Chapter Fourteen #3
When she reached Hattie’s house, preparations were in full swing. Xavier and True were in the kitchen, setting up an assembly line for the chili dogs. Red was standing beside them with an apron on, stirring a vat of chili.
“Smells good in here,” she said, sniffing the air. The aromatic smell made her want to dig into a chili cheese dog.
True looked over at her and made a face. “I’m not sure my stomach can take the smell of so many chili dogs. I don’t think the baby likes them.”
“Do you want me to take over for you?” Bailey asked. True seemed miserable.
“No thanks. Caleb’s already offered to take my place,” True said. “If he ever comes back in here.”
“We might need to send out a search party,” Red said, appearing slightly amused by his son’s disappearing act.
Now that True mentioned it, her complexion did look a little green.
Bailey left the kitchen, spotting Landon walking down the staircase.
She loved watching him when he was unaware.
His lean, athletic build was on full display in his dark washed jeans and tight-fitting long-sleeved tee.
He had a quiet sexiness that was disarming.
“There you are,” he said. “I was upstairs talking to Hattie and trying to keep her from coming down here. She’s itching to find out what we’re doing.”
“What did you tell her?” Bailey asked. “I know she can get feisty when she doesn’t get her way.” It was comforting to know that Hattie hadn’t lost the essence of who she was.
“I told her that we have a little surprise up our sleeve, and that I wasn’t going to spoil it by spilling the beans.” She could tell Landon had gotten a little enjoyment over being able to placate Hattie. It was definitely a skill.
“Can you help me put up these decorations?” she asked. “I don’t have the height to pull this off.”
“Of course I can,” he said. “Let me take these for you.” He reached for the bags and brought them into the living room.
They began decorating in earnest, making the room bloom with color.
By the time they finished, the space looked perfect for a celebration.
Right after they were done, Jaylen walked into the room and looked around.
“Wow! This really looks Christmasy. Good job,” he said, flashing them a thumbs-up.
Christmasy? That was not what she had been going for. “Oh no, it’s not supposed to look that way,” Bailey said. She had chosen red to represent chili and yellow for mustard.
“Really?” Jaylen asked. “Red and gold. That’s Christmas.”
Bailey looked around the room. He was right. How had she not realized that she had picked Christmas colors for the celebration? She looked over at Landon, who had a little smirk on his face. “Why didn’t you say anything? I didn’t even realize what I was doing.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Landon said. “You’ve been holding on so tightly to your anti-Christmas stance that you didn’t even realize that it’s begun to ease up a little.”
“You did this, Landon Stone,” she said, walking the short distance over to him and playfully poking her finger in his chest.
“This is all you, Bailey,” he said, shaking his head. “And it makes me happy for you. Holding on to something like that is a weight you don’t have to carry around anymore.”
“How did you get to be so smart?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and looking up at him. He had the most beautiful eyes, and she always had the feeling that he saw right through her down to her core.
“I was born this way,” he said, chuckling at his own joke.
“Are you two going to make out?” Jaylen asked, rolling his eyes. “’Cause if you are, I’m going to go play on my iPad. I get enough of that mushy stuff at my house.”
Bailey and Landon began chuckling.
“Sorry, Jaylen. I just can’t resist,” Bailey said. “This is your five-second warning. Five, four, three…”
Jaylen let out a groan and left the room, muttering under his breath.
“One,” Bailey said. She and Landon met halfway in the middle and kissed.
She reached out and took off his glasses. Bailey held them in one hand and placed her other arm around his shoulder. “Your glasses are a bit fogged up. What’s that process called? Condensation?”
“Yes, it is,” he said. “See what you’ve done to me, Bailey Daniels.
You’ve fogged up my glasses and totally messed with my brain chemistry.
When you’re within a ten-mile radius, I can’t think straight.
You’re in my thoughts constantly. You’ve invaded my dreams. I’m falling in love with you, Bailey. ”
Just as he poured his heart out to Bailey, Sophia came rushing into the room with Jaylen, Lily, and True.
“It’s time,” she said, sounding a bit frantic.
“Jacques is bringing Hattie down and the food is coming from the kitchen right now.” She had her arms full of hot dog buns and cheese. Jaylen was carrying a jug of iced tea.
A bit of chaos ensued as Red, Caleb, and Xavier brought in the chili and the hot dogs, as well as chips and coleslaw. Bottles of sparkling cider were in abundance.
“She’s coming,” Jaylen said in a loud whisper. “I can hear her wheelchair.”
Seconds later, Jacques and Hattie came into view. Everyone yelled out “Surprise!” as they crossed the threshold. Hattie let out a cry and raised her hands to her mouth.
“What in the world!” Hattie exclaimed. “It isn’t my birthday, is it?” she asked.
“No, Grandmother,” Landon said. “This is part of your bucket list. A chili cheese party.”
“Oh my goodness! It smells heavenly in here,” Hattie said, rubbing her hands together. “I can’t wait to try one. Or maybe more than one,” she said, laughing.
“You can have as many as you like.” Jacques bent down and pressed a kiss on her lips. “YOLO,” he said, repeating Hattie’s signature phrase.
It was nice to hear the sound of her tinkling laughter, Landon thought.
She was getting such a kick out of this party.
Thanks to Bailey. She’d really come through for Hattie.
And for him. It might not have been a big Vegas blowout, but Hattie was clearly ecstatic about being able to check off another item on her bucket list.
As soon as Hattie prepared to take her first bite, all eyes were trained on her, eagerly awaiting her reaction.
“I can’t believe that I’ve waited my whole life to taste a chili cheese dog,” she said. “This is absolutely delicious.”
“Extremely underrated,” Caleb said. “Whoever decided to combine chili, cheese, and hot dogs is a culinary genius.” Caleb placed his fingers on his lips and raised them in the air.
“Ten out of ten,” Jaylen said, talking through a mouthful of food.
“Jaylen, slow down,” True urged her brother. “I don’t want you to eat too many and get sick.”
Hattie waved her hand at True. “Oh, don’t be so fussy. He’s a growing boy. He’ll be fine.”
Jaylen grinned in response, clearly happy to get a reprieve. He reached for another chili cheese dog, earning himself a frown from True.
Landon kept darting glances in Bailey’s direction.
She was being on the quiet side, which wasn’t really like her.
Had he moved too fast by telling her he was falling in love?
Was she overwhelmed or not feeling the same way?
Oh, this was agonizing. Waiting and wondering if he’d messed up or made a fool of himself.
As the dinner winded down, Hattie became emotional.
“Thank you so much for making this bucket list wish come true. I feel so very loved,” she said. “To be honest, this and one other thing were my top wishes. So now that you lovely people have allowed me to cross this off my list, I’m going to push my luck and pursue one more.”
Hattie turned toward Jacques, who was seated next to her.
“Marry me, Jacques. Let’s tie the knot.”
The older man sputtered and spat out his sparkling cider.
“You okay there?” Landon asked, gently patting him on his back.
“H-Hattie,” Jacques croaked. “What’s gotten into you?”
“I’m a romantic at heart. That’s who I am.” She held her head up high. “Yes or no. I don’t have a whole lot of time to sit around waiting for an answer.”
“But, Hattie, do we really need to get married to show our love?”
“How long have you known me?”
“I stopped counting ages ago,” Jacques quipped. “But it seems like a lifetime.”
“When I get an idea about something, it’s hard for me to let it go,” Hattie told him.
“For quite some time now I’ve thought about the two of us getting married.
This isn’t some impulsive decision by a dying woman.
I love you, Jacques. That’s my only agenda.
I know my days are numbered, but what an honor it would be to leave this world as your wife. ”
Jacques took Hattie’s hand and raised it to his lips. “I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. Of course I’ll marry you.”
The room exploded in cheers and applause. Jaylen let out a loud whistle.
“When?” Hattie asked. “I’m not getting any younger.”
“Today, tomorrow, right now,” Jacques said. He gracefully bowed to Hattie. “Lady’s choice.”
“If you mean it, why not today?” Hattie asked. Landon had the impression she was almost daring Jacques to back out on his promise. “Christmas is only a few days away, and I’ve always thought getting married at Christmas was the epitome of romantic.”
Much to everyone’s surprise, Jacques held Hattie’s gaze and said, “Why not? I’ve got the perfect suit in my closet, and I know you have an assortment of elegant dresses to choose from.”
“Let’s do this!” Hattie said, raising her arm in the air. She looked around at her loved ones and shouted, “Start ringing the bells. We’re getting hitched.”