No Love Allowed (Dodge Cove Trilogy #1) (12 page)

“Cowboy boots?” she asked loudly, taking out the brown leather boots and blinking at them. When she checked the soles, her size was stamped there along with the words
GENUINE LEATHER
. She should have known Nate would overspend.

“The event is called the Summer Swing,” Caleb replied from the living room.

“You’re really going to stay there until I’m done?”

“I think that’s for the best, yes.”

Shaking her head, she rummaged through the rest of the bag’s contents and came up with the cutest pink-checkered linen dress. She had to hand it to Nathan. The guy had taste. Maybe having
him as her personal shopper wouldn’t be so bad.

“Yee-haw,” she said under her breath.

“Did you say something?”

Holding Didi’s hand—for appearance’s sake, definitely not because he liked how hers fit in his—Caleb led the way to the massive red barn where the
Summer Swing was . . . well, in full swing. He hated himself for the pun, but having Didi with him changed the air surrounding them. She lightened his mood significantly after a stressful week at
the firm. His father had been on a tear because of an important case. Dare Caleb say he had looked forward to seeing her again? A part of him wished he could have been there when Nathan brought the
art supplies. But damn his cousin for even suggesting that he should pose for her naked. Just like him to plant that seed in Didi’s head to get him back for making her mad. It had become
obvious pretty fast that Nathan was on her side, after he declared her his personal Barbie. The traitor.

And he had met her mother. What must that have been like?

He had come to her house with the specific purpose of picking her up and giving her a piece of his mind for not returning his texts. But as soon as she had opened the door in her painting
overalls and dry paintbrushes sticking out of a messy bun, his annoyance deflated. A buoyant kind of happiness had taken its place. He could barely contain himself when she allowed him into her
home. Small as it was, the space was warm and lived in, with its comfortable couch, picture frames, and fireplace. And her paintings . . . The vibrant colors went with her vibrant attitude.

On the ride over she had asked him question after question about the event, and he had answered them to the best of his abilities, letting her know that each Summer Swing was different depending
on who his father hired to plan it. This particular one they were attending had a Western theme. “Hence the boots,” she had said, an impish twinkle in her eyes as she twirled for him
after he’d helped her out of the car.

Even from a step behind him, Caleb could sense Didi’s barely contained excitement. She squeezed his hand, and he glanced at her from over his shoulder as they walked down the path leading
to the barn’s entrance. Like Nathan had told him, the pink of the dress—or
rose
as his cousin had called it—set off the paleness of her skin. Her hair, sans paintbrushes,
moved as she did, framing a face he had wanted to kiss since she’d come out of her room ready to attend their second event of the summer.

Looking at her was like stepping into a patch of spring sunlight after the harshest winter. Without thinking, he brought the hand he held to his lips and planted a kiss on its back. The move
coaxed a gasp out of her. She blushed prettily for him. Just for him.

At the door to the barn, he handed their invitation to a waiting attendant. She nodded them in, not bothering to check the validity of the invite. Didi pulled on his arm, and he slowed his pace
and bent down so her mouth came to his ear.

“I knew that face of yours was all the invitation we’d need,” she whispered.

The touch of her breath caused heat to climb his neck. He opened his mouth to reply, but Didi was already pulling him forward. The wide space featured a wooden dance floor at the center, stacks
of hay bales for seating and makeshift tables, and a sprawling bar spanning one wall. Cowboys moved among the crowd, balancing wooden trays filled with finger food. For those who wanted heartier
selections, several checkered-tablecloth-covered tables featured quite a spread of cornbread, an assortment of barbecues, and a bakery’s worth of pies.

“Who’s that hot piece of cowboy standing with Nathan?” She pointed toward one end of the barn by a stack of hay bales.

A scowl tightened all the muscles in his face as he followed the length of her arm to the direction of her fingertip. Before he could answer, she was already pulling him again. This time toward
his cousin.

“Nate, who’s your friend?” she asked, not bothering with hellos. Letting go of Caleb’s hand and leaving him feeling empty, she shifted her weight to her toes when she
stopped in front of Preston. “Your eyes remind me of those old Sprite bottles. I found one at a flea market once. I think it’s still lying around somewhere in my room.”

Nathan’s chuckle caught her attention. “Diana Alexander, let me introduce you to Preston Grant. He’s a childhood friend of mine and Caleb’s. Pres, this is
Didi.”

“Can I paint you naked?” she asked, unabashed, looking up at him. Nathan’s chuckles became full-blown laughter. She hiked her thumb at Caleb. His scowl deepened. “This
one’s too shy.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Didi,” Preston said. He seemed unperturbed by her request. The bastard.

She danced to Nathan’s side and leaned in conspiratorially, not taking her eyes away from Preston. “Between you and me,” she whispered loud enough for Caleb and the object of
her fascination to hear, “just how far does his tan go?”

That had done it. The words came out of his mouth without thinking. “If you’re going to paint someone naked, it will be me.” With impatience running through his veins, he laced
their fingers together and tugged. “Come on.”

“It was nice meeting you, Preston,” she called back, allowing herself to be pulled away.

Caleb gritted his teeth through the shared laughter that followed his retreat.

“There are twinkle lights on the roof beams!” Didi shifted the topic so fast he had to check for whiplash. “And there’s line dancing! Can we dance, Caleb? Can
we?”

“Yes.” He nodded. Her excitement was infectious, making him forget what he had been annoyed about. She had a frenetic energy surrounding her. For the first time since his
mother’s funeral, he might actually enjoy one of these things. “But we need to make the rounds first. Ready to put your girlfriend face on?”

With mock seriousness, she saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

Laughing, he escorted her deeper into the party.

After Didi had navigated the crowd like a pro and played her part with devastating efficiency, Caleb gave Mr. Spencer—an old geezer with more war stories than anyone in Dodge Cove—
permission to dance with his girl while he made for the bar with the excuse of needing a drink.
His girl.
The thought had stunned him enough to stammer his order.

The bartender slid a mug of root beer his way as Didi’s laughter reached his ears.

“I think it’s love,” Nathan said when Caleb joined him at the bar.

“What?” he sputtered, spilling some of his root beer.

“Whoa!” Nathan inched away. “These are suede.”

He set the glass aside and coughed into his fist. The sweetness of the drink stuck to the walls of his throat. “What did you just say?” he wheezed out.

His cousin returned to his side and gestured with his chin at Didi on the dance floor. Somehow she had managed to take the lead in a line dance. “She’s a hit. Half of DoCo society
doesn’t know what to do with her, and the other half thinks she’s charming, according to my sources. Dense and self-absorbed as most of them are, they don’t even suspect that she
used to serve their food at the club a few weeks ago. Oh, the miracles of a little elbow grease and polish. She cleans up nice, right? And from the looks of things, she paid attention during my
makeup and hair lessons. Points for your girl.”

His eyebrows came together. “I don’t see why her working at the country club would be an issue.”

“Of course you wouldn’t.” Nathan leaned back against the bar on his elbows.

“What does that mean?”

“You’re immune to public scrutiny.”

Heat climbed his neck again, this time for an entirely different reason. “I’m tempted to dump the rest of my root beer on your suede boots.”

Nathan flinched. “Don’t you dare! And don’t get pissed at me for stating the obvious. It’s a good thing Amber isn’t here. She’s been asking around about Didi.
Seems like our ugly-duckling-turned-swan has made quite an impression on your ex.”

His rising anger cooled significantly at the mention of Amber. He wondered why she would have any interest in Didi. Then the rest of Nathan’s words sank in. “Call Didi ugly one more
time and your boots will really get it.”

“Now, that’s just mean, and after I shared information about Amber too. Unlike you, she doesn’t have a father who forces her to attend these things. Whoever decided on a
hoe-down for the Summer Swing should be shot.”

As if mention of his father conjured him out of thin air, JJ walked into the barn in almost exactly the same attire as Caleb’s, except he had a jacket over his plaid shirt and a cowboy hat
on his head. Ice replaced the blood in Caleb’s veins. Hell had just frozen over.

“What is he doing here?” he blurted out as his father scanned the gathering right about the same time Didi let out a loud
whoop
on the dance floor.

“I thought he would be in court all day,” Nathan said back, in total bewilderment.

“I thought so too.” Caleb’s stomach sank as his father’s gaze finally landed on him. He shifted his weight away from the stool he leaned on to stand straighter when his
father began winding his way toward them. Once in a while a group would call for his attention and he would stop.

Tight fists at his side, Caleb flicked glances at Didi. For a crazy second he wanted to pull her out of the barn and escape. Unfortunately for them, his father had already seen him. Leaving
would only bring worse consequences later. But he hadn’t prepared Didi for meeting JJ Parker. He’d actually hoped they wouldn’t have to meet—insane as the thought may have
been. Maybe he could make up some excuse. . . .

“Incoming,” Nathan whispered before plastering a wide grin on his face. “Uncle JJ, you made it.”

“Nathan.” His father took his nephew’s hand for a brief-yet-firm handshake. “Why did I just get a bill for a fourteen-piece jazz band?”

“Ah.” Nathan nodded. “They are the entertainment for the Roaring Twenties party we’re throwing our boy. It’s going to be spectacular. Trust me.”

JJ laughed—full and throaty. “You should have been the one to plan this thing.”

“I certainly would have done better than a barn.”

JJ laughed again.

Caleb’s anxiety rocketed up to the point where pinpricks of sweat gathered along his forehead. His father in a good mood made his actions even more unpredictable. JJ and Nathan spoke about
the dreaded birthday party for a few more minutes. When he finally finished with Nathan, JJ moved his attention to his intended target with the efficiency of a predator on the hunt.

“Caleb.” He nodded once.

“Father.” Caleb returned the nod. The air between them crackled with tension. All the lightness Didi had brought with her evaporated. “I thought you were due in court
today.”

“The case was dismissed on the grounds of insufficient evidence,” he said smoothly. “Since I had time I thought I would drop by and introduce myself to this girl everyone has
been talking about.”

Caleb’s blood ran cold. Shit. Of course news of Didi would have reached JJ. But he never imagined the Devil would actually come to an event just to meet her. He was about to make an excuse
when Didi appeared by his side and kissed his cheek before turning her attention to JJ.

“Hello, I’m Diana Alexander.” She reached out her hand and kept it there, waiting. “But they call me Didi.”

“They?” his father asked in bemusement.

“It’s her thing,” Nathan clarified.

Fighting the shock brought on by Didi’s sudden appearance, Caleb caught the smirk on his father’s lips as he took Didi’s hand in his. For a murderous second, he wanted to yank
her away. She shouldn’t be touching someone like JJ. She was too pure. Too good.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Didi,” his father said. “I’m Jordan Parker, Caleb’s father. You may call me JJ.”

In her own innocent way, Didi asked, “What’s the other J for?”

“Joseph.”

“Okay, JJ.” Then she surprised everyone by saying, “I’m still deciding if it’s nice to meet you.”

In a beat of panic where Caleb scrambled to put out a possible fire by saying something, his father interrupted him by laughing. Again. Was the man drunk or something?

Mute, holding on to Didi’s waist, Caleb half-sat on the stool again. He took comfort in the warmth of Didi’s hand over his pounding heart.

“Fair enough.” JJ tapped the bar and ordered a beer. “So, tell me about yourself, Didi.”

And here came the inquisition.

Didi unflinchingly said, “There’s not much to tell. I like painting.”

“So I’ve heard. You’re an Expressionist?”

“More like a free spirit. I paint what inspiration dictates.” She patted Caleb’s chest. “In fact, your son agreed to sit for me.”

He held in his relief when she left out the naked part. Not sure how JJ would have taken that. He didn’t acknowledge the weight in his father’s stare, content to keep his eyes on
Didi. The way she easily spoke with the cold bastard enthralled him.

“Is that right?” JJ asked. “And your family? What does your father do?”

Didi’s signature shrug made an appearance. “I don’t know. He left when I was eight.”

“And your mother?”

“She has several jobs.”

“And college? You do know Caleb is attending Yale.”

“Good for Caleb. As for me, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll attend, maybe I won’t. I haven’t really decided yet.”

“You don’t know? You should have made this decision before you graduated. I assume you graduated.”

“Unlike you, some of us don’t have the luxury of thinking about college.”

“Then good luck finding a job without a proper degree.”