MissBEHAVED

Chapter Twelve

Dixon

I straightened my tie one last time and made sure I didn’t have anything on my face before I got out of my truck at Mellie’s house. Her driveway was full of high-end luxury vehicles each costing more than I made in a year, so I had to park a ways down. That was fine by me, though. The cold air and a few extra minutes to settle my thoughts worked wonders on my nerves.

When Mellie asked if I wanted to join her and her parents, and their friends, for dinner, I didn’t hesitate to accept. Meeting her family was a step I wanted to take. But when she told me they were having it catered by a fancy restaurant in Ellicottville and to wear a tie? I’m not ashamed to admit that I worried I might be out of my league with these people. Never one to back down from a challenge, I sucked it up, put on my Sunday best, and got my happy ass in my truck to go have a fancy dinner at my girlfriend’s house when I’d really prefer hanging out on the couch with Mellie, a pizza, and some beer.

I rang the doorbell and took the opportunity to look around at Mellie’s property again. Usually, I was in too much of a hurry to get inside and see her to stop and enjoy the view. She was halfway up a mountain, tucked back in the woods, with a fantastic view of the forest. Giant evergreens and oaks surrounded the house in the front, with a few trails leading off into the woods visible from the porch. She owned twenty acres and loved hiking it in the summer, something I couldn’t wait to join her in doing.

The door opened, and I turned to find an older man, tall and fit, with the same blue eyes as Mellie. I expected questions, and was ready to introduce myself, but he spoke before I could.

“Dixon, welcome, welcome.” He stepped back and ushered me into the house. “We just started on drinks, so you got here at the perfect time. Mellie was running a little late from work but should be down any minute. I’m assuming those flowers are for her and not me,” he joked.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Sullivan,” I said, setting down the bouquet I’d purchased from the florist in town before I hung up my coat and took off my boots.

“None of that mister nonsense. Call me Dave, like everyone else. Might as well leave the flowers there while I introduce you to everyone.”

I followed him through the kitchen and into the family room, surprised to find a portable bar had been set up. A man in a white shirt and black pants stood behind it, pouring martinis into a pair of delicate glasses. Two women in cocktail dresses stood in front of the bar, both impeccably groomed and put together, from their styled hair to their sparkly heels. Two men were standing by the windows that overlooked the hillside below, each with a tumbler full of brown liquor in hand.

Dave introduced me to them all by first name, and I was relieved it didn’t turn into an attempt to wow me with their accomplishments. Just, this is Dixon, he’s Mellie’s boyfriend, Dixon this is Frank, or Eileen, continuing around the room until he’d introduced me to everyone. For as fancy as the whole set up was, everyone seemed fairly down to earth.

I’d just ordered a beer from the bartender who just so happened to have my favorite local IPA, when Mellie and her mother came downstairs. If Mellie had her father’s eyes, every other part of her came from her mother. Her hair, her build, and her smile. The two women were chatting as they came down the stairs and entered the room and didn’t notice me until Dave spoke up.

“Mellie, Dixon is here.”

She looked up and her smile grew even brighter when she spotted me. I’d wondered if she’d feel awkward in front of her parents, but she seemed completely at ease.

“Oh, good.” She walked over and gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek. I wrapped my arm around her, claiming her as mine to everyone in the room. “Did Dad introduce you to everyone?”

I looked down and found her beaming up at me, happier than I’d seen her since we met. “He did. Did you have a good day at work?”

Everyone else faded away as she gazed at me and clutched my hand.

“It was the best day, Dix. I sold so many last-minute Valentine’s gifts. Grace and I ran from the moment we opened the doors until after closing.” Her excitement infected the air around her, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“That’s great, babe. I’m happy for you.” A throat cleared, and I looked up to find her parents watching us, both smiling in appreciation. “Why don’t you introduce me to your mom?”

“Oh, right.” She turned and pulled us toward the woman who gave me a good idea what Mellie would look like in twenty years. And it was a good look. “Mom, this is Dixon. Dixon, my mother, Sabrina.”

“It’s great to meet you, Dixon. Mellie has told me so much about you.” Rather than shake the hand I’d extended, she pulled me into a hug, forcing me to drop Mellie’s hand.

“It’s good to meet you too, Sabrina.” I didn’t even bother with formality. I could tell from her flowy dress and long, unbound hair, that Sabrina was a woman who followed her own path. Much like her daughter. “She’s told me all about your family as well, and it sounds great.”

She released me and clasped her hands together. “We’re planning on a family dinner on Sunday, and I was hoping your grandparents could come so we could meet them.”

The invitation came out of nowhere and stunned me stupid. It hadn’t occurred to me that her family would want to meet mine, and I hadn’t even told my grandmother about Mellie yet, so meeting her parents was out of the question.

“Unfortunately, they have their monthly church dinner and my grandmother is the head of the ladies committee that runs it, but I’ll let them know you asked.” She looked so disappointed that I rushed to add, “I’m sure they’ll be sorry they missed the opportunity. Next time we’ll plan something.”

“Sounds wonderful, darling. Now let me go tell the caterer that we’re ready for hors d’oeuvres.” She brushed off her disappointment and moved on to the next thing, heading to the kitchen with her skirts swishing in her wake. I looked around the room to see what everyone else’s reaction to that interaction would be, but they were all caught up in their own conversations. Dave had drifted over to the men by the window and the two other women had taken seats on the couch.

“This is something else,” I said, nodding toward the bar, and the waiter who entered the room with a tray full of food he began passing around.

“I know. It’s over the top, but it’s kind of fun, too. Nobody here takes themselves too seriously. It’s more an excuse to get dressed up and drink and eat a lot. By the end of the night everyone will be tipsy and in the hot tub.”

She wandered over to the bar and I followed.

“I didn’t realize you had a hot tub,” I commented, as she asked for a glass of wine from the bartender.

“It’s on the patio off the lower level and it was covered in snow up until my father cleaned it off this afternoon.” She took a sip, and I admired the way her throat moved when she swallowed. “Since I have that big tub in my bathroom, I don’t really use the hot tub. It’s mostly for guests.”

“Maybe sometime we can check it out?” I suggested, low enough that no one else could hear. Not that anybody was paying us any attention. “When it’s not quite so cold? I’ve never sat in a hot tub in winter before. I think I’d like to try it once.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” she replied, then cleared her throat. “Uh, let’s get some food. I’m starved.”

A waiter appeared next to us with a tray of appetizers. I set my drink on the bar and waited to see how many Mellie would take before I took too many and looked like a pig. When she only took two, I let out a sigh I didn’t mean to, but I really was hungry.

“It’s okay,” she said, laughing. “He’ll be back with more and we can eat as much as we want. Don’t forget there’s dinner too.”

“All right, I’ll try not to embarrass myself by eating two-fisted.” I said it jokingly, but there was more than a hint of concern and truth buried in my words, which she noticed right away.

“Dixon, you’re not embarrassing yourself. I only laughed because your sigh sounded so sad. I told you that my parents would like you and since I already like you, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” She grabbed my hand as she spoke and held it tightly. I looked into her eyes and found only sincerity and honesty. I knew she worried that her family’s wealth would scare me, and that’s the last thing I wanted her to think. I could handle this. Everyone had been nice, and no one had looked at my off-the-rack suit funny. I was letting my nerves get the best of me and it needed to stop.

“Thanks for reassuring me, babe. I’m good.” I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering for a second to take in the scent of her hair. When I looked over her head, I found her father watching us with a small grin. He lifted his glass, and I gave him a nod in return when I pulled away from Mellie.

One hurdle passed.

“I almost forgot. Happy Valentine’s Day, Melody. I brought you some flowers but left them by the door.”

“Oh, Dixon, you didn’t need to do that,” she said, but her grin told me I’d scored major points. So far, this night was going even better than I’d hoped.