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Her heart thudded hard under my palm. She tipped up her chin. “And you think staying here is living my life on my terms?”
I brushed my thumb over her bottom lip. “I think it’s a start.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. “My parents never liked the time I spent with my grandparents.”
“Make decisions based on what you want and not what your parents will think.”
Her eyes widened, as if she hadn’t realized every decision she made was in spite of her parents.
“What feels right? What do you want to do?”
Her gaze collided with mine. “I want you.”
I almost smiled. “But we weren’t talking about us. We were talking about the farmhouse, the GTO.”
She licked her lips as I moved to cup her cheek. “If money was no object—”
“I’d restore the GTO, build a garage for the van and the car, and put the pictures of my grandparents with the car here in the barn.”
“For the guests to look at.” I was impressed with her vision for the farm.
She looked tentatively up at me. “Not all the brides will appreciate it, but others might like the history, the love story.”
“I think it’s a great idea.”
She smiled softly. “But it’s crazy. I don’t have the funds to do that now.”
“No. But you will. Besides, I can restore the GTO.” I infused confidence in my words because I could make this happen for her. She didn’t need to worry about money or how it was going to happen. I tried not to think about the GTO slipping through my hands. I didn’t want my dreams to influence her decision.
She shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do more work without compensation.”
“I love that car. It would be my pleasure to make it beautiful again.” I was talking about the car, but I was also referring to Lily. She was beautiful, and I was falling for her. I didn’t know what it meant, but I’d enjoy the ride for as long as I could.
She’d come to her senses eventually and realize that bad boys didn’t make future husbands. Just the word sent a tremor through me. I wasn’t marriage material. Not with my history. Surely, my mom’s track record was a blemish on mine as well.
We shared blood, the same instincts to cut and run. Heck, I’d shown that with every woman I’d ever gotten involved with.
“I don’t know.” Lily pulled back from my touch, circling the car again. “What do you think it needs? New leather interior, upholstery, and possibly tires?”
“At a minimum. I need to get under the hood and see if any mice are making it a home.”
Lily blanched. “Are you serious?”
“It’s been sitting in a barn for years. I’d be surprised if I didn’t find a nest.”
She shuddered. “That’s gross.”
“Yet you had sex in it.”
She grimaced. “You didn’t tell me about the possibility of mice.”
I smiled, not at all sorry that I’d waited to mention it. Sex on the hood of the GTO had been amazing in more ways than one. It wasn’t just the car; it was Lily. The night. The almost dream-like quality to the evening. It had been the single best night of my life.
“I’ll tow it to the garage and get a good look at it. I can send you an estimate, like I did with the van.”
“You know I can’t pay for it right now. Maybe not until we’ve had several weddings to fund it.”
I ignored her question, not wanting to worry her. I’d set aside money to buy one of these cars, and it looked like I wouldn’t be purchasing this one, so I could use it for the repairs. “What are you going to do about a garage?”
