Page 92 of The Best Thing He Never Wanted

“Oh, I’ll let you go.”

“Bea!” Blane raised his hand and grinned when he spotted her at the window.

“What is it?” she called. “Sorry, Meg. I won’t be a second.”

“Where do you want this thing?” Blane called.

She gave him a puzzled smile. “What thing are you talking about exactly?”

He opened the back of the SUV and started hauling something out.

Bea stared in amazement as he set a small stone bench down in the courtyard, then laughed out loud when she realized what it was.

“Oh my goodness.”

“Is everything all right?” Meg asked.

“It is. I’ll call you back, okay?”

“That’s fine, as long as you tell me why.”

Bea laughed. “Blane just arrived home with the bench from the garden center. You know, the little stone one we liked to sit on beside the pond?”

“I do, but I distinctly remember that when you asked about it, the owner told us it wasn’t for sale. I remember because I was so bloody relieved you weren’t going to start trying to figure out how to ship the thing back.”

Bea laughed at the memory. “You’re right.” She stared out the window at Blane, who was hefting the little stone bench toward the edge of the terrace. “It looks as though Blane’s more persuasive than I realized. He’s just unloaded the thing outside.”

“The more I hear about this man, the more I like him. Now go. But call me soon. Promise?”

“I will. Promise.”

Blane soon had the bench set up in the absolutely perfect spot, and they sat side by side for a little while, simply taking in the view. Bea rested her head against his shoulder.

“Thank you, Blane.”

He caught her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’re welcome. Wanted you to have it. The old guy at the garden center told me about it one time when you were looking at plants. Told me how much you liked it.”

She looked up at him, trying not to laugh. “And the two of you managed to understand each other well enough to convey all this information?”

He smiled through pursed lips. “Not all of us need hundreds of words every time we want to get a point across.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m not trying anything. I’m saying I’m not a man of many words.” He held her gaze as he added, “Usually.”

She squeezed his hand. “Well, I’m glad you seem to enjoy talking to me.”

He chuckled. “When I can get a word in edgewise.”

“Oh, go and spoil the moment, why don’t you?” She laughed as she got to her feet, but when she saw the look on his face, she rested a hand on his shoulder. “You need to get used to my teasing as well, you know. I’m going inside to get us some water. You must need some, and I’d like some after my coffee, too.”

He started to get up. “I can get it.”

“So can I, and I’m already up. Stay here. Enjoy the view. I’ll be right back.”

Back inside the house, she stopped when she saw the front door standing open. She didn’t understand how that could have happened. Neither of them had been out that way this morning. In fact, they hadn’t used the front door in days, that she could think of. They tended to go out through the back, onto the terrace and around from there.

She crossed to the door and looked outside. There was no one around. She glanced along the lane, then the other way. Nothing. The wind wasn’t blowing either, although how the wind could possibly have lifted the latch and opened the door in the first place, she had no idea. She made her way out to the front gate and found that standing open too. She looked up and down the lane a couple of times before she spotted a man standing in the shade beneath a plane tree farther along the road, staring toward the house.