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“I wouldn’t miss it.” Poppy dished up more salad on her plate. “So Reynolds, what’s this I hear about you finally moving out of Conner’s? You finally outgrew living the frat life?”
Wow. Word got around fast here. She and Reynolds had only started looking yesterday. They’d looked at a condo and a few apartments before she spotted an open house for a beautiful two-story farmhouse in a quiet neighborhood only a ten-minute drive from the office. She’d loved it instantly but knew it was way out of her budget, although she figured it couldn’t hurt to look.
Reynolds had held his thoughts to himself for much of the tour, so much that she was sure he’d been unimpressed with the place, figuring a bachelor who spent more time in his car than in his bed would find a three-bedroom house with a newly renovated gourmet kitchen excessive.
Then he’d spoken to the agent and talked about putting in an offer.
He could have blown her over with a breath, that was how shocked she was.
Still, it wasn’t like he owned the place yet. From the interest of the people walking through the house, the competition would be stiff.
“Seemed like it was the right choice,” Reynolds said, ignoring his sister’s joke about the frat house. “The newlyweds aren’t going to need any extra roommates when they get back from their honeymoon. Just don’t be getting any ideas about moving in with me, Tyler.”
“Or me,” Landon said. “There’s barely enough space for me in the studio above the store.”
“Thanks for your brotherly concerns,” Tyler said sarcastically and shot his brothers a glare.
“You know, like I’ve mentioned to Waverley, I have a spare room if you need one,” Meg said, glancing up from the chicken wing she was trying to elegantly eat.
That seemed to get Landon’s attention. “Live with Tyler? He’d eat you out of house and home in two days’ time, and I know for a fact he doesn’t know how to put the toilet seat down. He’d drive you crazy in no time.”
“Thank you, Meg,” Tyler said with emphasis. “Fortunately, with my new job, I’m sitting in a position I can finally afford to find my own place. So if you two come across something that you think would suit me, give me a call.”
The conversation turned again to some new clients that Tyler was seeing in his new practice working at a fancy sports clinic, including a couple former Olympians. Waverley was happy to sit there and listen to the conversation surrounding her filled with love, support, and encouragement for Tyler’s new job.
It would have been nice had her own father offered her similar encouragement when she’d broached the topic of studying design back in college. Would her life have been different had she pursued what she wanted, instead of getting the father-approved communications degree?
It was frustrating, actually. But the frustration wasn’t directed at her father. It was directed at herself.
Sure, it would have been nice to have had his support and encouragement, but she should never have let him stop her from pursuing her dreams. She should have fought harder. Instead she’d let herself be a doormat to the people in her life.
Well, she was done with that. The girls were right. She had an opportunity right now to finally get the career she wanted, she just had to reach for it.
The worse that could happen is she failed. Then she would just pick herself up and try again.
Waverley tapped her fingers against her leg, already eager to get to work. She already had dozens of sketches that she’d been working on over the past few months, sketches of dresses and skirts that were classic, stylish, but also feminine and a little frilly. Clothes that she would wear—as she had been wearing, that made her feel pretty and confident.
First thing tonight, she was going to go through them all and select her top favorites, and get them over to Nina. No more dragging her feet or letting self-doubt stop her from getting what she wanted.
Reynolds must have sensed something in her change in spirit as he leaned toward her, his lips dangerously close to her ear, sending goose bumps up and down her arms as he asked, “Everything okay?”
There was concern in his dark brown eyes as he studied her, and she smiled. “Everything is perfect.”
They held each other’s gaze, his lips curling into that tiny smile that had her heart pattering wildly in her chest, until someone cleared their throat. She turned and saw a few faces grinning at them from across the table.
Busted.
She expected Reynolds to ignore the attention and turn his face into that steady mask of indifference as he continued to eat. Instead, he lifted their hands that had been entwined under the table to rest above it, in plain sight, a declaration to everyone of their relationship.
There was a long pause as everyone stared in surprise, surprise that turned to smiles and nods of encouragement.
“Now be sure to save some room for dessert,” Kim said, her face lit with happiness, and she grinned wildly at her husband.
“Actually,” Tyler said, looking around the table as he appeared to be doing a head count. “We seem to have even numbers if anyone’s up for a game.”
“What kind of game did you have in mind?” Meg asked. “Tag football? Basketball?”
“Tag football with you and Poppy on the same team?” Landon asked. “No way. You two cheat.”
