Page 56 of That Time in Venice
“Absolutely not true.” Anika tossed a cherry tomato at him, which he caught and popped in hismouth.
“Consider yourself lucky that you didn’t pay him any mind back then. He had quite a reputation,”Ryansaid.
“Oh, I know all about his reputation.” Anika sippedherbeer.
Reed folded his arms on the table and unabashedly stared at her. He had a way of looking at her as if no none else was present. “All of that is in the past. You’re stuck withmenow.”
“Being stuck with you isn’t so bad. I could think of worse things,”Anikasaid.
“I told Reed he should have invited you over for a different occasion—a less chaotic meal without kids running around everywhere,”Ransomsaid.
Sophie spoke up. “That would be misleading. Better she sees us in the midst of all the craziness so she knows up front what she’s gettingherselfinto.”
“In that case, somebody pull her aside and warn her about Reed,”Ryansaid.
The menchuckled.
“Guys, you’re going to scare her off.” Sophie elbowed Ryan beside her. “Don’t listentothem.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. Anika’s going to be signing some very important documents at the end of the week,”Reedsaid.
“You’re not supposed to talk about it! It might not go through. I don’t want to get jinxed.” Anika coveredherface.
“You won’t getjinxed.”
“What? Tell us!”Sophiesaid.
“She won’t brag on herself, so I’ll brag on her.” Reed reached across the table and held her hand. “At the end of the week, she’s meeting with an attorney to sign documents that give her a stake in the design firm she works for, Davenport DesignStudio.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!”Sophiesaid.
Reed grinned at her across thetable.
“Thank you,” Anika mouthed to him. She was so lucky to have him in her life. Someone she could call a friend, a confidante, and acheerleader.
“We have to celebrate. Toast!” Sophie hopped up from the table and held up her beer. “A big ole congratulations to you. Hopefully, we haven’t scared you off. We want to have lots more celebrationswithyou.”
“Here!Here!”
They clinked their beer bottles together, and tears pricked her eyes. She hadn’t expected Reed’s family to be so welcoming andfriendly.
A loud scream came from the other table and cut through the celebration. Madison, Ryan and Shawna’s daughter who was a little older than Brielle, held her arm aloft. “A spider! Mommy, get it off me! Getitoff!”
Shawna had her hands full with her toddler and turned to her husband. “Ryan, could youplease—”
He’d already set down his beer and was on his feet. “Ah, the joys of fatherhood,” he said, rushing to therescue.
They spent the rest of the afternoon in the same vein, alternating between teasing conversations and kid emergencies cropping up. Later, when they were all full and the children sprawled on old blankets on the grass watching a Disney movie on the blow-up screen, the adults seated behind them whispering together and holding hands, Anika thought what a beautiful scene this made. One she could well imagine playing out repeatedly over the years with an expanding brood. One that she wanted to be apartof.
The problem for her was, she didn’t know how she could possiblyfitin.
