“Your daughter is waiting for you,” I say.
He brings his lips to my ear. “I can make it quick.”
He sucks my earlobe between his teeth, and a shiver runs through me.
“Waylon,” I breathe, and even I don’t know if it’s a plea or a protest.
He kisses his way across my jaw. “How about you and I have our own playdate on Friday night?”
My eyes move from his mouth to his eyes. “Like adate, date?”
“Yeah, like adate, date. I’ll come to the door and pick you up like a gentleman. Take you to dinner. Bring you home at a respectable hour.”
“You are neither respectable nor a gentleman, Waylon Ludlow,” I tease as his mouth hovers over mine.
“I’ll do my best,” he says against my lips.
I arch into him, and he presses his mouth to mine in a scorching kiss that almost makes my legs give out.
His arms fall to my waist, and he pulls me into him as I kiss him back just as eagerly.
Then a throat clears.
We break apart to see Cabe standing at the end of the aisle, grinning at us. Waylon doesn’t let go. Instead, he tightens his grip.
“Kinda in the middle of something here, Cabe,” Waylon says calmly.
“I can see that,” Cabe replies. “But the contractor needs someone to sign off on a work order, and Matty isn’t in her office.”
“I got it,” I say as I try to wiggle out of Waylon’s grasp.
Cabe shakes his head. “I’ll tell him it’ll be a minute.”
As soon as he’s out of sight, Waylon grabs me and kisses me thoroughly before letting me go and walking toward the door. “Friday. Seven o’clock.”
“Seven o’clock,” I repeat.
I guess I’ve got myself a playdate.
It’s been a good week. The snow held off until last night, giving us time to wrap all our pipes with heat tape and to install the new water rippler systems to keep water moving in our tanks and prevent them from icing over.
Because of the holiday, I’m taking Ruby to Momma instead of the church this morning. She, of course, has breakfast waiting when we arrive, and she, Pop, Ruby, and I sit down together before I head out to find Darby.
Momma and Ruby plan their day. Opting for a pajama-and-movie day since the snowfall last night left seven inches on the ground.
Ruby was delighted when she woke up. She’d never seen snow before, and the wonder on her face when she looked out the window took my breath.
I promised her that we would go outside and play in it for a little bit after work and before I left to pick Shelby up for our playdate.
Once we’re finished with breakfast, Pop looks at Momma. “You got her?”
Momma glances to me, then back to him and nods. My stomach tightens at her expression.
“Come with me, son,” he says.
I nod and follow him out of the dining room, down the hall, and into his office.
Caison is already there, seated on the edge of the desk.
