Rowan? A thief? He’s the most generous man I’ve ever met. Just the thought of it is ridiculous. “Of course you weren’t.”
“We left quickly and not on the best of terms. It’s not my proudest moment, but we didn’t have a choice. Sticking around would have meant getting sucked into more problems.”
Indignation rises inside me. “Well, I know what it’s like to have an insane boss. I can’t believe yours tried to pin that on you. You should have gone to the police.”
“You’re probably right, but we just wanted to get away from the whole situation.”
“I get it.” And I do. How many times have I kept my mouth shut around Brett just to minimize our interactions?
I sigh, feeling ridiculous for getting so suspicious earlier. “I’m sorry for grilling you.”
Rowan smiles. “Don’t be. I get why you wanted to know.”
“Anyway, I think the tattoos are cool. You shouldn’t be embarrassed by them.”
Rowan wraps his palm around the side of my head and kisses my temple. “C’mon. Let's go eat.”
I still feel a bit guilty for pressing them so hard on the tattoos, but the whole incident is forgotten as soon as we sit down.
Rowan serves the pasta, spooning the ragù on top of the noodles and then grating fresh parmesan cheese over it. Sam cracks open another bottle of wine and fills our glasses, and I remember the garlic bread at the very last second, somehow saving it from being burned.
Sam and Rowan chat about random things—work, upcoming plans, funny anecdotes from their past. I listen, content to just be in their presence. I wish Del could have come for Christmas, but she took a trip to visit her grandparents in Florida. I think she would like Sam. I’ll have to introduce the two of them the next time she’s in town.
When Rowan tries to give me a second serving of pasta, I stop him. “I have to stop eating or I won’t have any room for dessert.”
Sam gets to his feet. “I’m going to grab some plates for the tiramisu.”
“Make some tea, will you?” Rowan asks.
“Sure.”
Rowan watches Sam walk out of the room before leveling his gaze on me. “How do you feel about getting your Christmas present early?”
A flutter appears inside my belly. I have no idea if he’ll like the gift I hid under the bed. But I definitely can’t give it to him while Sam’s around. “You didn’t have to get me anything, you know.”
He gets out of his seat and pulls an envelope out from under the tablecloth. He must have stashed it there earlier. “I sure as hell did. What kind of a shitty boyfriend would I be if I didn’t get you a gift?”
My pulse picks up speed. Boyfriend? “Rowan…”
He comes around the table, sits in the chair beside mine, and hands me the envelope. “Merry Christmas, Sunshine.”
I turn it over in my clammy hands. There’s nothing on it except for my name written on one side. “What is this?”
“Open it.”
I tear along the seam and pull out a few folded papers. It takes me a few moments to decipher what I’m reading.
It’s a lease agreement.
The address is a unit in Riverbend Mall.
I look at Rowan in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
His eyes are filled with so much warmth that it takes my breath away. “It's for your new bookstore.”
“What?” My voice is no more than a weak whisper.
“Sam and I saw an empty storefront at the mall that would be perfect for a bookshop. You said you’ve always wanted to open one, right? Well, this has shelves installed, and I could help you renovate the interior if—“
