Page 97 of His Tenth Dance

“Mish.” She sank into the nearest dining room chair and started ripping paper off the box. She pulled in a breath when she recognized the box, and her gaze flew back to his. “The mixing bowls.”

He’d had to go to three different stores—and the city—to find them, but he kept that tidbit to himself.

“These are sold out everywhere,” she said, finally clearing the paper and standing to open the box. “Are they really?—?”

She squealed when she saw the box did indeed hold the bowls advertised on the outside.

“I must’ve gotten lucky, then,” he said. Persistent was more like it. Unyielding. He’d made calls and sent Tucker to get these, because he couldn’t get there on time.

“Thank you.” She pressed into him and kissed him again. “You liked the cake?”

“It was incredible,” he whispered. “Just like you are.”

“I noticed you didn’t have a cake with you.” She gave him a playful smile.

He chuckled and shook his head. “The night is young, kitten.” He picked up the second gift and handed it to her. “Again, I did my best.”

She smiled as she plucked the wrapping off the box and lifted the lid of the black jewelry box inside. She inhaled sharply and didn’t look away from the bracelet inside.

“Mission.”

“It’s just something simple,” he said, suddenly embarrassed. “They’re not even real diamonds.”

He couldn’t afford such things, and he suddenly wanted to blurt that out so she’d know. She had to know, didn’t she? He worked someone else’s farm, for crying out loud. Of course she knew.

“It’s moissanite,” Mission said, reaching to lift the bracelet from the cotton where it rested. “It is sterling silver, though, so it shouldn’t turn your wrist green.”

He undid the clasp so he could put the bracelet on for her. “I know you don’t wear much like this, but I thought it would only add to your beauty when you go to church or meetings or…when we go out.”

She dutifully held out her hand, and Mission draped the bracelet over her wrist and clasped it on.

She admired it, the real diamonds in her eyes. When she looked at him again, her smile sent shivers of love running through his whole body.

He was so going to fail at his personal promise not to tell her he loved her tonight. But he couldn’t tell her right now, because she eased into his personal space, cupped his face in her hand, and kissed him again.

Mm, yep. Mission had fallen, and fallen hard, and he wouldn’t be able to keep his feelings to himself for much longer.

thirty-two

“So he gotfourchocolate cakes for his birthday?” Gerty asked when Kristie had finished telling her and Mike about Mission’s birthday.

“Not just chocolate cakes,” Mission said while Kristie simply grinned and grinned.

“Jocelyn made me a Crispy cocoa opera cake with a constellation chocolate mirror glaze.”

“Are those even English words?” Mike asked, and the four of them laughed together, Mission included.

Warmth filled Kristie, as she had delivered a surprise chocolate cake to Mission every day for the four days leading up to his birthday—which was today.

They’d planned to go to a livestock auction with Mike and Gerty, and they were meeting Keith and Lindsay there too.

Right now, Kristie reached over and took Mission’s hand while Mike drove and Gerty moved the conversation to Opal’s pregnancy. She only had two months left, and while things had been going well, Gerty wanted to find someone else to watch West once the baby came.

“My friend Harper might have some ideas,” Kristie said. “She works with a lot of kids.”

Not really in the same capacity, but she had a lot of resources when it came to childcare.

“I’m thinking of asking Steele’s girlfriend,” Gerty said over her shoulder. “Have you met her? Hazel? She’s out at the farm all the time anyway, and I don’t think she works full-time.”

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