AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And where are you staying now?”
“I rented a house on the water, just outside of town. You know me, I prefer to be away from the hustle and bustle.”
“I don’t know you anymore, though, do I?” Damn. Why had she said that?
He shook his head sadly. “I haven’t changed much. I’m working on it.”
“Working on what?”
He stopped walking and looked her in the eye. “I made one mistake and then lived a life I didn’t want to be in for the next ten years. I don’t plan to ever be that stupid again. And …” He looked away and then looked back at her with that smirk. It was new to her, but she liked it on him. “I’m working on taking the stick out of my ass and learning to relax.”
“Well, damn!” She laughed. “I would never have expected it, but I have to say it suits you.”
His smile lit up his face. “Thank you.”
They walked on in silence for a few more minutes, and then he pointed as the road curved off to the right. “Your place is down there.”
“It’s all by itself?”
He nodded. “Ben gave you best of the best. I wanted to rent this one when I came, but it was all booked up.”
“Great. I can’t wait to see it.” When they rounded the corner, she was stunned. The cabin was beautiful. It stood right down by the water’s edge with its own little beach. The way the trees surrounded it made it seem as if it were the only building for miles around. “Wow. I feel bad, though. It’s the best one of them all. Ben probably makes good money on this place, and he’s letting me have it for nothing.”
Marcos smiled at her. “You deserve the best; you are the best.”
She held his gaze for a moment. “Thanks.” She didn’t trust herself to say anything else.
~ ~ ~
Once they were inside, Molly went straight to the wall of windows and stood there staring out at the lake. “It’s so beautiful!”
He wanted to tell her she was beautiful. She was. Her hair was longer, she carried a little more weight, and he loved it. She seemed softer. He stood there watching her. She hadn’t changed. She was delighted by the view, it was so obvious it made him smile. It made him wish he were more like her—more straightforward.
He went to stand beside her. Part of him wanted to launch into everything he needed to tell her—everything he wanted to apologize for, how wrong he’d been. But he stopped himself. He could see that Kenzie might be right. At this moment, Molly was happy. She was lost in the simple pleasure of taking in the view. Why would he spoil that? Why would he want to pour cold water on her enjoyment and drag her back into the pain and the past? Instead, he smiled with her and tried to see the place through her eyes, to appreciate the beauty. “Isn’t it?”
She nodded. “I feel like I should offer you a drink or something, but I obviously don’t have anything. I should have stopped at the store we passed.”
Marcos smiled. “There’s probably something in the fridge. When I stayed, there was water, wine, and soda, plus coffee and bread.”
“Ooh!” Molly made her way through to the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Bingo! And how about that, it must be because it’s the nicest cabin, there’s champagne in there, too.”
Marcos pursed his lips. He doubted there’d be champagne—or if there was, it wouldn’t be high quality.
Molly laughed when she saw his face. “How could I have forgotten what a wine snob you are.”
He gave her a rueful smile and held up his hands, letting her know he had no defense.
She took the bottle out and held it up to read the label. “Oh. My mistake. It’s not champagne at all; it’s prosecco.”
He went to stand beside her. It was only so he could read the label, but it did feel good to be close to her. “Hmm, that’s not bad at all.”
She raised her eyebrows at him. “Wow! Are you lowering your standards in your old age?”
There was something about the way she said it that caught him wrong. He suspected that she was somehow talking about herself. Caterina came from old money, and that was something Molly had asked him about when she found out about her. She’d thought maybe he’d decided she wasn’t good enough for him. “No. My standards are higher than ever, but I’ve redefined what’s important.”
She cocked her head to one side and looked him in the eye—so there had been more meaning to her question.
“I know now that quality is so much more important than reputation. Some of the old houses bottle up ditch water, and people pay a premium for it because of what it says on the label.” He tapped the bottle she was holding. “These guys haven’t been around for very long. They’re still making their name, but they make fabulous wines. I’ve had their prosecco before. It’s very good.”
