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Okay, so maybe he had given me a kick in the pants, but not the kind I had expected. “What if we don't break up?” I asked. “I can't ask her to move to Texas, and I can't move here.”
Gage shook his head. “It sounds like you're asking the wrong question.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He laughed softly, his eyes turning down. “I think the question is, ‘How could I miss out on a girl like that?’”
16
Henrietta
Confession: I can’t stop thinking about him.
I stoppedby Seaton Bakery on my way into work to get donuts and coffee for all the construction workers. Corporate had given me a budget to help manage things like this because they knew happy workers meant a job well done.
Gayle, the owner at the bakery, helped me load up all of the supplies into my trunk. “Are you getting excited for Mara and Jonas's wedding?” she asked.
I nodded. “Knowing them, it's going to be a night to remember. And I hear someone incredible is making the cakes.”
She laughed. “We just want to do a good job for them. They’re such a sweet couple.”
“I'm sure you will,” I said. “The cakes at Tess's wedding were fabulous. I had to stop myself from eating everything at the table.”
Laughing, she said, “Thanks for saying that.” She bumped my elbow. “Who knows? Maybe I'll be making a cake for your wedding soon.”
“I love your sense of humor,” I teased. “I’m closer to a house full of cats than I am a house full of kids.”
“You’d be surprised. Love can always be right around the corner.”
Hoping she was right, I replied, “I'll see you at the wedding.”
“See you then.”
On my drive to the construction site, I may or may not have fantasized about Tyler standing at the end of the aisle, looking incredible in a black and white suit. He was a classic kind of guy—he wouldn't wear any other color. He'd smile at me as I walked down the aisle, wipe a tear away from his face as I got close.
But as I neared the construction zone, I realized I’d just indulged myself in the adult equivalent of writingMrs. Tyler Griffenon my notebook. So I shook all thoughts of marriage and babies from my mind and pulled up next to Tyler’s truck.
I couldn't believe how much progress they had already made, taking it all in through the chain-link fence. In a matter of two weeks, they'd begun pouring the foundation. Now, gray cement and a steel frame occupied the space that was dirt and weeds just days ago.
I got out of my car and went to the trunk, grabbing two boxes of donuts. As I walked toward the office trailer, Tyler opened the door and came out. He didn't see me at first, so I had a moment to take him in. The way his tight T-shirt pulled against his biceps. The peek of a tattoo on his arm. The way the morning sun hit his skin, making him look almost golden.
All of it combined was enough to make me drool more than the donuts. But then he saw me, and his smile was even more dazzling.
Catching my breath, I lifted the box of donuts. “I brought breakfast for everyone.”
“Well, that was mighty nice of you.”
I shook my head. “I don't think I'll ever be used to that Texas accent.”
He laughed, taking the box from me. “Here. Let me help you.”
I nodded. “I have a few more in the car and some coffee thermoses.”
“Great,” he said. “I have a folding table in the office. I could set that up in front of the trailer.”
“Perfect,” I replied. I went to the car and carried back another box. Some of the workers were already beginning to line up around the table, looking at the spread. Seeing them dig in made me feel better—I knew how hard a day of work could be. Sometimes a little thoughtful gesture went a long way.
Tyler came beside me on my way back to the car to get the coffee, and he said, “It may not be pizza and beer, but I think you’re winning them over.”