She presses the back of her hand to her head. “I think I need air-conditioning and some bad reality TV.” I hadn’t noticed how flushed her cheeks had gotten until she stood.
Tagger comes around and says, “I’ll drive you down to the house.”
She nods and comes to my side of the table. Giving me a quick side hug, she says, “I’ll see you tomorrow at the festival.”
I stand to give her a hug with Daisy planted on my hip. “Do you need anything?”
“Rest and to cool off. That’s all, but I am trying to talk Tagger into getting a chilling pool.”
He laughs. “We have a river less than fifty yards away. That ice water could cool off the Texas sun.”
She wobbles her head with an eye roll. “He’s not wrong. Maybe I need to go sit in the river for a bit.” Rubbing her stomach, she adds, “I think the air-con will do me right tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow, though?”
“Yes. Text me when you’re heading there.”
“I will.” She rubs my upper arm. “Thanks for coming out here.”
“I always love coming to see all of you.”
Tagger takes Daisy into his arms, then looks at Baylor as they head for the utility vehicle. “You hanging out or taking off?”
“I’m going to take off. I’m tired, but you owe me a game of basketball before I fly out again.”
“You’re on.” Glancing at his son, he asks, “You coming with us, Beckett?”
“Can’t I stay with Uncle Baylor?”
Baylor leans over to his side, wrapping his arm around his nephew’s back. “Hey, buddy, since we have the festival tomorrow, I was thinking we could start on the fort on Sunday before I leave. What do you think?”
“Yesss.” He sits straight up on the picnic bench. “Dad gave me a hammer that’s all mine.”
“Make sure to have it ready.”
“I will.”
The UTV is started, but Beckett gets up in a hurry. “Bye.”
It’s so sudden that it makes me laugh. “Bye, Beck?”
He waves before dashing after the vehicle. Tagger stops just in time for him to jump on and sit in the back. As soon as they round the road leading to their house, Baylor turns to me, and asks, “Did you have a good time?”
Now I’m rubbing my belly. “I’m stuffed and glad I came. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Anytime.” Angling one leg free, he smiles the kind of smile that could make me fall head over heels if I’m not careful. I really don’t want to be careful with him. I could blame the wine, but I’m starting to think it’s just him. He stands and walks closer to hold his hand out for me. “You ready to go back?”
I take it, and he pulls me to my feet. When I’m pulled against his chest, I whisper, “I’m ready.” I want to touch him so badly that I glance slowly to the right to make sure his dad isn’t watching. With the coast clear, I rest my hands on his chest. “Ready to pick up where we left off?”
Taking hold of my hands, he waggles his eyebrows. “Where’d we leave off, Shortcake?”
I cock my eyebrow and grin. “Guess you’ll have to find out.”
“When you saidI’ll find out, I was thinking you meant upstairs.”
“As soon as we finish frosting these last three hundred cupcakes, that’s where we’re heading.” With a frosting bag in my hand, I smirk at him. “I promise to make it worth the detour to finish these.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
He has a way of making me feel too comfortable to share this side of myself. “Good. I was hoping you’d be holding me to several places.” I start frosting down the row of twenty-five cakes, but add, “The bed. The wall. Maybe the peninsula.” Should I feel some shame?Nah, it’s Baylor.From everything I’ve seen, he doesn’t judge people like that.
