Page 72 of Bountiful
Zara
We walked backto the farmhouse while I snuck glances at Dave carrying Nicole. Any mom of a toddler is so used to toting the baby around that she practically wears the kid like a scarf. But Dave used both arms, cradling her head with one and her butt with the other. He held himself stiffly, as if she were easilybreakable.
He looked awkward but so damn cute that I could not stop peekingatthem.
Just as we reached the front porch, Griffin Shipley’s truck rolled up the driveway and stopped beside Dave’srentalcar.
“Expecting more company?” Dave asked in a hushed tone, taking care not to disturbNicole.
“Um…Audrey is dropping off a little project I’m helping her with.” But she wasn’t supposed to show untillater. I’d told her four o’clock, and it probably wasn’t even three. And the change of plans was almost certainlyintentional.
Indeed, Audrey hopped out of the passenger seat looking gleeful. She took in Dave, the baby asleep on his shoulder, and her expression went straight to the same giddy look she wore whenever she watched puppy videos on YouTube. “Hi there,” she said, a giant smile on her face. “You mustbeDave.”
“And you’re Audrey, right? I’d shake your hand, but…” He was still holding Nicole as if she were aMingvase.
Audrey’s eyes danced. “Sorry we’re early, but Griff finished up his errandsalready.”
No way. The little stinker had come early on purpose. “Errands on Sunday, huh?” I asked, calling her on her bullshit. The only businesses that were open in Vermont on Sunday were restaurants andhotels.
“Busy, busy!” she said, unrepentant. “Nice dress, girly. Now where should we unload these?” She jerked a thumb toward the tailgate, where the cider bottles would bestacked.
Griff got out of the truck, pocketing the keys. He gave me a wave, but his eyes were trained on Dave. And he wore one of his Grumpy Griff frowns. If I wasn’t mistaken, it was even ornerier thanusual.
Lovely. Just what I needed in my life—one more oddlyterritorialman.
Wordlessly, Griff began pulling wooden wine crates out of the back of his truck. He carried the first two up onto the porch. When his hands were free, he came down to meet me. “Hey, Zara!” He kissed my cheek. “Thanks for taking care of thisforus.”
“It’ll be my pleasure.” I’d assigned myself the task of handling their wedding favors because Audrey seemed a little strung out. The wedding was only sixdaysaway.
But first, I needed to rescue Dave. “Why don’t I lay her down, now? I’ll take her inside and put her in the Pack-n-Play.”
“The…?” He gave me aquizzicallook.
“Portable crib. Here.” I reached for Nicole and took her warm, sleepy body from him. “Back inajif.”
I was inside the house for all of sixty seconds. But that was long enough, apparently, for Audrey to do her damage. When I came back out onto the porch, Dave was holding a wedding invitation inhishand.
“We’re having barbecue and swing dancing!” she bubbled. “You shouldtotallycome!”
“Sounds amazing,” he said, because what else do you say to a bride who’s invited you to her wedding? He tucked the invitation into hispocket.
Meanwhile, Griff leaned against the truck, arms crossed, trying to kill Dave with Jedi mindtricks.
“So let’s unload some cider,” I said, shooing Audrey off the steps. The faster I could get rid of those two, thebetter.
“I’ll help,” Dave saidlightly.
We all pulled crates off the truck, and when they were stacked onto my uncles’ porch, Audrey handed me a file folder full of labels and several spools of ribbon. “So, you’re basicallygoingto…”
“Stick on the labels and tie a bow onto the neck of the bottle,” I said quickly. “Gotit.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to get ridofus?”
“Never,” I lied, and shegrinned.
“Good. Because I thought we could get started on this projectrightnow.”
“Right now?” Ihedged.
