No Love Allowed(30)

Even from a step behind him, Caleb could sense Didi’s barely contained excitement. She squeezed his hand, and he glanced at her from over his shoulder as they walked down the path leading to the barn’s entrance. Like Nathan had told him, the pink of the dress—or rose as his cousin had called it—set off the paleness of her skin. Her hair, sans paintbrushes, moved as she did, framing a face he had wanted to kiss since she’d come out of her room ready to attend their second event of the summer.

Looking at her was like stepping into a patch of spring sunlight after the harshest winter. Without thinking, he brought the hand he held to his lips and planted a kiss on its back. The move coaxed a gasp out of her. She blushed prettily for him. Just for him.

At the door to the barn, he handed their invitation to a waiting attendant. She nodded them in, not bothering to check the validity of the invite. Didi pulled on his arm, and he slowed his pace and bent down so her mouth came to his ear.

“I knew that face of yours was all the invitation we’d need,” she whispered.

The touch of her breath caused heat to climb his neck. He opened his mouth to reply, but Didi was already pulling him forward. The wide space featured a wooden dance floor at the center, stacks of hay bales for seating and makeshift tables, and a sprawling bar spanning one wall. Cowboys moved among the crowd, balancing wooden trays filled with finger food. For those who wanted heartier selections, several checkered-tablecloth-covered tables featured quite a spread of cornbread, an assortment of barbecues, and a bakery’s worth of pies.

“Who’s that hot piece of cowboy standing with Nathan?” She pointed toward one end of the barn by a stack of hay bales.

A scowl tightened all the muscles in his face as he followed the length of her arm to the direction of her fingertip. Before he could answer, she was already pulling him again. This time toward his cousin.

“Nate, who’s your friend?” she asked, not bothering with hellos. Letting go of Caleb’s hand and leaving him feeling empty, she shifted her weight to her toes when she stopped in front of Preston. “Your eyes remind me of those old Sprite bottles. I found one at a flea market once. I think it’s still lying around somewhere in my room.”

Nathan’s chuckle caught her attention. “Diana Alexander, let me introduce you to Preston Grant. He’s a childhood friend of mine and Caleb’s. Pres, this is Didi.”

“Can I paint you naked?” she asked, unabashed, looking up at him. Nathan’s chuckles became full-blown laughter. She hiked her thumb at Caleb. His scowl deepened. “This one’s too shy.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Didi,” Preston said. He seemed unperturbed by her request. The bastard.

She danced to Nathan’s side and leaned in conspiratorially, not taking her eyes away from Preston. “Between you and me,” she whispered loud enough for Caleb and the object of her fascination to hear, “just how far does his tan go?”

That had done it. The words came out of his mouth without thinking. “If you’re going to paint someone naked, it will be me.” With impatience running through his veins, he laced their fingers together and tugged. “Come on.”

“It was nice meeting you, Preston,” she called back, allowing herself to be pulled away.

Caleb gritted his teeth through the shared laughter that followed his retreat.

“There are twinkle lights on the roof beams!” Didi shifted the topic so fast he had to check for whiplash. “And there’s line dancing! Can we dance, Caleb? Can we?”

“Yes.” He nodded. Her excitement was infectious, making him forget what he had been annoyed about. She had a frenetic energy surrounding her. For the first time since his mother’s funeral, he might actually enjoy one of these things. “But we need to make the rounds first. Ready to put your girlfriend face on?”

With mock seriousness, she saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

Laughing, he escorted her deeper into the party.

After Didi had navigated the crowd like a pro and played her part with devastating efficiency, Caleb gave Mr. Spencer—an old geezer with more war stories than anyone in Dodge Cove— permission to dance with his girl while he made for the bar with the excuse of needing a drink. His girl. The thought had stunned him enough to stammer his order.

The bartender slid a mug of root beer his way as Didi’s laughter reached his ears.

“I think it’s love,” Nathan said when Caleb joined him at the bar.

“What?” he sputtered, spilling some of his root beer.

“Whoa!” Nathan inched away. “These are suede.”

He set the glass aside and coughed into his fist. The sweetness of the drink stuck to the walls of his throat. “What did you just say?” he wheezed out.

His cousin returned to his side and gestured with his chin at Didi on the dance floor. Somehow she had managed to take the lead in a line dance. “She’s a hit. Half of DoCo society doesn’t know what to do with her, and the other half thinks she’s charming, according to my sources. Dense and self-absorbed as most of them are, they don’t even suspect that she used to serve their food at the club a few weeks ago. Oh, the miracles of a little elbow grease and polish. She cleans up nice, right? And from the looks of things, she paid attention during my makeup and hair lessons. Points for your girl.”

His eyebrows came together. “I don’t see why her working at the country club would be an issue.”