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She went to Grant and slid her arm around his waist. She didn’t care that her dad and Smoke were watching. He’d just told her that he loved her! This time when he looked down into her eyes, she knew it was love she saw in his eyes. She smiled, and he smiled back.
“Why don’t you two go and get started? You’ve a got whole new business and a whole new future ahead of you.”
She looked back at her dad. “What about the papers?”
“You can sign those tonight. Why don’t the two of you come over for dinner?”
She looked at Smoke. He nodded. “I’m in no hurry. I’m not leaving until tomorrow. Laura and I will be here tonight.”
“Okay. Great.”
Grant took hold of her hand, and they made their way outside. “Do you want to leave your car here?” he asked. “We can pick it up tonight.”
She nodded and followed him to his car. “Where are we going?”
He smiled. “First for a drive, then to Zosca.”
He drove up the valley and out into the hills. His hand rested on her knee the whole time, and she placed hers on top of it.
When they reached a lookout point, he turned the car off the road and cut the engine, then he turned to face her. “I love you, Chelsea.”
“And I love you, Grant.”
“I’m sorry I was so dumb. I didn’t get it; I didn’t think you would love me back.”
She shook her head. “You weren’t dumb. We were both just cautious. I didn’t want to frighten you away. I thought it was too soon.”
He smiled. “And I didn’t want to frighten you away. I didn’t know if you could love me back.”
She frowned.
“Because we’re so different.”
She laughed. “We are, but that’s part of why I do love you.”
He reached across and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I think we’re going to make a great team.”
She nodded. “I know we are.” She chuckled. “I’m glad I get to turn to you on all the tough decisions we’re going to have to make.”
“I’m glad you want to turn to me.”
She nodded. “I trust you. I know you see things differently than I do, but you understand me.”
“I do. I understand who are; I understand how you work. I know you’re right in many respects—principles really are more important than profits.”
“And I know you’re right about cold, hard realities, and I’ll do my best to listen to you.”
He laughed. “We’re not going to agree about everything. I know that, but I think we’ll be able to compromise.”
“I do too.”
He leaned toward her, and she slid her arms up around his neck. He held her gaze as he lowered his lips to hers, and then she was lost in his kiss.
Chapter Twenty
Grant checked himself over in the mirror in the bedroom. He looked good. He needed to. He wanted to look good for Chelsea, and he also wanted to look like the kind of guy the Hamiltons would be happy to see their daughter with. He knew he had their blessing. He’d gotten that when he’d driven over there like a madman this morning and barged into Mr. Hamilton’s meeting with Smoke. He’d talked to them—and to Mrs. Hamilton. He wanted them to be happy about this.
He and Chelsea had gone back to Zosca this afternoon, and it’d been so good. They’d worked together on beginning to implement the changes he’d recommended to her. He hadn’t pushed her about the bottling machine. He’d known she would wrestle with that one for a while, and that she’d probably find some other way to pay for it—one that didn’t include halving the bonus. With time, he hoped that he’d get her to see sense on that, but he didn’t need to rush her. They’d get there—if things turned out the way he was hoping, he’d have the rest of their lives to convince her.
