prayer?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ve got your back. There’s power in unity, Kami. Let’s cover your dad in prayer.”
“Thanks, Wyatt.” Tears welled in Kami’s eyes as her throat tightened. “That means a lot. You have no idea.”
“Oh, but I do.” Wyatt captured a single tear as it slipped down her cheek. He spun her in an easy circle, never letting go of her hand. “Like my mom says…we’re kindred spirits.”
“I suppose so—for now at least. But tomorrow...”
“Don’t worry about tomorrow.” Wyatt splayed a hand along her back, dipped her low before drawing her in again. “This is fun. We should go dancing sometime.”
“Excuse me, but we are dancing.”
“I mean officially, with a crowd and loud music—the whole works.”
“Who needs a crowd? I kind of like this.”
“Me, too. But I’ll bet you line dance real well.”
“Line dancing wasn’t on Dad’s dance card, but I still can hold my own. Some skills carry over, you know.”
“I’m sure they do. I’d like to see it with my own eyes.”
“You might get your chance.” She twirled once more and then eased back in.
“Beautiful.” Wyatt smoothed a hand along the length of her hair. “You should wear your hair down more often.”
“Hard to do, working in a restaurant.”
“Have you ever considered doing anything else?”
“Of course I have. I studied business management at UT, and have degrees in both business and marketing. I have a lot of ideas to expand the pizzeria and maybe open a second business, as well, but Dad’s so set in his ways that he refuses to listen. He needs me now for more than the restaurant, so it isn’t right to complain. But maybe one day things will change…”
“Sounds like we’re both singing the same tune.”
“It’s frustrating, at best. I love the pizzeria, but I don’t want to spend all my days elbow-deep in dirty dishes and wrestling with eccentric customers. I just want to…”
“What?”
“I want more.” Kami shook her head. “It’s silly. Forget it.”
“If it’s something that you truly want, then it’s not silly.” He eased her around a corner as one song led to another. “And I promise not to laugh.”
“Well, I’d like to open a coffee shop in conjunction with the pizzeria, something warm and homey with magazine racks filled to the gills and an assortment of books, maybe a limited selection of sweets and wholesome specialty sandwiches to nibble on. People could stop by to relax and read, grab a simple bite to eat, or perhaps conduct a small-business meeting.” She shook her head. “I know places like that come a dime a dozen in New York City, but there’s nothing like it in Clover Cove.”
“It’s a good dream, Kami. And I know where you can get some plants to brighten the interior.” Wyatt’s breath skimmed warm across her ear, trailing along her neck, and she struggled not to fall too fast, too deep. But it was hopeless, and soon her heart spiraled out of control. “ And find someone to help with the landscaping.”
“You mean Reese?”
“No, silly.” He stepped back, his eyes a pair of dark arrows that sang straight to her heart. “I mean me.”
“I’d like that.” The scent of roses drifted from the stairs, blending with pine from the woods beyond the yard. “You do an amazing job, by the way. I don’t know where you’ve found the time, but the grounds around here have been transformed almost overnight. It would have taken me weeks to accomplish everything without your help.”
“It was worth it—for the coffee.” He grinned. “And I’ll bet your peach cobbler will be an added bonus.”
“I sure hope so. I have vanilla bean ice cream, too.” Her gaze caught the flowerbed that ran the length of the deck. Even in the shadows, yellow blooms burst vibrantly. “Those daffodils are so beautiful. They remind me of my mom. She loved daffodils.”
“I remember.” The oven timer buzzed. Twenty minutes had passed like a
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ve got your back. There’s power in unity, Kami. Let’s cover your dad in prayer.”
“Thanks, Wyatt.” Tears welled in Kami’s eyes as her throat tightened. “That means a lot. You have no idea.”
“Oh, but I do.” Wyatt captured a single tear as it slipped down her cheek. He spun her in an easy circle, never letting go of her hand. “Like my mom says…we’re kindred spirits.”
“I suppose so—for now at least. But tomorrow...”
“Don’t worry about tomorrow.” Wyatt splayed a hand along her back, dipped her low before drawing her in again. “This is fun. We should go dancing sometime.”
“Excuse me, but we are dancing.”
“I mean officially, with a crowd and loud music—the whole works.”
“Who needs a crowd? I kind of like this.”
“Me, too. But I’ll bet you line dance real well.”
“Line dancing wasn’t on Dad’s dance card, but I still can hold my own. Some skills carry over, you know.”
“I’m sure they do. I’d like to see it with my own eyes.”
“You might get your chance.” She twirled once more and then eased back in.
“Beautiful.” Wyatt smoothed a hand along the length of her hair. “You should wear your hair down more often.”
“Hard to do, working in a restaurant.”
“Have you ever considered doing anything else?”
“Of course I have. I studied business management at UT, and have degrees in both business and marketing. I have a lot of ideas to expand the pizzeria and maybe open a second business, as well, but Dad’s so set in his ways that he refuses to listen. He needs me now for more than the restaurant, so it isn’t right to complain. But maybe one day things will change…”
“Sounds like we’re both singing the same tune.”
“It’s frustrating, at best. I love the pizzeria, but I don’t want to spend all my days elbow-deep in dirty dishes and wrestling with eccentric customers. I just want to…”
“What?”
“I want more.” Kami shook her head. “It’s silly. Forget it.”
“If it’s something that you truly want, then it’s not silly.” He eased her around a corner as one song led to another. “And I promise not to laugh.”
“Well, I’d like to open a coffee shop in conjunction with the pizzeria, something warm and homey with magazine racks filled to the gills and an assortment of books, maybe a limited selection of sweets and wholesome specialty sandwiches to nibble on. People could stop by to relax and read, grab a simple bite to eat, or perhaps conduct a small-business meeting.” She shook her head. “I know places like that come a dime a dozen in New York City, but there’s nothing like it in Clover Cove.”
“It’s a good dream, Kami. And I know where you can get some plants to brighten the interior.” Wyatt’s breath skimmed warm across her ear, trailing along her neck, and she struggled not to fall too fast, too deep. But it was hopeless, and soon her heart spiraled out of control. “ And find someone to help with the landscaping.”
“You mean Reese?”
“No, silly.” He stepped back, his eyes a pair of dark arrows that sang straight to her heart. “I mean me.”
“I’d like that.” The scent of roses drifted from the stairs, blending with pine from the woods beyond the yard. “You do an amazing job, by the way. I don’t know where you’ve found the time, but the grounds around here have been transformed almost overnight. It would have taken me weeks to accomplish everything without your help.”
“It was worth it—for the coffee.” He grinned. “And I’ll bet your peach cobbler will be an added bonus.”
“I sure hope so. I have vanilla bean ice cream, too.” Her gaze caught the flowerbed that ran the length of the deck. Even in the shadows, yellow blooms burst vibrantly. “Those daffodils are so beautiful. They remind me of my mom. She loved daffodils.”
“I remember.” The oven timer buzzed. Twenty minutes had passed like a
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