Blake crawled out of the truck, shook the legs of his jeans down over his boots, and circled around the front side to open the door for her. They walked across the street hand in hand and when he tried to pull away as they entered the café, she tightened her grip.
The place was almost as noisy as a rock concert until they saw that Allie was with Blake and holding his hand and then the only racket that could be heard was the pots and pans in the kitchen area.
Allie marched right over to Nadine’s mama, who had held the crown for the biggest gossip in Dry Creek for nearly three decades, and laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Hello, Willa Ruth. Have you met my boyfriend, Blake Dawson? He’s been to church a couple of times but I don’t think everyone has been properly introduced to him. Blake, darlin’, this is Nadine’s mama, Willa Ruth. She taught Nadine everything she knows about Southern cooking so this should be written up in the magazines before the year is out.”
“I’m right pleased to meet you, ma’am.” Blake nodded. “Deke is waiting for us so I expect we’d best get on over there. I’m looking forward to a lot of good meals right here.”
Willa Ruth mumbled something that sounded like she was pleased to meet Blake and then threw her hand up over her mouth to whisper something to the women sitting with her at the table.
Between that area and the corner Deke had saved, Allie stopped by two more tables to introduce Blake as her boyfriend. By the time they were seated with Deke and Kelly the whole place was buzzing. Allie didn’t need a PhD in rocket science to know exactly what they were saying or that a few of those phones up to their ears were calling everyone else in town to give them the news.
“Well, that was bold as hell.” Deke said.
“Did I hear you right? Did you say that Blake is your boyfriend?” Kelly asked.
“I think she did,” Blake answered seriously.
“I wouldn’t have a bit of trouble crawling up here on this table and telling the whole place if you were my boyfriend.” Kelly pushed back her red hair and batted her thick lashes at him. “But I don’t mess with another woman’s feller.”
Lizzy, Grady, and Mitch pushed through the door and Deke nodded that way. “She’s liable to tear the place apart when…and there is Sharlene whispering in her ear right now.”
Everyone in the place saw Lizzy’s expression, but Allie smiled and blew her sister a kiss from across the room. With those mixed signals the poor old gossip hounds wouldn’t know what to say or do next.
“So I’m your boyfriend?” Blake leaned around the corner of the table and kissed Allie on the cheek. “I’m lucky to have a girlfriend as beautiful as you are.”
Kelly sighed. “Damn the luck. I would’ve gone to cut wood with Grandpa, but I was lazy and look what it got me.”
“I’ll be your boyfriend as long as we are at this table,” Deke said.
“Why not longer?” Kelly asked.
“Because your grandpa would make sure they never found my body and that would make Allie sad since she is my best friend,” Deke answered.
“Quite the charmer, you are.” Kelly smiled.
Deke gave her a crooked little smile. “Do my best, darlin’.”
Blake glanced at the menu, which was stuck between the sugar bowl and napkin holder. “I like being your boyfriend, but you could have given me a little notice.”
“You brought me flowers. Doesn’t that mean we are in a relationship?” she asked.
Before he could answer, Mary Jo appeared at the table with a little order pad and pen. “Well, you stirred up things. Nadine says to thank you because gossip is good for business.”
“I want a big greasy hamburger with mustard, fries, and a Dr Pepper. Not diet,” Allie answered. “Tell Nadine she’s welcome. We are glad to be a help.”
“Make that two,” Blake said. “Double meat and add cheese please. Sweet tea instead of a soda.”
Deke nodded. “I’ll take what he’s having.”
“Me, too,” Kelly said.
“How long has this been going on?” Mary Jo used her pen to point at Allie and Blake.
“A while,” Allie answered.
“Some women have all the luck and just so you know, Sharlene is not a happy camper.” Mary Jo rushed across the room to take Lizzy’s order.
Blake walked Allie to the porch and then caged her by putting a hand on the wall on either side of her. “As your boyfriend, I do get a good night kiss, right?”
She stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry. I should have told you I was going to do that. Everyone was staring at us, so I figured I’d give them something to talk about. If you don’t want a commitment, then please at least play along with me until after Lizzy’s wedding so I don’t have to deal with Grady anymore.”
His lips came down on hers, sweet and gentle at first, then more demanding, his tongue finding hers and the mating dance starting. Her breath came out in short raspy gasps when he finally pulled away.
“Why didn’t you think of this sooner?”
“We can break up after the wedding,” she said.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I’ll see you tomorrow at noon and remember, since the room is done, we have a date on Thursday night. I’m thinkin’ some dancin’ at a honky-tonk.”