Page 70 of Camilla & Dallas
He justwas.
His arms remained wrapped around her, and he kept his cheek resting atop her head. People came and went from the country club, tossing confused or concerned glances their way, but it didn’t affect him.
Long into the night, Dallas stayed.
29
Dallas
Dallas tapped his steering wheel with a new-found excitement he hadn’t felt in ages. The three-hour drive to Denver for an interview had been worth it. He hadn’t expected Sonya’s friend to come through so quickly.
Then again, he wouldn’t have put it past her to tell him that Dallas had a time crunch.
Dallas had called Mack with the news that he had an interview with the wildlife department in Denver, and to say that Mack was irritated was the understatement of the century. Dallas wouldn’t have been surprised if the guy had an aneurysm the second he got off the phone.
That conversation was the one thing that lit the fire under Mack to find a replacement, temporary or otherwise, for the Canada trip.
With the news that he was actively looking for work elsewhere, Dallas had expected Mack to let him go on the spot.
He wasn’t so lucky.
Apparently, Mack had made it clear that until he was officially hired, he still worked for their corporation. And while he was willing to approve an extended leave of absence until he heard back about the job opportunity, he wasn’t going to void the contract.
That was fine.
The interview had gone better than expected.
Sonya had been right. The gig with the state didn’t offer as high of a salary, but the benefits would be nice. He’d been assured they’d work with him on finding something close to home, even if it meant he worked remotely for the main office.
Things were finally starting to work in his favor.
After that night in the country club parking lot, Camilla had slowly been warming up to him in person and on the phone. Cheyenne was keeping her distance. He didn’t know what had transpired between his twin and the love of his life, but he wasn’t champing at the bit to find out. When Camilla was ready to talk, he’d be there.
That was the most he could offer her.
Dallas had borrowed Isabelle’s car for the trip to Denver. She’d been more than happy to agree when he told her why he was making the trip. Now that it appeared he’d be sticking around, he’d need to start looking for a truck of his own.
Miles of fields passed him as he drove down the familiar highway heading toward Copper Creek. Despite having moved around for the better part of a decade, this drive felt like coming home. And when he passed by a for sale sign, something in him screamed to pull over.
He didn’t know why exactly, but that sign caught his attention. The simple signage was at the edge of a dirt road that would likely lead to some parcel of land. He didn’t quite have enough money to make a full offer. Heck, he didn’t even have a girl to settle down with—not yet, anyway.
And yet those thoughts didn’t stop him from backing up and turning down the road. He turned down a winding path that didn’t give any indication of what he was in for until he rounded a cluster of aspens.
The small house looked more like a cottage and a cabin fell deeply in love and had a baby. He snickered to himself at the thought as he took in the quaint property. It was empty by the looks of it. Small, but with room to grow. There was a small lean-to with enough space for two horses. A dog run had been built nearby. Untamed fields swallowed the property. If that sign hadn’t been posted, he wasn’t sure he would have ever known this place existed.
He glanced up at the sky, gauging his location. Based on what he knew of the terrain, this property was within a couple miles of Winding Creek Ranch. Camilla would be close to home.
The way his heart pattered in his chest and picked up the speed until it all but thrashed against his ribs indicated how perfect this place would be for the two of them.
Dallas had to have it.
His soul practically screamed at him to call the realtor and demand it be pulled from the market. But that wasn’t how this worked. He knew better. Being between jobs would make it difficult to get approval for a loan. Not to mention, he needed the girl.
Maybe this property would tip the scales in his favor?
Or it’d run her off.
He scrubbed his jaw as he drank in the scene before him. Then, without another thought, he climbed into the car and headed back the way he’d come, making sure to take a picture of the number on the sign.
