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16
The vineyard was not what Jarah had expected. He’d visited his fair share across Europe, and they were sprawling estates with huge mansions. Aubrey’s vineyard was small and intimate. The little white cottage on the hill that overlooked the vines was barely big enough for her grandmother Emily and Aubrey herself. There were three even smaller guest houses behind it.
He slept with her that night, thankful to hold her, and even more thankful that she seemed to have every intention of returning to him.
It was a vacation after all, but he still wasn’t leaving. Not until she understood that he loved her. Not until she understood that he would protect her if only she would trust him.
She was still sleeping when he rose at dawn. He was on vacation, a strange notion for him, but he still couldn’t sleep in. He left her in bed as he went down to breakfast.
Her grandmother greeted him.
“I should be furious with you,” Emily told him. “First you knock up my granddaughter, then you deceive me when you bought my land, and now she’s here and there’s something clearly wrong.”
“You don’t seem furious.”
“I’m an old woman. I see more than Aubrey does. That’s always been her problem. She struggles to focus on more than what’s right in front of her.”
“Is that why you sent her away?”
Narrowing her eyes, she studied him across from the table. “You seem to see everything except what’s right in front of you. No wonder she’s here instead of in Rihamel.”
She had a point. “So what do I do?”
With a sigh, she smiled. “Jarah Ramzi, Crown Prince and future king of Rihamel, I know full well you didn’t marry my granddaughter just because she’s pregnant. Once the both of you understand that, then together you can see the bigger picture, as well as your immediate situation. Maybe then she’ll open back up to you.”
Jarah stood, and she frowned and held out a piece of paper. “Send one of your guards to the grocery store. I’m going to need to stock up to feed you all.”
It was a grocery list. With a chuckle, he took it and promised to do as she asked.
* * *
It took him awhile to find Aubrey in the fields later that morning. He’d given her the space she’d seemed to want—for a while—but now he needed to be near her. Because everyone was right; he did love her. But whenever he stopped to ask someone, they just stared at him with suspicion. Finally, he found her wandering around with a notebook in her hands and a lost look on her face.
“I brought you a muffin.”
Stopping, she turned and frowned at him. “I already ate breakfast.”
“This isn’t breakfast. It’s a treat. Your grandmother told me that chocolate chip muffins are your favorite, and I know you haven’t had any in Rihamel.” He held the muffin out to her, and she slowly took it.
He got a quick look at the notebook. “Business plan for the vineyard?”
Her cheeks reddened, and she hastily closed the notebook. “Maybe.”
“Would you tell me about it over dinner tonight?”
“How long are you staying?”
“Until you tell me that I’m not welcome anymore, or you’re ready to go back home, or rather, back to Rihamel.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Isn’t Rihamel home?” she asked quietly.
“It is, but it has occurred to me that I haven’t made it feel like home to you.”
Looking down, she tapped her notebook against her leg and nodded. “Dinner, then.”
That was good. It was a start, but dinner was a long way off. “Could you give me a tour? Not of the vineyard now but what it might look like when you’re done with it?”
“You don’t care about the vineyard.”
