Page 19 of Baking Spirits Bright!

“So, you were interested in my blog?” Her mouth hitches at the corner.

“Totally.”

Her eyes twinkle in the Christmas lights reflecting behind us. I watch her a second longer, then look ahead to keep from making her uncomfortable.

We spend the remainder of the trip talking about our childhood and college days, then land back at Apple Cart Baptist, where I got on the bus.

“That was fun,” Erica says. “It was almost like I was seeing all this for the first time.”

We stand, but I’m not ready to go. I don’t want to call it a night just yet. Woody stretches and leans back, then spots me. “Hey, Ryan.”

“Woody. How’s it going?”

“You want to come to supper after this at G-Maw’s?”

I turn to Erica. “If I can bring a date?”

Erica

Take a date.

That’s what the man said. Now what he meant by that is up for interpretation.

I slant my eyes at Ryan to try and read his expression. He’s watching the road ahead, and it’s dark, so that doesn’t offer much help. But from what I can see, he looks happy. Content, at the least.

With him, mutual silence and small talk are equally comfortable. That’s rare, and one of the reasons I enjoy his company.

He parks at the RV and squints his eyes. “I’ve got to talk to Woody about this.”

“I thought you said it was on a timer.”

“Yeah. It goes off at three a.m. and comes back on at dusk.”

I laugh.

“I try and nap, but the goats next door are loud during the day.”

I nod and unbuckle. Several cars line G-Maw’s house. She’s not in our family, but insists we call her G-Maw, as does everyone else in the county.

“Should we have brought something?” I ask.

“Woody said she’ll have everything.”

“Seems like an awful lot of people to feed.” I cross the driveway into her yard.

A goat bleats, catching me off guard. I jump back, and Ryan steadies me. I relax against him for a second before straightening. “Thanks.”

“Now imagine that sound all waking hours.”

“Ugh.”

He laughs. “That’s why we keep our petting zoo a good distance from my parents’ house.”

“Smart.”

We step onto the carport, and Ryan gives me a puzzled look.

“Yes, that’s Astroturf. The people who did the church soccer field covered it. G-Maw is scared of falling.”

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