She shrugs. "I wanted to try a few different recipes. Maybe you can help me decide what's good and what isn't."
We try the different desserts. She’s made various kinds of cookies and small pastries. Every one that I taste is good, and they each have a unique flavor. There’s no way I could just pick one.
Becca has me laughing, and I don't think I've ever laughed as much as I do whenever I talk to her. Thirty minutes goes by way too fast, and she sees me looking at my watch. Her face shows her displeasure. "You need to leave, don't you?"
I hate to. I don't think she understands how much I hate to leave her. "Honey, I need to get on the road."
"So when will I see you again?"
"Next weekend, I have an event in Whiskey Valley. I would love if you could come to it."
She looks down at her hands and then back at me. "I'm off next weekend. So I could probably drive into Whiskey Valley to watch."
I can feel my hopes rising. "It's a three-day event. It starts Friday night and ends Sunday afternoon."
She shrugs her shoulders. "Sure. Just let me know when's the best time for me to come, and I'll be there."
I reach across the table and grab on to her hand. "I would like for you to come the whole weekend."
She seems taken aback, and her forehead creases. I know she's going to tell me no, but I hold my other hand up that is not holding hers. "No funny business. I promise. I have a spare bedroom with a lock on the door. I would pay for a hotel room for you, but Whiskey Valley's one hotel is full months before the event. And I'm sure the bed and breakfast is too. Most of the riders bring their campers to sleep in. I don't want you to drive back and forth. That's a lot." But before she can answer me, I continue, "But if you don't want to stay in Whiskey Valley, I'll come and pick you up and drive you back and forth each day. It's completely up to you. No pressure."
Her hand tightens in mine. "You would drive here to bring me to Whiskey Valley and then bring me home each night? That's crazy. That's like three to four hours of drive time. No way would I ask you to do that."
She doesn't get it. Yeah. It may be a little hard to fit into the schedule, but I would do it in a heartbeat. If it meant I got to spend that much time with her, I would definitely do it. "It wouldn't be bad. I'd worry just as long as if you drove yourself back and forth."
She tilts her head to the side and looks at me. "Tell me about the event."
"Because of my points, I have a bye on Friday."
She shakes her head and giggles. "Okay, in layman's terms. In words I'll understand."
I shake my head. It’s obvious I spend most of my time with cowboys and ranchers. "Because of how many points I already have, I don't have to compete on Friday night. Usually if I don't have to compete, then I'll just go and watch everyone else. On Saturday, I will compete in the preliminaries. And then God willing, I'll compete Sunday in the championship."
She's nodding her head. "Okay. And when would you like for me to come?"
"Friday," I tell her instantly, not even needing to think about it.
"Okay. I'll come Friday."
I try to keep my breath even and calm. "And you'll stay?"
She smiles. "Yes, I'll stay."
I stand up and pull her up to stand next to me. "All right, I'll come and get you on Friday then." She's already shaking her head, but I put a stop to it. "No, I want to come pick you up. It'll be fine."
But she's still shaking her head. "No, I'm going to want my car. Trust me. I can drive an hour. I'll be fine."
I don't like it, but I'm not going to disagree with her. "Okay. It sounds good. Do you want to walk me out to my truck? I'm parked right outside."
She nods and follows behind me. I open the door of the bakery and follow her out. We stop at the driver’s side of my truck. There's a thousand thoughts that are whirling in my head, but I don't say any of them. I push a blond piece of hair off of her face and cup her cheek. "I'm going to miss you this weekend. I really do think you're my good luck charm."
She smiles at that. "What time is your race tomorrow?"
"Six o'clock."
She nods. "Is there a way that I can watch it?"
I can feel my heart tighten in my chest. Just the thought of her wanting to watch me perform sends a thrill through me. "I'll send you the link."