Page 96 of Bake You Mine
It used to freak him out when things got serious with a woman. This was the first time he felt like he was the one in a bigger hurry to make things official.
Gary tapped the golden envelope against his thigh. A jazz trio had set up at the far end of the long table, sending tinkling music into the air. It was one of the last warm nights they’d experience until spring. He smiled at the thought. Life would be different, then.
Different wasn’t always a bad thing.
“What do you think the odds are we’ll be DC-bound?” Damon appeared at Liam’s side. “Because if we are, you’ll have to deal with the Mrs.”
Liam rubbed his hands together. “We’ll find out soon, I guess.”
“I think DC would be awesome, man. We could all move up there and make a go of it. Or if you win, we’ll look for a bigger house in Port Fortune. A lot’s riding on this for all of us. No pressure.” He gave Liam a gentle jab to the ribs.
Gary walked over to the reporter and cameraman, and Liam’s nerves hit him like a ton of bricks. No matter whathappened, his life was about to change. He motioned for them to follow him.
Liam exchanged a glance with Damon before following Gary. Aubrey already stood at the head of the table, chatting animatedly with one of the city council members. She’d taken her hair out of her long braid, and it flowed like a wave over her shoulder.
She was confident and beautiful—how had he never truly seen her until this competition?
One of his assistants gave Gary a microphone as Liam stepped beside Aubrey.
Liam bent down to whisper, “To the victor go the spoils. Good luck.”
She gave his hand a quick squeeze. “Good luck.”
Liam focused on Gary, who’d started a speech. The camera guy zoomed in on Gary.
“As much as I’d love to blather on about this competition, most of you already know the gist of it. Our competitors were equal at one win, with three points each, upon entering theSunrise Washingtonchallenge. Chip, Diana, and I cast votes, each worth one point. It came down to two votes against one.”
Liam swallowed. Here it came. He reached for Aubrey’s hand. She intertwined her fingers through his. Her palm was just as sweaty as his.
“Drum roll, please!”
The assembled guests began to drum on one tabletop, rattling plates and glasses as the seconds ticked by.
Gary turned to Liam and Aubrey. “The winner of the Sweet Briar vacant space and ten-thousand-dollar cash prize provided by the Port Fortune Chamber of Commerce is…” He gestured to the crowd to increase their drumming, sending more than one wine glass tumbling off the table and crashing onto the street as he ripped open the envelope. “Aubrey!”
For a moment, the chaos around Liam went silent as he processed the news. He felt like the runner-up in a beauty competition, determined to keep a smile on his face. He’d had a sneaking suspicion the space would go to Aubrey. At least now the waiting was over. They could be together, officially.
The crowd rose to their feet, and people began to make their way over to congratulate Aubrey.
Before the crowd arrived, he reached for Aubrey. He brought her in for a kiss, not caring about the camera.
thirty
Well,maybe her gut wasn’t a sure thing after all.
Despite all eyes on them, she didn’t shy away from Liam’s kiss. He half-dipped her forward. Of course, he always knew the perfect shot for the camera. He pulled her back onto her feet as he broke the kiss. He cupped her face with both hands.
“Congratulations, Aubs. You deserve the world.”
Before she could respond, the crowd swept up around the two of them. TheSunrise Washingtoncameraman edged in to capture the perfect shot.
Panic rose in her throat as people surrounded her, edging Liam out of the way. His eyes stayed on her as the crowd carried her off.
“Liam!” The cacophony of noise drowned out her voice.
Maybe it was for the best. She needed a moment to gather herself. After muttering a few thank-yous, she stumbled away from the pressing crowd. The reporter cornered her, and she put on her best happy face during the interview.
Once she was free, she pulled her phone from her pocket. She had to tell her father the good news. Before she could, shesaw a text from Chris, saying he’d taken Daphne to urgent care with a high fever.
