and were in place. After Erin got the text from Honor that Ellen had made her way down the aisle, she walked Tamira to the entrance to the vineyard.
Tamira took a deep breath, slipped her arm in her dad’s, and made her way down the aisle.
As was typical, all three sisters stayed back and watched the ceremony, out of the way, but close enough in case someone needed them.
It was beautiful, and when the two brides enjoyed their romantic kiss to seal the deal, everyone clapped. Erin and Brenna dashed away to make sure the barn was all set up for the reception, while Honor stayed behind to coordinate the bridal party and family photographs.
The afternoon wore on with drinks and lunch and photos and dancing. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. Erin didn’t even have a chance to check her phone until after the reception ended at eight that night.
She had a text from Jason.
Free after the wedding stuff?
He’d asked her out for today. She’d told him they had a wedding that would likely not end until evening, and that she’d need to be involved.
She texted him back. Reception just ended. My feet hurt.
He replied right away. Come over. I’ll rub your feet. Or any other parts that need rubbing.
Her lips curved and she typed a reply.
Okay.
Fortunately, they had a cleanup crew, so her services were done for the day. On her way back to the house, her phone buzzed. It was Jason again.
And bring Agatha with you.
Her face hurt from smiling so widely.
Damn that man.
CHAPTER
fifteen
JASON DIDN’T WANT to light candles or spread roses around the house or anything that would make Erin think he was assuming anything about tonight. But he did want her to know he was thinking about her comfort. He made some snacks, chilled wine and, just in case, put fresh sheets on the bed in the room where he was sleeping. He also cleaned the house so it would smell good.
After their conversation the other night, he didn’t know where she stood, but he needed her to know he was open to the possibilities.
He was tired of tiptoeing around his need for her. It was time to man up and let her see how he felt. And if she wanted the same thing, great. If she didn’t, they’d go back to being friends. But this nothing zone was driving him crazy.
Puddy followed him around while he put some touches in the living room. He’d stopped and bought a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers while he was in town today, so he laid those on the coffee table in the living room. His dog thought those were a gift for him and kept trying to nibble at them.
“Dude, not yours.”
Puddy seemed offended by that, but after a couple of stern looks from Jason, the pup wandered off to wrestle with one of his toys.
He took a shower and changed into a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt, then came out to the living room to find Puddy with a mouthful of flowers and stems.
“Dammit, Puddy,” he muttered. “I told you those weren’t for you.”
He could have sworn Puddy smiled at him. He shook his head.
The doorbell rang, so he cast a glare at his misbehaving dog and went to answer the door.
Erin took his breath away. She wore a yellow sundress. Her raven hair spilled in waves over her shoulders.
“Hey,” he said when he finally found his voice. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thanks. You took a shower.” She stepped closer and ran her fingers through his hair. He sucked in a breath at the feel of her fingers sliding along his scalp.
“I worked on the house today, so I had sawdust in my hair. Plus, I was sweaty.”
She lifted up on her toes, leaned in and pressed her nose against his neck. “Mmm. You smell good.”
He wanted to wrap his arm around her and kiss her right there on his doorstep. She’d probably let him. But he wanted to take things slow, let her decide the tempo this time. “Thanks. Come on in.”
Since she had Agatha with her, who was straining at the leash to get at Puddy, she walked in and let Agatha off the leash. The two dogs ran down the hall and disappeared.
She looked down at the petals and stems on the living room floor. “What happened?”
He knelt down and picked up the mess. “My attempt to have flowers for you. Puddy had other ideas for them while I was showering. Sorry.”