Page 89 of Bailey

Tom laughed. “It sure does—but hey, that’d make a great video.”

Reeves didn’t see how, but he simply smiled and nodded. Bailey gave him a false glare and handed her menu to Tom. “I’ll take the⁠—”

“Chicken,” Reeves blurted out. “She’ll want the chicken tower, with honey mustard dipping sauce, and mashed potatoes dripping with brown gravy.”

Bailey’s eyes filled with energy, and Reeves wanted to be burned by it badly. Her eyebrows rose, but she didn’t contradict him.

She wanted more than just the chicken tower.

“And… the blue cheese wedge tower as well.” Reeves reached for his first glass of Diet Coke. “Extra tomatoes, if possible, and easy on the blue cheese crumbles.”

“Ranch dressing?” Tom asked.

“Yes,” Reeves and Bailey said together, and their standoff broke. Bailey softened completely, and Reeves suddenly wished he’d insisted they dine alone at his place. Then he could be kissing her right now instead of dealing with the busy hubbub of a crowd.

“All right, is that it for you guys?” Tom asked.

“Yes,” Bailey said, and she reached for her drink.

The waiter left, and everything seemed shiny and fizzy inside Reeves. Bailey glowed as well, and Reeves couldn’t help feeling like he’d just won a marathon.

“You have their menu memorized?”

“I came prepared,” he said.

“But hiding behind a menu would be perfect for you.” She laughed, clearly teasing him, and Reeves was here for all of it.

As she quieted, she reached her hands across the table and took his. “Yes, fine, okay. I wanted to talk to you about marriage. Is that something you believe in, something you’ve wanted, something you’ve thought about?”

Reeves gave an over-exaggerated sigh, and then smiled softly across the table at Bailey, and thankfully God gave him the exact right words to say.

“Not until you, wildflower, and now it seems to be all I can think about.”

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FIVE

Bailey set the bottle of coconut cream next to the other items she’d already put on her dining room table just as the doorbell rang. “Come in!” she yelled, because it could only be one of three people. Well, really, one, as her mother and Ronnie would’ve just walked in.

When Reeves also didn’t enter the house, Bailey frowned and headed for the front door. “I said you could come in,” she said, and then she pulled open the door.

“I would have,” Ronnie said from behind a stack of boxes. “But I’ve got all these things to taste, and I couldn’t get the door.”

“Oh my goodness!” Bailey reached for the top two containers and pulled them off the stack. She met her brother’s eyes and grinned.

“I’m so glad we’re doing this.”

“Yeah, because you get free food.” Bailey laughed and led the way into her dining room.

“Momma was right behind me,” he said. “She has all the desserts to sample.”

“I can’t believe they let you guys take them,” she said.

“They couldn’t squeeze in another tasting, but we’re already on their calendar for the party.”

Bailey turned and took two more boxes and let Ronnie put the others on the table. “Are you ready for this?”

“Well, I have the degree,” Ronnie said. “And I’ve been working with Daddy for a few years, so if I’m not ready now, I don’t know what else it will take.”