Page 90 of Small Town Swoo
“Awesome. I better get back to the kitchen, but Ellie will take care of you. Dash, good to see you.” The two shook hands. “And Ari, give the truck some thought.” He offeredme his hand, and I took it. “I know it’s a big decision, but from what Dash says about you, I bet it will be a success.”
“Thank you,” I said, blushing with pride and pleasure.
As we crossed the stone floor of the lobby and took the stairs down to the tasting room, Dash held my hand. At the bar, he pulled out a stool for me. When I grew a little chilly, he draped his suit coat over my shoulders. It smelled like him.
I wondered if there was anything I wouldn’t do to be the woman he kept warm for the rest of my life.
We got home around eleven, and when Dash pulled up in my driveway, he put the car in park and turned to me. “Are we okay?”
I looked over at him, surprised. “Of course. Why do you ask?”
“You’ve been really quiet on the way home. Almost silent, in fact.”
“Have I?” I thought about it and realized he was right. “Sorry. My mind is just going a mile a minute about a lot of different things.”
He reached over and took my hand. “I’m probably putting too much pressure on you about the truck. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said. The truth was, my silence had less to do with the truck and more to do with handing my heart over to Dashiel Buckley piece by piece.
“I’m not trying to tell you how to run your life.”
“I know you’re not.”
“I just believe in you. I want to help. Andwhen I go back to California, I don’t want you to give up on the idea that you deserve something for yourself.”
“I get it. And I’m grateful to you for everything, but I can’t take your money. I also need my parents to be on board. I know I’m an adult and shouldn’t still worry about their approval, but this isn’t just about me. And I was raised to put family first.”
“You’re a good girl, Sugar.”
I laughed softly, heat blossoming through my chest. “Thanks.”
“And I’m going to shut up about the truck now and tell you something else.”
“What?”
He stroked my hand with his thumb. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said. About how being able to make people feel things is a gift.”
“And you’ve got it,” I said quietly. “You should share it.”
“I want to. I’m going to work on digging a little deeper, even if it hurts. Even if it feels like exposing too much of myself. I want to do what Delphine said and take down the walls.”
“Good.”
“Can I stay tonight?” He always asked.
“Of course.”
As we walked hand in hand to the front door, I found myself thinking about walls and wondering if I’d be wise to build some.
SEVENTEEN
dash
Thursday morning,I got up early with Ari, kissed her goodbye, and headed home. My dad was in the kitchen having coffee and mentioned he was heading to the gym soon, and I decided to join him. On the ride there, I asked again about his trip to Tennessee and his friend who lived there, but he gave vague answers that didn’t reveal much and kept trying to change the subject. Finally, I decided to be blunt.
“Dad, is the friend you went to visit a woman?”
He shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat. “Yes.”
