Page 30 of Not Just Gal Pals

I let out a deep breath. Now the cake situation had been satisfactorily resolved and all the food and speeches were over, I could relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Leaning forward, I pulled the bottle of champagne out of the ice bucket on the table. I’d limited myself to one glass so I was clear-headed enough to deal with any disasters that might unfold, but now most of my responsibilities were over, I refilled my glass to the brim.

“Champagne?” I looked at Blake with an eyebrow raised, holding the bottle.

“Yes, please! Baking is stressful.” She held up her glass, tilting it so the bubbles didn’t overflow.

Once it was full, she held out her glass, gazing steadily at me. “Cheers!”

“Cheers! To successful baking and weddings.” I held her gaze as we clinked glasses and took a long sip. I wasn’t sure if it was the champagne or the look we were exchanging, or both, that was causing my insides to fizz and heat to rise in my cheeks.

Blake broke eye contact, looking over my shoulder in the direction of the dance floor.

“And cheers to Operation Emma too. We’re on a roll tonight!” She nodded her head behind me, and I turned to see Maya and Jasper dancing close together.

We clinked our glasses again, both taking another big swig, and again looked at each other, smiling and slightly flushed. It’s the champagne, I told myself. But the giddy awkwardness between us that was sending my heart racing and my stomach fluttering felt less like alcohol-induced sensations and more like…sexual tension. Oh boy.

If I was being honest with myself, I was very attracted to Blake right now. She’d saved the day with her cake, she hadn’t insulted me once—in fact, I’d really been enjoying her company—and she looked…well, she looked incredible. The faint pink in her cheeks accentuated her warm, brown eyes, dark lashes, and naturally red lips. She was leaning forward, causing her hair to fall in a swoosh on her forehead. And that damn suit fit her perfectly.

I’d been gazing at Blake for more than a beat too long when Maya came up to us. “Amanda’s doing the bouquet toss now. Come on, ladies. Tonight might be your lucky night!”

Blake let out a cynical huff at the same time I rolled my eyes. But we downed our champagne and made our way over to the gathering of women standing in front of Amanda.

“Oh god, this is looking a bit intense,” I muttered to Blake, surveying the crowd. Maya was crouching in a sumo stance, shifting her weight between her feet as if ready to wrestle anyone who got between her and the bouquet. Another woman had taken off her heels, presumably for enhanced speed and coordination.

“So, I take it you’re not going to bulldoze through the crowd to secure a prime bouquet-catching position?” she murmured.

“Ha! No thanks.”

Blake grinned, grabbing my hand. “Well, in that case, let’s skip it. Come with me. I’ve got something to show you.”

Acutely aware of Blake’s soft, warm hand grasping mine, I followed her lead.

We walked over the dance floor to our table, where she handed me my shawl. My body buzzed with intrigue. Where the hell is she taking me?

Buoyed by that second glass of champagne, I grabbed a whole bottle from the table and looked at Blake with a raised eyebrow. “Should I bring this?”

“Great idea!”

Walking briskly, Blake led me through the back door of the barn, out into the cold night air, still firmly holding my hand. This felt…nice. Very nice. Hmmm.

“Where are we going?” I asked, giggling. “I hope Amanda doesn’t notice we ran away from the toss.”

“You’ll see soon enough,” Blake said mysteriously.

It was a clear night. In the moonlight, I could make out a small wooden barn a few hundred feet in front of us. Still giddy from the champagne, or Blake, or perhaps both, I took in a deep breath of cool air. It smelled of woodsmoke and fall.

We reached the barn, and Blake stopped, turning to me. “Zelda told me about this last night when I was doing the house call, and I popped my head in earlier to check it out. When I saw it, I thought of you.” She thought of me? What on earth in this barn made Blake think of me? Another scarecrow she thought I might fancy? More cute rabbits?

She pulled the door open with her free hand, her other hand still holding mine, and then tugged me into the dark barn.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes!” I said too loudly. The suspense was killing me.

Blake flicked a light switch, bathing the barn in a warm glow.

I blinked, taking the scene in with awe.