Page 191 of Lavender Lake
“I won’t say no,” I mumbled.
“What was that?” she pressed.
“I said, I won’t say no this time,” I admitted. “I’m ready. I was ready after the fire, and told him so, but he just shrugged and hasn’t brought it up again.”
“He’s not gonna want to wait,” Hadley said. “The minute you say yes to his proposal, he’s gonna get your ass down to the courthouse.”
“Fine by me. I’ve never wanted a wedding.”
“True, you haven’t,” she agreed. “Still, I think you’d make a beautiful bride.”
“Hmm.Youmade a beautiful bride, Hadley.”
“I did, didn’t I?” She grinned. “Sweet Teeth?”
I nodded and looked at my watch. “We’ve still got about twenty minutes until the lumberjack competition.”
“We need to get there early and grab front row seats. Then we have to call Wyn and Poet so they can enjoy the view,” Hadley said.
We headed in the direction of the bakery which had had a line out the door all day since they opened. “They should expand. The building next door is vacant.”
“They don’t want to expand,” Hadley explained. “Cole and Gracie are talking about having another baby. That’s a lot to add to life on top of an expansion, you know?”
“Another baby, really?” I asked in surprise. “Bella’s only a little over a year.”
“Well, they want them close in age.” She shot me a pointed look. “Almost like something we did on accident.”
I grinned. “Does this mean family planning will always include each other?”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t say no to that.”
“How many do you guys want?” I asked.
“Two is a good number, I think. Subject to change, of course.”
“Two is good,” I agreed.
We got up to the counter and ordered what was left of the pastries.
“Sorry,” Gracie said. “You caught us in between batches.”
“No worries,” I said. “Are we saving you a seat at the lumberjack event?”
“Hell yeah.” Gracie laughed. “Cole entered this year; I’ve got to see him swing an axe.”
“Pretty sure there’s about to be a population explosion in Huckleberry Hill,” I said.
“Remember a few years ago when there was a snowstorm?” Gracie asked. “The power was out for three days. How many babies were born nine months later?”
“Muddy said at least fifteen,” Hadley remarked.
“Well, what else are you going to do in the dark while you’re trying to keep warm?” Gracie asked.
“Yeah, and you’re definitely not running out for condoms in the middle of a snowstorm,” Hadley said with a laugh.
Hadley and I took our bakery bag and headed out onto the street. The lumberjack event was held in the town’s park at the edge of downtown, which meant the walk was only a few blocks.
Folding chairs had been set up in several rows and people had already begun to arrive. Hadley and I snagged two seats in the front row and we set our purses down onto the chair next to us for Gracie.
