Maizy the Bear Charmer(Diving Creek Ranch 16)(120)

As if on cue, Jamie’s little face puckered up and a shrill cry emitted from him. Heath chuckled and said, “Did someone pinch you, Jamie-boy? There now.” He turned the infant and cuddled him against his shoulder and Jamie let out a prodigious belch.

The women all nodded approvingly as though Heath had just passed some test. Cody noticed a couple of them giving him and Heath rather appraising looks until Grace’s sister, Charity, came over and said, “Wipe those silly looks off your faces, girls, they’re both already claimed. Justine, can you come help us?”

“Sure,” one of the teenaged girls said as she separated herself from the group and followed her mom. A few at a time the women started dispersing.

Spencer found them a few minutes later, Amelia evidently having gone off to find Maizy, and Heath let him hold James for a little while before taking him back. Quinten returned with enough cake for the whole group.

When they had relative privacy, Quinten asked, “How’re things going with Maizy?”

Heath snorted. “Great, if we could get a minute or two of her time.”

Cody nodded as he gently patted Josh’s back. “She’s been busy with bridesmaid responsibilities all afternoon.” He looked across the gathering to where Maizy stood serving wedding cake to the guests. She laughed and chatted with them as she worked, looking in her element. She nodded her head and her hair swayed with her movements. It was beautiful, with part of it held up with tiny little sparkling pins and the rest falling in billows of curls down nearly to her waist. He couldn’t even tell how it stayed in place.

“To be expected,” Quinten said. “She looks happy. Don’t worry, you’ll get time with her eventually.”

“Just so long as she has fun, we can wait,” Cody said as he swayed with Josh asleep against his chest.

“She sparkles,” Heath said, his eyes also riveted on Maizy.

Spencer nodded, his eyes following her every move. “I thought it was just me.”

Quinten started chuckling with a mouthful of cake and waited until they all looked at him before he finally spoke. “I wish you three could see your sappy faces. I think the bears have been charmed by the belly dancer.”

With a grin, Cody looked over at Spencer and Heath and they looked at him. Heath nodded. “Yup.”

“Here comes your belly dancer now,” Quinten said. “You’d better get while the gettin’s good, gentlemen. Let me have the guys and you go have fun. Don’t look at me like that. Do you think I’ve never held them both at once before? Sheesh.”

Quinten accepted both little guys from them and grinned as they headed straight for their woman. This was their moment and Cody wasn’t letting it slip away.

Spencer said, “If we have to grab her and go hide somewhere for a few minutes, I’m all for it. Can’t get a word in with a wedge around here.”

Maizy’s warm gaze was on them as they approached her near the dance floor. Cody took her hand and got Charity’s attention and quietly asked her, “Is there anywhere around here we can go to be alone with Maizy for just a few minutes? We just need to talk to her, in private.”

Charity grinned and replied just as quietly. “Well, I’m partial to the pantry in Grace’s kitchen but I think there are catering workers in there right now. The SUV is already decorated so I’d say the front porch is a safe bet.”

Cody nodded and they made a beeline for the side of the house, waving at people who called out to them but kept going.

“Guys? What are you up to? I can’t leave the reception this early.”

“Not leaving, baby,” Cody said.

“We just want to talk, Maizy,” Spencer said as he put his arm around her waist and steadied her on the steps when she nearly tripped.

Cody’s heart was pounding as he walked with her to the rocking chair at the far end and urged her down into it. He was so damned nervous his palms were clammy and sweat was trickling on his brow.

Maizy craned her neck, looking up at him with eyebrows raised, and then looked at Spencer and Heath who looked just about as nervous.

Words deserted him…again.

Finally, Spencer nudged Cody. With his heart pounding like a heavy metal drummer was doing a solo in his chest, Cody did what he’d been thinking about doing all day. He got down on his knee in front of Maizy’s rocker. Spencer and Heath followed suit on either side of him so she didn’t have to strain her neck anymore—and because this was what a man did when he proposed.

Maizy leaned forward and brushed the tops of her knuckles on his cheek. “You’re pale, Cody. Is everything all right?”