Justice (10 page)

CHAPTER EIGHT

L
ONG AFTER BROCK and Bailey left, Dallas still couldn’t bring himself to leave. He hadn’t showered, hadn’t changed, but he didn’t care. He was enjoying the first day of normalcy he’d shared with Macey in two years.

She walked from the kitchen into the living room where he was sitting, and handed him another cup of coffee. “Thanks for staying last night, Dal,” she said. “And for the waffles this morning.”

He grinned as she sat beside him. “My pleasure, babe.”

“Are you off today?”

“Yep. Back to work on Tuesday.”

“Me too,” she said.

“How about I go home, shower, and take you to dinner tonight?”

Her brilliant smile was all the answer he needed, but she nodded her head anyway.

Dallas cupped her cheek. “Serratto?”

“Yes, please!” she said, and grinned again.

“Okay, baby. I’ll call and make reservations and swing back by at six, does that work?”

“You’re leaving right now?”

He ran a finger over her slightly pouted lip. “You want me to come back earlier?”

“Kinda, yeah.”

Dallas chuckled. “I need a shower, babe, so I can do that, then come right back. We can make out on the sofa until it’s time for dinner.”

He watched her face redden. “That would be awesome,” she whispered.

“Seriously? I was joking.”

“I can’t seem to stop kissing you, so yeah, definitely.”

“I’ll go right now.” He rose to his feet and headed into the kitchen, rinsing his mug and setting it in the sink.

Macey followed him to the door, and then raised her head for a kiss. Breaking the kiss, he stared at her for a few seconds.

“What?” she asked.

“Gun range.”

“Huh?”

“I need to get you shooting. We’ll do that this week.”

Macey wrinkled her nose. “Why?”

“Because if I’m gonna stay with you, or vice-versa, that means I’m gonna have my gun, ergo, you need to learn how to use it.”

She giggled. “Ergo?”

“Therefore, hence.”

“Yes, I know what it means; you just don’t typically use words like ‘ergo.’”

He smiled. “I’ll set up some days for us to go to the range.”

“Okay, honey.”

Dallas leaned down to kiss her again and smiled against her lips. “See you soon.”

She nodded and locked the door behind him. Leaning against the wall, she sighed. How quickly things had changed… again.

“Mase?” Payton called, and then walked into the living room. “Is Dallas gone?”

Macey nodded.

“Why’s your door shattered?”

Macey sighed. “I had a nightmare and Dallas kicked it down. He’s gonna fix it before the landlord sees it. I hope.”

Payton grinned.

“What?” Macey asked.

“You just look… I don’t know. Settled,” Payton said.

“That’s a good word.”

“So, what now?” Payton flopped into her favorite chair.

Macey sat on the sofa, her back to the armrest and settled her head in her hand. “In pure Dallas fashion, he has us married off within days.”

Payton smiled sadly. “He was going to propose.” She gasped. “Crap. I wasn’t supposed to say anything.”

“It’s fine, Pay. He told me.”

“He did?”

Macey nodded.

“How do you feel about that?”

“The news or the fact he was going to propose back then?” Macey asked.

Payton shrugged. “Both.”

“I would have said yes.”

“I know,” Payton whispered.

“So, I’m trying not to be sad that we didn’t get that life, and I’m a little surprised he told me…" She smiled. “But then again, not so much, because it’s Dallas.”

“And he can’t keep a secret from you,” Payton finished.

Macey giggled. “No, which is so weird, because he’s so good at his job.”

“True.” Payton smiled. “You will have that life, Mase. It’s just a little delayed.”

“A week ago, I would have said you were nuts.”

“And now?” Payton asked.

“Now, I think you might be right.”

“Finally!”

“Payton.” Macey closed her eyes. “Try not to get your hopes up.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He will eventually figure out that this isn’t what he wants.”

Payton laughed and headed into the kitchen.

“What?” Macey asked.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Pardon?”

“I love you, Mase, but seriously, you are an idiot.” Payton poured a cup of coffee.

“Shut up, Payton,” she grumbled.

Payton laughed again. “Especially, because I get to watch you as Dallas locks on and doesn’t let go. Hope you’re strapped in, honey, ’cause you fight him and you’re gonna get tossed around a bit.”

“Why did I have to fall in love with
him
?”

“You mean, why did you have to fall in love with someone who knows you and all those who love you the most, which means, you can’t manipulate, spin, or cajole how you want this to go?”

“Shut up, Payton,” she repeated.

Payton kept going. “Admit it, you’re a control freak,” Payton said.

“I am not,” Macey argued. “I’m a hyper-administrative enthusiast. There’s a difference.”

“My apologies,” Payton said, still giggling.

“Do you really think he’s going to lock on?”

“Oh, honey, he locked on back in high school, he just wasn’t mature enough not to let go for a little bit. Now he is, and believe me, he’s not going anywhere.”

Macey secretly hoped she was right but wasn’t about to say it out loud. She didn’t want to jinx it. “What are your plans today?”

“Way to change the subject,” Payton said with a grin. “I’m helping Mom out with party planning. You’re coming right?”

“To Molly’s birthday?”

Molly was Payton’s youngest niece and heavily into all things princess.

“Yes. You have to wear your Ariel costume, don’t forget.”

“Because I’m a red-head, I have to be Ariel?” Macey deduced.

“Yep.”

“But my favorite is Cinderella.”

“Bailey’s Cinderella,” Payton said.

“Can I be Elsa?”

“Molly’s Elsa.” Payton giggled. “Can’t upstage the birthday girl.”

“Oh, all right. Lame.” She smiled. “What about Merida? Can I be Merida?”

“You will have to ask the birthday girl’s mother. Anna has written a very specific list and you know what she’s like if the list is not adhered to.” Payton raised an eyebrow. “She acts like you.”

“Screw you, Pay.”

Payton laughed. “I can’t believe I’m going to dress in a princess costume. God, I hate princesses.”

“Don’t I know it.” Macey grinned. “Could Lara Croft Tomb Raider slide into the princess category?”

“I don’t think Mom would approve of me showing up to a four-year-old’s birthday party in all leather.”

“No, save that one for your first date,” Macey said.

Payton giggled. “Good advice.”

“I’ll more than likely be wherever Dallas is tonight, so don’t rush home.”

“Okay, going to grab a shower and then I’m out of here.”

“Have fun,” Macey said, and headed to her bedroom.

* * *

Dallas arrived seventy-two minutes later (Macey timed it), tools and parts in hand to fix her door. As much as she appreciated his lack of procrastination, she really wanted him to pay attention to her before the door, so she moved in front of him and raised up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

“You are seriously distracting me from my mission, babe,” he said after a tongue-filled kiss.

She grinned and cocked her head. “Do I hear complaining?”

Dallas laughed and kicked his supplies out of their path. “Not from me.”

Macey tugged him toward the sofa and pushed him down before straddling his hips. “At the risk of sounding pathetic, I missed you.”

“It’s not pathetic.” He settled his hands on her hips. “I felt the same way.”

Leaning forward, she kissed him. “Best boyfriend ever.”

“I’m not your boyfriend, babe.”

“Oh, right.
Sorry
. My man is the best boy—I mean,
man
, ever.”

Dallas chuckled. “Are you going to let me fix your door now?”

“One more kiss.”

“Blackmail.”

She giggled. “Totally.”

Dallas kissed her again and then went about fixing his destruction.

Macey headed to the kitchen, but after the sixth bang, and eighth or ninth creative swear word, she decided to investigate. “Everything okay?”

“Yep.”

She smiled at him kneeling on the floor, the door between his legs. “Can I help?”

“No.” His eyebrows drew together as he concentrated on a screw that didn’t seem to want to stay put.

“Are you sure?”

Dallas dropped his head onto the door and took a deep breath. “Mase. When a man is trying to fix something, and it’s giving him a fucking headache, that man does not need his woman asking if she can help. You can help by leaving me alone and letting me finish the job.”

Under normal circumstances, Macey might have taken offense to his words and tone, but for whatever reason, his irritation seemed to catch her funny and she giggled.

“Really, Macey?”

“Well, I’m sorry,” she said, and laid a hand over her mouth as she stifled another laugh. “But you’re adorable sitting there all ‘I am man, hear me roar,’ while being bested by a door. You have a license to carry a concealed weapon, but a tiny little screw—”

“I’ll show you a tiny screw.”

“In your pants?”

She let out a squeal of laughter and surprise when Dallas rushed her, lifting her off her feet and carrying her to the bed. He fell onto his back, causing her to land on top of him, before he began to tickle her mercilessly. “Wanna rephrase that?”