Page 63 of How Dare You

Bea: Of course! Everything’s golden.

Sadie: You guys are definitely sleeping together.

Me: We are.

Allie: Again. WHAT?

Rhett emerges from the trailer wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants, slung low on his hips, something about the casualness of it combined with all the exposed sun-tanned skin of his muscled chest and the heavy lines of his traditional tattoos, making him even more irresistible. He runs a hand through his blond hair and waves at me where I sit on the reception rock texting my friends, then leans back in one of the Adirondack chairs with a book. Maybe I could stay longer than two extra days.

Me: Gray sweatpants confirmed.

Allie: I repeat. WHAT?

Chapter 25

Day Thirteen

Let’s go back to the house after my run, please!

-Dev

-Note on the whiteboard, September 2nd

Devon

“You can’t ignore the primary suite forever,” I say, as Rhett pulls his truck into the driveway at the house. “So, you’re making decisions today.”

“Not sure if you noticed, but there’s been a very strict interior designer working back there for a while now.” He shifts the truck into park. “I haven’t wanted to disturb her.”

“That’s not even a good excuse. I want you to choose paint colors, not put up drywall.”

He begrudgingly agrees, walking down the hall with me, and I can’t parse out what his hang up is. For every other choice in the house if he didn’t already have ideas, he’d weigh the choices I gave him and come to a quick decision. But whenever I bring up the design for his bedroom, he’s avoided the subject.

I start him with an easy question. “Were you planning on putting the bed on this wall, so it has a view of the picture window, or would you rather have it on this wall, so it feels a little more private?”

He runs his fingers through sandy blond hair. “Would you believe me if I told you I’d never thought about it?”

“Yes, I would.” I bump his arm with my shoulder. “But I’d like you to think about it now please.”

He moves to the wall with the view of the picture window and waves me over to join him. “Come help me decide. What would you do?”

“Right here. An unobstructed sunrise view from your bedroom window is a rare opportunity.”

He nods. “Then we’ll put it here. What’s next?”

We talk through paint colors, art choices, rug placement, and window coverings, making more progress in this room in two hours than I’ve been able to get from him in two weeks.

“Is there anything else you’d add?” he asks.

“You could put a—” I cut myself off. “Actually, you like open spaces, so what we have should be good.”

He rubs his hand along my low back. “I want to hear your idea anyway.”

“It would be kind of a tight fit, but you could put a couple of cozy chairs and a low table over there.” I point to a corner we were planning on leaving empty. “Somewhere to drink coffee, or you could read your books there on nights it’s too cold to sit outside.”

“Not a bad idea, Dev.” He smiles, seeming to keep something back, though I can’t imagine what.

Rhett