Page 78 of Fake Dating Daxton Hawk
“Oh, fantastic, you’re here,” a lady calls out. I spot her to Daxton’s right, navigating her way through the guests to him. From her age and the facial resemblance to Daxton, my guess is this is his mother. “How are you feeling? Well rested, I hope—”
Her eyes switch to me as she arrives in front of us. Confusion washes over the lady. Her gaze travels down to Daxton holding my hand and back up, then finally she gives a delighted smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize Daxton was bringing a date.”
Daxton’s hand slips around my waist and he draws me closer to him. “Mom, I’d like you to meet someone. This is my girlfriend, Jordan.”
My eyes flash to Daxton and a smile twitches on my lips from hearing the label. Of course, I’ve heard him refer to me that way before, but this time, it’s not fake. Ilovethat nothing between us is fake anymore.
Daxton’s mom pulls me right out of his grasp and into a hug. “It issolovely to meet you, darling. You can call me Shirley.”
I laugh, caught a little off guard by how welcoming she is. “It’s nice to meet you too. I hope it’s okay that I’m here.”
“Are you kidding me? Knowing that Daxton has a girlfriend makes me so incredibly happy. You’re like a daughter to me now. Your presence is more than welcome. I can’t tell you how lovely it is to meet someone special to Daxton.” Shirley releases me from the hug and Daxton instantly has his hand around my waist again. “Can I offer you two a wine?”
“Jordan doesn’t drink. We’ll order something non-alcoholic at the bar.”
“No problem,” she says. “Dinner will be served soon. I’ll let you two mingle.”
The second Shirley disappears into the crowd, I feel Daxton’s hand relax at my side.
I lean into him, resting my hands on the lapels of his suit jacket. “That went well.” In fact, a lot better than I expected, considering the rough dynamic Daxton described between him and his mom. I don’t know exactly what I had expected—no one will outright cause drama at a sophisticated wedding event—but I certainly hadn’t been expecting such a warm welcome.
“Dax, is that you?” a female voice calls.
Daxton’s muscles stiffen at the voice. I guess this is going to be a recurring pattern throughout the night.
We both look to the voice, finding a young woman approaching through the crowd with a guy who looks like Daxton, except less handsome, not as muscular, and is dressed more casually than Daxton in his suit. The man wears cream-colored pants and a white linen shirt. Brad, I suppose, the groom. And that must be Felicity with him. She’s beautiful with long blond hair and tanned skin. There are nervous smiles on both their faces as they join us.
“Hi, Brad. Felicity.” Daxton greets them with a stiff nod.
“We didn’t know you were coming to the wedding,” Brad says.
“Mom convinced me. I assumed she would have told you. I should have RSVP’d.”
Felicity’s lips twitch. “Shirley probably wanted to surprise us. We’re so happy you’re here.” Her attention shifts to me. “And you’ve brought a… girlfriend, hopefully?”
“Yes, this is Jordan.”
“Hi.” I smile at the pair. “It’s nice to meet you both. Congratulations.”
The bride and groom share an optimistic look with each other, almost seeming relieved. “Thank you,” Felicity says. “It’s nice to see Daxton happy. Well, ah…” Silence stretches over the four of us. Before I have a chance to break the tension, Felicity speaks up. “We better move on and keep greeting people.”
Once they walk off, I gaze up at Daxton. “A slightly more awkward encounter. They seem nice, though.”
“Yeah.” He laughs, but there’s something sharp in the sound. “Come on, let’s get that drink.”
ChapterThirty-Nine
Daxton
The rehearsal dinner is draining with all the small talk and pleasantries involved. Lots of extended family members greet me. I can’t count how many times an aunt or uncle speaks a variation of the phrase, “Everyone has missed you. We’re glad to see you’ve mended your relationship with Brad and your mother.” To which, I force a smile and deflect the conversation, not wanting Jordan to hear any elaboration on my past.
Jordan and I dine at a table with Amabella, Josh, Ally, and Dan. Champagne toasts follow, and when they conclude, a dance floor opens up. As guests start mingling again, Jordan excuses herself for the bathroom. Amabella, keeping true to her word, accompanies Jordan where I can’t. Ally and Dan have disappeared somewhere. Josh heads for the bar and I’m suddenly alone at the table.
I search for Ally, not wanting to be stuck in a conversation about finance or something equally as boring with one of my uncles, but find her dancing with Dan in front of the jazz band. His hands are around her waist. Even though their stance is innocent with a gap between their bodies, I watch them for a moment, questioning if there’s any merit to what Jordan said about Ally having a crush on him. Ally won’t stop smiling at Dan, that’s for sure.
Josh’s kid must be a year or two older than Ally. He’s attractive and has the build of an athlete. Dark hair. Looks like one of the popular kids in school. I’m left wondering what on earth he’s doing here of all places, at a random wedding in the middle of nowhere. It’s not like this is a family vacation, not when Josh has a handful of kids and none of the others are here.
Perhaps Amabella knows her daughter well and there’s no crush on Ally’s behalf. Or perhaps…
