Chapter 18

Willow

Dallas walks off to go check on his team, giving me a chance to compose myself.

I had every intention of just watching him compete from the sidelines, but it looks like I just got roped into playing myself—and part of me feels emotional about the idea.

"You own a house here, Willow, which makes you one of us."

As I was driving back into town last night, my hands wouldn't stop shaking with the anticipation of returning to this small town, of seeing Dallas, and taking the next steps to change my life.

I want this—the house, the town, the friendships, and the man.

Being back in D.C. for only two days told me everything I needed to know. That place isn't my home. My business may be there, but I can change that if I need to. The only family I have there is Mandy, my godmother, whom I haven't spoken to in months.

I came to the realization that there really isn't anything holding me back except for myself, which is still an obstacle, but I'm ready to face it.

I haven't figured out all the details yet, but after the house is done, I plan to have a conversation with Dallas and figure out where his head is at because he's a huge reason why I want to move, of course. His actions tell me he wants me, and every time we're together, my body craves him even more.

But it's not just the sex.

He sees me, knows how to calm me in a way I've never experienced before. I feel protected when I'm in his arms, and this desire to share my life with him, even the mundane details, overwhelms me each time we're together. But the most nerve-wracking part of it all is that he makes me feel like I belong here.

I've never had that feeling in my life—but he's given it to me.

And I'm taking that as a sign.

I haven't told Shauna yet, or Mandy, or Katrina, but I don't want to broach the subject until I know that everything is going to work out, and that won't be possible until I talk to one other person, someone I wasn't anticipating seeing again so soon.

Dallas jogs back over to me as the rest of the restaurant crew follows him over, Astrid and Penn included. "All right, we're all set. We're going against Carrington Cove Animal Hospital first, so this should be a sure thing."

Penn rubs his hands together. "I love kicking Parker's ass first thing in the morning. It's going to be a great day."

Astrid shoves him playfully. "You're such a bully."

He wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "It's my duty as his older brother, right, Dallas?"

Dallas nods in agreement. "Sorry, Astrid. It's true. I do it to Penn every chance I get. Parker is a better man for taking a regular beating from both of us. He'll be fine."

"You three have issues," Astrid replies while shaking her head.

I roll my eyes. "I'd hate to see what the family dinner will be like after today."

Dallas drops his lips to my ear. "Why don't you join us and find out?"

With wide eyes, I twist to face him. "What?"

Before he can respond, a whistle blows, signaling the start of the competition. But my mind is reeling with what he just said.

He wants me to have dinner with his family? Did I hear that right?

Suddenly, the desire to throw up grows as I follow the crew over to the setup in the sand for the human wheelbarrow race.

Everyone pairs off as partners, Dallas choosing me.

"Are you sure you want to be my partner?" I ask him, growing more nervous by the minute.

"I'm sure, Willow. Now, do you want to be the wheelbarrow, or do you want to be the one pushing?"

"Uh, my upper body strength isn't exactly something to brag about."

Dallas chuckles. "Well, let's see if you can support my legs then." He gets down on the sand, putting himself in a push-up position as I grab his feet from the ground.

Dear lord, he is not a small man.

"I'm gonna start to crawl," he says, slowly moving his arms out in front of him. I rest his feet on my shoulders, holding his ankles steady as he moves.

"This isn't too bad."

"Yeah, I think we can handle this. Let go of my feet." I do as he says and then he stands up, brushing the sand from his body. "We've got this, babe."

"I'm glad you have confidence in us."

He pulls me into his arms. "I do." His lips meet mine. "I'm holding onto that faith enough for the both of us."

Somehow, I feel like he's talking about more than just the games, but I don't have time to contemplate it.

We all line up, Penn and Astrid ahead of us, volunteering to go first, and when the whistle blows, the games begin.

***

"Oh my God!" I scream, letting the rope go from my hands so I can jump up and down to celebrate our win in Tug of War. Grady, Astrid's older brother, starts cursing from the other side, chastising his team after their loss. But the Catch Release crew is hollering and hugging one another in celebration.

"Hell yeah!" Dallas scoops me up in his arms, covering my lips with his own, kissing me deeply. "You did great, Goose!"

"I don't know that I did that much."

"Hey, this was a team effort, and we couldn't have done it without you."

Shit, I can't start crying again.

After we won the human wheelbarrow race, I shed a few tears. Astrid pulled me aside and asked me what was wrong, but it felt silly to tell her that I was emotional because I'd never won a wheelbarrow race before, let alone been on a team besides within my company. So I told her that I got sand in my eyes, and I think she bought it.

But honestly, I'm not sure that she did.

I continue to hold onto Dallas, my arms wrapped around his neck as he spins me around. When he sets me on the ground, he releases me and then I find Astrid.

"We did it!" She turns and screams to her brother, "Sorry, big bro! Sucks to suck!"

My jaw falls open. "You were just giving Dallas and Penn shit earlier about ganging up on Parker, but here you are, rubbing our win in your brother's face."

She winks. "It's all part of the games, Willow. Besides, my brother's ego can stand to be taken down a peg or two."

Dallas's mom comes waltzing over, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up again.

I know I need to talk to her, but now is not the time or the place.

"Congratulations, Dallas!" She hugs her eldest son as I stand back and admire the love he has for her. Every time he speaks about his mother, you can tell he holds a soft spot for the woman, but it's a totally different experience to see it in front of me.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Your sons are about to be legends, Mom." Penn comes up to her next, scooping her up in his arms.

"Put me down, Penn!"

"Never!" He runs around the sand with her, finally depositing her back on her feet, the two of them bursting out in laughter.

"One more game, babe. And then we can go home and celebrate," Dallas whispers in my ear from behind, wrapping his arms around me.

And for the next hour until the final game, I choose to focus on fantasizing about the celebration.

***

"I don't think I'm going to be much help on this last one."

Astrid stands next to me, rubbing my shoulder. "You don't know that. They could ask us anything."

The final game, which is always a surprise the day of, happens to be a scavenger hunt consisting of questions relating to Carrington Cove. Everyone on the team has to hand in their cell phones so no one has access to Google, and each item you have to collect must be brought before the judges in person.

"I know, but I don't know the town like you do."

"You know bits and pieces. Trust me, you will be able to contribute, and be prepared to. If Dallas doesn't win this game, he might punch a hole through the wall of the restaurant."

"Why are men so damn competitive?"

Astrid shrugs. "Too much testosterone?" We share a laugh. "But honestly, I like to win too, so I can't blame them."

"This is pretty exciting. I can see why people love this tradition." My eyes cast over the scene around us, people milling about on the edge of the beach, sitting in their chairs, waiting for the final game to start. A few local businesses have set up booths on the boardwalk to sell food, hats and umbrellas to ward off the sun, and foam fingers and t-shirts to commemorate the event.

"It's part of who we are," Astrid says. "But next year, I'll have my own team, and I'm so grateful to you for that."

I squeeze her hand. "You deserve it."

Friday morning, I went to the bank with Astrid to co-sign the loan for the bakery. As of next month, Astrid will be the full-time owner of the Sunshine Bakery, and I can't wait to see what she does with the place.

"I seriously can't thank you enough, Willow. You've changed my life."

"You've changed mine too," I whisper as Dallas comes over to where we're standing.

"Everything okay?" he asks, watching me blink away tears.

"Yeah, Willow just got something in her eye again," Astrid answers for me, winking at me discretely.

"Well, get it out because we have a cup to win." Dallas grabs my hand, leading me over to the table where the judges sit, waiting for the paper to start the scavenger hunt. And as soon as we and the team from Franny's Crab Shack all gather around, the final game begins.

After gathering a hammer from Hansen's Hardware Store, a coffee from Keely's Caffeine Kick, and a tourist guide from Cove Real Estate, we're scurrying along the boardwalk back toward the beach for the final clue.

Most of us split up as we had to search for each object, but I see Penn and Astrid heading in our direction, as well as a few of the other employees from the restaurant.

"Did you get the bingo chips from Baron, Harold, and Thompson?" Dallas calls out to Penn as he gets closer.

Penn holds up the yellow and red markers. "Sure did. That journey to the Veteran's Center was no joke though."

No one is allowed to drive for this final game, which means running and walking in this heat.

"We're almost done, though." Dallas intercepts the chips from Penn and hands them to Timothy MacDonald, who is one of the judges for today.

"Nicely done, Dallas." Timothy checks off something on his paper and then hands us the final clue, but not before turning to me and asking, "How's the house treating you, Willow?"

"Oh. Uh, good. We're almost done with the renovations."

Timothy nods. "Nice to see that you've made progress. Let Pam over at Cove Real Estate know when you're ready to sell."

"Pam can wait," Dallas tells Timothy before tearing open the envelope with the final clue. "Now, if you don't mind, Timothy, we have a cup to win."

Dallas spins toward the rest of the team, all standing around in a circle, waiting to hear the clue. "A symbol of hope, steadfastness, calm, and composure. Carrington Cove is full of them."

"Jesus, could that be a more generic clue?" Penn grumbles.

"Carrington Cove is full of them?" Astrid taps her chin. "Geese?"

"Uh, pretty sure geese aren't a sign of hope," Dallas fires back.

But then a lightbulb clicks on in my brain thanks to a late-night Google session pertaining to the man standing in front of me.

"An anchor…" I declare, not as confident as I should be, but I look up at Dallas as I speak.

"Shit, that's it!" Brian, the other manager of Dallas's restaurant, agrees.

"Are you sure, Willow?" Astrid asks.

"Yes." With my eyes locked on Dallas, I say, "And that's why all Dallas has to do is take off his shirt and we win."

His smirk builds slowly, but he knows where my mind is. And even though this is not the time, my body heats up from head to toe as I think about all the times I've explored his body and his tattoo.

"Damn, Goose. You just won us the cup."

Franny's Crab Shack team starts racing down the boardwalk toward the judges table with a wooden anchor in their hands.

"Hurry up and strip, Dallas!" Penn shouts, cutting through our moment and making the rest of the team laugh.

Dallas shakes off our stare and mumbles, "Fuck. Okay." He reaches behind his back, rips off his shirt, and points to his chest. "Right here, Tim. An anchor. That's the final answer."

Timothy eyes the judge sitting next to him. "Can we accept that?"

She shrugs before looking at Dallas's torso appreciatively. "I don't see why not." And then she smirks. "Definitely the best thing I've seen all day."

Timothy shakes his head and then stands, holding a megaphone to his mouth. "We have a winner! Catch Release are the new Carrington Cove Games Champions!"

Applause and screaming echo around us as Dallas scoops me up in his arms, bouncing me up and down. "Hell yeah!"

Celebration continues all around us, people running over from the boardwalk to join in on the fun. But when Dallas sets me down on my feet and frames my face with both of his hands, he whispers to me, "Fuck, Willow." His lips meet mine in a blistering kiss that steals my breath before he whispers, "You were the teammate I needed today, baby. We won. And now it's time to celebrate."

And in that second, my heart agrees with this unfamiliar feeling in my chest.

Oh my God.

I'm in love with Dallas Sheppard.

***

"Fuck. Right there."

Dallas grinds his hips into mine from behind, leaning over my back so he can line his lips up to my ear. "Jesus, Willow. Clench that pussy, babe. Fucking milk me."

I reach behind him and pull him closer by his ass, sending him forward yet again. "Don't stop."

Dallas is so deep in my pussy right now that he's reaching depths I don't even think I've discovered myself. His cock continues to stroke me expertly, building up my release quickly. The way this man fucks me should be illegal. I didn't know it could feel this good, be this intense, like some sort of religious experience.

Our bodies are slick with sweat, blood is rushing through my veins, and every inch of my skin is alive with electricity. The stroke of his hands on my body sends pulses of energy and lust straight to my clit. I feel like I'm coming undone from the inside out.

This is the second time we've had sex since we went upstairs to his apartment after the games. Dallas took everyone back to the restaurant and made food and drinks to celebrate their win, putting the Cove Cup on the shelf behind the bar so everyone can see it when they walk in.

But now, as I feel Dallas start to lose it behind me, I focus on going over the edge with him, eager to relax and rest after a long but amazing day.

"Fuck, I'm gonna come, baby." He reaches under us, finding my clit and circling it gently. "God, I want to paint your skin with my cum. I've been thinking about what you'd look like, covered in me, marked and owned…" His fingers put the perfect amount of pressure on me. "How does that sound to you?"

"Do it." The second those words left his lips, my gut reaction was that I want that too. I want this man to own me, and giving myself over to him is more liberating than I imagined.

"Shit," he groans. "Come with me then, Willow. Fall apart for me." He lets out a growl as I scream and shatter simultaneously. When the final tremors race through my body, Dallas pulls out of me, rips the condom off, and releases his cum all over my back, groaning out loud.

I turn back to watch him stroke himself, cursing as he stares at my back, covering me in his release.

God, I want to be his in every way.

When he's spent, he stills, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his abs contracting with each breath. Then he moves one of his hands to my back and rubs his cum into my skin, admiring his work. "Fucking beautiful."

I sigh as he falls to the bed beside me, our bodies plopping down on the comforter below us.

"So good," I mumble into the sheets.

"Incredible, Goose." Dallas pulls me over to him so he can kiss me. "I'll be right back."

I watch his naked back side as he walks over to his bathroom to dispose of the condom, and then returns with two wash cloths to clean me up. He starts on my back, but not before smearing his cum into my skin again, grinning as he does so. But when he's finished, he nudges my hip. "Roll over, sweetheart." I do as he says, watching him gently clean between my legs with a second washcloth and then he tosses them in a clothes hamper beside the bed before lying back down with me. "You okay?"

I rest my head on his chest, tracing over his tattoo with my finger. "Better than okay. Today was…"

"Incredible."

"Yeah, it was." Sighing, I continue, "I've never been a part of something like that, Dallas. It's crazy to me that there are places on Earth like this that feel like their own little worlds..."

A world I desperately want to be a part of more and more.

"Not even while growing up? You didn't participate in relay races or carnival games?"

I shake my head. "No. My godparents weren't keen on stuff like that, and sports were never my thing. I was more interested in studying."

Dallas chuckles, making my head bounce with his laughter. "I can see that."

"Are you saying you think I'm a nerd?"

His eyes meet mine again as he shifts to his side to face me. "Maybe, but in a sexy way. You're intelligent and witty, Willow. And a strong, successful businesswoman. So all of that studying obviously paid off, right?"

I run my finger through his chest hair and back to his tattoo, studying his body. "It did." My finger finds the scar on his ribs, the one I've seen many times now but have never asked about, wondering if now might be appropriate.

"Just ask, Willow."

"What?"

"You wanna know where that scar came from, don't you?" His voice is gravelly, deep and almost darker than just a moment ago.

"I mean…"

"I was shot." He takes my fingers and digs them into the warped skin. "Right through my ribs. Collapsed my lung, but I was lucky. There were people that were far worse off than I was that day."

"I can't imagine what that's like," I whisper, envisioning Dallas lying in the dirt, bleeding from his side and hating every second of the image taking over my mind. "Not knowing if you're going to live or die."

"Situations like that never leave you, Goose. They come to me in my dreams a lot, so I never truly escape them."

"I wasn't sure if you dream," I tease him. "You're usually so still when you sleep."

He drags down my bottom lip with his thumb. "I haven't had those dreams since you and I have been together, actually."

Oh God.

How much more can my heart take today?

Dallas stares at me, his dark lashes blinking every few seconds. For a moment, I just let him look, let him see me.

I don't know if I could live without his eyes on me for the rest of my life.

"I bet your parents are so fucking proud of you, Goose."

The mention of them startles me, especially because that was the last thing I imagined coming out of his mouth right now. "Wh—why do you say that?"

"I can just see it in your eyes when you talk about your childhood." A tremor of sadness races through me. "That question of what your life would be like if they were still here, if days like today would have been the standard." He runs his fingers through the ends of my hair. "And I want you to know that they'd be so proud of the woman you are."

I hold back my tears, but the truth still spills out. "I think about them every day."

"I get that." Dallas stares up at the ceiling now, lying on his back again. "I think about my dad all the time too, even though I feel like I let him down at times."

"He's proud of you too, Dallas."

I can't say that with firsthand knowledge, but how could any father not be proud of this man?

"I hope so." He strokes his hand up and down my arm as I get comfortable on his chest once more. "I hate that I didn't get to clear some things up with him before he passed. That regret…" He sighs. "It haunts me."

That's what secrets do, too.

"I understand that feeling."

"How did you know about the anchor meaning today?" he asks, looking back down at me and changing the subject, which I'm grateful for because the mention of Mr. Sheppard just feels like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

My eyes flick back up to his. "I googled it after I saw your tattoo."

The corner of his mouth lifts. "Really? Why?"

"I was curious about why someone might tattoo something like that on their body."

"Why didn't you just ask me?"

I shrug, focusing back on his chest. "I don't know. It seemed like a really personal question back then."

"Willow, my mouth was all over your pussy within an hour of you seeing my tattoo. I think we got personal pretty quickly, babe."

I can feel my cheeks heat up. "Okay, then why the anchor, Dallas?"

He looks down at his chest where my hand is, resting his over the top of mine. "Well, as you know, the anchor is a symbol of our town, and this place has always been my home. But mostly, it was about the symbol of stability." He sighs. "I've never felt like I've been on stable ground most of my life—with my dad, and with my time in the service. It wasn't until I came home permanently that I started to feel like it was time to build a life I was proud of, and I wanted that here. I was tired of drifting, not being certain about where I was going and what I wanted. So, like a ship does, I decided to drop an anchor down. I got this shortly after I bought the restaurant to commemorate that choice."

That yearning for stability? God, do I feel that need too.

I smile up at him. "I love that. And do you feel like you've found something stable now?"

His eyes bounce back and forth between mine. "I think I'm headed in that direction."

I run my nails through his beard. "You have an amazing life here, Dallas."

"You could too, Willow," he says, his voice low. But before I can respond, he clears his throat and pulls me closer to him by my hip. "I meant what I said earlier about having dinner with my family. I want you there."

My heart starts beating faster. "Dallas, I…"

"I know you're leaving, but my mom was asking about you after the games, and I'd like you to meet Parker and Hazel. Plus, my mother's cooking is top-notch."

His mom was asking about me?

And he still thinks that I want to leave?

My stomach instantly drops.

"I've never had dinner with a man's family before, Dallas."

His brow pinches together. "Never?"

"No."

"Then it's settled. Next Sunday, after Penn and I finish replacing your roof this week, you're coming with me to family dinner. It will be the perfect way to celebrate."

God, he makes it sound like that's a good thing when we both know once the house is done, decisions have to be made—decisions it feels like we're both avoiding discussing. And my reasons for avoiding them are going to slap me right in the face when I eat a meal with his family.

"Are you sure?" My heart feels like it's about to jump out of my chest.

He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."