“It’s beautiful.” The wrap-around porch offered stunning views of the lake beyond.
“It’s suits them. Which is half the fun of the job.” Parking behind the long string of cars in the drive, he reached over to squeeze her hand. “You ready for this?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
The sound of music and voices carried as soon as they got out of the truck. Tess clutched her tray like a shield as he escorted her to the house. Instead of going to the front door, he led her around back to where people milled around a lush courtyard that overlooked the lake. She recognized Cecily and Reed, and Cam was manning a massive grill in the outdoor kitchen, but everybody else was new to her. Greetings rang out as they approached, and Tess couldn’t stop herself from hesitating. Would they be able to tell she and Mitch weren’t just acquaintances? Was there a neon sign over their heads proclaiming them lovers? These were his friends and family, a huge part of those real lives they were trying to merge. What if they didn’t like her?
Mitch’s hand pressed to the small of her back. “It’s gonna be fine.”
Putting on her game face, Tess smiled and nodded as he introduced her to Tucker McGee and his fiancée Corinne Dawson; Liam Montgomery and his fiancée Riley Gower; Judd Hamilton and his very pregnant wife, Autumn; Piper and Myles Stewart, who had their infant daughter, Parker, in tow; and Tyler and Brody Jensen. The theme of the night seemed to be Happy Couple, Happy Couple. Brody, at least, was a name familiar to her. He’d been a project coordinator for Peyton Consolidated for years before coming back to Wishful. Tess had never met him, but she knew his work and knew her father held him in high esteem.
By the time they stepped into the kitchen, her head was spinning.
Norah turned from the counter and hurried around to give Tess a side hug. “Hey! Welcome! What have we here?”
“Roasted red pepper bruschetta with goat cheese. I’ve got all the components, but I didn’t want to assemble until I got here so the crostini wouldn’t get soggy. Where should I set up?”
“Right over here.” She ushered Tess to a clear spot at one of the counters. “Sorry about all the people. I know there are a lot of us.”
“I noticed. And let me get this straight. Mitch and I are the only not married, not engaged people here?”
Norah considered. “Well Miranda and Ethan haven’t made it yet and they aren’t engaged, but that’s really probably only a matter of time. So…yeah I guess so.”
“Okay, seriously, what do you put in the water here?”
Mitch laughed, and Tess wished they didn’t have to hide their own involvement.
Norah’s mouth quirked. “It’s funny you should mention that. The Casserole Patrol are on me to do a campaign alleging the fountain has matchmaking powers.”
“Ah, that may be my fault,” Mitch admitted. “It came up last week, and I needed to redirect the conversation.”
“Thanks for throwing me under the bus.”
“It was done with love.”
The easy affection among this group fascinated Tess. It spoke of comfort and long familiarity. She had friends, certainly, but she’d been so focused on work, on proving herself worthy of her position in the company, she hadn’t taken the time to build these kinds of connections. As she assembled her appetizer and listened to the two of them tease each other, she began to yearn for something beyond Mitch himself. There was just something about this town, these people, that was unaccountably appealing. She was starting to understand what had drawn her father here other than his wife.
The door to the backyard opened, and Piper came in. The baby in her arms gave a miserable wail. “Oh my Lord, sorry, y’all. She was fine until a few minutes ago. She’s been fed and changed.”
“Maybe she wants a nap?” Norah suggested.
“Nah, this one isn’t interested in napping. She’s too awake for that.” Mitch reached out to tickle the baby’s cheek.
The moment those big, blue eyes locked on his, Parker stopped fussing and reached chubby hands toward him. Then, as if he’d done it a thousand times before, he simply plucked her from her mother’s arms and settled her against his chest. “Hey there, big girl.” He began to sway with her to the slow country song playing on the sound system. Parker made a happy burble and flailed her arms before grabbing onto the finger he offered and beaming up at him. “You just wanted to dance, didn’t you?”
Tess’s heart gave an unexpected, gooey thud. She wasn’t a baby person and absolutely didn’t understand the women she’d met who’d been as intent on starting a family as she was to advance her career. But the sight of this big, sweet man dancing with a baby made her ovaries squeeze. It was almost, almost enough to have her imagining a different sort of life than the one she’d been busting her ass for.
He caught her staring. “What?”
Shaking off the thought as ridiculous, Tess shrugged. “I just didn’t expect you to be a baby fan.”
Piper laughed. “Mitch can charm women of all ages, whether they’re eight weeks or eighty.”
This seemed undoubtedly true, as Parker appeared utterly besotted.
I know how you feel kid. I know exactly how you feel.
Myles came inside. “She settle down?”