25. She Saw Love Blooming
She Saw Love Blooming
Lola
“And the first category…is…books!”
The grin on Aiden’s face was even bigger than mine. Finally, it was our time to shine.
After Ruth’s blistering win at paper planes and Harry’s narrow victory at the marshmallow toss—he’d stuffed more into his mouth than he’d landed in the cup—trivia was the time for us to make Ruth’s dream come true.
Her eyes never strayed far from the enormous hampers.
The fact that the first questions were focused on books? Even better.
No one else in the crowd agreed. A heavy groan rippled around the room. The loudest protest came from Ruth.
“Books?” She stuck her nose in the air with an indignant huff. “Who reads ?”
My eyebrows popped up. “Surely the undisputed Queen of Scrabble loves reading?”
Aiden grunted a laugh but was smart enough to dodge Ruth’s frosty glare. He smiled at her, all innocence, and reached across the table for a pencil, ready to scribble down our team’s answers.
Ruth waved away my question. “As if I’m going to waste my time reading some dusty book from ye olde times when a whole world of reality TV is at my fingertips.”
“Yes!” Brooke bounced up and down, clapping her hands with excitement. “I knew I liked you! What’s your addiction?”
“ Soccer Mum Socialites ,” Ruth fired back. “Absolutely no question.”
Aiden paused his scribbling. “Do you want us to win this round?” His eyebrow arched in Ruth’s direction. “Yeah? I need to hear more of the questions and less of this.” His hand waved at the space between the two gossips.
Ruth’s dark eyes narrowed. She didn’t appreciate being told what to do by Aiden. But one longing glance at the trophy and oversized gift hampers crowding the bar swayed her—to keep her voice down, at least.
She bent over and whispered to Brooke, “Did you watch the new episode last night?”
Aiden’s pencil hovered over the answer sheet. His finger twitched, ready to croak at them.
Brooke arched forward, excited whispers tumbling out as if she were sharing the juiciest story in the world. “Did you almost die when they revealed the plastic surgeon was cheating with the nanny?”
“I never saw it coming! I thought for sure he was fooling around with his assistant.” Ruth chittered with evil delight. “But the showdown when his wife pushed him into the pool was epic!”
Ryan joined the mix. “What about when his toupee fell off and bobbed along the water?” His shoulders shook with laughter. “I totally lost it. The nanny started screaming because she thought it was a rat. No rat is that ugly.”
Every pair of eyes at the table snapped to the farmer—even Harry’s, and he hadn’t said a word all night.
Ryan gulped. “It’s, uh… a fun show.” A sheepish smile flashed.
“ You watch Soccer Mum Socialites ?” Ruth’s jaw was still on the floor.
Ryan shrugged. “I don’t mind reality shows. I’ve lived on the farm since the day my mama brought me into this world. I’ve learned a lot about different cities and people.” He gulped and flitted nervous eyes around the table. “I, um, well —I auditioned for a show a few months back.”
Squeals erupted in every direction. Aiden’s disapproving scowl wouldn’t stop them this time.
Ruth grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. “Which one? Which one?”
Brooke grinned. “I can totally see Ryan dancing up a storm on It’s All Ballroom .”
“Only if they have a new category for two left feet.” Ryan spun his empty beer glass in nervous hands. “There’s that show where they, um… help match farmers with, you know… a nice lady.”
Disappointment etched on Ruth’s face. “Are you…?” Her shoulders slumped.
He shook his head. “The producer and some crew flew down from Sydney. They liked my story. Pa thought I was completely bonkers, but he gave me his blessing. He thought it might be good for the farm… Good for me… But…” He shrugged.
“After they left that night, I stood in the field, looking out over the valley, and something didn’t feel right.
” His eyes dropped back to his empty glass.
“Maybe my mama was looking down on me… telling me to wait because the right girl was waiting just around the corner.”
His throat bobbed as he shifted his gaze to Ruth.
She offered a shy smile in return before glancing over her shoulder at Aiden.
An unspoken question passed between them—maybe asking for his approval—and he clasped her shoulder.
Yes. Growing bolder with the blessing of her best friend, Ruth’s gold bangles jingled when she touched her hand on Ryan’s knee.
The farmer looked like he’d just about died and gone to heaven.
But the first blossoms of the budding romance didn’t thrill everyone at the table.
Brooke slumped in her chair, silent devastation in her eyes when she snuck a sideways glance at Harry. His gaze stayed fixed on the beer sitting untouched in front of him, and he continued to sit hunched in his seat, silent, until trivia ended.
The Games Night master announced us as the winners before calling the next event.
“Musical chairs?” I groaned. “Count me out. I’ve got more left feet than Ryan.”
Ruth flashed a hopeful smile at Aiden.
He grunted a firm no. “And you can withhold the powers of your wobbly chin for another night, Ruth. This old dog doesn’t need to learn any new tricks.” He jerked his head at the two sitting across the table. “Get the young ones up there.”
Harry jumped out of the chair. He didn’t need convincing from Ruth’s puppy-dog eyes. And if Brooke was upset to see him scrambling across the bar, desperate to escape being so close to her, she didn’t show it.
Determination shone in her eyes. She hiked up her chest, way too much cleavage spilling out. “This dress is about to pay for itself,” she declared before charging off to win her prize.
Harry and Brooke were the perfect choices to get Ruth one step closer to her trophy.
They cruised through the early rounds. Harry charmed an old lady from her seat with one of his dimpled smiles.
Brooke dazzled another of the old-timers by bending over ever so slightly to check the heel of her shoe.
Ruth’s cheers only encouraged them to play dirtier.
And, in the end, despite their questionable tactics, Harry and Brooke were the final two.
Only one chair sat in the middle of the bar.
The music started.
Harry’s eyes narrowed on the seat. Brooke paid it no attention, another prize clearly on her mind. She circled the final hurdle to her victory with a wicked smile dancing on her lips and her fingers crossed behind her back.
The music stopped.
Harry dived for the chair. “Hell yeah! I’m the win—”
He froze, his mouth clamping shut when Brooke’s bottom crashed into his lap.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and just when his face couldn’t flame any redder, she smacked her lips on his cheek.
For one long second, the pair shared a heated gaze, and when Harry’s hand reached up to twist one of her curls around his finger, I was convinced he was about to kiss her so good she’d cry with joy for a month.
But the magic moment stalled.
Harry released the stray curl and wriggled out from under her.
“Shit, Harry…” Aiden mumbled, his hands going to his knees, pushing off the chair.
But if he was worried, he didn’t need to be. Harry only got two steps away before his gaze landed on Aiden. One dip of his friend’s chin, and Harry straightened his T-shirt, turned around, and strode back.
“Remember the first day we met?” he asked Brooke.
She tipped her chin up to look at him, her face still painted with shock. “Y-yeah,” she stammered. “At the village store.”
Harry nodded. “You came flying in, covered in dust, and your hair was all wild in this big, messy ponytail on top of your head. You barged in front of me at the checkout.”
“And I said…” She swallowed her nerves with a big breath. “Outta my way, pip-squeak. You can buy your stale old corn chips after I’ve sent a horde of cockroaches to heaven.”
“Yeah.” Harry’s laugh was almost dreamy. “When you stormed out of there, I turned to Ashley and said, ‘That’s the girl I’m gonna marry someday.’”
“Really?”
“Yup. I’ve been stupid about admitting my feelings for you, but I’m done being stupid. So, I’m gonna kiss you back now,” he warned, falling to one knee. “You better tell me if that’s not something—”
Brooke’s lips landed on his, and the bar erupted in cheers and stomping boots.
Aiden relaxed back in his seat, smiling.
I nudged my finger into his shoulder. “You had something to do with that, didn’t you?”
“I’ll take credit for giving him the courage to tell her how he feels,” he said. “Doing it in front of the whole town is all on him.”
“I think it was adorable.”
Aiden slid a wary glance at me. “You want me to get hold of the microphone and tell the town how we first met? Would you forgive me then?”
“Don’t you dare, Aiden McKinnon!”
The wooden chair creaked when he eased back.
“I think about the morning at the clinic sometimes. You were as timid as a mouse. Scared of your own shadow.” He tilted his head towards me, an expression almost like pride settling across his face.
“And look at you now—the fearless Storm Queen who stole my umbrella and ruined my shirt.”
“I gave your umbrella to Harry.” I huffed an annoyed sound. “And I didn’t ruin your shirt. I washed it!”
“And ironed it,” he reminded me with a rueful smile. “Now I’ve got nothing else to remember those early days except up here.” He tapped his temple. “And every time I see you frowning at me. But…”
“But?”
“You’re not frowning at me as much tonight.”
“What am I doing instead?”
“Smiling.”