Page 77 of The Best Thing He Never Wanted

“It’s your house, your land. Why wouldn’t it be?” He frowned as he looked back at the wall. He’d assumed this whole section belonged to her.

“You’re right. There’s no reason why not, is there? I told you there’s quite a bit of land with the property. At some point I should get out and walk it, see where the property lines actually are. But yes, this part is mine. All the way past the entrance and halfway across that next field, according to the paperwork.”

Blane looked across the low wall that separated her yard from the field. He was about to ask how the hell it worked that she owned half a field, but she was already getting out and going around to the tailgate.

By the time he caught up with her, she was lifting out one of the bags of potting soil they’d bought at the garden center. He wanted to take it from her but knew better. Instead, he grabbed the other two, leaving her with the trays of plants and the bag of pastries.

She made a face at him. “Thank you. I’m only going to take a few minutes to place these for now. That way I can see how they look when I come back out, make sure it works before I do anything permanent.”

He frowned. “Thought you wanted to get right to it out here?”

“I do, and I will after lunch. I need to make us—”

He set the bags down and stepped toward her. “You don’t need to make us a damn thing, Bea. I can do lunch.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t. You mustn’t…” She stopped, apparently unable to find the end of that sentence.

He folded his arms across his chest and waited.

She laughed softly. “What?”

“Was about to ask you the same thing. What’s the problem? You don’t want me in your kitchen? Don’t trust me to make us something edible? Or…?”

“Oh, you! It’s not that. It’s that you’re…” She lifted one shoulder.

“You mean I’m your guest and you’re supposed to be the good host?”

She nodded.

“Come here.”

He held an arm out to her, and when she stepped against him, he liked the feel of her there way too much.

“Listen, Bea. I know this is your new house—your new home. And if hosting me is important to you, I’m not trying to take that away from you. But from what I can tell, what you’re most excited about is getting to work on your garden. All I’m saying is, if that’s what you want to do, then do it. I can make us some lunch.”

She looked up at him, and he dropped a kiss on her lips before he even thought about doing it.

“I’m used to working as part of a team. Everybody does what they’re good at, and if there’s something somebody actually wants to do, you make room for them to do it.”

She rested her hand in the middle of his chest. He loved the way she did that.

“Okay, then. Thank you. I’d love to get started out here, and you’re right, of course. I know you’re perfectly capable of throwing together some lunch. And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply…” She shook her head. “Well, anything, really. I suppose I’m simply not used to the kind of teamwork you mean.”

“Yeah.” He knew exactly what she meant. The more he heard about her and her life, the more inclined he was to believe Simon must have been an asshole who, at best, had failed to see what a lucky bastard he was.

She was still watching him, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel like he was judging her or pitying her, so he smiled. “You’d better get to it, then, and I’ll go see what I can rustle up for us to eat.”

He turned back just before he went inside. She was already moving trays of plants to where she wanted them. “Bea.”

She turned around, looking guilty.

“Relax. I was just going to ask if you mind me checking the wiring to that light in the kitchen.”

“Oh, I…” She hesitated.

He frowned.

She laughed and waved a hand at him. “I suppose, in the spirit of teamwork, I’ll just say yes, please.”