Page 29 of The Wedding Toast
He chuckled.“Why yes, I do.I am Reaves Brandon St.James.And you?”
“I am Zia Rose Brighton.”
“That’s pretty,” said Reaves.
“Thank you, I think so.I like your name better though.It’s very… fancy.You’re not a real saint, are you?”
He chuckled.“Far from it, I’m afraid.”
She gave him a puzzled look but continued.“So where did you get your name?”
“The same way I think most people get their last name.My father gave it to me.”
As soon as the words were out, he wondered if he’d made a mistake.He knew that Zia was here with her mother, but he had no idea if there was a father in the picture.Fortunately, his comment didn’t throw her off stride.
“I’d like to meet your father.”Her mock formal tone had him smiling like an idiot and he didn’t know why.Well, perhaps he was wondering what his dad would make of this little imp.
“Well,” he said, deciding to match her tone, “I am pleased to tell you that your wish will be granted.On Saturday – if you are here for the wedding.”
Her little eyes lit up.“We are.Did you know that my mom’s building the arch for the king and queen of the cornflowers?”
He bit back a laugh.“Yeah, I think I heard something about that.”
Zia swung her legs and braced her hands on the wall as she leaned past him to look down toward the garage.“She’s down there right now, building.That’s how she does it.She makes all the frames in the days before.But she won’t put the flowers on until the morning.”
She turned her big green eyes on him, looking so sad that it hit him right in the chest.“The flowers will die too soon if she puts them on the arch earlier.”She heaved out a big sigh.“They’re going to die anyway.That’s what happens to them when you cut them down, you know.”
Reaves found himself nodding, suddenly sad at the fate of cut flowers.He pulled himself together.“The cornflowers would die at the end of the season anyway, though.”
As soon as he spoke the words, he again wondered if he should have kept his mouth shut.A wave of relief washed over him when she smiled up at him.
“That’s true, isn’t it?And at least the ones who go into the arch will become part of history since they’ll be in the wedding photos – and their lives will be a great adventure.”
“They will,” Reaves agreed, even though all of a sudden he was wondering what cornflowers would consider to be a great adventure, and whether being part of a wedding would be on the list.
Zia pulled him from his thoughts when she slipped her little hand inside his and announced, “I like you.”
He wasn’t prepared for the rush of warmth that filled his chest at her words.Just a few moments ago, he would have sworn that he couldn’t care less if this girl liked him or not.Now it seemed incredibly important that he shouldn’t do anything to change her opinion.
He gave her hand a squeeze.“Thank you.I have to say I like you, too.”
She gave him a mischievous little grin.“You didn’t want to like me, did you?”
He raised his eyebrows.
“It’s okay,” she reassured him.“Lots of people don’t.I don’t mind.”
He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around the kid and give her a hug.“The people who don’t like you aren’t worth your time,” he told her.Then he felt like a fool when she looked at him as if he was pretty dumb for stating the obvious.
“I know that.Are you a daddy?”
He sat back, surprised by the change of subject.
She tilted her head to the side as she watched him closely.
“I’m not,” he said.“Why?”
“Because I can tell.”
