Dancing Away With My Heart (Wishful 12)
“She made it?” Jessie asked. “Oh my Lord, that’s amazing.”
The girls converged, and Lexi found herself dragged into a conversation about fashion. She thanked God for her mother—not only for the dress itself, but for having educated Lexi so she could keep up with the discussion. With half an ear, she listened to the guys continue to rib Zach. And it was all so…high school. Except better than high school had ever been.
“So when are you moving back to Wishful for good?” Jessie asked.
“When am I—oh.”
Conversation around them died when she didn’t have an immediate answer. How could she? Her bags were nearly packed
to go home to Austin tomorrow. She and Zach hadn’t discussed anything about the future. Her job, her studio, was still in Texas. How could she change her entire life to chase this new relationship with him? And yet…how could she not?
“Contrary to popular belief, we did not manage to have a complete telepathic conversation about that while I was kissing her,” Zach said. “One thing at a time. Right now, I want to dance with my date. Excuse us.”
He cut neatly through the group and escorted her out to the dance floor as “Save The Best For Last” began to pour out of the speakers.
Lexi’s tongue seemed glued to the roof of her mouth. What could she say? How could she have forgotten all those details?
“It’s okay, Lex. We don’t have to figure out everything right this second. It’s enough that we’re here, together, dancing.”
“I was supposed to go home tomorrow.”
He tensed against her, then relaxed again. “Well, I’m hoping you’ll give it at least a few more days. But either way, I know you’ve got a lot of things to think about and moving back here would be a huge decision. I’m not gonna rush you on that.”
Lexi’s muscles loosened. He wasn’t going to push. Wasn’t going to demand. This was all so new, and neither of them wanted to mess it up.
“But—”
Oh Dios.
“I do want to put it out there that I have loved working with you these past few weeks. And I know you’ve worked hard to establish your own studio in Austin, but I would be a hundred percent on board with bringing you on as a full partner in mine. Permanently.”
Lexi stared up at him. “You’d make me a partner in the business you built?”
“We’re good together. On every level. Of course, I want you here for me. But I’d have made the offer even if you’d wanted to move home and we’d still just been friends.”
He’d make a place for her, as he’d done all those years ago.
Lexi’s heart swelled. Oh, how she loved this man. “You make it easy.”
His lips quirked into a grin. “That is the idea. Make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
“I don’t think I could ever refuse you. So yes.”
Zach blinked, the grin sliding into shock. “Really? That’s it? You don’t want to look over the books or talk about business plans or…”
“I want to be with you. I’ve seen for myself that you’ve built a successful business. And you were right at the wedding. I don’t have much of a personal life in Texas. Everything I want is here, with you. So yeah. I accept partnership and everything it entails.”
With a whoop, he scooped her off her feet and twirled. “Hot damn! I can’t wait.”
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders she brushed her lips to his. “Neither can I.”
Epilogue
Thunder rumbled in the distance as the late August storm rolled on through town. Sheets of water fell from the sky, obscuring everything but what lay a dozen feet in front of Zach’s headlights. It was a filthy night to be out, and he couldn’t have been happier. He didn’t even need the computer to tell him that he’d nailed the shots of the storm rolling in over Hope Springs. He’d captured quite the light show before the heavens opened up, drenching him to the skin. Worth it. His gear was protected and he’d gotten exactly the kind of shoot he’d been hoping for. He couldn’t wait to show Lexi.
He was grinning from ear to ear as he pulled up in front of the house and saw her car. It would be their house, as soon as he talked her into moving in with him. She hadn’t said yes yet, but Zach knew it was only a matter of time. They’d taken everything slow on the personal front since things had moved at warp speed on the business side. But their partnership at work had continued without a hitch. Clients loved having options, and wedding season had been a comparative breeze. He’d loved every minute of having her back in Wishful.
Scooping up his bag, he made the dash to the front porch, feeling fresh water snaking down his spine beneath clothes gone clammy in the air conditioning of the truck. Shaking off like a dog, he turned the knob and stepped inside.