Page 106 of Heart & Hope

Tanner Lewis.

“Sure, Merlot, top-shelf.”

He grins at me and nods, walking back as he slides a wine glass from the rack over his head. Mack built that. Reed and Harry built the bar.

Hudson worked on the internal structures and the beams that flank the high ceiling that needed replacing and updated joinery.

It was a team effort. A family effort.

And it came out perfectly.

“You want it on the Rawlins tab?” Tanner says, handing me the glass.

I nod and smile, taking a sip. The heat winds its way down my insides, warming me up. “Lovely, thank you.”

I turn back to find Harry.

“Another whiskey?” I ask.

“Actually, soda water; this old man is driving tonight.”

I turn back to Tanner and order Harry’s drink.

“Well, we oughta get this bird stuck, I reckon’,” Harry says, taking the drink from the bar as it appears.

“We should.”

We wander through the tables, stopping en route to chat with guests before finding our seats. Harry sits by Lou, and shewhispers something in his ear. A half smile cracks over his face. Reed has a chair empty beside him at the head table. I slide into it, and he dots a kiss to my cheek and stands, whiskey glass in one hand, fork in the other. He taps the fork to the crystal with atink tink, and the music softens. Every guest turns, all eyes on him.

He stills, swallowing hard.

His mouth opens, then closes. Shoulders lifting higher than before with each breath.

No. Not tonight . . .

I squeeze his arm and lift the glass from his hand, setting it on the table. He tracks his gaze down. Eyes wide and jaw set.

“Pretend you’re talking to me,” I whisper.

A few breaths later, he sets his focus back to the waiting guests and squares his shoulders back.

One Mississippi.

Two Mississippi.

Three—

“Welcome to R & R Ranch’s first-ever event. To our grand opening, the beginning of something magnificent. It means a heck of a lot that y’all came out tonight in the cold and this season’s first snow.” He points toward the doors, where the light fall of fresh snow is still drifting down. “R & R stands for many things, but right now, it’s all about the people we are here with tonight. Thank you for coming. Let’s stab a bird!”

The tables chuckle with laughter, and Reed plonks back into his seat, hands gripping his thighs.

“That was terrifying,” he rasps.

I lean over and nuzzle his neck, my mouth brushing his ear. “You were amazing. You’re a natural host, Reed Rawlins.”

He takes my hand under the table, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. “You always have my back, beautiful. How will I?—”

Two servers push a silver service cart up to our table, lifting the turkey on the equally impressive tray into place in front of Reed. When one holds out a massive knife, Reed stands and glances at me before raising his glass. “A toast to the people we love and a new place to spend our days. Happy Thanksgiving, folks.”

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