My heart leapt at the sight of Dallas. His dark-brown hair was mussed, there was sawdust on the tee shirt he wore under his leather jacket, and the knees of his jeans had stiff shiny patches that told me he’d been working with varnish and sealant when he’d received Connor’s text.
Nina had apparently escorted Dallas to our corner and she backed away nonchalantly, serving a nearby table. We’d gathered a bit of an audience at first, but people were politely pretending not to stare at the moment.
I was so shocked to see Dallas here that I couldn’t think for a second and when I could think I wondered if I were dreaming the entire thing. In his work attire, he looked so out of place here at the country club and yet so utterly perfect at the same time.
The red-haired hostess, Elizabeth, dashed up, clearly flustered. She squeaked out, “Sir, you need a dinner jacket to be here. We have a few in the back and—”
“No, thank you, ma’am,” he said, nodding to her. “I’m not here for dinner. I’m here for her. A jacket isn’t necessary for what I’m about to do.”
My mouth dropped open. Was he going to haul me out over his shoulder, alpha-male style?
Yes, please.
My brain cleared after I blinked a few times. I watched Dallas stand there, looking from me to my folks and his gaze flicked briefly to Tom, his expression impassive.
Connor grinned and sat back, his eyebrows lifting slightly.
Dallas took a deep breath. “Morgan, I’m sorry to interrupt. But I need to talk with you.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Okay . . .”
The hostess clapped her hands together in prayer position. “But, sir. Wearing a dinner jacket is one of our rules.”
I choked on a mixture of laughter and sobs. “Dallas has never cared much for rules.”
“I think we have one in your size, sir,” she said, wringing her hands together, before she sped off.
“Wine?” Connor lifted a glass in Dallas’s direction, but Dallas shook his head. Connor guffawed, before bringing the glass to his own mouth. “Hope nobody minds if I indulge.”
“What are you doing here, Dallas?” Mom asked, her cold tone slightly confused.
“I’m sorry to barge in on your dinner like this, Mr. and Mrs. Reed.” Dallas raised his palms, his tone apologetic, but firm. “I know you blame me for a lot of things and I get it. I was young and stupid and reckless. I did a lot of things in the past that put your kids at risk.”
I bit my lip, staring at Dallas in awe.
“I’m sorry for those things. I swear to you if I could go back in time and change things, I would. Not just for you or for me, but for Morgan because she’s suffered a lot over the years and I’d give anything to ease that for her.”
Mom looked down, her face turning white. “I think—”
“Please let me finish, ma’am,” he said, stepping closer to the table. “I know you think I’m wrong for Morgan. But, I swear, no one will love and care for your daughter like I will. She could have her pick of good men, but she’s the only right person for me. Every good memory I have is wrapped in her. Every bad decision I made when I was young was to try to get attention because my mom had left and my dad was drunk every day.”
“That’s right!” Tom stood, his face turning so red that his ears glowed. “You weren’t good enough for Morgan then and you’re not good enough for her now. You don’t belong here in this country club and you’re embarrassing this good family.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Dallas glared at him, pointing a finger. “You’re the one who isn’t good enough for her. I don’t care if you have a high-powered job or gazillions of dollars in the bank. Because when it comes down to it none of that matters. What’s important is how you treat the people you love.”
“You say that because you have nothing,” Tom spat out.
“I have Morgan’s best interest at heart. That’s more than I can say for you.”
Dad’s lips compressed as he stood. “You were unfaithful to my daughter while you were dating, Tom? That’s your idea of being good enough for her?”
“Not even close.” Connor coughed into his hand. “Dallas may have changed enough not to deck you right now, Tom. But I can’t say the same about me. It’s time for you to take a hike.”
“I’m not standing for any more of this,” Tom sputtered, looking at each of us incredulously as if he thought we were making a big mistake. But it wasn’t until I wiggled my fingers at him and mouthed, “Buh-bye,” that he finally stormed off.
I stood up then, moving toward Dallas and stopping in front of him. “I can’t believe you came here tonight after everything I said to you by the Falls.”
He lifted my hands. “I love you, Morgan. I always have and I always will. I’m sorry I didn’t keep you from falling in the river the other night.”
My eyes watered. “But you dove in after me and then pulled me out. That’s pretty heroic.”
“It wasn’t enough.” He sucked in a breath, shaking his head. “But I’ll do better to keep you safe from here on out. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Tears slipped down my face. “I can take care of myself.”
“I know,” he said, the corner of his mouth lifting. “It took me a while to be good enough to deserve you, but I’ve always been yours. Always will be.”
I smiled through my tears. “I’ve always been yours, too.”
Mom stood up. “Dallas . . .”
He turned to my mom. “I swear I won’t hurt her, Mrs. Reed. Give me a chance to prove that to you.”
“Call me Ivy.” She gave him a nod, then waved to someone behind us. “You’ll need a jacket from the hostess if you’re going to join us for dinner now. Country club rules.”
Dallas paused a moment, seeming choked up, before he finally said, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, pure joy flowing through me. Dallas squeezed my hands, swinging them back and forth as I stared into his beautiful caramel-colored eyes. Then I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight. “I love you,” I whispered. When I finally pulled back, he gave me a smile before he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my lips.
We kissed softly and sweetly in front of my family, in front of the wait staff and in front of every single member of the country club. Applause rang out from somewhere and I knew I should pull back because—hello?—my folks were sitting right there. But there were no more secrets in this family. I loved this man and I was going to show my true self. Finally.
Dallas was the one who pulled back. “Thank you for letting me crash your dinner.”
The hostess, clearly confused by Tom’s hasty exit and this rather public display of love, gasped out, “Sir? Would you lift your arms please, so I can slip on your jacket?”
I burst into laughter. His arms were around me and I doubted he wanted to let go. I didn’t want to let go, either. I smiled up at him. “Better put that jacket on before every oldster in the place has a heart attack. We’d be killing off half their customer base.”
“We can’t have that,” he said, the corner of his mouth hitching upward. He shrugged into the jacket, looking amazingly hot.
Dad put a hand up, gesturing to someone. “Nina, would you please bring our guest a fresh glass of tea, and a fresh setting?”
Nina’s smile was wide and her eyes were wet. For a moment, I wondered if it was because she felt sorrow over Dallas having chosen me but then I realized she was touched by the whole wonderful moment. She hurried off and Dallas sat in Tom’s hastily vacated seat.
Dad cleared his throat. “I wish I’d known the truth of why you punched that Tom a long time ago. I might’ve spared you the trouble and done it myself.”
“William!” Mom shook her head, but the glance she gave Dad was fond. “Honey, you’re too old for those kinds of things.”
He looked at her and his smile was radiant. “I seem to remember that I punched a boy who’d done you wrong back in our day.”
My eyes rounded. “You did, Dad? Really?”
Mom fluttered her hands. “Ancient history. Now, what are we thinking for an appetizer?”
With “I’ll be Home for Christmas” playing on the speakers and my family surrounding me, I smiled up at the man I loved. His hand found mine under the table and we laced our fingers together. I’d come all the way home, at last.