Page 78 of The Baking Games

He waves his hand and grunts. “No thanks. I don’t intend to be cut up into little pieces and put in someone’s freezer.”

I roll my eyes. “Oh, come on! Everyone does it these days.”

“Do you?” he asks, looking at me.

“Well, no. But I’ve been too busy to look for love after my breakup. I’ve kind of enjoyed being alone.”

“So you’re swearing off love?”

“Maybe. For a while. I’m tired of getting my heart broken. I’m tired of being disappointed. I thought I’d be married with kids by now.”

“Same.”

“Rhett Jennings wants to be married with kids?”

He laughs. “Why do you always call me by my full name?”

“I don’t know. It seems more dramatic.”

“To answer your question, of course, I want to be married with kids.”

“Why?”

“Why? What kind of question is that? Why do you want that?”

I shrug my shoulders. “I guess I want someone who is always there for me. Someone to wake up to. Someone to cuddle while I fall asleep. Someone to be there when I want to vent or cry. Someone to share sunrises and sunsets with. A family. A real family that loves me, and I can love them.”

He stares at me for a moment. “Ditto.”

“You don’t like to share your feelings much, do you?”

“You want me to share my feelings?”

“Yes. I think I do.”

He gathers his thoughts for a moment and then speaks. “I want a woman who wants me. The real me. Not the version of me from a wealthy family. Not the version of me who can cook. The version of me that I don’t show anyone else. The one that likes silly rom-com movies. Or the one that wants us to dress in matching pajamas for Christmas pictures. I want someone who wants to snuggle under the covers on Saturday mornings. I want someone who’s excited to see me come home at the end of the day. I want someone who will encourage me no matter what crazy dreams I have, and I can do the same for her. Most importantly, I want someone who makes me a better man.”

I’m stunned. I don’t know what to say. If he’s acting, he should win an Oscar.

“Wow. That was so poetic, Rhett. I’m sure you’ll find her, especially after this. Every woman in America just fell in love with you.”

He smiles. “I’m only interested in one.”

“Anybody wanna play pool?” Zara asks, walking over to us. We’re still staring at each other like the two characters do at the end of one of those sappy rom-com movies. “Hello? Anybody here?” Zara waves her hand between our faces.

Rhett breaks our staring contest and clears his throat. “Sure, I’ll play.” He stands up and follows Zara to the table, looking back at me one more time. He winks, and I know. Rhett was talking about me.

RHETT

I can’t even concentrate on this pool game. I keep looking over at Savannah until she goes back inside the house with Maggie. I want to follow her. I want to tell her this isn’t fake. I want to say that I’m falling for her, and will she please just believe me? But I know she doesn’t. She thinks I’m playing the game, and honestly, I don’t even care about the competition anymore.

I realize that if I won Savannah, I wouldn’t need to win anything else for the rest of my life.

I feel like such a weakling. I’ve never felt so confused and off-kilter as I do right now.

She can’t find out that I said I was falling for her in my confessional. If she does, she’ll think it was a game move, and none of this meant anything to me.

It means everything to me.

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