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“They’re sharing rooms,” she said. “And a few of them are popping tents outside.”
“It’s freezing out there. Are you kidding?”
“They want to rough it.” She shrugged. “It’s called ‘Finding Your Inner Warrior.’ Bunch of dudes, pounding their chests and running through the woods.”
“You have woods?”
Clayton looked toward the front of the building. In all his time living in Cupid Ridge, he’d never traveled the length of this property. Even now, when he was dating Georgia Ludington, he had no reason to go beyond this inn. Not right now, anyway.
“They’ve requested cowboy stew.” She gestured toward the big pot Richard was working on.
“I’ve never made it before.” He shrugged. “Apparently, it’s a thing. Can’t wait to taste it.”
Clayton happily shifted his attention back to Georgia. “How can I help?”
“If you could chop these vegetables and toss them in this big bowl, I’m going to go set up the buffet line.”
She walked toward the sink to wash her hands, and he followed. He needed to wash his hands, too, after all. It wasn’t that he wanted to be next to her. Well, there was that, too.
“Thank you for helping,” she said as he moved into place next to her at the sink.
At that point, she smiled up at him a long moment before returning her attention to her hands. It always warmed his heart when she looked at him that way.
“Anytime,” he said. “You just call. I’ll drop everything and be right here. We’re in this together.”
“What do your clients think of that?” She shook her hands to dislodge any excess water, then reached for the paper towels above the sink.
After a long silence, he decided to say what’d been on his mind for days. “The Knott family knows I’m in love with Georgia Ludington.”
She stopped scrubbing and looked up at him, eyes wide. “That’s the first time you’ve said that.”
“Is it?” He smiled. “Feels like I’ve thought it a million times.”
She turned to face him, tossing the wadded paper towel onto the counter next to the sink and taking both his hands in hers. “You know I imagined this moment and how I’d want it to go.” She looked around. “I didn’t picture the kitchen of Cupid Ridge Inn, but now that I think about it, it’s perfect.”
“This is your home,” he said.
“This is the place I love more than anything in the world, and now I’m standing in front of the man I love more than anything in the world. I couldn’t think of a more perfect moment.”
“We probably should get to work, though,” he said, stepping back. But she didn’t let go of his hand.
“One more thing,” she said, stepping toward him and smiling. “I love you, too, Clayton Mills.”
Those were the best words he’d ever heard.
EPILOGUE
Georgia scooted a chair across the floor, settled it, then looked up at the lightbulb that was blinking again. It just needed to be tightened in its socket in the ceiling. How hard could it be?
They’d turned their dining room into a wedding chapel for the weekend. It was the wedding of the year, as far as Georgia was concerned, and there had been a lot of weddings in their family lately.
“You aren’t thinking about getting up there, I hope.”
Georgia squeezed her eyes closed. She was grateful that Clayton had caught her. She was fiercely independent, so it was tough not being able to do something simple like adjust a lightbulb.
But he was right. There was a little life growing in her belly now. She had her entire family to think of when she was doing things like this.
“You need to take it easy,” he said. “For our little one.”
