“Do I get to see?” Kimmy asked through the door.
Tentatively, she stepped out, loving the dress more with every step. Goldie had never gone to prom; she’d never gone to anything that might be in the neighborhood of fancy. Wearing a dress like this was an entirely new experience, and she couldn’t keep the smile from her lips.
“You look amazing in that one,” Kimmy said. Her lips bloomed into in an appreciative grin, her eyes alight.
“I love it,” Goldie said, swaying from one side to the other. “Are you sure you don’t mind me wearing it?”
“Are you kidding? Not at all. Come on, I think I’ve got some earrings you can borrow, too. What size shoe are you?”
After helping Goldie get fully outfitted, Kimmy drove her up the road back to the big house, as she called it. She said she didn’t want to carry the dress all that way, since it didn’t have a bag anymore. Kimmy chattered the entire time, which put Goldie at ease and helped her warm up to the other woman.
“I’m glad Adrian found someone like you, you know? He’s been so secluded from the family for so long. It’s sad that his dad’s passing had to be the impetus to bring him all the way back here, but now that he is, I think he’s having a hard time leaving again, between you and me.”
The admission was an electric shock. “His dad died?” With the way Adrian had referenced him, Goldie assumed Mr. Bear was still around, off doing something on the ranch or something.
“Six weeks ago,” Kimmy affirmed. “That’s why this fundraiser is such a big deal this year. It might be the last one they do, unless the three Bear brothers can get things together and help their mom keep it up.”
Remorse struck Goldie. No wonder Adrian’s mom had seemed less than pleased he’d brought a girl home. She was probably still grieving the loss of her husband. Her tentative plan to bake something for Mrs. Bear solidified. She would definitely do it.
Other guests were removing suitcases from an SUV in the lot. Kimmy pulled up beside them, letting the car idle.
“This was seriously awesome of you,” Goldie said. “Thanks for letting me borrow the dress.”
“You’re welcome,” Kimmy said with a secretive smirk. “I can’t wait for Adrian to see you in it.”
Goldie’s cheeks heated. She did her best to deflect the attention and pointed to a pair of girls riding horseback in one of the corrals.
“Do they offer horseback riding lessons?”
“That’s one of the perks for guests who come here. The Bears have added all kinds of trails. You should have Adrian take you while you’re here.”
Horseback riding was yet another thing she hadn’t ever done. Goldie was starting to realize just what a sheltered life she’d been leading.
She wasn’t here to go horseback riding, though. She had to focus on why she’d come. With a wave and a smile, she thanked Kimmy and carefully carried the dress inside and up to her room.
The remaining hours passed slowly. Goldie spent the time the best that she could, choosing to keep to her room. She hung up the dress and lay on the bed, grateful for some time to detox and think things over. There were only so many last-minute changes she could handle. Traveling in itself was exhausting. Add in getting lost, sleeping in some random guy’s cabin, and being invited home by him, and she was downright couch potato material at the moment. Never mind the fact that he made her pulse race and had asked her on a date with him.
After waking from a brief but restful nap, Goldie still couldn’t believe everything that had happened. The thought alone cranked her heartrate up all over again. A date with Adrian. Posing as his girlfriend. What should she expect that evening?
CHAPTER EIGHT
GOLDIE CHECKED HER EMAIL SEVERAL times, trying both to distract herself and to contain the frustration that her aunt still hadn’t replied. Where was she? Why hadn’t Aunt Bethany said anything since Goldie left Wisconsin?
The hours crept by, and it finally seemed time to start getting ready. Goldie showered, dried her hair, and slipped into the dress. It was like feathers against her skin. She stood straighter, her shoulders intuitively leveling. Her legs seemed longer, her waist thinner. What was it about the perfect dress that seemed to shift her jagged pieces into place?
She wasn’t sure what to do with her hair. After trying a few things, she decided to twist it into a braid—it was too long for anything else—and then pinned the braid back and forth at the base of her neck. A nervous glance at her phone told her it was nearly seven.
Goldie refrained from giving in to the desire to wipe her palms against her sides. As nice as this place was, as friendly as Adrian had been, she still held reservations about staying here. It won’t last, she told herself. She’d hear from her aunt by tomorrow and she’d be out of their hair. Feeling the matter was settled, she clenched her stomach muscles against the butterflies building there and made her way downstairs.
Soft chatter greeted her as she descended. Several guests milled in their various groups. Some gentlemen in cowboy boots and hats, ready to enjoy the sunset. Others in more stylish attire clustered in conversation at the base of the stairs. Goldie’s heart hammered when she realized one of them was Adrian.
Two people stood with him, but with his dark hair slicked back, his face clean-shaven, and the tux cutting him with precision, it gave him the effect of a spotlight. She had a hard time looking anywhere else.
“I’m only saying it’s unusual,” Mrs. Bear could be heard. Goldie yanked her attention away from Adrian long enough to see she was in a stunning black gown with a full, ruffled skirt. “Where did you say you met her?”
Adrian began to answer when the teenage version of himself, Jordan, smacked his shoulder, drawing his attention. Together, the two of them stared at up her.
Goldie squirmed inside. She’d made herself the center of attention—or rather, the stairs had. The three Bears were watching her descend, and she suddenly wished they’d look somewhere else. Anywhere else. She could hardly move in the shoes Kimmy had lent her. She supposed she could kick them off to make her way down easier. This was taking far too long.
Adrian’s brows lifted in appreciation. He took a step toward her as she reached the bottom step. “You look amazing,” he said.
His brother’s forehead crinkled. “Isn’t that Kimmy’s dress?”
Adrian shook Jordan’s shoulder. “Perceptive, aren’t we?”
“I’m just borrowing it,” Goldie said, attempting to brush away their attention.
“Are you a spy?”
Goldie nearly stumbled.
“Seriously?” Adrian sounded like he wanted to smack his brother. Mrs. Bear only watched with curiosity.
“What?” Jordan said, lifting his hands. “This is the kind of thing spies do. Show up unannounced, looking smoking hot in a borrowed dress.”
Mrs. Bear coughed as though she was choking on a drink.
“Yes,” Goldie said, her cheeks scorching. Smoking hot was going a bit overboard, especially from a sixteen-year-old. She did her best to deflect the praise. “I’m a spy out to steal all your family’s secrets.” She added a laugh. “What do you think?”
Adrian’s smile widened, rendering him more handsome than ever. What was it about a man in a fine-fitted suit? The combination of suits, smiles, and hair gel should be illegal.