Della folded her arms, leaning into the window frame as she studied her daughter, deep concern in her eyes.
Sunlight spilled in all around her, catching the grays in her dark hair. Her mother was a beautiful woman and so wise, too. Addy couldn’t deny being curious to hear her mother’s opinion on the fake engagement. Would she tell Adelaide she was the most foolish woman ever?
“He announced it in public and made it difficult for me to argue it without humiliating him.”
“Of course you didn’t argue, because you’ve always wanted to make him happy.” She strode closer and put her hands on Adelaide’s shoulders, her heavy silver bracelets settling against Adelaide’s collarbone. “And is it still for show now, after you’ve been living with him for almost two weeks?”
Her cheeks heated, which was silly because she was a grown-up and could live with whomever she wanted.
“I think I’m in love with him,” she admitted, the words torn from her heart, since she knew that level of emotion was not reciprocated.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Her mother opened her arms, gathered her close and squeezed tight. “Of course you do. At least one of you has admitted it.”
Adelaide’s eyes burned. Tears fell as she rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. She didn’t want her mother’s pity for loving a man who didn’t—
Wait. She stopped crying, her mother’s words sinking in.
“What did you say?” Her thoughts caught up with her ears and she pulled back to look into her mom’s hazel eyes, which were lighter than Adelaide’s.
“You heard me.” Della kissed her cheek and stepped back. “You two were meant to be. You just needed the right time to come along. Why do you think he’s thirty-one years old and dating fluff-headed women with more boobs than brains?”
Adelaide choked on a much-needed laugh. “Mom. That’s not fair.”
Even if, in her meaner moments, Adelaide might have been equally unkind in her thoughts. Mostly about Valentina.
“All I mean, daughter dear, is that he has never dated a woman seriously. I think it’s because he’s been waiting for the right woman. He’s been waiting for you, my girl.” She looped her arm around Adelaide’s waist as they headed for the exit and shut off the lights.
Adelaide’s yellow-diamond engagement ring caught the sun’s rays, sending sparkles in every direction.
“That’s such a mom thing to say.” Still, it warmed her heart even if she knew Dempsey far better than her mother. “Does parenting come with a handbook of mom sayings to cheer up dejected daughters?”
She wanted to trust in her mother’s words but she was scared to believe that Dempsey could care about her like that.
“Mothers know.” She tipped her temple to Addy’s, the scent of lemon verbena drifting up from her hair.
“Well, I’m not sure about the engagement or where that’s going, but I’ll tell him about this manufacturing space tonight. The Hurricanes play in Atlanta tomorrow and I’m going with him. After the game, we’ll have some time together to talk and I’ll see what he thinks.” Or she hoped they would have time together.
Last Sunday, after their home opener, they’d had a nice dinner. But Dempsey had seemed distracted this week, ever since his dinner with his brothers. She knew he was worried about his grandfather, but it seemed as if he’d been busy every night since, only falling into bed with her at midnight and sleeping for a few hours.
He also made hot, toe-curling love to her until she couldn’t see straight. She couldn’t complain about that part. But she did wish she had more time with him, since it felt as though the clock was ticking down on their arrangement.
And no matter what her mother said to cheer her, Adelaide had seen no sign from Dempsey that he’d fallen in love.
* * *
“I’m dying to know where you’re taking me.” Adelaide glanced over at Dempsey sitting beside her in the limo he’d booked after the game. “I’ve never known you to be so mysterious.”
When she’d checked into the hotel where the team was staying the night before, the concierge had given her a card from Dempsey, who had on-site duties at the Atlanta stadium when they’d landed. The card had invited her on a date to an undisclosed location after Sunday’s one-o’clock game against Atlanta. A jaw-dropping Versace gown awaited her in their suite, burgundy lace with a plunging neckline that kept everything covered but—wow. The Louboutin sky-high heels that accompanied it were the most exotic footwear she’d ever slid on, the signature red sole dazzling her almost as much as the satin toes with hand-crafted embellishments.
If she looked down her crossed legs now, she could see the pretty toes peeping out from the handkerchief hem of the tulle skirting.
He folded her hand in his, the crisp white collar of his shirt emphasizing his deep tan gained from spending every day on the practice field. “I owed you a date night. You were kind enough to be my date for the Brighter NOLA ball, so it seemed like you ought to have a night that was just for you.”
His Tom Ford tuxedo was obviously custom tailored, since off-the-rack sizes never fit an athlete’s body, and the black fabric skimmed his physique perfectly. The black silk-peaked lapels made her itch to run her hand up and down the material.
Later.
For now she just wanted to know where they were headed. She’d never seen Dempsey race out of a stadium so early. She hadn’t even attended the game, taking her time to dress in the hotel, then taking the limo to the VIP pickup outside the stadium. Traffic had been slow at first, but it wasn’t even six o’clock yet. Almost two hours before sunset.
“I’d be surprised if there are many restaurants out this way,” she observed, peering out the windows as they drove toward Stone Mountain, winding through quieter roads.
It was early yet, but her invitation had mentioned a special “sunset dinner.”
A mysterious smile played around his mouth. A mouth that had brought her such pleasure.
“There’s a surprise first. I hope you’re not too hungry.”
“I think I’m too excited to be hungry.” She felt the first flutter of nerves, because Dempsey looked so serious for a date night.
She wanted to ask him about that. About his grandfather’s health. Maybe that was what had been bothering him all week. But just then, the limo came to a clearing in the trees and a flash of rainbow-colored silk fluttered through the sky.
“How beautiful!” She clutched his arm, pointing to a hot-air balloon being inflated on a nearby field.
At the same moment, the limo slowed and turned into the field, heading right toward the balloon.
She stilled.
“Don’t tell me...” She turned toward him, and saw the first hint of a smile on his face. “Is this the surprise?”
“Only if you’d like it to be.” He squeezed her hand.
She squealed, scarcely able to take her eyes off the huge balloon that looked as if it would burst into flames any moment from the blazing blasts that shot into the bottom, filling it with air. Or helium. Or whatever did that magic trick that made it go from half on the ground to a big ball in the sky.
“Yes!” She risked her lipstick by kissing him through a shocked laugh. “It’s amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Here.” He produced a satin drawstring bag as the car rolled to a stop and their driver came around to open the door. “Better wear these for now and save your pretty shoes for later.”
Opening the sack, she pulled out a pair of silver ballet slippers. Just her size.
“You thought of everything.” She had to have him help her because she fumbled the shoes twice, distracted by the sight of yellow, blue, red and orange silk rising higher just outside the car.
“I would have tried to get us here earlier if I’d known you wanted to see this part.” His warm hands tugged her shoes into place before he helped her out of the car. He reached back in the limo and withdrew a length of fuzzy mohair and cashmere that at first she thought was a blanket, but he unfurled it and laid it around her shoulders. A burgundy-colored pashmina fell around her. “The pilot said it will be cooler once we’re up there.”
A red carpet lined her path from the car door to the balloon basket. While the limo driver exchanged words with the crew that operated the balloon, Adelaide had a moment to catch her breath and take in the full extent of her surprise. Blasts of heat passed her shoulders in rhythmic waves each time the pilot pulled the cord to unleash flames into the air that kept the balloon filled.
“I just can’t believe how huge it is up close.” She’d seen hot-air balloons in the sky before and admired their beauty, but she’d never dreamed of riding in one. “And I can’t imagine what made you think to do this tonight, but I’m so excited I feel...breathless.”
He tucked her close to his side as they walked the carpeted path together. “The best part hasn’t started. I hear it’s incredible to go up in one of these things.”
“You’ve never done this either?” That made it feel all the more special, that she could share a first with him. She felt like a medieval princess, traipsing through the countryside in her designer gown, the layers of handkerchief hem blowing gently against her calves as they walked.
“No. This is just for you, Adelaide.” He stopped as they reached the balloon basket, his eyes serious. Intense.
“Any special occasion?” Curious, she wasn’t sure why he’d put so much effort into a special night for them now.
As much as she wanted to believe that he’d planned a fairy-tale date just to romance her, a cynical part of her couldn’t help but wonder why.
“I’m sorry I put you on the spot when I announced our engagement. Consider this my apology, since that’s not how I should have treated a friend.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
Her heart melted. Just turned to gooey mush. She would have swooned into his arms if the pilot hadn’t turned to them right then and introduced himself.
While the pilot—Jim—went over a few safety precautions and briefly outlined the plan for their hour-long flight, Adelaide stared at Dempsey and felt herself falling faster. She’d tried to keep herself so safe with him, from him. But her mother was right, and this man had always had a piece of her heart. How on earth could she maintain her defenses around a man who bought her a Versace gown to take her on a hot-air balloon ride?
She hadn’t heard any of Jim’s speech by the time Dempsey lifted Adelaide in his arms and set her on her feet inside the basket. He vaulted in behind her, their portion of the basket separated from Jim’s by a waist-high wall. Moments later, the ground crew let go of their tethers and the balloon lifted them into the air so smoothly and silently it felt like magic.
Her heart soared along with the rest of her.
Impulsively, she slid her arms around Dempsey’s waist and tucked her head against his shoulder. He’d said he wanted to apologize for not being a better friend. Could that mean he wanted to be...more?
“Do you like it?” His hand gripped her shoulder through the pashmina, a warm weight connecting them.
They stared out their side of the basket while Jim took care of maneuvering the balloon from his own side. It felt private enough, especially with all the open air around them.
“I love it.” She peered up at him as the world fell away beneath them. “I’ve never had anyone do something so special for me.”
“Good.” He kissed her temple while the limo below them became a toy-size plaything. “Because the past two weeks have been something special for me. I wanted you to know that, even if this engagement got off to an awkward beginning, it’s been...eye-opening.”
She reached for the edge of the basket and gripped it, feeling as though she needed an anchor in a world suddenly off-kilter. What was he saying? Had her mother guessed correctly that Dempsey cared more than she’d realized?
“How so?” Her voice was a thin crack of sound in the cool air, and she tugged the pashmina closer around her. The landscape spread out below them like a patchwork quilt of green squares dotted with gray rocky patches and splashes of blue.
“We make a great team, for one thing.” He turned her toward him, his hands on her shoulders. “You have to know that. And you’ve spent years helping me to be more successful, always giving me far more help than what I could ever pay you for. I want you to know that teamwork goes both ways, and I can help you, too.”
He withdrew a piece of paper from the breast pocket of his tuxedo. It fluttered a little in the breeze as the temperature cooled.
“What is it?” She didn’t take it, afraid it would blow away.
“The deed to the manufacturing facility you looked at with Evan last week.” He tucked the paper into her beaded satin purse that sat on the floor of the balloon basket and straightened.
“You bought it?” She wasn’t sure what to say, since she’d told him she didn’t want this to be a Reynaud enterprise. “You haven’t even seen it. I was going to ask you what you thought when we got back home—”
“I toured it Thursday before practice. It’s a good investment.”
The balloon dipped, jarring her, but no more than his words.
He’d toured it and bought it without speaking to her. She didn’t want to ruin their balloon ride by complaining about what he’d obviously meant as a generous gesture. But she couldn’t help the frustration bubbling up that he hadn’t at least spoken to her about it.
“I hadn’t even run the numbers on the operating costs yet.” She didn’t want to feel tears burning the backs of her eyes. She understood him well enough to know his heart was in the right place. But how could he be friends with her for so long and not understand how important it was for her to make her own decisions regarding her business? “I hadn’t decided for sure yet—”
“You showed me the business plan, remember? I ran the numbers. You can afford the expenses easily now.”
Except she needed to make those decisions, not him. Didn’t he have any faith in her business judgment?
“Perhaps.” She watched an eagle soaring nearby, the sight so incredible, but more difficult to enjoy when her world felt as if it was fracturing. “But I can’t accept a gift—”
“I know you don’t want anything handed to you, Addy, but this is no more of a gift than all the ways you’ve anticipated my every need for years. How many times have you worked more than forty hours in a week without compensation?”
“I’m a salaried employee,” she reminded him, still feeling off balance.
“In a job that you took to help me. Don’t try to make the deed mean more than it does, Adelaide. You’ve worked hard for me and I’m finally in a position to achieve everything I’ve always wanted with the Hurricanes this year. Let me be a small part of your dream, too.”
Some of her defensiveness eased. She had to admit, it was a thoughtful gesture. A generous one, too, even if a bit high-handed. And the way he’d worded it made her feel a teeny bit more entitled to
the gift, even though it far surpassed the monetary value of what she’d done for him. Still, the gift left her feeling a little hollow inside when she’d just convinced herself that he’d taken her on a balloon ride because he’d realized some deeper affection for her.
“Can I think about it before I accept it?” She cleared her throat, trying not to reveal the letdown she felt. The wind whipped a piece of her hair free from her updo, the long strand twining around her neck.
“No. You can sell it if you don’t want to use the facility. But it’s yours, Addy. That’s done.” He reached to sweep aside the hair and tucked it into one of the tiny rhinestone butterflies that held spare strands. “I have one other gift for you, and I want you to really consider it.”
That seriousness in his eyes again. The look that had made her nervous all week. What on earth was on the man’s mind?
When he reached into his breast pocket again, her heart about stopped. He pulled out a ring box.
Her heartbeat stuttered. Her gaze flew back to his.
“Adelaide, these two weeks have shown me how perfect we are together.” He opened the box to reveal a stunningly rare blue garnet set in...of all things...a tiny spoon ring design that replicated the spoon bracelet he’d given her all those years ago when he’d had to forge a gift for her with his own hands.
“Dempsey?” Her fingers trembled as she reached to touch it, hardly daring to believe what she was seeing. What she was hearing.
“It’s not meant to replace your engagement ring. But I wanted to give you something special.”
“I don’t understand.” She shook her head, overwhelmed by the generosity of the gift.
“We’re best friends. We’re even better lovers. And we’re stronger together.” He tugged the ring from the velvet backing for her and slid the box into his pocket. “This ring is my way of asking you to make our engagement a real one. Will you marry me?”
Her emotions tumbled over each other: hope, joy, love and— Wait. Had he even mentioned that part? Of course he must have. She just hadn’t heard it in the same way she’d missed the pilot’s preliftoff speech because she’d been marveling at how perfect a date this was. She hadn’t been paying attention.
