Gemma made her way into the living room and stared at them. “I don’t even want to know. See you two in the morning.” She went to her room, closed the door, and turned the music up.

“I’m sorry. It was stupid,” Raylen said.

“I’m sorry too,” Liz said. “It was ugly of me to talk like that about Colleen. You were right. If I had a brother, I’d be livid if I thought he was with Becca. And you’ve been so good about Colleen even after all that stuff you know about Blaze. Forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you. I love you, Liz Hanson. I have since that day you were watching me ride. You were so beautiful leaning on the fence, but not as gorgeous as you are in that flannel nightshirt you are wearing right now,” Raylen whispered.

“I love you too, and I have my whole life, it seems like. I’d like to rip that towel off you, but I’m going to turn around and go home,” she said.

“Why?” Raylen asked. “Gemma knows you are here. The whole county probably knows you are here.”

“Because when we have our makeup sex, it’s not going to be with your sister across the hall.”

He bookended her face with his big hands and kissed her hard. “I do love you.”

“Me too!” She turned around and walked outside. All the way home she singsonged, “Raylen loves me. Raylen loves me.”

Chapter 24

Liz couldn’t have asked for a better night for her party. The carnival folks had pulled the cinnamon bun wagon, the funnel cake wagon, and the gyro wagon off the flatbed and set them up inside the barn. Liz had made arrangements with Jasmine to cater in turkey and dressing and glazed ham. The rest was pure potluck. Bring whatever you like, put your name on the bottom of the dish, and go home with a full tummy and an empty dish.

“With all this food, why would you set up those wagons?” Gemma asked.

“Ovens. We needed more ovens,” Liz explained.

Raylen slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her back to his chest. “Hello, darlin’.”

“That sounded almost like Conway Twitty.” Liz laughed.

Raylen buried his face in her hair and inhaled. “This is one big party.”

She laughed again and turned around. “Yes, and I want to introduce you to each one of my carnival family.”

He kissed her quickly and nodded toward the corner of the barn where the musicians were tuning up their instruments. “I didn’t know so many of your friends played. Does Blaze?”

“Blaze can dance the leather off a woman’s boot soles. He can almost carry a tune, but he can’t play anything. Not even a washboard because his rhythm is off,” she said.

Grandpa O’Malley’s big booming voice sounded even louder coming from a microphone that had been set up in the musicians’ corner. “Liz tells me that it’s time to announce the food is ready. We are thankful for the opportunity for everyone to get to mingle and know each other. And whoever made those cinnamon rolls, would you hide one pan of them under the table for me to take home? Don’t tell my wife Franny. She and the doctor tell me I’m too fat, but those bathroom scales are the biggest liars in the world. Now load up your plates, and while you’re doin’ it Raylen and Liz are going to give us some fiddlin’ to entertain us.”