Not Quite Forever (Not Quite #4)(25)
Author: Catherine Bybee

“I didn’t plan that,” Walt said against her hair.

She giggled. “Yet you had a condom in your wallet.”

His chest moved with a quiet laugh. “OK. I hoped . . . wanted.”

“We’re both adults, attracted, and spending the weekend together. I think we both hoped and wanted.”

“I like your honesty, Dakota. So many women play games, pretend they want something they don’t or—”

“I don’t like games.” She looked into his eyes, noticed them darken, and his smile fell before he kissed her.

When they broke apart, she rested against him again. “For the record, I’ve been on the pill since high school. In case your supply of condoms ended up in the lake with my shoe.”

He laughed. “My phone is toast.”

“You started it.”

“Doesn’t work well up here anyway.”

“Trying to convince yourself it’s OK you killed your phone?”

“You killed it.”

“Good excuse to get a new one.”

He agreed with a sigh. “I hate to say this, but—”

“We should probably shower . . .” she finished his sentence.

He nodded. “Before someone comes looking for us.”

“Your parents will come down here?”

“Probably not. But when my sister and her husband get here, Brenda will be dying to meet you.”

Dakota glanced around the room, noticed their clothes everywhere. Probably not the best first impression to make.

Pushing back the blanket, she rolled out of bed, felt Walt’s eyes on her as she moved to the bathroom.

Chapter Nine

Brenda showed up while Walt was in the shower.

When Dakota opened the door, she thought she was looking at JoAnne’s younger sister. Both women had elegant lines in their faces with high cheekbones and bright eyes . . . only Brenda’s eyes had one thing in spades that JoAnne’s didn’t. Kindness.

“You must be Brenda,” Dakota said as she kicked the wet clothes from the front door, hoping Brenda didn’t notice.

Brenda looked behind her, probably searching for her brother. “Uhm, yeah . . .”

“Walt is in the shower.”

Brenda’s eyes traveled to the floor where standing water tickled Dakota’s bare toes.

“We, ah . . . accidently fell in the lake.”

Walt’s sister had dimples.

“I’m Dakota.”

Brenda shook her hand, laughed. “Fell?”

“I might have pushed him.”

They both laughed. “Knowing my brother, he probably deserved it.”

“He did.” Looked like Dakota had a friend among the Eddy family.

The sound of the water turning off caught both their attentions. “Larry suggested we wait until you both emerged, but I thought I’d catch you before you returned to the house.”

“Oh?”

“Looks like Mom has invited a few people over tonight for a preparty dinner. I wanted to warn Walt.”

“You’re staying in the guesthouse, right?”

“We are.”

“Then why don’t we join you there before going to the main house, and you can warn Walt then.”

Brenda nodded. “Sounds good. It’s nice meeting you, Dakota.”

Walt held her hand as they walked to the guesthouse. The path along the lake was edged in stone, but clear of view from the main house.

“Brenda looks a lot like your mom.”

“Don’t hold that against her,” Walt said.

“Your mom is beautiful. Cold . . . but beautiful.”

Walt didn’t seem convinced. “I warned you.”

He had . . . many times.

They reached the guesthouse and the door opened before they could knock.

Unlike with his father, Walt gave a genuine hug to his brother-in-law and held his sister in an extended hug. “I’ve missed you.”

Dakota watched the exchange and marveled at the contrast between the couple. Larry was nearly an inch shorter than Brenda, and at least twenty pounds overweight. The match was so unlikely Dakota thought she might be misreading things. That was until Walt introduced Larry as Brenda’s husband.

The two of them stood by each other’s side and Larry’s hand fell to Brenda’s hip.

“I brought an old friend,” Larry said as he left his wife’s side and moved to the kitchen.

Dakota watched as Larry removed a bottle of Crown Royal and pulled two glasses from the cupboard.

“Dear God, don’t leave me out of that!” Dakota called from the living room.

Larry lifted a brow, and grabbed an extra glass.

“Wine, hon?” Larry asked.

“Is the pope Catholic?”

Dakota laughed and Brenda cringed. “Oh, shit, you’re not Catholic . . . I mean, it’s OK if you are . . .”

“I’m not. It’s OK . . . funny.”

“Our parents have that effect on both of us.” Walt took one of the glasses filled with two fingers of whiskey and handed it to Dakota. His eyes caught hers and he winked.

Her body heated even before she tipped back the glass and let the liquor warm her throat.

“Not that I’m ungrateful,” Walt started, “but why are we having predinner drinks here?”

Brenda wore a summer dress, casual and elegant, her sandy blonde hair shoved up in a messy bun that looked sloppy but Dakota knew better.

Brenda tucked her feet under her when she sat on a sofa and sipped her wine. “Mom invited the Phelps . . . all of them, for dinner.”

From Walt’s long gulp, she knew the information wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “Lily?”

Brenda squeezed both eyes together with a nod.

“Who’s Lily?” Dakota asked.

“I took her to junior formal,” Walt told her. “As in high school.”

“Mom’s trying to help rekindle an old flame,” Brenda said with a laugh.

“Formal was a favor . . . not a flame,” Walt said. He sat on the arm of the chair beside Dakota.

“Does Lily have a thing for you?”

“God, I hope not!”

Brenda laughed. Her husband chuckled alongside her. “Lily still lives at home with her parents, moved back after college.”

Walt leaned back, played with Dakota’s hair. “Anyone else coming that I need to know about?”

“I know a few people who said they’d come, but I don’t know everyone who RSVP’d.”

Dakota listened while Brenda spouted off several names, some of which resulted in groans from Walt’s lips. “It’s so much easier in California where I don’t know anyone.”