Bar Bites: A Man of the Month Cookbook (Man of the Month 13)

He drew a breath. "Well, Tyree pulled me aside yesterday--Brent, too--and repaid the money we'd put into the partnership. And with that money as a down payment, we could get a mortgage now and build our dream house."

Her lips pressed together before she exhaled slowly. "It's a lot of money. A lot of debt. What if..." She trailed off with a shake of her head.

"What?"

"What if we lose customers? What if the bar starts to go under again? Bodacious is still a huge competition," she added, referring to the downtown Austin location of a corporate chain bar.

"If that happens, then we find other jobs." He lifted her chin so that she was looking in his eyes. "But I want our baby to grow up in a house. Hell, I wish it were already built, but if we start soon, it'll be up within a year. Eighteen months at most. And this is where he or she will learn to walk. Ride a bike. Fish. Swim." He drew a breath. "Baby, I want that."

He saw her throat move as she swallowed. "I do. Oh, God, yes, I do. I'm just--"

"What?"

"Afraid." She looked up at him, her green eyes big and round. He saw the tears fill them, and his heart started to break. He had no idea what it was that was scaring her--motherhood, married life, work, construction--but he didn't care. He would do whatever it took to take that fear from her eyes.

"Of what?" He took her hands in his, his eyes hard on her face.

"Of me. Of screwing up."

His heart twisted a little. "Oh, baby. You're going to be an amazing mom."

Her smile lit her up from the inside. "Damn right I am." She drew a breath. "But I'm not sure about work. The Man of the Month contest did so great. How am I supposed to top that?"

"That's what you're scared of? You don't have to top it."

"I do--or at least I need a campaign. Something to keep it out there. To keep the bar in people's minds. I have to, Reece. Otherwise why do I even have a job?"

He could argue with her, but he didn't. He understood too well what she meant, and he knew Jenna too well to think that she'd be satisfied simply planning flyers for the bar. She needed an event to manage. She needed to not only feel like she was making a difference, she needed to actually make one.

"You'll think of it," he said, then kissed her gently. "When you least expect it, something will come to you. I have nothing but faith in you," he said, the truth coming easily off his lips. "You amaze me every day. You'll amaze me with this, too."

Faith.

Out of everything he said, that was the word that stuck in Jenna's head.

Now, she looked up into Reece's eyes and knew without any doubt that what he said was true. He did have faith in her. A hell of a lot more than she had in herself. But that was okay, because so long as he had her back, she could get through anything.

"You really think so?" she asked, even though she knew he really did. It wasn't just words with Reece. He believed in her...just like she believed in him.

"I do," he said, the echo of their wedding vows making her smile.

"I do, too," she said. "And if you think we can make this house work now, then absolutely yes. I want our family to have a home."

Surprise, then relief, then love washed over his face, and she leaned against him as he put an arm around her and they both looked out toward the water. "Big kitchen windows, right?"

"The biggest."

"Is there a balcony off the master bedroom?"

He chuckled. "There will be after the next go-round."

She tilted her head up for a kiss. "You're easy, Mister. I've got you wrapped around my little finger."

"You do," he said, and when he kissed her, it felt like her whole body was opening up, as if she--

"J

enna?"