Chapter 21

21

T he day after the premiere, Reagan and Tucker attended a brunch hosted by Holden and Finley. The couple thanked their friends for turning out to see Hill Country Homicide ’s opening. Already online and in the Austin morning paper, the buzz was excellent regarding Wolf’s direction and Holden’s ability to turn a complicated novel into a taut thriller.

Reagan had enjoyed reading Hill Country Homicide , and she was thoroughly impressed at the job Holden had done in reshaping the novel for the screen. While she could think of a few scenes he had omitted and a few of the townspeople which had become composite characters, the movie version of the crime novel blew her away. She pulled Holden aside just before she and Tucker left brunch and told him how much she had liked the film.

“Thank you, Reagan,” he said. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but I truly value your opinion. It was great that you and Tucker were able to come last night and support us.” He grinned. “And even better to hear that you’re a couple now.”

“We appreciated your invitation, and I look forward to many more Wednesday dinners with you and Finley and the rest of the gang.”

They returned to the hotel and checked out. She asked Tucker if he would drive back to Lost Creek so she could test out the passenger seat. He agreed to do so.

On the way home, he said, “We’re going to need to talk with Miss Jean. I know both of us feel a little odd making love under her roof. It’s still early days between us, Reagan, and I don’t want to rush you into anything. Especially marriage. I would like for us to get to know each other better. Whether that means we try living together or you stay at your aunt’s and I find a small place of my own, I’ll leave that up to you.”

“Can I say I’m still a little overwhelmed, thinking that I have a future with you? I never thought I would find love again, Tucker. I expected to spend the rest of my life alone. Coming to Lost Creek and finding you has been a truly unexpected experience. I’m not sure what I want to do yet. Living together is a big commitment, as is marriage. I do know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, however.”

“It’s early days yet,” he told her. “We don’t have to make any decisions right away. I’ll give you all the time you need, Caramel.”

The remainder of the way, they talked about a variety of topics, getting to know each other’s likes and dislikes. She learned that his favorite movie was The Sting, and his favorite color was green. He hated English peas but couldn’t get enough of black-eyed peas. Tucker preferred watching football over baseball and had decided he might pick up running. Dax ran almost every morning, and Tucker was hoping he could do the same.

For her part, Reagan let him know she was drawn to screwball comedies, such as It Happened One Night or My Man Godfrey and liked to read biographies and anything dealing with crime, fictional or real life. She let him know her favorite food was pasta, she liked cold weather over hot, and she’d hated wearing heels to work every day.

“Whatever I decide to do in Lost Creek, I’m relegating heels to the back of my closet. They’ll be designated for special occasions only. In fact, I plan to give away most of my wardrobe of suits to a women’s shelter, one which takes in women who have been victims of domestic violence. I’ll keep a couple, but there’s no use to hang on to things I’ll never wear again when other women in need could get good use out of it.”

By the time they pulled into The Inn at Lost Creek, Reagan was satisfied, knowing her relationship with Tucker was on solid ground, eager to learn more about the things they had in common and just as excited to learn about their differences.

He brought in their luggage and took it upstairs while she went to find her aunt. She followed her nose, inhaling the aroma of cinnamon, and found Aunt Jean pulling a coffee cake from the oven.

When her aunt caught sight of Reagan, she broke out in a smile. “Oh, it’s good to have you back, honey.” Aunt Jean paused a moment, studying her carefully. “I reckon you and Tucker had a wonderful weekend by the happiness you’re radiating.”

Nodding, Reagan said, “It was the best weekend ever. I’m in love with him, Aunt Jean.”

“Saints be praised!” her aunt proclaimed, wrapping Reagan in a tight embrace.

Pulling back, Aunt Jean said, “I knew that boy was for you. He’s solid. Dependable. You couldn’t do better for yourself, and he’s a lucky man to have you in his life.”

Tucker entered the kitchen and said, “I couldn’t agree more, Miss Jean. We do need to talk with you, however.”

“Then I say let’s do it over warm coffee cake and a hot drink,” the old woman told them.

Reagan opted for hot tea and made it herself while Aunt Jean brewed coffee for Tucker and her. They sat at the kitchen table, and she bit into the cinnamon coffee cake, memories exploding within her.

“You used to bake one of these every time we came to visit you. I remember how much I looked forward to seeing you and being in Lost Creek. This coffee cake is a tangible reminder of all the good times I had in this house.”

Aunt Jean smiled. “I was always glad to have you come and visit me. We’ve got some important things to discuss, though. I’ll bet it has to do with your living arrangements here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tucker said. “I want to be respectful of you, Miss Jean. At the same time, Reagan and I need some privacy. We need to spend quality time together.”

“I think I have a solution that might fit you both,” Aunt Jean began. “I have two cottages. While one is booked for this coming weekend and another weekend in December, the other isn’t scheduled for customers anytime soon. I go through a bit of a dry spell around Thanksgiving and Christmas and into January. Things usually pick up around Valentine’s Day, but for now, I have that one cottage available. If you’d like to give up your room in the house and move out to the cottage, Tucker, you can for the next two or three months. Hopefully, that’ll give you a quiet place to get your songwriting done, as well as romancing my niece here.”

Tucker’s gaze met Reagan’s. “Does that sound agreeable to you?”

She thought it would be the best of both worlds. They wouldn’t have to commit to living with one another right away and could continue exploring their relationship, making certain they wanted a lifetime commitment between them. It would still give them a place to make love without interruption, while she could keep the room she had and spend more time with her aunt.

“I think it’s a terrific idea,” she voiced.

“Then it’s settled,” Aunt Jean said. “You can move your things over tomorrow morning. I’ll need to tidy up the place a bit. Put fresh sheets on the bed. Dust. That kind of thing. While I normally don’t include breakfast and supper with those who rent one of the cottages, we can continue that arrangement if you’d like, Tucker. You’ll be happy to know, though, that it does contain a small kitchenette. Just in case you want to stock the fridge with a few drinks and snacks.”

“Reagan and I will handle getting things ready, Miss Jean,” Tucker assured her aunt. “We’ll do that this afternoon, and I can transfer my things over. No need to put yourself out. I insist.”

“Ah, young love,” Aunt Jean said, a sparkle in her eyes. “Then let’s finish our cake, and I’ll get you a set of sheets and some fresh towels.”

An hour later, the cottage was ready for Tucker to inhabit. He told her aunt not to count on them for dinner, telling Reagan, “I think I’ll run into town and pick up a pizza and a bottle of wine for us. We can have a cozy night and break in the new place.”

Aunt Jean said, “I’ve got a nice bottle of Lost Creek Vineyards chilling in the fridge now. You’re welcomed to it.”

Reagan said, “You head into town for the pizza. I’ll grab the wine and see you soon.”

She accompanied her aunt back to the main house, where Aunt Jean said, “Don’t waste too much time, Honey. If you love him— and I know you do —you need to marry him as soon as possible.”

“I’m not sure about that, Aunt Jean. We haven’t known each other long.”

“When it’s right, it’s right,” her aunt said, a stubborn set to her mouth. “Don’t mess around, Reagan. Grab that bull by the horns and climb on the for the ride of your life.”

Aunt Jean smiled fondly at her. “I’m expecting babies sooner rather than later. I’m not going to live forever, you know.”

“Babies! We haven’t even talked about children yet,” she protested.

“Then put that on your to-do list because I think the two of you will make for terrific parents.”

Reagan took the bottle of wine her aunt offered and returned to Tucker’s cottage. She sat on the sofa, contemplating children. Both she and Tucker had been only children. His childhood had been unconventional, while hers had been lonely. Would they make good parents?

Tucker returned with their pizza, and she opened the wine, pouring each of them a healthy amount since neither of them would be driving.

As Tucker bit into his first slice, she asked, “Do you want kids with me?”

He chewed a moment and swallowed. “Boy, you’re getting right to the heart of the matter, aren’t you? Actually, I want them very much. In so many ways, my growing up years were a mess, but despite all that? I think I’ll be a good dad. No, a great one. Because I will love our kids unconditionally. I’ll support them in whatever they wanted to pursue, be it soccer, playing the piano, or becoming the spelling bee champion of Lost Creek.”

She chuckled. “I have always thought about having kids in vague terms. I just assumed Arch would want them someday, but we really never talked about it much. I figured we’d enjoy being married a few years before that came up.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That was what Josie and I had planned. Have three or four years to ourselves, then we’d have a couple of babies.” He grinned sheepishly. “After a year, Josie asked if we could alter the plan, and I was more than happy to do so.”

For a moment, Regan saw pain fill his eyes. She took his hand.

“I know you didn’t just lose Josie. You also lost your child that night.”

“Sometimes, that does get lost in the pain of it all,” he admitted. “My dad passed, then I lost Josie and the baby just a short time later. I don’t know if I told you, but we’d already decided to name the baby Travis after my dad. We knew it was going to be a boy.”

Bringing his hand up, she kissed it tenderly. “Baby Travis is real to you, Tucker. If we’re blessed enough to have children, I promise that we won’t use that name for one of them.”

Tucker looked at her in wonder. “How did I luck out?” he asked. “You always seem to understand me, Reagan, sometimes better than I understand myself.”

His hand cradled her nape, pulling her close for a sweet kiss.

“Pizza’s getting cold he said. Let’s eat while we talk.”

She enjoyed their dinner, listening to stories of him on the road with his dad. For her part, Reagan told him a few things about her childhood, including the fact that she had actually been her elementary school’s spelling bee champion three years running, which he got a kick out of. She realized that her mom wasn’t the kind of person who should have had children, and she resolved things would be different for her own children. While it was inevitable that she and Tucker would make mistakes as all parents did, she knew the abundant love they would have for their children would outshine any mistakes. Giving their kids time and attention, something she had never received much of herself, would make them a solid family, and she knew their kids would flourish.

“Would you like to hear how I’ve tinkered with one of the songs I’ve already played for you?” he asked out of the blue.

“Of course.”

He claimed his guitar. “I talked about how you were a shining light I was drawn to. I changed a few lines from before This is Love Shines Bright . Version two.”

Reagan settled back, closing her eyes as the man she loved sang.

Holding hands, dancing under a moonlit sky,

With you, I feel I can fly.

You awakened a love I never knew,

Girl, I’m grateful that I’ve found you.

When he finished, she said, “I want you to play at Java Junction as soon as possible. Your songs are too good for the world not to hear them, Tucker. Call Matt and tell him you’ve got some winners on your hands.”

She saw hesitation fill him. “It’s going to be hard enough to get up and play in front of a roomful of people again. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that.” He frowned. “I’m not sure if I’m ready. I don’t know if the songs are ready for Matt to hear.”

Reagan’s heart told her that Matt Hardy would snatch up every song Tucker had penned. She also thought it would be good for Tucker to throw himself back out there and help build his confidence.

“Check with Dax now. See when the next opening is,” she encouraged.

“If you insist.”

Tucker called Dax, putting him on speaker, asking if he had any free spots in his Saturday lineup.

“You must be psychic,” Dax said. “I just hung up from a gal who was scheduled for this coming Saturday night. She had to cancel because she’s got mono. I can pencil you in for that slot.”

“Let me check,” Tucker said, pulling up his phone’s calendar app. She still saw doubt in his eyes, but he said, “Actually, that works. Ry and I are catering a wedding Friday night, but our Saturday is open.”

“Perfect,” Dax declared. I’ll put you on the schedule and see how many of the gang can come hear you play. Talk to you soon.”

Tucker ended the connection and set down his phone. “Thanks for pushing me to do that, Reagan. It’s hard to get out of my comfort zone sometimes, but with you in my corner, I feel as if I can conquer the world.”

She slid toward him, wrapping her arms about his neck. “Well, Cowboy, you’ve conquered my heart. That’s a good start.”

He sprang to his feet, bringing her with him, then sweeping Reagan off her feet.

Giving her a slow, lazy smile, Tucker said, “How about we check out the new bed and break it in?”

“I was hoping you’d say that very thing.”