Her hair now flowed over her shoulders, and she turned to face Belle. “He’s…he’s definitely got some anxiety. He hasn’t shared a whole lot more with me, but he’s meticulous with things. Loves lists. Keeps track of different things on the ranch with colored sticky notes. Sets a schedule and sticks to it religiously. That kind of thing.”
“You like routines too,” Belle said.
Caroline draped a string of red beads around her neck. “Yes, but this is different. He hasn’t toldme yet. We’re in month one.”
“Going on two.” Belle smiled at her and added, “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“What about me, Momma?” Judy stood on the bench at the vanity now, and her whole face bore color. Caroline sucked in a breath, but Belle only laughed. She went to swoop Judy into her arms, and Caroline turned to step into her heels—also bright red.
With every piece making her feel as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside, Caroline drew in a deep breath of her own. She could only imagine what Dawson might be wearing tonight for their Valentine’s Day evening together.
She left her sister and niece giggling in the bedroom to go meet her cowboy. Dawson stood in the living room, holding an enormous bouquet of roses—all in shades of red and white. He had the deep burgundy ones, the bright red ones, a smattering of pink ones, all accented by white.
He wore a black-as-midnight cowboy hat on his head, pure light in his eyes, and black slacks that hung over black cowboy boots. She couldn’t quite see his shirt past the flowers, and she wanted to pause time and take as many pictures of him standing there with those blooms, from as many different angles, as possible.
“Howdy, ma’am.” He somehow reached up and tipped his hat a millimeter.
“My goodness, Dawson.” She rushed at him and straight into the flowers. “These are gorgeous.”
“I’ve heard women like roses, but I wasn’t sure with you.”
She looked up, only the bouquet separating them. “You think I wouldn’t like roses?”
“You seem to like things a certain way, and well, I forgot to ask about your favorite flower.” He smiled at her, unleashing the full power of Dawson Rhinehart. Caroline had vowed to never let the special occasions of her life dictate major decisions. Not again.
But her heart swooped, and her pulse fluttered, and since she’d once fallen very far, very fast, she knew what such a thing felt like.
That had been her downfall, and the aftermath had not been pleasant.
This falling felt a little different. Exhilarating, and freeing, and like she was in only helpless for Dawson for a moment. Then she regained control, smiled back at him, and said, “I’m going to need five vases for these.”
“Wow-wee,” Judy chirped as she entered the living room. “Look at all those pretty flowers.”
“Wow-wee,” Dawson said right back to her, not making fun of her at all. He didn’t pitch his voice up to talk to little children, something she’d learned when they’d gone to help Shiloh and JJ last week. “Look at your makeup. Did your momma do that?” He grinned at her. “Or did Auntie-C?”
“I did it!” Judy spread her arms wide and turned in a circle.
“Come on, Judes,” Belle called from down the hall. “Leave Auntie-C be.”
Judy turned and went down the hall, and Caroline gathered as many of the roses as she could. “I think we can put them in the mixing bowl.”
“The mixing bowl?”
“I’m not a big baker anyway,” she said as she bent to get out the metal bowl. It tapered at the bottom to fit into the stand, and she put her roses in and held them to the side so Dawson could cram in the rest. She beamed at them. “They’re really kind of pretty with the metal.”
She held another stem out of the way as she filled it with as much water as she could hold, and then she turned and set the bowl in the middle of her dining room table. Dawson moved to her side, and she leaned into him easily.
“I love these,” she said, melting into his warmth. “I love roses.” She turned toward him. “Thank you, baby.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he murmured just before he kissed her. He’d texted her early this morning too, the same words but the thought meaning so much to her.
“I love your hair,” he said as he moved his mouth to her jaw. “I love those shoes.” He kissed his way down her neck. “I love this dress, and Iadorethe way you smell.”
Caroline hung onto his shoulders as he lifted his head. She grinned at him, loving the way she fit in his arms and the way he knew how to hold her close while still letting her have space.
“I love that you’re wearing a pink shirt,” she whispered as she pressed her cheek to his. His beard tickled as it brushed against her skin. “I love that your tie has birds in the shape of hearts on it. I love that you were early, and Iadoreevery minute I get to spend with you.”
He pulled away, something akin to lightning in his eyes. “I was early, Caroline, because I can’t stand being ready and waiting around.”