She ignored the pessimism and nodded. “Yes. Let’s see where it goes.”
After all, if a heart was already broken, would it really hurt more if it cracked again?
Chapter Eleven
Thursday, August 11, 2022
“I’d like to take you to dinnertonight.”
Bailey looked up from the reservation book, then peered around the empty downstairs. The B and B was surprisingly slow for the first time this week. Aside from Holt, the last of their guests had checked out that morning, and they weren’t expecting any new arrivals until tomorrow afternoon. Technically, this meant she could have the night off and wouldn’t have to disrupt Rex’s schedule.
“What did you have in mind?” she prompted, smiling up at the handsome man.
Based on his smile, he seemed relieved that she was agreeing. “I figured I would leave that up to you.”
“Would you mind if we went to the diner?” she suggested. “It’s been far too long since I’ve eaten there, and I love their Thursday night special.”
Holt’s eyebrow quirked. “Which is?”
“Fried chicken livers.”
His forehead creased, and she was pretty sure he turned a light shade of green.
“They make other things,” she assured him.
His smile returned. “Then it’s a date. What time should I pick you up?”
Bailey glanced at her watch. It was quickly closing in on dinner time, and since she’d skipped lunch… “Now would be good.”
As though he’d known she would say that Holt retrieved his keys from his pocket and dangled them in front of her.
“Let me text Rex first and tell him I’ll be out for a bit.”
“He already knows,” said a voice from behind her.
Bailey turned to see Rex coming out of the kitchen, his dog trotting at his side. He tipped his chin in Holt’s direction, giving him that silent gesture forWhat’s up?
“I figured I’d do my due diligence,” Holt explained. “I asked him if he could spare you for a couple of hours.”
“Go on,” Rex said, jerking his chin toward the door. “I’ll lock up down here.”
“Thanks.” Bailey turned to Holt. “Youwillhave to give me a few minutes to freshen up, though. I’ve been cleaning all afternoon. You can come up if you’d like.”
“Good night,” Rex called after them as they headed up the stairs.
By the time they reached the third floor, Bailey was out of breath. Could’ve been from the trek up the stairs or because she was so close to Holt. Perhaps both. Ever since they agreed to see where things went, his presence induced quite the reaction.
Probably didn’t hurt that he’d been treating her to small things, letting her know that he was thinking about her even though they hadn’t been able to spend much time together.
On Sunday, he brought her a cowboy cookie—a fancy name for oats, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans—from the bakery. Her favorite.
On Monday, he brought her a copy of the second book in the series she was reading. She didn’t start reading it until last night, but when she opened the cover, she saw that he’d signed it and left a sweet note inside.
On Tuesday, he brought her a pint of mango sherbet from the corner store. Evidently, he’d asked her mother what her favorite ice cream flavor was. Bailey had shared it with him that night by the pool.
And last night, their roles had reversed because he had locked himself away in his room to write. She interrupted briefly to bring him mini blueberry whoopee pies, which were essentially soft, cake-like cookies made with blueberries in the mix, pressed together with cream cheese icing. She made them herself, then paired them with an Irish coffee topped with just a little whipped cream to help him work.
To say she was enjoying this new relationship was an understatement. Bailey liked having Holt around. When she wasn’t helping guests, tidying up the place, or cooking for the masses, she would get to talk to him. She was slowly learning some of the more secretive things about him. Like he’d grown up in Mississippi, and his parents had divorced when he was seven, but they’d remained friends after that and had mastered the art of co-parenting. According to him, they still lived in Biloxi, and both had established careers in the casinos.
