Page 105 of His Eighth Ride

Mikey grinned and grinned while Gerty nodded and nodded. “Yeah,” he called. “It’s going to be amazing, Sissy.”

“Come for dinner,” Gerty said. “My grandma made corn and potato chowder, and you’ll love it.”

“We’ll be there,” Opal promised. Her family left, along with Steele, and she went back to Tag. “Will you hold me on the couch?”

And since he was the best boyfriend ever—and he had the rest of the afternoon off—he asked, “Where did you put it this time?”

“It’s just me,” Opal called as she opened the door to Jane and Cord’s new house, on their new farm. It had once belonged to Lindsay Lewis, but she’d sold it before she married Keith. They had their own place closer to where Keith worked, and Cord wanted a more rural life than a house in a gated community. “And I have cake samples.”

“In the kitchen,” Jane called, and Opal hurried through the living room, with its luxurious leather couches, and into the kitchen. Molly had already arrived, as had Gerty and Opal’s momma. They’d left the farm a few minutes before Opal, and she’d had to stop for the cake samples too.

She went straight to the table and set down the tray that stretched her arms wide. “Okay, we’ve got eight flavors of cake to sample.” She pulled a piece of paper out from underneath the overly large slices of cake, each one neatly situated in a plastic clam-shell container.

“Chocolate chocolate chip,” she said, pointing to the corner container. “Vanilla bean, carrot, German chocolate, Chantilly white, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and banana.”

“You went with the fruits,” Jane said as she joined Opal at the table. She handed her a cup of tea and said, “It’s chamomile, with honey.”

“Thank you, Janey.” She leaned into her cousin, such love flowing through her. She smiled at her momma, who lifted her left hand.

“Has he proposed yet?”

Opal’s gaze dropped to her left hand too, where no, she did not wear a diamond yet. She held up her naked finger so everyone could see. “Not yet.”

“What’s he waiting for?” Molly asked. “I swear, cowboys know how to take their sweet time.”

“He probably just wants to get it perfect,” Gerty said. “Tag is a good guy. He loves Opal, and since he knows it’s going to be a winter wedding?—”

“And that we’re already planning it,” Opal said.

“Right,” Gerty said. “He’s just trying to make it perfect.”

“Do you know something we don’t?” Momma asked, zeroing in on Gerty.

Her face colored up quickly, and she brushed her hair back. “No.”

“Oh, I think she does,” Jane said with a giggle.

“I don’t,” Gerty insisted. “I just know Tag, that’s all.”

“Forks,” Molly said, getting to her feet. “Let’s taste the cakes, and then I believe Opal has her dress choices narrowed down to three, and they sent her renderings with her in the dresses.”

Opal bounced on the balls of her feet with giddiness. “All true. But I want cake chosen first.” She took the fork Molly offered and started popping open the clamshells.

She already knew she didn’t want any of the fruity ones. So the banana, carrot, and strawberry cheesecake were out. But she tasted them anyway, because the Paris Bakery made delectable cakes in any flavor.

They were all moist, and the frostings were all creamy and perfectly balanced in their sweetness compared to the cakes.

“No to the chocolate chocolate chip,” she said, pushing the clamshell toward her mother. “You’ll like that one.”

“I know what you’re going to pick,” Momma said with a sly smile. She pulled the chocolate chocolate chip toward her and forked up a bite.

Opal took a bite of the vanilla bean, and she did love that one. She wanted white, white, and more white. The bakery could make the outside of any cake pure, snowy white, but Opal wanted the inside to match too.

She’d already tasted the Chantilly white, but she took another bite of it. Then another. And one more, only then realizing that the other four women had stopped tasting and were watching her.

“I think it’s the Chantilly white,” Jane said delicately.

“It’s the winner,” Opal said, licking the last of the frosting from her fork. “Now, who wants to see the dresses?” She started to reach for the dresses when Molly pushed the white cake toward her again.

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