Page 87 of The Rules

“Are you on your way to see Cat?”

“I am.”

“You could come back after,” he said. “I’ll wait up and give you dessert.”

She could just picture his expression and she suppressed a smile. “Mmm. Tempting, but it’s going to be late and I have to go into the office tomorrow.”

“All right. I’ll see you in a couple days. Have a good time, Dani-pie.

“Bye, Dylan.” She clicked off the call feeling oddly deflated.

Thirty-three

After all of the backand forth, the restaurant Dylan’s mother had finally chosen was fancy enough to warrant a tie and he’d been tugging at it all afternoon. He wasn’t sure if it was the silk or the lie he’d told that felt like a noose tightening every time he breathed.

“I think I’m going to have the prime rib,” Irene said, folding her menu onto the table. Dylan shot a look at Katie which she returned. He was never sure if his mother did things like ordering his father’s favorite food on purpose or if it was more of a well-hidden dysfunction, the kind she didn’t even know she had.

“So tell us about work, Dylan.” Katie’s husband Kevin was a land developer, so their fields crossed paths from time to time.

“Work’s good. Just closed a big deal that promises to lead to more.” One that Dani had helped him win and he was repaying her by lying to her. He took a sip of his water and tugged on his tie again.

“Excellent. Things are looking bright.”

Katie tipped her glass at him. “Now he just needs to meet a woman.”

For fuck’s sake.“You know, Katie, could we go one dinner without making it about me and my relationship status?”

“You mean your lack of?”

He sawed his teeth back and forth. Maybe he should just tell them, watch their heads explode.Actually, I have a relationship. She’s way out of my league and I think I might actually be in—

His mental outburst was cut off by his mother poking his arm. “Dylan, isn’t that Cat’s friend? Danielle?”

He turned over his shoulder and he nearly choked on a bite of bread.

Dani was standing at the bar with the guy she worked with, Benji. Benji handed his credit card to the host and laughed at something Dani said.

No, no, no.This could not be happening. Why was Dani even in this part of town? A cold sweat sprung on his brow. Fuck. Did it even matter?

He glanced around for the restroom sign, considering making a break for it, but he knew he couldn’t stop his mother from approaching her herself. Maybe he could cut Dani off at the bar, lie and say he was here on business, steer her back outside and pray she didn’t see his family sitting there. For the first time, the thought of lying to a woman to avoid an awkward situation came with more than just a guilty conscience. This was real fear—the kind you feel deep in your bones.

Because it wasn’t just some woman. It was Dani. And he had way more to lose.

He remembered the way her lip had trembled that night in the water over her fight with Cat. How the sight of her hurt feelings had wrapped around his chest and squeezed until he felt physical pain. What would it be like to see that expression aimed at him? He couldn’t take it.

Christ. His heart hammered in his chest, his brow cold and damp. He felt like he was going to hurl right there on the fancy white tablecloth.

“Are you going to say hi?” His mother swatted his arm. “Dylan, that’s Danielle, right?”

“It’s Danica,” he said as he shoved his chair away from the table.

He made his way through a sea of tables, bumping into coats and chairs and mumbling apologies. She hadn’t seen him yet. The vision of what her face would look like when she did stabbed at his ribs like a physical blow. Those pretty, always-red lips would part in surprise, then her eyes would pop. She’d give him that smile that she saved just for him, probably hug him hello. Then she’d realize.

She laughed at something Benji said, her head tipped back, her hair glowing like a halo under the light from the bar.

Angels singing.That was it. He finally knew what that felt like, except he was sure he was about to get struck by lightning.

“Dylan?”

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