Not Quite Forever (Not Quite series) (23 page)

“I never renege on a promise,” he told her. He kissed her then, sealing his promise with a taste. Just as Dakota softened in his embrace, the sound of someone clearing their throat pulled them apart.

Dakota recovered first, twisting her head in the direction of the interruption. “Sis!”

“I thought that was you.”

The woman Dakota called Sis was dressed as a pirate, the man at her side copied the costume complete with a patch over his eye. Walt stood back while Dakota hugged her friend. “You guys look great. Hi, Billy.” Dakota moved her hug to the man.

“So do you. Perfectly Dakota.”

Dakota laughed and flipped her hair. “Sis, Billy, this is Walt.”

Walt shook Billy’s hand while Dakota offered the CliffsNotes version of their relationship. “And before you ask . . . yes, I am, and yes, he is.”

Walt turned so they could see the back of his shirt.

“Perfectly Dakota,” Sis said a second time.

“And who is this?” Walt asked at the toddler peeking behind his father’s leg.

“That’s Junior, say hi Billy.”

Billy Junior managed a wave but didn’t detach from his parent.

“You sure have grown fast,” Dakota said.

“They do that,” Sis told her. “We were on our way to the carnival booths. Junior wants Daddy to win the big gator.”

“Congratulations,” Billy managed when the women moved ahead of them.

“Thanks,” Walt said.

Little Bo Peep and a man dressed as a deck of cards followed them with their eyes as they walked by.

“Dakota always did have a way of twisting heads.”

“Did you go to school with her?”

Billy lifted his son up onto his shoulders. “Yes and no. She and Sis have always been friends. I only knew her through my wife. Sis tells me you were on the girl’s shit list when Dakota first got here.”

“The list only got longer once her parents realized we were having a baby.”

“Can’t blame them there.” Billy pulled the patch up from his eye and nodded to a passing couple. “So when are you two getting married?”

Walt knew those questions were only just beginning. “We haven’t discussed it.”

“Are you guys moving here?”

“Couldn’t tell ya.”

Billy laughed. “Man, Sis is gonna be ticked.”

Walt sidestepped a running Little Red Riding Hood. “Why’s that?”

“Because she’s going to quiz me on this conversation and I have nothin’ to tell her.”

Walt grinned.

Dakota had burned through the cotton candy before they managed one round of dart tossing.

Sis had skills with the ping-pong balls in floating cups, where Walt showed off his free throw with a basketball. The giant gator didn’t happen, but Junior dragged around a smaller one with a toothy smile. As dusk turned into night, many of the kids started making their way home with grandparents or friends. Having stuck together most of the night, Dakota and Walt drove Billy and Sis to the adult party, which was under way across town.

There was already a busy crowd with loud music spilling from the bar.

“We haven’t had an adult night out in forever,” Sis said as they all climbed out of the car.

Billy snorted. “Says the woman who will be calling her mama within an hour to make sure Junior isn’t crying.”

Sis hugged her husband. “You’re just as bad.”

Walt stepped back to hold Dakota’s hand as they walked inside together. “Guess we have that to look forward to.”

“Diapers, sleepless nights. Yeah, I’ve been getting all kinds of details.”

“The easy stuff. I’m thinking of ear infections and stitched-up foreheads.”

Dakota cringed. “My details are better than yours. Let’s live in my head for a while.” Ahead of them, Sis and Billy jogged up the steps of the massive wraparound porch where the party had oozed out.

“So they really named their child Billy Junior?”

“Yep. Happens a lot around here.”

“Do they realize he’s going to be called BJ at some point?”

Dakota laughed. “See why Junior is off-limits? No undesirable nicknames. Ever.”

“Glad we’re on the same page.”

The costumes were brilliant. Dakota congratulated herself. She forced an awkward
yes, I’m pregnant and single moment
into a
let it go
moment with a simple shirt. Carol Ann and Kevin showed up, excusing their absence at the carnival because Tanner was sick.

Seemed everyone wanted to talk about the trials of parenthood. Or maybe Dakota was hyperaware of the information.

“Are you guys going to be here through the holidays?” Carol Ann asked.

Dakota met Walt’s gaze. “I don’t think so.”

Walt winked. They hadn’t discussed where they should settle, or what the next step was. Now that she was in her second trimester and her body seemed to be adjusting better, it was time to plan the next six months.

Carol Ann offered a pout. “I was hoping you’d move home.”

Dakota looked around the room. “There are more places out there, Carol Ann. You know I’m not one for small-town politics and gossip. Do you know how many people have come up to me asking if I was Elaine’s pregnant daughter?”

“I’ll bet Mom loves that.”

“It’s eating her up. I’d make her suck it up if I needed her to.” Dakota patted Walt’s hand that rested on her thigh. “I think I’m going to be OK.” The way Walt was looking at her assured her she would be.

Her bladder had been knocking for the past quarter hour, and she stood to find the ladies’ room. “I’ll find the bathroom,” she told Walt. “Can you order me a club soda, skip the vodka.”

“Sounds good.”

“Want me to come with you?” Carol Ann asked.

“Nawh, why don’t you interrogate Walt. He hasn’t had nearly enough of that tonight.”

Walt rolled his eyes. “Way to throw me under the bus, hon.”

She leaned over, kissed him. “It’s OK, Baby Daddy. You can handle it.”

He slapped her ass as she walked away. “Careful,” she said over her shoulder. “I might like that.”

“Dakota!” Carol Ann scolded with a laugh.

The line into the bathroom was ten minutes long and filled with a couple of familiar faces. After repeating the mantra of the night,
yes, I am
, and
no, I’m not married
, Dakota wiggled through the throng of women.

On her way out of the restroom, she found herself blocked by a familiar face. “Tommy.”

Louise’s husband stood toe-to-toe with her, nearly eye level with her heels. His eyes slid down her body and stopped on the way back up at her breasts. “Well, if it isn’t Dakota Laurens.”

Dakota might wanna take notes on how it felt to be violated with a look, and not in a good way.

“Hello Tommy.”

“Mmm, mmm. You don’t look all preggers.” He moved a little too close and Dakota stepped back.

“How is your
wife
? Haven’t seen her since I first came back.” The
gossip girl
had seen her, spread the news, and disappeared.

Tommy waved a hand, his glassy eyes indicated the amount he’d had to drink. “She’s around here somewhere. You always were damn sexy, Dakota.”

“You’re married, Tommy.”

“And you’re not.” He had the nerve to reach out and run his hand over her arm before grasping it in a tight hold.

She pulled away, had to put some muscle in it to dislodge his fingers.

“You always were a prick. I see nothing has changed.”

He offered a grin. “Feisty. Nothing like a girl with a little fight in her.”

“Touch me again, and you’ll see just how much fight I have in me.”

He reached for her a second time only to have his hand gripped by someone standing behind her.

Walt pushed her aside.

The people standing around them grew quiet and stood back. “The lady said to back off.”

“Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m the man who is going to wipe that smile off your face if you don’t walk away.”

Tommy stood taller, looked around, and pulled his arm from Walt’s grip.

Just when the tension started to fade, Walt turned to her. “You OK?”

“I’m fine.”

“So,” Tommy said over the crowd. “You’re the one she spreads for.”

One minute Walt was beside her, the next he was swinging a fist and connecting it to Tommy’s face with a sound crack.

Dakota was sure she screamed as Tommy came back with the same force.

Someone shoved her away as men jumped in to separate them. The fight didn’t break up until several punches were thrown.

Louise, dressed as Marie Antoinette, ran to her husband’s side, turned to Walt, and then noticed Dakota standing there. “What’s goin’ on?”

Dakota moved next to Walt, ran a hand over his red jaw.

“That bastard just up and hit me,” Tommy said.

Dakota sent what she hoped was a deadly look. “You’re a piece of shit, Tommy. Next time you wanna try and score with another woman, make sure she doesn’t know your wife.”

“What are you saying?” Louise yelled over the voices in the crowd.

“Let’s go, Dakota.” Walt wrapped an arm around her waist.

Dakota couldn’t remember being this pissed. She didn’t move, just glared at someone she once called her friend. “I’m saying you’re married to a two-timing asshat that couldn’t spell the word
monogamy
, let alone practice it.”

Sure enough, one look at Tommy’s face while he was trying to process her insult proved the man wasn’t smart enough to be offended.

Dakota let Walt guide her away.

Behind them, she heard Louise shout, “At least I’m married.”

Dakota lifted one finger and waved it.

Sis, Billy, Carol Ann, and Kevin met them in the parking lot. “And here I thought Dakota was the one to watch out for,” Billy said. “Nice right hook there, Doctor.”

Walt shook out his right hand, flexed his fingers. When she caught his gaze, she noticed the dark shade covering his normal warmth inside his eyes.

Dakota took Walt’s hand in hers and examined his knuckles. “Ouch.”

“I’ve wanted to punch that man for years,” Kevin said.

“Did he really hit on you?” Sis asked.

Dakota ran a hand over where he’d grabbed her and looked down. Sure enough, his grimy fingers left a mark. Walt brushed her hand away. “He did this?”

She started to nod and Walt turned back to the bar.

Kevin and Billy stopped him.

Dakota rushed in front of Walt, placed both palms against his chest. “Let it go, Doc. He’s not worth it.”

“No one hurts you. Not while I’m breathing.”

There wasn’t much more he could say that could have been better. “I appreciate your chivalry more than you know. But one bar fight a night is my limit.”

Thirty minutes later, Dakota was placing an ice bag over Walt’s hand in the suite at the hotel. “You might have to take up kickboxing, Doc. This hand isn’t going to be of much use in the ER if you keep bashing in faces.”

“He deserved it.”

“No argument there.”

“I don’t like how he looked at you, Dakota.”

She shrugged. “Men look. It’s in your nature.”

“He said some ugly things.”

“He’s an ugly person.”

Walt stopped her hands as they brushed over his, forced her eyes to focus on him. “Maybe we should get married.”

A small part of her wanted to jump on his suggestion, but her head kept her from following her heart. “The words
maybe
and
married
shouldn’t be in the same sentence.”

“Fine. Let’s get married.”

She loved that he was so willing to jump in the fire, make decisions based on what he thought she needed. “Walt,” she said with a sigh. “There will be more Tommy No-Nuts out there spewing crap to cover up their own. We’re too smart and too determined to make the right decisions to let people like him have any effect on us.”

“What if—”

She placed a finger over his lips, stopping him. “You jumped into marriage once to do the right thing. I can’t let you do that twice.”

He covered her hand with his, pulled it away. “I’m not jumping.”

“Yes, you are. I know you’re feeling the pressure. The fight tonight proves it’s time for us to leave. This isn’t where we need to be. As long as we’re here, the pressure is only going to intensify until we’re fighting about what the right thing to do is.”

“It feels like we’re running.”

“We’re circling the wagons, not running. We really need to focus on what we want and not what others want of us under the current circumstances. You’re not running for president, and my fans aren’t going to stop reading my books because I’m not married. We have all the time in the world to make a decision that will affect the rest of our lives.”

He tilted his head and searched her with his eyes. “I don’t ever want anyone to look at you the way
he
did because you’re pregnant and not married.”

A big part of her heart melted in that moment. Her head kicked in and her mouth stated the obvious. “And if I’m a single mom down the road because we jumped . . . where will you be then?”

“That isn’t going to happen.”

Dakota offered a smile, let his hands go, and hiked her plaid skirt up to straddle his lap. “You’re right.” She kissed his forehead. “I might be single.” Her lips followed the side of his face, down his jaw to hover over his lips. “But I’m not alone.”