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He was proud of himself and the effort he’d put into finding a great place. I knew there was no way he was putting as much effort into anyone else, so I decided to drop it. Melanie probably wasn’t important, and I didn’t need to get lost in my head being insecure about it.
“Ready to go?” he asked after he’d put me down.
I nodded. “Yep.”
He loaded my things into his truck, and we headed west. Being with Chris over the last few weeks opened my eyes to all the beautiful things just a driving distance away. Usually, I stayed in my bubble. I went to work, had lunch with Penny, and then spent evenings by myself or with Grampa. I hardly left town.
I’d gotten used to my routine because it was easier to spend time alone than to open myself up to being hurt.
As we drove down the highway, I watched the trees pass the windows, and I allowed myself to think of all the people I’d lost.
For once, I wasn’t distraught over the thought. I was able to look at it objectively. Chris had been with me throughout the most tragic moments in my life, and I was here with him now as I began to heal from it all. It felt like all the choices we’d made to lead us here felt like the right ones. As if my entire life had been mapped out for me to connect with Chris now instead of back then.
I turned in my seat and looked at him. His focus was on the road. He had one firm hand on the steering wheel while the other was in my lap as usual. His trimmed beard made him look rugged and handsome, and his tanned skin added to his outdoorsy look.
It had been chilly that morning, so he wore a flannel over his white t-shirt and light-wash jeans. He turned his head, realizing I was staring at him, and grinned. I returned it, reveling in the feeling of being with him.
We drove past a vineyard, and I pointed out the endless rows of grapes. Chris didn’t say anything, but he looked a little smug as when we turned right at the end of the field to go into the vineyard.
As we rolled down the driveway, I noticed a large house behind the front office that looked a lot like the photos he’d shown me. “We’re staying here?”
He nodded as he parked in front of the small office building. “Yep. We’re getting the tour before our dinner tonight.”
I jumped out of the truck and hooked my arm in his, giddy with excitement.
---
We checked into our room on the second floor of the bed and breakfast. I freshened up before our tour, and Chris came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He touched his nose to my neck and inhaled before letting out a contented sigh.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” he said.
I turned my head and slid my fingers into his hair to draw his face to mine. We kissed softly. I felt warm and protected in his strong arms. “I’m glad I’m here too,” I said, earning one of his most dashing smiles.
He smacked my ass. “Let’s go, before I throw you down on the bed and we miss everything. I’m excited to see the tour.”
“I didn’t know you were so into wine.”
He threw our duffle bags on the chair in the corner of the room. “I enjoy seeing how things are made. They’re also a client of mine, so they’ve invited me to come out and see the property multiple times.”
I finished applying blush. “I didn’t realize you had so many connections.”
He hesitated, then crossed his arms. “Sav, funny you should say that . . .” He looked at me guiltily.
“Why?”
He sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed my crossed arms, pulling me to stand between his legs. He placed his hands on my hips and looked up at me.
“Nothing crazy, don’t worry.” He smiled weakly. “I went to Sean’s last night. I wanted to tell him about us.”
My hands clutched lightly at his shirt.
“I know I should have said something to you first, but I had a burst of courage and thought I’d better take advantage of it. But I didn’t get a chance to say anything because they were told their venue had some building issue, so their reservation was canceled.”
My hand went to my mouth. “Oh, no.”
He nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I know. It was right when I was going to tell him. But I was glad I was there, because I happen to have a connection at a winery, one this vineyard sells to, and got them in the day after their original plans.”
A mixture of emotions flooded me. I wasn’t sure how to feel. “I’m glad you fixed the issue for them before it got too chaotic. I don’t understand what that has to do with us.”
