We both busted out laughing.
Wade shook his head. “I tried hinting to Steed to put some kind of warning system in the house that alerted them if Chloe got out of bed! He asked why he would do that. I had nothing to come back with. Nothing!”
My cheeks hurt from laughing so hard as he turned back to the picnic basket.
“I wasn’t sure if you liked wine, so I brought the next best thing. Bud Light.”
I reached for the beer and winked. “That’s perfect. What’s in the glass dishes?”
He peeked over at me. “A recipe Waylynn gave me.”
With a raised brow, I replied, “Waylynn was in on this, too, huh?”
His grin had my heart melting. He pulled back the lid on the glass dish, and my mouth began to water.
“Ohmygawd. Waylynn’s barbecue enchiladas! Wade, this is my favorite dish my sister makes!”
He chuckled. “I know. I asked her what I should make, and she gave me this recipe. Said it might win me some brownie points.”
Lifting my brows, I replied, “You never know. Depends on how well you made it.”
Wade put an enchilada on the plate. Handing it to me, he stopped and said, “If you don’t like it, you have to promise me a do-over.”
I reached for the plate. “Please, the fact that you cooked my favorite food, brought my favorite beer, and picked a romantic spot—trust me, it could taste like shit, and I’d still be swooning until I was senseless.”
He stared at me as I took a bite. I closed my eyes and let the savory tastes of the barbeque sauce and cream cheese settle in. I chewed slowly, not wanting to let that first bite go.
When I opened my eyes, Wade was looking at me with wide, hopeful eyes. I let a small smile play across my face.
“Wade Adams, we are totally going to second base with this dish.”
He tossed his head back and laughed. I smiled and got back to eating. Wade made a plate and we sat and ate while we talked about his plans for the future.
“A few months ago, if you were to tell me I’d be in Texas sitting on the roof of an old house talking about doing a major remodel, I’d say you were insane. I was in a bad place and your brother really pulled me out of it. I’m in his debt.”
I set my empty plate down. “Do you use singing as an escape? I heard you singing the other night. Sounds carry far in the country, you know? You must have been on your porch.”
My cheeks flushed with heat at the memory of Wade naked. That was a little secret I intended on keeping to myself.
He half-shrugged. “I guess I do. Sometimes.”
“Have you always liked to sing?”
“Since I can remember. I used to sing in the choir at church. That made my mother happy,” he said with a grin. “She thought I was destined to do something else besides run the ranch.”
“Did she not like living on the ranch?”
“Oh, no, she loved it. But I think she thought my dream was to be onstage. It never was. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. Doing it every now and then is one thing, but doing it for a living? I love ranching. The dirt, the animals, figuring how to make farming better. That’s where my heart is. That’s my true passion.”
I chewed my lip before asking the next question. “Do you write your own songs?”
He nodded. “I’ve written some.”
“Will you sing one to me someday?”
His eyes lit up and when they fell to my lips, I licked them. His stare quickly met mine again.
“I will.”
“Promise me.”
Wade reached over and took my hand. “I promise. Now, let’s dance.”
He stood and pulled me up with him. Through my laughter, I argued, “We don’t have any music.”
I should have known better when it came to Wade. He reached into his little bag of tricks and pulled out a Bose speaker. Connecting it to his phone, he set it on the edge of the wall. He searched for a song and smiled when he found the one.
He flashed me a sexy-as-hell grin and set his phone down, holding his hand out for me to take it. The second the music started I knew it was Frank Sinatra.
“Witchcraft” played, and I couldn’t help but giggle. He pulled me against him, and we danced on the roof of the old house. My heart hammered. I’d never in my life been so happy.
I was falling in love with Wade Adams and that didn’t scare me at all. It should have, but somehow I knew this man would guard my heart with his life.
Moving my mouth against his neck, I said, “If you were going for third base, you were successful, cowboy.”
He pulled back and captured my eyes. “You bewitch me, Amelia. I can’t stop thinking about you. I want you to know I want you.”