at two. J.P. can give you the details.” And then she sauntered off with an extra sway in her hips, more than pleased with herself.
Jake looked at Susannah. “I’m…that’s…a family affair.”
J.P. was biting his lip to keep from smiling. “You heard my mama. She won’t take no for an answer. We’re having dinner at Rye’s house. That’s why Tory left right after the service with Amelia Ann, Tammy, and the kids. They’re preparing something special for us.”
Jake didn’t look convinced, but he nodded crisply.
Rye slapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, bubba. The Reverend won’t baptize you out in Dare River unless you ask her.”
Clayton barked out a laugh, but he cut it off when Jake shot him a look.
“Mama hasn’t baptized anyone in Dare River yet, Jake,” her brother murmured, “so I think you’re safe.”
“I’ve already been baptized,” Jake said, looking off in the direction of the exits, like he was planning on making a break for it.
Susannah wasn’t sure how best to comfort him—whether she should walk him out or simply hold his hand.
“I have an idea,” Rye said, wrapping his arm around Jake’s shoulder. “Why don’t you come on over now? We can play some music together. After that charity concert, our fans have been begging us to write a song together. Perhaps it’s time now that the holidays are behind us.”
“Perhaps it is,” Jake said, smiling a sight more easily now. “A collaboration would be fun.”
Rye drew J.P. to him by slinging a meaty arm around her brother’s shoulder. “This one can help us write it.”
“Sounds like a plan,” J.P. mused, stroking his chin. “We’ll need a theme.”
“How about family?” Rye suggested. “We seem to be growing by leaps and bounds.”
Clayton’s grin was pretty dazzling. “Like pond frogs in springtime.”
At first, Susannah hadn’t been so sure Clayton was a good fit for her friend Amelia Ann. But his signature toughness had melted away like butter on hot cornbread. Now he seemed like the perfect match for the determined law school student who championed women’s rights by volunteering in one of Nashville’s leading legal clinics.
“Family, huh?” Jake said, tightening up again. “We can brainstorm ideas later. I need to…bring some flowers or a bottle of wine to the dinner.”
“You don’t need to bring squat, bubba,” Rye said, rolling his eyes. “Do I look like the kind of man who enjoys wine and flowers?”
Everyone laughed, and Jake gave Rye a playful shove. “You always struck me as the yellow roses type. Maybe a lover of white wine.”
Rye released both men and clutched his heart. “You know me too well. Feel free to bring some by. I’m going to head out now that I’ve had my donut quota for the day. Tory might need me to lift something heavy for her.”
Susannah gave Rye a look. “You are such a pig sometimes.”
He leaned in to kiss her cheek. “But you love me anyway.”
“True.” She kissed him back.
“Besides, I’d lift something heavy for you too, if you needed it,” Rye said with a wink before turning on his heel and taking off toward the front of the church. “See y’all later. Clayton, I’d like red roses from you.”
“In your dreams, Crenshaw,” Clayton replied. “What I’d say if we weren’t still in a church.”
“But you are, so you’d better keep it clean,” J.P. said with a grin. “Save it for later. I’m off too. Rye might offer to lift heavy items, but he hates kitchen duty. I’m pretty good at chopping vegetables myself.”
“A champion,” Susannah agreed. After their daddy left, J.P. had taken on some of the housework duties to help their mama.
“I’m going to head out too,” Clayton said. “Jake, we’ll see you later. Don’t fuss too much about coming. It’s only terrifying for the first twenty minutes or so.”
“Oh, stop that,” Susannah said, making a shooing motion at him.
He pretended to fall backward and then shot
Jake looked at Susannah. “I’m…that’s…a family affair.”
J.P. was biting his lip to keep from smiling. “You heard my mama. She won’t take no for an answer. We’re having dinner at Rye’s house. That’s why Tory left right after the service with Amelia Ann, Tammy, and the kids. They’re preparing something special for us.”
Jake didn’t look convinced, but he nodded crisply.
Rye slapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, bubba. The Reverend won’t baptize you out in Dare River unless you ask her.”
Clayton barked out a laugh, but he cut it off when Jake shot him a look.
“Mama hasn’t baptized anyone in Dare River yet, Jake,” her brother murmured, “so I think you’re safe.”
“I’ve already been baptized,” Jake said, looking off in the direction of the exits, like he was planning on making a break for it.
Susannah wasn’t sure how best to comfort him—whether she should walk him out or simply hold his hand.
“I have an idea,” Rye said, wrapping his arm around Jake’s shoulder. “Why don’t you come on over now? We can play some music together. After that charity concert, our fans have been begging us to write a song together. Perhaps it’s time now that the holidays are behind us.”
“Perhaps it is,” Jake said, smiling a sight more easily now. “A collaboration would be fun.”
Rye drew J.P. to him by slinging a meaty arm around her brother’s shoulder. “This one can help us write it.”
“Sounds like a plan,” J.P. mused, stroking his chin. “We’ll need a theme.”
“How about family?” Rye suggested. “We seem to be growing by leaps and bounds.”
Clayton’s grin was pretty dazzling. “Like pond frogs in springtime.”
At first, Susannah hadn’t been so sure Clayton was a good fit for her friend Amelia Ann. But his signature toughness had melted away like butter on hot cornbread. Now he seemed like the perfect match for the determined law school student who championed women’s rights by volunteering in one of Nashville’s leading legal clinics.
“Family, huh?” Jake said, tightening up again. “We can brainstorm ideas later. I need to…bring some flowers or a bottle of wine to the dinner.”
“You don’t need to bring squat, bubba,” Rye said, rolling his eyes. “Do I look like the kind of man who enjoys wine and flowers?”
Everyone laughed, and Jake gave Rye a playful shove. “You always struck me as the yellow roses type. Maybe a lover of white wine.”
Rye released both men and clutched his heart. “You know me too well. Feel free to bring some by. I’m going to head out now that I’ve had my donut quota for the day. Tory might need me to lift something heavy for her.”
Susannah gave Rye a look. “You are such a pig sometimes.”
He leaned in to kiss her cheek. “But you love me anyway.”
“True.” She kissed him back.
“Besides, I’d lift something heavy for you too, if you needed it,” Rye said with a wink before turning on his heel and taking off toward the front of the church. “See y’all later. Clayton, I’d like red roses from you.”
“In your dreams, Crenshaw,” Clayton replied. “What I’d say if we weren’t still in a church.”
“But you are, so you’d better keep it clean,” J.P. said with a grin. “Save it for later. I’m off too. Rye might offer to lift heavy items, but he hates kitchen duty. I’m pretty good at chopping vegetables myself.”
“A champion,” Susannah agreed. After their daddy left, J.P. had taken on some of the housework duties to help their mama.
“I’m going to head out too,” Clayton said. “Jake, we’ll see you later. Don’t fuss too much about coming. It’s only terrifying for the first twenty minutes or so.”
“Oh, stop that,” Susannah said, making a shooing motion at him.
He pretended to fall backward and then shot
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