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“That was delicious.” He lifted the wine glass to his lips and paused. “What’s wrong? You’ve barely touched your stew.”
She considered him while trying to figure out what to say. She hadn’t planned on coming here, but she’d been excited to share it with Leo. Now she felt off kilter, and she didn’t know how to snap out of it.
“Talk to me, Cassandra. Something is bothering you.” He put his wine glass down.
She rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
Leo folded his arms on the table. “Tell me what you’re feeling.”
She had Leo’s undivided attention. Now all she had to do was articulate what she felt. It wasn’t going to be easy.
“I’m confused. When I took you around the property, you asked me the kind of questions my dad would ask if he was interested in developing a parcel of land.”
“We’re both builders. We’re wired the same way.”
“It’s also how you examined the soil. Like you were working out how rocky the land is and how expensive it would be to excavate before building.” Her pulse sped up. She would stand up for herself, even against Leo.
Leo’s smile grew wide. “Is that what you thought?”
“What else would it mean?” Cassandra asked, puzzled by his smile. Why did he think this was funny?
“You mentioned earlier Beatrice wanted to have a garden out there.” Leo pointed to the land beyond the patio. “I was trying to figure out if the soil could be used or if raised beds would be better.”
“You’re a gardener?” she asked in surprise.
His forehead furrowed. “No, I don’t know anything about gardening.”
“Then why were you taking pictures of the soil?”
“I took a few photos to show Ben. He’s an amazing gardener. He’s always bragging about his compost and the importance of soil, so I thought I’d send him a photo. I’d planned on asking you tonight if you were interested in planting a garden. If you were, then I would try to help.” A corner of his mouth twitched.
She covered her face with both hands, not knowing whether to laugh or hide from embarrassment. “Well, don’t I feel like a complete idiot?”
“Don’t be embarrassed. Your reaction was cute.”
“Cute?” She took her hands away, shaking her head. “No one has ever described me as cute.”
“I don’t believe that.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “What do you think of my idea?”
“It’s a great idea, but I don’t know how often I’ll be here to manage it.”
“You can outsource something like that. I’m sure Irini and Aris know someone who could help. Think how beautiful it would be when we come for a visit.”
“We?”
“Yes, we.” He leaned in close, giving her a quick kiss.
We.She tumbled the word around in her head. The nerdy girl who grew up feeling like an outcast was dating one of the sexiest bachelors in the world, who also happened to be suggesting a future with him. How did that ever happen?
“Did I say something wrong?”
She turned back to him. “No.” She gave him a big smile. “I’m trying to figure out how you and I found each other.”
He smiled, searching her face. “You can’t question fate.”
“No, you can’t.” She lifted her eyes to his, still as captivated by the shade of amber as she was the first time she saw him.
From the corner of her eye she noted the colors shifting in the sky.
