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“No, but it’s so much more enjoyable to cook for you than it is to cook for myself.”
“Okay.” She checked her watch. “I should drink this and leave. Are you ready to go, or do you want to stay and lock up when you’re done?”
“I’m ready whenever you are. I put all my things in the car while you were in the shower.”
She went to him and planted a kiss on his lips. “Part of me wants you to not go.”
“Part of me does, too. But there’s no rush.” He smiled. “You can ask me to move in with you when you’re ready.”
She smiled. “Okay. I will.”
He stood by her car with her before she left, and she smiled up at him. “We’re still like a pair of lovestruck teenagers, aren’t we?” she asked, not wanting to let go of his hand.
He smiled. “In some ways, yes. In other ways, we’re older and wiser and beyond all the stupid mistakes.”
“Good.”
He slid his fingers into her hair and kissed her deeply, making her want to drag him back to bed instead of going to work.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Come in whenever you want.”
He chuckled. “No. I’ll wait till tonight.”
~ ~ ~
Marcos wandered around the house he’d rented. It hadn’t taken him long to get settled in, or at least moved in. He only had a couple of bags of clothes. He’d traveled light since he left Sicily. This place was right. Antonio had found it for him. He’d taken a six-month lease and could continue month to month after that if he wanted. He hoped he wouldn’t be there for the full six months. The thought of living here for even six weeks seemed like too long to him. He wanted to be with Molly—to live with her, to marry her. He blew out a sigh. He’d be as patient as she needed him to be.
He went into the office. It was his favorite room in the house, which was good, considering it’d be the place he spent most of his time. He’d already set up his laptop. He’d have to buy a desktop and get set up properly, but the laptop was all he needed to check on his investments and buy and sell currency. He’d been pleasantly surprised by how well he’d done so far. He’d lived his life believing that success was earned. This whole cryptocurrency trading felt more like play than work, and the rewards so far had stunned him. He’d made more in the last six months than he had in the last six years. Most serious investors were still wary of cryptocurrencies. The mainstream media dismissed the whole market as a bubble that would burst and leave a lot of people broke. Even if the bubble did burst, he could live the rest of his life comfortably on what he’d made. He was still cautious and made sure that he wouldn’t lose more than he could afford to if the tides turned.
He stared out the window at the view of the neighboring vineyards while he waited for the program to boot up. Growing up here, the vineyards had been a part of his life. They were his life. The vines, the wine, the business. He’d always thought they flowed in his blood. Maybe they didn’t. If not, then why did he have an almost overwhelming urge to go out and walk the vines?
He smiled. He wondered what Antonio would think—what he’d say—if he showed up on the estate wandering around the vines. He shook his head. It’d only lead to questions. Questions he didn’t know the answers to himself. No. He didn’t need to be in the wine business. That was behind him. His heart started to pound in his chest at the thought. Was it really behind him? Was he never going to walk the vines again? Was sitting in an office like this—pleasant as it was—reading market reports and running assessments and analyses going to be enough for him? Hell, no. It wasn’t, and at that moment, he understood it. The trading and investing were taking care of his financial needs, but it would never fulfil his other needs—his passion. He’d told Antonio before he left the family business that he’d lost his passion for wine making. It had been true at the time. But perhaps it wasn’t anymore.
Instead of running the currency analysis program he’d been loading, he searched for local real estate listings. There were always vineyards for sale in Napa. It was a mecca for wannabe winemakers. A new wave came each year, and most of them didn’t survive. They sold the properties they’d sunk their dreams and savings into and left again empty-handed.
He browsed through the listings. Most of them were overpriced and underwhelming. He knew the area well—at least, he used to. He knew the history of most of the places for sale, if not their more recent history. They were a few small acreages that might be promising. He blew out a sigh. He should get to work. He needed to think it over first and talk to Molly. He wondered what she’d think. Would she be happy if he wanted to make wine again? Did she see it as part of who he was? He didn’t know. And it wasn’t the most pressing question of the day. The first question was whether he wanted to buy or sell. The second was how long he’d be able to hold off before going into town to see her.
He did well. He managed to get lost in his work. The day flew by, and before he knew it, it was late afternoon. He didn’t want to make himself anything to eat—he’d rather eat at the restaurant. He decided to call his brother and see what he was doing. Given that Cameron was still away on his honeymoon with Piper, Mary Ellen would probably be working late. Antonio might want to meet up for a drink.
“Ciao, big brother,” Antonio answered with a smile in his voice.
“Hey. How’s it going?”
“Everything’s going wonderfully in my world. More to the point, how are things going for you?”
“They’re going well. Molly went back to work today, and I’m going in there to see her later, but I have some time to kill—”
Antonio laughed. “You mean you’re impatient and restless, and you don’t know what to do with yourself until you can go in there without being too early and making a nuisance of yourself.”
Marcos laughed with him. “Yes, I suppose that is what I mean. So …”
“So, why don’t you meet me at Muse? I’m finished up here, and Mary Ellen’s going to be working until I go take her some dinner and drag her out of her office.”
“I wondered if she’d give up her job when you got married.”
Antonio laughed. “There’s more chance of me giving up mine—and you know how likely that is. But let’s hang up. We can talk when I see you.”
