A Tiara Under The Tree

“Here we are again, Miss Waverly,” said Marion. “Or shall I now call you Miss Southwood?” They both sat on wooden benches on the docks of the Magnolia Palace, overlooking the private lake. The high afternoon sun sent sparkles from her diamond tiara, which were reflected across Marion’s face.

“Come on now, Marion,” Waverly gushed. “We go back a while now. You can just call me Waverly.”

Marion, a gorgeous young woman close to thirty, smiled. “So you know I’m curious about the whole incident leading up to being dethroned.”

Of course she was, Waverly thought. “Must we?” she asked with a droll sigh. “The incident is a thing of the past.” Thanks to her fast track into the Miss Southwood Pageant, Waverly had never had a chance to tell Dominic the full story surrounding her being dethroned.

“I understand,” said Marion. “I guess we can tell everyone you’re back on track. It is nice to see you bounce back so quickly.”

“Thank you,” Waverly said, reaching out and squeezing Marion’s hand.

“Well, I won’t hold you up. I just wanted to get a few pictures of you outside with your gorgeous tiara.”

Perfect timing, Waverly thought as Dominic made his way toward her. His hands stretched out for Waverly to take. “Almost done here?”

“Almost, stud,” Marion answered.

“It turns out Will and Zoe can’t make it tonight. Are you okay if it’s just us?”

“Just us?” Marion asked, stepping between the two of them. “And exactly who are you to Waverly?” Before letting either one of them give an answer, Marion walked around Dominic’s large frame. “Let’s see, I feel like I’m sensing more than a sponsorship. You’re dressed in a five-thousand-dollar suit. You smell of money and success. So you’re not Waverly’s typical bad boy.”

Waverly bit her bottom lip and glanced toward the water to avoid Dominic’s questioning yet curious gaze.

* * *

Dominic let the reporter’s comment go and headed off to let them finish their conversation. Waverly’s past was just that—the past. They were here in the present together. Just as each time he restored a job to its fullest potential, pride washed over him. A tiara belonged on Waverly’s head. She had the wave down pat, too. But a part of Dominic understood her project wasn’t complete. The next big step for her was the Miss Georgia competition. He looked forward to helping her out until then. Once she moved on to the next level, his job was done. Dominic understood how this worked. While restoring cars, he often thought of them as his until the time came to turn over the keys to the rightful owner. He’d be able to do the same with Waverly, right? Just walk away.

Hell, the erotic tension between them had held him over for the week. Tuesday morning Lexi allowed him to stay at his sister’s place while Waverly sorted through Lexi’s choices of gowns. Not only did they let him stay, they asked for his opinion. Dominic wasn’t sure if it was the actual dress he loved on Waverly or the near orgasmic feeling he’d got when he helped her zip the dress up and down. A long whistle snapped him out of his daydream. He found himself face-to-face with his frat brother.

A slick smile spread across Will’s face. “I can’t wait for you to find the woman who makes you drop everything for her.”

Dominic glanced over at Waverly. She waved again. Her smile melted his insides. With a straight face, he shrugged and turned his attention back to his frat brother. They’d been through the trenches together. Will was more than a frat brother; they were real brothers.

Like a sibling would, Will punched Dominic in the biceps. “Ouch.” Will winced.

“Sitting behind your cushy desk has made you soft,” said Dominic.

“You moving to the country has made you soft.” Will pointed toward Waverly. “Be careful with that one.”

Dominic held his hand up. “Wait a minute, now.”

“Hold on, big fellow.” Will held up his hands in the air in surrender. “Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of you getting involved with someone—hell, it’s about time.”

“You’re one to talk.” Dominic chuckled uncomfortably. He didn’t need to be reminded about his bachelorhood. Oh, there’d been plenty of women. Tons of casual flings. But so far he avoided relationships with women by focusing on his business. He prided himself on not stringing them along. He never wanted to be like his father.

“Right, but I’m selective with who I pick. I don’t know when the last time you dated anyone was, and trying to date a beauty queen, well...”

“Because you’ve dated so many?” Dominic asked his frat brother.

“No.” Will shook his head. “But I was a judge on a panel with a few beauty queens. Their schedules are demanding and sometimes they have to break promises.”

“So?”

“So?” Will mocked him. “I know how you feel about broken promises and living drama-free. And I don’t want you to go into any relationship with the new Miss Southwood blind. She’s going to be busy.”

“Fine by me.” Dominic inhaled the evening air. “I moved to Southwood for my business, not for love.”

“All right.” Will sighed. “I trust you know what you’re doing.”

The fact he was standing off to the side, waiting for Waverly to finish, when he needed to work in the garage already told Dominic he didn’t know what he was doing. Whatever it was, it felt good. Dominic’s heart swelled with excitement when Waverly made her way toward the two of them. Deep down he’d known Waverly would win. She dazzled the crowd just as she dazzled him. They hadn’t spent a lot of time together this week, but the kiss they’d shared offered so much promise. Dominic’s body rippled with desire. He needed her. The fact his body reacted so strongly toward her worried Dominic. Neither of them were in the position to commit to anything serious and while it seemed like the perfect situation for a relationship-leery man, it left Dominic feeling unsettled.

“Mr. Ravens,” Waverly said with a genuine smile. “I have one more meeting, with the mayor, a brief one, and then we can head off to dinner.”

Will leaned forward and gave Waverly a kiss on her cheek. “If Zoe and I will be in Miami tonight but the next time we’re in the same city we’ll have to get together. I just wanted to stop by and offer my congratulations again and say bye to this lug right here.”

Dominic ducked out of the way when Will tried to wrap his arm around his neck. “Man.”

“He was never a cooperative line brother,” Will explained to Waverly.

Waverly’s lips pressed together. Dimples formed in her cheeks as she tried not to grin too hard. “I can imagine.”

“Will?”

The three of them standing there on the docks turned toward the voice. Vera, one of the other judges who sat on the panel, came barreling toward them. Anson Wilson, the town’s mayor, followed close behind. Dominic had met the politician when he first moved to Southwood. The man wore a designer scarf at all times. Alisha once explained to Dominic it was an ascot. Dominic privately called him Mayor Ascot. The man was somewhere in his thirties, clearly a former football star at Southwood High School. Every time Dominic saw the man away from the office he had some form of high school football paraphernalia on, alluding to the old days.