Loving Dallas(47)

And now she’s leaving, heading for Nashville while I’m stuck behind in Texas.

“This is a switch,” I say while walking out of her bedroom. “I’m staying home while you run off to the country music capital. Let me know if you decide to cut a record while you’re there.”

“I’ll do that. Have you seen my keys?”

“I think they were on the kitchen counter last night.”

“Thanks. Stay as long as you like but maybe put some pants on because Katie could come home at any time.” Robyn leans down and places a chaste kiss on my lips.

“I’m right behind you. I need to check in with Dixie, let her know to be watching for a royalty check, and try to stop by and see Gavin at work since he can’t make the show tonight.”

“Okay,” she says, her voice trailing out of the room as she continues the search for her keys.

“Everything okay, babe?” I ask once I’m dressed and Robyn has her keys in hand. “You late?”

“What?” Her eyes go so wide I feel like I’ve said something wrong, but I have no idea what it could be.

“You’re rushing around like a crazy person when you generally live by a tight and color-coded schedule. I was just wondering if you were running behind or something.”

“Oh.” Robyn breathes an audible sigh of relief. “No. I’m fine. Just a little stressed about this party. It’s a lot to plan in a short amount of time.”

“Got it. Well, if anyone can pull it off, it’s you.”

“Thanks.” She smiles at me but she’s still behaving kind of strangely.

I lean in for a kiss and she lets me steal one, but then she pulls back. “You know, I was thinking.”

I can already feel the kiss of death coming on our arrangement. “Highly overrated, thinking. I don’t recommend it.”

“I’m serious. We said we’d keep this discreet, so at the party, maybe let’s just each do our thing. You mingle with your fans and I’ll focus on keeping everything running smoothly. Both of my bosses will be there so it might be in our best interest to just—”

“Pretend we don’t know each other?” I don’t mean to sound pissed, but when I said discreet I didn’t exactly mean hiding, either.

“No. I don’t mean that. That would be weird. Just no PDA at work functions. You tell anyone who asks that you’re single and focusing on your career and I’ll do the same. Like you did on the Ricky Ray show.”

“Heard that, did you?”

She nods, but there’s no judgment.

“You ashamed of me, Breeland?”

She rolls her eyes, but I’m only half-kidding.

“Don’t be silly, Dallas. Of course not. You know how proud I am of you. I just don’t want to get in your way at your party and I don’t want my bosses to suspect something inappropriate is going on and start asking questions. Technically they could fire me for this.”

“But then after the party we can get inappropriate, right? Say midnightish? My hotel room?”

“You’re incorrigible, Dallas Lark.”

“You’re fickle, Robyn Breeland.”

“Hey, that’s not true,” she says, placing a hand on her hip and jutting it out so I can’t walk past her. “Take that back, jerk.”

“Come on, woman. Last night you practically devoured me whole. Today you’re all distance and no PDA and making rules about what’s appropriate and what’s not.”

“I’m not trying to be coy or fickle or whatever. I’m doing you a favor.”

I nod. “Uh-huh. Well, for the record, I prefer the kind of favors you did me last night versus this rules-and-boundaries brand of favors.”

She shoves at my chest.

“I meant the massage. Why? What favor did you think I was referring to?”

“Check yourself before you wreck yourself, Lark,” she teases. Thankfully she lets me kiss her smart mouth once more before she heads out the door. “For real, though,” she begins again once I’ve walked her to her car, a cute sporty black Jetta I didn’t even know she owned. Fits her. Sleek, sophisticated, and petite enough to be called adorable. “I don’t want to cramp your style, Superstar.”

She’s mocking Mandy but I don’t blame her. I mock Mandy in my head all the time.

“You never cramp my style, Red,” I say, using Jase’s nickname for her just because he bugs me.

“Okay then, bad choice of words. I don’t want to hold you back or weigh you down. Lots of people are going to want a piece of you at this party, Dallas, and some of them it will benefit you to get to know. So I’m going to hang back behind the scenes where I belong and let you do your thing.”

“Whatever you say, babe.” I reach for her hand and pull her toward my truck. “I’ll drive you to the airport so you don’t have to pay for long-term parking.”

“You sure?”

“Yep. Hop in.”

When we get to the airport I can only walk her to the security gate. We stop and she gives me a quick hug. “See you in a week. Have a great show tonight. Make sure my mom doesn’t run off with Jase Wade.”

“Will do,” I promise. “And hey, about what you said, about holding me back or weighing me down?”