He brushed a dark curl off the side of my cheek. "I think you mean in yours, sweetheart. So, how much?"
I was taken aback for a moment before I realised he was asking about the painting again. Of course he was. He really had me on the back foot. Somewhere I wasn't used to being.
"I'm not sure if it's for sale," I said. "It may need to be touched up when it's dry. When it's ready, I'll have it available at the community market."
"I'm a patient guy. When I want something, I know how to wait." His gaze dipped toward my breasts again.
"You'll be waiting for a long time for that," I told him. "Approximately…forever."
His lips curved up, but the smug expression never wavered. "We'll see." He shoved his hands into his pockets and strode away like he owned the town and everything in it.
Including me.
4
LEAH
"I'm not the best cook,"I said apologetically as I handed Fiona a bowl of fusilli Alfredo and a glass of red wine.
"Anything is better than having to cook for myself." She set her glass down on the patio beside her Adirondack chair and picked up a fork. "This smells amazing."
I sat down beside her and took a gulp of wine before starting on my own food. After a couple of mouthfuls of pasta and mushrooms, I had to nod.
"Okay, it's not bad." It could do with an extra sprinkle of cheese, but other than that, I gave myself a mental pat on the back.
"Thank you for asking me over." She went to push a forkful of pasta into her mouth when it fell off the fork back into the bowl. Her eyes widened in surprise when she found empty prongs. She giggled and stabbed them into the rebellious pasta and tried again.
"It was the least I could do after you welcomed me into town," I said.
The evening air was still warm enough to be comfortable, but with a hint that cooler nights were coming soon. In front of us, the sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the raggedlandscape. The smell of leaves and wildflowers was carried on the air like a subtle perfume. The kind you could never get tired of smelling. If I could bottle it, I'd make a fortune. If I wanted to share it with the world, that was. I wasn't sure if I did, to be honest.
In spite of how many tourists came here at different times of the year, right now it felt like a hidden secret up here in the mountains. A special place just for us. No wonder Fiona never left. I might not have either, in her shoes.
She made a dismissive sound in the back of her throat. "That was nothing. Anyone else would have done it if I hadn't. Besides, it's partially selfish. I've had all sorts of people staying next door. You looked quiet and sane in comparison."
"In comparison," I echoed, smiling over at her.
She laughed. "You know what I mean. It's great that so many tourists come here, but sometimes it can get…loud. Although, it's better now Sarah is older. When she was a baby and wasn't sleeping, I could use all the peace and quiet I could get. I was an exhausted mess back then. As opposed to being a hot mess now." She patted her dark blonde hair with her spare hand as if all of it was in disarray.
"You are not a mess," I assured her. "But if you were, at least you're a hot one."
"I knew I liked you." She grinned. "You have good taste. So do I, come to think of it. In friends and kids."
"It must be hard doing that on your own," I said carefully. I didn't know what her circumstances were yet. I was curious, but didn't want to be nosy.
If she was annoyed with me asking, she showed no sign. If anything, she seemed happy to talk about it. It didn't take a genius to figure out Sarah was her favourite topic of conversation. Not that it was the only thing she talked about, but she clearly adored her daughter.
"It has its moments," she agreed. "But her father was an asshole, so it could have been worse." She caught the expression on my face and smiled. "It's okay, you can ask. For the record, he was a hot asshole. Call it a moment of weakness. I don't regret it, or her."
"So he's out of the picture?" I guessed.
"All the way out," she agreed. "He gave up any right to her before she was born. He leaves us alone and I don't ask him for money. It works out for both of us. And since my parents live a block away, I'm not completely on my own. They love having her once in a while to give me a break."
"Are you their only child?" I chased a mushroom around my bowl before successfully stabbing and eating it.
"I have an older brother, but he's away in the military.” She gazed wistfully out over the valley. “We only see him a couple of times a year. What about you?"
"I have an older stepbrother," I said. "My mother told me they wanted a bunch of kids, but we were all they got." And I still wasn't good enough. "You must miss your brother a lot."
