Wes and Warner shake their heads and laugh, sharing a look.
I follow Wyatt to the couch and take the seat he just vacated, next to Tenley. Wyatt takes the seat on the other side of me.
Tenley says something to Dakota, Warner says something to Wes, and it's just me and Wyatt now. His gaze holds mine, so intent. I love how he looks at me that way, like he's memorizing me, swallowing me whole, absorbing my every detail.
"What did you do this afternoon?" he asks. I get the feeling there are other things he'd like to say, but he's keeping it basic for the sake of our audience.
"I met with Sawyer. We had to go to the bank." It was awkward being there with Jared. He'd acted petulant, like a small child who'd been picked over at kickball. It was embarrassing, especially with Sawyer standing there seeing it all.
"Did you see him?" Wyatt asks.
"Sawyer? Yes, of course." I know what he's asking, but I like to tease him. He always rises to the occasion.
Wyatt pushes his lips out and narrows his gaze. His head dips toward me, his voice low. "Try again."
I nod.
"And?" Wyatt feathers his fingers over the back of my neck, and down to my collarbone. A boulder forms in my throat and I swallow against it.
"What are you even asking? There's no comparison, and you know it." Wyatt is a myth of a man, and he still needs reassurance. Are all men that way, or is it him?
"You didn't feel anything for him? Nothing residual?" His fingers slide up my throat, fluttering over my jawbone.
I do my best to give him a withering look, but it's hard when his touch is causing other parts of me to awaken. "No," I answer. "Unless you count irritation. He—"
"Um, excuse me?" Tenley leans forward, head sideways, eyes darting from Wyatt to me. "We're going to need to know why Wyatt is fondling your face. Pretty sure there's not a baby in there."
My gaze flickers to Wyatt, then out to the four people staring at us expectantly. Everyone looks shocked, except for Dakota. She's beaming.
I open my mouth to respond, but I'm stopped by Wyatt's mouth coming down on mine. Dakota squeals, and I think it's Tenley who gasps.
Wyatt lets me go. "We're together," he says, looking out at his family. "Surprise."
Dakota thrusts a fist into the air. "Yes," she hisses, looking back down at Wes. Amusement tugs the corners of his lips.
"I always thought there was a vibe between you two," Tenley says, adjusting her dress so it covers her knees.
Wyatt rubs his shoulder against mine and mouths the wordvibe.
"It was the bathtub, wasn't it?" Warner asks, nodding confidently.
A blush crawls across my face. "I… uh… um…"
"Don't worry, he would have got me with a bathtub delivery like that, too." He laughs at his joke. "I have one question though. How did you take a bath without a hot water heater?"
I look at Wyatt and think of walking into the house that night, and the hope in his eyes. I remember packing up all the pots he took from the homestead to make it happen. "Wyatt boiled water."
The smiles drop from everyone's faces. It's silent. Tenley is the first to speak.
"He boiled your bathwater?" Her voice is disbelieving, incredulous, and so damn happy. "That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard. Don't be surprised if it makes its way into a movie. I'm definitely going to tell some scriptwriters I know."
"Did you hear that, Wes?" Dakota pokes Wes's chest.
Wes tips his head to the side and looks at her. "I did something kind of big for you once upon a time, too."
Dakota knows instantly what he's talking about, though I don't have a clue. She leans down and kisses him, and doesn't say anything else.
"Dinner," Jessie calls, her voice reaching us before she does. When she appears, she holds Colt in her arms.
