“The name strawberry cloud doesn’t do it justice. It’s like...” Xander’s voice trailed off. “I can’t even describe it. It’s so light and flavorful.”

“Like a strawberry cloud?” Wade suggested.

“Yes,” Xander replied sarcastically. “Thanks so much.”

“We should come by,” Tori agreed. “We’ve been so busy lately. Wedding planning isn’t for sissies. And Wade’s wrapping up a development project. Seems to be taking up all our time. We’ve barely seen Xander and he’s been in town for two weeks!”

“That’s not entirely our fault,” Wade pointed out. “I went by the farm twice but Xander was preoccupied.” He turned and fixed his dark green gaze on Rose. “I don’t know who could be taking up all his time.”

“What can I say?” Rose said with a smile and a shrug.

Wade glared at his brother. “It’s like you’re back in high school again. I recognize the signs.”

“Signs?” Xander frowned.

“Oh yeah. I remember when you two started dating. All of a sudden, Xander was distracted and spending all his time doing his hair or trying to bribe us to take on his chores so he could spend more time with Rose.”

“Xander was a party to bribery?” Tori said, her mouth open in mock shock.

“Shh!” Xander said, his eyes wide with panic. “Don’t say that so loud. If someone heard that, they might not get the joke.”

Everyone laughed. “Xander was all about school and baseball until Rose came around. It’s probably a good thing you guys broke it off before he went to Georgetown. He would’ve flunked out hard.”

“Hey,” Xander argued, “I managed to date in college without dropping below a three-point-eight grade point average, thank you.”

“Yeah. But those were just anonymous college girls. That’s not the same as dating Rose. You had him wrapped around your finger,” Wade turned to her and said with a smile. “Putty in your hands. And from the looks of it, you’ve worked your magic on him again.”

Rose’s eyebrows shot up. She turned to look at Xander, trying to see what Wade saw, but it was the same face that had looked at her the past few weeks. Wade couldn’t possibly be right. They were just having fun for old times’ sake, right? At least he was. Rose had known she was in too deep the moment she laid eyes on him, but she had held back, knowing it would never be a two-way street.

Or could it?

“It’s true,” Xander said matter-of-factly, making her heart stutter in her chest for a moment. “She is a tasty treat and I can’t get enough.” A smile broke out across his face as he turned to Rose and lifted the back of her hand to his lips. His hazel eyes were fixed on her as his warm skin met hers and sent a tingle of awareness through her whole body. “Rose has entranced me with her...strawberry cloud.”

“Ugh,” Tori said, wrinkling her nose. “You make that sound dirty.”

Xander laughed and placed Rose’s hand back in her lap. She drew it under the table and smiled to hide her own disappointment. She’d thought for a moment that maybe he was being serious, but that was because she’d forgotten how much the Eden boys all joked around when they were together. Even Brody, the most serious of them all, would have a good laugh with his brothers.

The waiter brought their entrées to the table. Everyone took a few moments to settle into their meals, tasting and seasoning and softly groaning with approval. It was a very good restaurant. Rose had picked a blackened fillet of tilapia that had just the right amount of heat to complement the buttery white meat. With rice and grilled asparagus, as well, she could easily stuff herself.

“What will do you without her strawberry cloud when Congress is back in session?” Wade asked after swallowing a large bite of steak.

At that, Xander frowned at his rib eye. “I don’t know,” he said, turning to look back at Rose with all signs of humor gone from his face. “We still need to talk about that. There are a lot of unknowns right now.”

“Why don’t you sweep her off her feet and take her far away from this dull little town?” Tori asked.

“We’ve hardly b—” Rose started to argue away the importance of their relationship, but she was interrupted by Xander.

“I’ve given it some serious thought, if she’s interested.” He turned toward her. “Rose, would you ever consider moving to D.C.?”

“Move to D.C.?” she parroted back to him. Was he asking her to move in with him? With his brother and future sister-in-law as witnesses? Rose certainly couldn’t afford to live there on her own. “What would I do there?”

“Whatever you like. You’re an award-winning baker. You could try working at one of the nearby bakeries. There’s some great ones. You could even open your own.”

Open her own bakery? How could he know what she’d dreamed of doing when she couldn’t even voice it aloud to another living soul? He knew her better than she believed. She’d fantasized about opening a bakery, but it required up-front cash that she’d tried, and failed, to save. Every time she’d get a good amount put away, disaster would strike and she’d need new tires or X-rays.

“Yeah. There’s some nice bakeries around,” he continued, “but nothing like what I’ve tasted of yours. I think you and Joey would really love D.C. The museums are great and the food is fantastic. No offense, but Daisy’s has got nothing on the places around town. Everything from Ethiopian food to Korean barbecue within a few blocks’ walk. There are some great private schools in the area, too. We could get tickets to the Washington Nationals games. I think Joey would...”

Xander continued talking, but Rose’s disappointment made it hard for her to follow along. She forced a smile on her face and nodded appropriately as he chatted on. She should’ve known better than to make that mental leap. Really, they’d reunited less than two weeks ago and had had a couple great nights together. That wasn’t grounds for anything other than maybe a call for another date. Moving in together so soon? That was a fantasy. He might want her to move to D.C., but it was more about seeing his son than anything else. She was a means to an end.

“I think you lost her at Korean barbecue,” Tori said, catching Rose’s attention. “I said sweep her off her feet and you’re rattling off neighborhood details like a real estate agent.”

Rose laughed it off and shrugged away her concern. “I’m not a very adventurous eater. It sounds nice, but maybe we could start with a long weekend visit before we start packing my things.”

“Now that you mention it,” Xander said, “I do have to go back to D.C. this weekend. The Fostering Families Center is having their annual fund-raising event. It’s a very swanky black-tie party. I’m also doing my first signing there to cross-promote the book and the charity. You should come with me.”

“Be serious,” she said with a nervous laugh. Even if she could take the time off work, and she couldn’t, she’d stand out like a sore thumb at a black-tie gala. Her nicest dress had cost her fifty dollars at a department store in Hartford. It probably wouldn’t suit the event any more than her awkward shuffle around the dance floor and desperate clinging to Xander.

“I am being serious. I want you to come with me.”

“I have to work.”

“I don’t know, Rose,” Wade said. “You know when he wants to, he can be very persuasive. He’ll turn that charming politician shtick on your boss and you’ll be on a plane to D.C. before you know it.”

She appreciated that Wade would think Xander wanted her in D.C. that badly, but she was tougher to convince. If Wade had known the truth, he’d have realized Xander wanted Joey closer. She had no reason to believe that their sexual holiday was something serious. Taking her to D.C. for a romantic weekend was just a way to grease the wheels and convince her she’d enjoy living there.

“That sounds nice and all, but it’s a pointless effort. Once you get back to work, you’re going to forget all about little old me,” she said. “There’s a country to be managed, and frankly, you all need to focus on that instead of me. It’s not going so well.”