Page 71 of Bailey

Cash blinked. “I meant with the proposal.” A laugh flowed out of his mouth, but only Jet joined him. Wade stood there blinking, like perhaps he’d forgotten how to speak.

“He doesn’t need help,” Jet said as he sobered. “His plan is to go in and get lunch, sit next to her, let everybody catch up, and then drop to his knees right next to her chair, and ask her to marry him.”

Cash’s eyebrows went up. “Is that the plan?”

Wade swallowed. “Yeah, that’s the plan.”

Jet clapped his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Don’t be so nervous, bro,” he said. “She loves you, and she’s gonna say yes.”

Cash understood the nervousness probably pounding through Wade’s bloodstream, and he drew the man into another hug and held him tight. “Jet’s right,” he whispered fiercely. “But I know it’s still hard.” He pulled back and cupped one hand along Wade’s ear. “It’s going to be amazing, and then you’re going to have yourself a fiancée.”

“What are you guys doing?” Lark called from the front porch. “The food’s out, and Momma and Daddy are starving.”

“It’s go-time.” Jet stepped past them and called up to Lark, “We’re coming right now, Sissy.”

Cash faced her too, then looked at Wade again. “He’s right; it’s go-time.”

Wade finally smiled, and Cash grinned as he walked with the man toward Lark. He let Wade go in ahead, and he pulled Lark close to his chest.

“What’s going on?” she demanded, though her voice was barely loud enough to reach his ears.

“I don’t think we’re going to be the only engaged couple here by the time we leave tonight,” he whispered.

Lark sucked in a breath and pulled back to look at him. “You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not,” he grinned at her. “Now come on, everyone’s back in town, and I’m starving too.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-NINE

Tex Young dropped the load of chairs he’d been carrying in the same spot in the downtown park in Coral Canyon, where he’d been sitting with his family for the Fourth of July celebration for the past fifteen years.

“I can’t believe we beat Momma.” He looked over to Abby, almost like he was lost.

“I have them on the map,” his wife said. “They’ll be here in five minutes.” She nodded up ahead of where Tex had dropped the chair. “Mel, spread the blanket out right there, please.”

Their daughter went to do what Abby had asked, and Tex reached for his son’s hand. “You come with me to help Grandma and Grandpa.” He met Abby’s eye. “I’ll go meet them in the parking lot and make sure they get over here okay.”

She nodded. “Wade’s going to need some help too,” she reminded him.

“Yep,” Tex said, because while his brother-in-law had new prosthetics, it was still difficult for him to walk over uneven ground. They’d paved sidewalks all over his farm so he could get around easier, and anything Wade couldn’t do, Tex went next door to help with. He loved his slow, small town, cowboy-rancher life, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

He let Carver skip ahead while they walked back to the parking lot, where he found his momma pulling into a spot right next to Tex’s big black truck. He waved to her and Daddy and made a mental note that they’d need someone to drive them home. Neither of them drove after dark anymore, and Daddy didn’t drive at all.

Tex could do it, and Abby could follow along in the truck and pick him up at his parents’ condo, but Tex knew that any of his brothers, or their wives, or their adult children would be happy to help as well.

He moved to the back of the SUV and opened it as momma got out of the car. “Joey and Adam are right behind me,” she said. “They said they’d help haul everything over.”

“That’s what we came to do too, right, bud?” Tex reached into the back and extracted a large canvas bag. He handed it to Carver. “Think you can take this?”

“Yep,” his ten-year-old said, and Tex grinned at him as the boy staggered under the weight of it. Tex pulled out two coolers and set them on the ground before Adam pulled in next to them.

Bryce and Codi, along with Reggie and Kassie, and their kids, arrived next. Tex handed the big red umbrella to Reggie to carry over. He doled out everything, telling Kassie and Codi to escort Grandma and Grandpa across the grass to their family spot.

By the time he arrived, Adam and Joey had set up the two tables, and Reggie was anchoring the umbrella that would signal all the Youngs in the state of Wyoming. Not only that, but the Whittakers and Hammonds who happened to be in town sat with them every year as well.

Others started arriving, and Tex hugged Luke and his boys before taking two-year-old Maddie onto his hip and snagging a handful of crackers for the girl from the snack table. Tex felt like a politician as he went around to greet everyone, but he did it out of brotherly love and not obligation, as he really wanted every person to feel loved, accepted, and like they belonged there with him and Abby and Momma and Daddy.