Page 12 of Marry Me

He nodded vigorously. “If all goes according to plan, we’ll set them up with some of our manufacturers, and that should ease their costs.” He cracked his knuckles, and Ally flinched. Not her favorite. “And we’ll look at getting the Dash Bar on BeLeaf shelves a few months down the road.”

“Brent Carmichael. That’s the most amazing news I’ve heard in a long time.”

“Yeah? Well, if you’re happy, I’m happy. It’s not a bad little bar either. Your parents have something there. We’d want it on our shelves regardless of the familial connection.”

She felt herself light up. “I think it’s fantastic, too. And their customers at the shop can’t get enough. It’s why they wanted to license it in the first place. They saw something unique.”

“They were spot-on, and we’ll do right by them. They’re family now.” He smiled, and she did, too.

That night, they watched a movie. A later installment ofFast and Furiousthat Brent picked out for them. It held her interest for a short time until it just didn’t anymore. She wasn’t a huge fan of action movies and fell asleep next to him. She found herself eating dinner at a lovely little outdoor spot with lots of friendly people. Delicious-looking cocktails went by on a tray, and Allison considered ordering one because they looked refreshing and it was warm out.

“You should do it,” a voice said. She turned to her dinner companion, and Megan Kinkaid gestured to the tray. “I hear they’re amazing. In fact, let me order you one. I insist.” She did. The drinkarrived in seconds. Citrusy and delicious. They spent the next stretch of time just talking beneath the setting sun. The next thing she knew they were walking along the beach and Megan took her hand, laced their fingers, and smiled over at her. Allison had never felt more at peace or quite so happy in her entire life. She reached over and touched Megan’s bottom lip with her free hand and watched how she reacted, as if struck by the gesture, moved by it. Her heart squeezed pleasantly.

“Babe, we’re at the credits.” The voice didn’t match Megan’s even though her lips moved to the words. “Movie’s over, Sleeping Beauty. Good guy won.” And then she watched as Megan, beautiful as ever, slowly faded away.

Allison’s eyes fluttered open, and it took her a minute to understand where she was. Towering ceiling. Large television. Right. Brent’s. The egg rolls. The racing. The beach and Megan Kinkaid had been a dream. That’s all. A really realistic dream she wasn’t sure she wanted to end.

“You should stay over tonight,” Brent said, giving her chin a shake. “You’re exhausted.”

She nodded and allowed him to pull her onto her feet. “Good idea.” She’d not moved in with him because her place was much closer to school, and well, she also liked it a lot. They’d agreed that she’d begin the move as they got closer to the wedding date. For now, they stole time at each other’s houses, occupying drawers and closet space as needed. It wasn’t how other people would have done things, but they did what worked for them. The arrangement offered them their time together but also a little bit of space. Betsy recoiled at the description, but Allison thought it was actually quite mature of them, seizing upon what worked rather than what was assumed of them.

“Okay, but don’t let me oversleep. It’s another twenty-five minutes on the road in the morning, and I have to account for it. Fourth graders can’t be kept waiting.”

“I’ll shove you out the door if I have to. Scream expletives until you get the hell out of here.”

“Now we’re talking.”

“Should we just crash?” he asked. It was a question of sex, which she could take or leave. Their connection in the bedroom was fine but had definitely wound down from their early days together.

“Yes, please.”

They fell into bed in Brent’s oversized king, and Ally hoped toreturn to that rather pleasant dream. She didn’t know why, but she felt awfully at home there on that beach. It beckoned her. Would be a nice way to spend the evening. When her alarm went off at five forty-five a.m., she frowned. The grumpy alligator that had followed her around in her slumber was a far cry from the serenity of the earlier dream with a beautiful woman. Friend. “Interesting,” she muttered as she showered for school, in regards to both dreams. Yet only one of them stuck with her as she moved through her day. Like a happy little getaway tucked in the recesses of her brain that she could take out whenever she wanted.

Strange, yes. But Allison also noticed that she wasn’t complaining.

Chapter Three

Allison Hale seemed different at their second scheduled consultation. Megan couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but it snagged her attention right off the bat. She’d come into the suite, several minutes early again, and Cade had directed her to Megan’s office. She looked less like a teacher today—her blond hair carried lazy waves, and she wore calf-high gray boots. Not only that, but her clothes were sleeker, more like a woman out for a day of shopping rather than instructing nine-year-olds. She looked, quite frankly, really attractive.

Megan relaxed into her chair and smiled up at Allison as she entered. “How were the kids today?”

“I wouldn’t know. Teacher workday, and we were dismissed by noon in a happy turn of events. I got to have lunch out with my sister, and then we got our nails done.” She waved her newly pink fingers at Megan, who nodded her approval.

“The color suits you.”

“Thank you. I get flustered when they ask me to choose, and I just close my eyes and point. Sometimes I live with those unfortunate consequences.”

“Living on the dangerous side.” She gestured to the cream sofa across from her desk as a bolt of unexpected energy struck. Where had that come from? “Come on in and have a seat. I thought we’d meet in here today.” She’d been exhausted from a nonstop afternoon, but somehow seeing Allison had woken her the hell up. Her friendly vibe must have been infectious.

Allison took a seat and looked around the room. “You have a nice office. I mean, really.”

Megan saw the space through Allison’s eyes with pride. “I wanted something that felt professional, yet comfortable.”

“You’ve definitely achieved it. I’d sleep in here.” She patted the couch. “Or there. Or even over there on the soft-looking carpet. You could rent it out.”

Megan laughed out loud, caught off guard by the comment. “Thank you?”

“Definitely a compliment. As a teacher, I sometimes go too hard, so I’m always on the lookout for comfy spots to crash.” She laughed. “I’m just kidding about renting it out. Sometimes my jokes aren’t clear.”

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