“I appreciate this. I didn’t really bring enough clothes with me. I’ve got to get back to Nashville and get them.”
“You take your time on sorting things out. You can stay here as long as you need to.”
Missy looked over at her cousin. She’d been so supportive when Missy had told her she was moving back to Comfort Crossing and why. Becky Lee knew just about every single person in town, and with a steady stream of people coming and going through the Magnolia Cafe, she said she’d put out feelers to see if they could turn up a job for Missy.
“And I have a closet full you’re welcome to borrow any time.” Becky Lee looked at her watch. “I’ve gotta run, but y’all have fun tonight.”
“We will.” Missy held up the dress in front of her and looked in the mirror. “I mean, I hope we will. I don’t know. Dylan. He asked me on a real date. I was so surprised.”
Becky Lee laughed. “Of course he did. Didn’t you know he had a crush on you in high school?”
Missy whirled around and stared at her cousin. “He did not.”
“Ah, my clueless cousin. He did. But you started dating Shawn and that whole best friends guy code kicked in.”
“But he dated Valerie.”
“That was after you and Shawn were already a thing.”
“I didn’t know…”
“You were too besotted with Shawn, who was the wrong guy for you, by the way. Everyone could see that but you.” Becky Lee picked up her purse and headed toward the bedroom door. “The guy has waited years to ask you out… at least let the poor guy show you a good time.”
Missy slipped into the dress and a pair of black heels she’d thankfully thrown in her suitcase. She curled her hair and carefully applied her makeup. She had a date. With Dylan. Dylan, the person Becky Lee swore had a crush on her. Missy shook her head. No, that can’t be right. She would have known.
She couldn’t have been that clueless, could she?
~ * ~
Dylan was pretty sure he’d made a fool of himself on the date. He’d spilled his glass of wine all over the table. Red wine. Their easy-going conversations of the last days had ended. Most of his answers to her questions had been simple yeses and nos when he could even get his words out.
Missy had kept looking at him, with those brown eyes, and he’d lost all his senses. He carefully set down his water glass, fairly certain Missy would never go out with him again, much less stay his friend, his pal.
“Dylan. You want to tell me what’s going on?” Missy sat staring at him, pinning him with a tell-me-now look.
“What do you mean?” He fidgeted in his chair, at the same time telling himself to sit still and quit acting like a dolt.
“Ever since I’ve been home we’ve had so much fun together. I felt like I could talk to you about anything. But tonight? It’s like carrying on a one-sided conversation.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“We shouldn’t have called it a real date. It’s ruined us.” The corners of Missy’s mouth hinted at a grin.
He let out a long, drawn out breath. “You’re right. That’s my problem.”
“Then, how about we call it a non-date date?” This time a grin spread all across her face.
“If that will stop me from acting like such a blockhead, I’m up for calling it a non-date date.”
“A non-date it is.”
And just like that, Missy broke the awkwardness and they slipped back into their easy camaraderie. He told her all about the house he was working on with Steve Bergeron. They were putting the finishing touches on it, rushing to get it finished early, so the buyers could move in before Christmas. She told him about her life in Nashville and her roommates.
By the time dinner was over, he’d almost forgotten what a fool he’d made of himself. Almost. He drove her back to Becky Lee’s and walked her to the door.
“I had a really good time.” Missy stood in the glow of the Christmas lights. “You know, after you stopped acting all nervous.”
He laughed then, an easy-going, carefree laugh. Without giving it much thought—oh, who was he kidding, he’d thought about it the whole drive back from dinner—he leaned over, tilted her head up and kissed her. His heart jolted in his chest, catching him off guard.
She kissed him back, softly and tentatively. Then her arm wound around his neck and he deepened the kiss.
She finally pulled back and touched her lips. “I… wasn’t expecting that.”
“Because it was a non-date date now?” He was surprised he could even find his words.
“No, I wasn’t expecting to… feel… that.”