Page 96 of The Best Thing He Never Wanted

She stopped walking and stared at him. “You did?”

“Yeah. Figured you liked flowers.” He shrugged. “Then I thought you seem to prefer the ones you can grow, so I left them alone.”

“Well, thank goodness for that.”

His brows drew together. “Why?”

“Oleander is poisonous.”

He looked from her to the mass of pink flowers beside the road and back again. “They’re everywhere. They have poisonous flowers growing all over the damn place?”

“They’re very pretty.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

She laughed and squeezed his hand. “I know. But look at them.”

“I’m looking.”

“You’re looking horrified. They really are pretty.”

“Yeah, I’m still glad I didn’t bring you a bunch.”

“So am I. Although it would have been very romantic, right up until the poisoning.”

He gave her a long look. “Think I’ll stick to baklava.”

“Probably safer.”

As they started downhill, he found himself questioning the wisdom of going all the way down to the bakery. He didn’t know how Bea would feel about having to climb the hill again afterward.

She tugged on his hand. “You seem to be thinking awfully hard. Are you at work in your mind, or is something bothering you?”

He turned to her with a smile. “Trying to figure out how you’d feel about walking back up the hill if we go all the way down to the bakery. Couldn’t decide if you’d think it was worth it.” He paused. “But then I figured it out.”

She raised her eyebrows. “And what conclusion did you reach?”

“That I don’t need to reach a conclusion. I can just ask you.”

There was no mistaking the way his answer pleased her, and seeing her smile, he understood why. She didn’t need him—or anyone else—making her decisions for her.

~ ~ ~

Bea would have happily skipped their afternoon trip to the market if Blane hadn’t been so strangely enthusiastic about it. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go, more that she was exhausted after the morning they’d had.

First there’d been the walk, which of course she’d enjoyed every moment of. Then the climb back up the hill, which had proven far more strenuous than she remembered and had only made her more determined to get out and walk regularly. That had been the plan, after all. She’d imagined herself walking down to the village until she got used to driving over here, until she got herself sorted out with a car.

But the exertion of climbing the hill had proven to be nothing compared with the shower afterward. Her cheeks warmed, and she glanced across from the passenger seat at Blane, who looked entirely too relaxed as he drove slowly around the village, searching for somewhere to park.

She really shouldn’t be the one feeling tired after their exertions in the shower—or the bed afterward. He was the one who’d done most of the hard work. She couldn’t help smiling at the memory. By the time they were done, lying there panting and in need of another shower, she’d felt as though all the bones had gone out of her. Relaxed, in other words. And happier than she could remember feeling in… goodness, who knew how long?

Blane glanced over and smiled. “I know what you’re thinking.”

She let out a short laugh. “What can I say? You have to remember, I haven’t had a love life in who knows how long, and now…” She smiled. “Let’s just say I’m very much enjoying my renewed interest.”

He chuckled. “Good to know. Especially since all I thought you were thinking was that I should park the damn SUV already and we can walk to the market from here.”

She laughed and slapped his arm. She wasn’t sure whether he was joking or had genuinely had no idea where her thoughts had gone, but either way, she loved him all the more for it.