AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She laughed. “I’m glad you added that last part—take the pressure off a little, why don’t you?”
“The rest feels like pressure?”
“No. Not really. It’s just a lot to take in.”
“I know, but if it’s what we both want, then why waste time? We should get started on our life together as soon as we can. In fact …” He knew he was getting carried away, this wasn’t taking it slow by any stretch of the imagination, but he couldn’t help it. “When we go back, why don’t you move in with me? You already spent every night with me. It was good, don’t you think?”
She nodded. “It was good, but …” She shook her head. “Give me some time to get my head around it? Part of me loves the idea—but another part of me wants to run away screaming. It’s all happening too fast. If we really do have the rest our lives to figure it out, why not take a little time to get it right?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry. You’re right. We should take all the time you need. I just need you to know that it’s what I want. It’s not lines or bullshit. This is for real, Mary Ellen. My love for you is real, and I promise you, it will last a lifetime.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him. “You have no idea how much I want to believe that.”
He closed his arms around her. “But you don’t yet, and that’s okay. I have a lifetime to convince you that it’s true.
~ ~ ~
The next morning, they decided to take a picnic up to Four Mile and hike one of the trails that Smoke had told them about last night. Mary Ellen wanted to explore and get to know more of the area since it looked like she’d be coming back here. She stared out of the window as Antonio drove them up past the new lodge and shopping plaza they’d visited yesterday. It was a lot to take in. Antonio Di Giovanni had told her that he was in love with her—and that he wanted to marry her, just as soon as she was ready. She hadn’t slept too well last night; she’d kept turning it over and over in her mind. What was she waiting for? What time did she need? In the last ten days, her fantasy guy had suddenly morphed into a really great guy who loved her and wanted to marry her. Why wasn’t she planning a wedding already? She sighed. She’d planned a wedding once before. Maybe that had something to do with it. She’d put in so much time and hard work, trying to make sure that everything would be perfect, and it all seemed to be working out wonderfully—right up until the point where David had dumped her. Of course, she’d been the one who’d had to clean up the mess. She’d had to make all the calls to cancel all the arrangements. The chapel, the florist, the caterers. She shuddered at the memory. All those people who’d tried to sound sympathetic to her situation, while still making it clear that she wouldn’t be getting any money back.
Antonio reached across and took hold of her hand. “Are you okay, bella? Why so sad?”
She shook her head. She could hardly tell him what she was thinking about.
He parked the car at the trailhead and retrieved the backpack with their picnic supplies from the back seat. “Ready?”
She nodded, and they set out up the trail. It seemed that there had been a lot of work done recently to make the area around the trailhead into a park. There was a new restroom building by the parking area and a small pond surrounded by picnic benches.
Antonio raised an eyebrow at her. “Would you rather we stay here?”
Mary Ellen looked over at the benches. She wasn’t much of an adventurer or a hiker, but she didn’t want to stay in this man-made area. She wanted to go up the hillside, at least a little way, and see the amazing views of the lake Smoke had told them about. She shook her head. “No, let’s go on up.” She could tell by the way he smiled that that was his preference. As they passed the pond, she stopped and stared.
“What is it?”
She shook her head in wonder. “I think it’s a magnolia.” He followed her gaze to a small tree with big pink and white waxy flowers. She made her way over to it and smiled. “It is. Wow. I would never have believed that they’d grow here.”
Antonio looked lost and she smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it. They’re my favorite trees. My grandad retired to South Carolina, and he had several of them in his yard when I was small. I loved them. I always wanted one but until I came to Napa I never lived anywhere where they’d grow. Of course, in Napa I can’t have one either.” She shrugged and gave him a rueful smile. “Sorry. Let’s carry on. It just caught my eye.”
They set off up the path again and soon they reached a clearing high up above the trees. The view was spectacular. The lake was laid out before them, shimmering blue surrounded by green hills.
Antonio took hold of her hand. “We need to buy a house here.”
“I agree. You should.” She might love the idea of coming here on weekends and for vacations. She might love the idea of coming here with him even more, but the idea ofthembuying a house here was just a little too far-fetched. He narrowed his eyes at her, but fortunately he let it go.
He selected a spot for them under the shade of some trees and spread the blanket out. The picnic was wonderful. That Ben guy ran the resort well. They’d been able to call the restaurant this morning and put in their order and then pick it up on their way out. The backpack was insulated, and everything was chilled with ice packs. Antonio unpacked sandwiches and salads and nuts and fruit. There was a bottle of water and a bottle of wine, too.
Mary Ellen picked up the wine. It didn’t look familiar. “A Marsala?”
Antonio grinned. “I asked them to put it in. Do you like?”
She nodded. “I think so. I tend to think of it as a cooking wine—and in case you haven’t noticed yet, I don’t cook much.”
He chuckled. “I had wondered about that. At least it means we won’t fight over the kitchen. I love to cook. So, you can sit and drink wine and keep me company while I do.”
She nodded. She loved that idea. He was hot, sexy, kind, compassionate. He claimed he was in love with her—and he cooked too? Did it get any better than that?
He smiled and opened the bottle. “Mostly, I use it for cooking. That drunken chicken we never got around to eating that first night you came to my place …”
“Oh!” She laughed. “Chicken Marsala. I should have known.”
