with tilted head and wrinkled brow.
âWell, Katie Sue. Didnât know you were coming over.â
âNeither does Casey.â I giggled. âJust wanted to surprise him. Is he here?â
âYes. Heâs . . .â Her words drifted off. âWell, let me get him for you, honey. Câmon in.â She gestured for me to come inside. âYou want a glass of sweet tea? Thereâs a fresh pitcher in the fridge. Help yourself.â
âOh, yes maâam.â I followed her down the front hallway of the house, taking in the country-chic décor. Some might consider it outdated, but I was enamored by the simple, rustic environment. Homey. That was the word. And nothing made a girl feel more at home than homey. The wood paneling in the living room put me in mind of the eighties, but even that brought comfort. Familiarity.
I made myself at home in the kitchen until Casey joined me a couple minutes later. My honey walked into the room looking as handsome as ever. His dark hair was a bit moretousled than usual, and those gorgeous blue eyes flashed with intrigue when he saw me standing in the middle of his kitchen, swigging a giant glass of sweet tea. I couldnât help but wonder about the basketball shorts and faded T-shirt, though. He usually wore jeans and button-ups around the house, even on the most casual day.
I let out a whistle. âHello, handsome. Love seeing you like this.â
âThanks. Different, right?â The edges of his lips curled up in a smile. âAnd hello yourself. Didnât know you were coming.â
âExactly.â I snuggled into his arms and gave him a kiss on the cheek. âThatâs what makes it so fun. Thought Iâd surprise you by stopping by. That okay?â
âSure. But you look like you have something on your mind.â
âO-oh?â
âYep. Iâd know that look anywhere.â He gave me an inquisitive look. âIs your mama trying to get you to talk me into singing that bass solo next Sunday morning? I tried to tell her itâs out of my range.â
âNope. She never said a word about it.â
Casey looked half relieved, half perplexed. âAh. So, is it your dad?â
âOh no. Not that. Iââ
âDoes he need me to come and move that shelf unit to the back of the store? Iâve been promising to do that for weeks now but havenât had time.â
âNothing like that.â I tried to figure out where to start this delicate conversation. âI, um, just have a lot on my mind today. I just wanted to ask youââ
âSomething big going on at the store? Or is Queenie still upset with the Methodists?â
âPresbyterians. But I really came by toââ
âSheâs mad at the Presbyterians too?â he asked. âWonder how she feels about the Lutherans. And the Charismatics.â
âPretty sure sheâs okay with the Lutherans, but I wouldnât place any bets on the Charismatics. Anyway, thatâs not why I came by, I can assure you.â
âDewey in trouble again? Mary Anne break his heart?â
âWell, yes, but thatâs not it either.â I took a seat at the breakfast table and he sat down in the chair next to me. I gazed at him, wishing I could work up the courage to come out and ask him about his intentions. Still, a girl could hardly pop the âare you ever going to propose?â question.
âYouâve got something on your mind, Katie.â He poured himself a glass of tea, then leaned back in his chair. âMight as well spit it out. No offense, but youâve never been very good at hiding your emotions, especially when youâre upset.â
âWell, I just woke up this morning thinking about . . .â Marrying you. Duh. âThinking about the future.â
âThe future?â He took a swig from his glass. âLike, years-from-now future or tomorrow
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