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“I can’t wait! We’re going fishing!”
“You are? That sounds like a lot of fun.”
I tuck him into bed, placing a kiss on his forehead before he rolls over on his side and his eyes slide shut. “Love you, Benji,” I whisper before turning his light off and closing the door behind me.
I head for the kitchen and pour myself a half glass of wine and grab some cheese and crackers to snack on before bed. I head outside on the back deck and enjoy the quietness as it surrounds me. My cell vibrates in my back pocket, so I pull it out to see who’s texting me.
Garrett:I’ve made it home, you can call whenever is convenient for you if you’re still up.
I tap his contact and hit call.
“Hey, beautiful, did you get the kids off to bed?”
“I did. Hope was in bed a while ago, but Ben wanted to keep playing in the bath.”
“I don’t know where he stores all that energy, because dang, I’m exhausted and I didn’t run around nearly as much as they did.”
“I wonder that myself, sometimes.” I chuckle. I love hearing Garrett’s voice. It has become so soothing to me in the last few days. “How was your drive back?”
“Uneventful. I dropped the work truck off at the shop and grabbed mine, then headed straight home. I’m just enjoying a beer while I talk to you and before I head to bed.”
“I’m having a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers, myself. I haven’t been sitting for more than a minute or two before you texted.”
“Ah, perfect timing, then, I guess.”
“Did you have a good time tonight?”
“I did, did you?”
“The best. My family loved you,” I tell him. Throughout the evening, everyone made comments at some point or another about how much they liked Garrett and hoped the best for me and that something might develop between us.
“I’m glad I could make such a great impression,” he states. “Maybe, someday soon, you can come meet my mom, Debbie. I think you briefly met my sister, Miranda, already, even though you probably don’t even know you met her,” he says.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“After I installed the first oven at the bakery, I had dinner over at my sister’s house. I might have mentioned you, and she was excited over the prospect of me asking you out on a date, so she drove out to Sweet Valley and went to the bakery. She said you helped her and talked for a few minutes before having to run out the door for an appointment or something, but she stayed and talked to Harper for a while. She loved the cinnamon rolls, by the way,” he adds.
“So she was spying on me?” I ask, a little bemused about this.
“Not really spying, more so being a nosy big sister.”
“Ah, did I make a good impression, at least?”
“Of course. She couldn’t stop talking about how cute the place was and how she wished it was closer, but then also thankful it wasn’t or else she’d be there all the time and gain a bunch of weight.”
I can’t help but laugh at that thought because I’ve heard many people state the same thing. “Well, anytime she needs or wants some baked goods, you know where to send her,” I tell him.
“I have a feeling she’ll be back. What is your schedule like the rest of the week?” he asks.
“Same as usual, bakery the rest of the week. I’m off this weekend as it’s Harper’s weekend.”
“Do you two trade back and forth, or how does that work?” he asks.
“We have been, but with Harper moving soon, we’re in the process of hiring some more help and another baker slash manager to help take on the bulk of the responsibilities. I can’t do it all, and we’re at the point where we can afford more help.”
“That’s great. So once that person is hired, will you get every weekend off?”
“My plan is to work one weekend a month so they can have it off, but otherwise, yes, my plan is to be able to be home more with the kids. I want to try and make it so I’m only working when they’re in school, or maybe until late afternoon. Benjamin will start kindergarten this fall, but Hope still has another year before she starts, so she’ll stay with my parents during the day, along with pre-school a few hours a week.”
