She sighed, deciding to give him an out. “But you don’t want to share, so I won’t press it any further if you’ll answer me one thing.”
He gave a slow nod.
“Are you in danger?”
He watched out over the yard. “I don’t think so, Julie. I think it was just a prank. I’m new to the neighborhood. Someone was just messing with me. If it’s something more, Brian will figure it out.”
“Okay, I’ll leave it alone, besides you promised to feed me. I’m not going to tick you off so that you rescind my invite for dinner.” She really didn’t want to let it go, but Chris could be stubborn. She’d just have to figure out how to get the whole story some other way.
“Thank you,” he said and took his first good view of her. His eyes lit up with appreciation.
After she finished planting her seeds, she’d showered and changed into a sundress. It was probably too much for tonight, but after the grunge-work of digging in the dirt all afternoon, she wanted to wear something feminine and she liked the idea of looking nice for Chris. That look alone made the effort she’d put forth worth it.
“You look nice,” he murmured as she stepped inside his townhouse.
“Thanks.” She handed him a bottle of red wine. “I thought this would go well with steak.”
He glanced at the label. “I’ve wanted to try this wine. I’ve heard some great things about it.”
She walked further into the place, taking in the changes Chris had made to it. “Your house is looking nice.”
“Thanks. Cassie came by with some of the more decorative stuff so it doesn’t look like a total bachelor’s hovel.”
“I can’t imagine you ever living in a hovel. When did Cassie come by? I’ve been trying to get hold of her about a couple of things for the wedding, but I think she’s avoiding me.”
“Um, I’m not sure how to say this, but you may be right about Cassie. Is it something that you can just decide? I think she’d be totally okay with that at this point.” He looked so chagrined about that, she had to put his mind at ease.
“It’s okay, Chris. I know the details are crazy. I just don’t want her to look back on her wedding day and wish that she’d done such and such differently because she didn’t have a say in it.”
“Honestly, at this point, the only thing she cares about in the entire process is marrying Jake. She’s going to be completely okay with whatever you decide.”
Julie nodded. She could do that. She looked into Chris’s kitchen as he set about opening the bottle. “So what can I do to help?”
“I’ve set up the picnic table on the deck out back. So if you want to grab the wineglasses, we can just go out there and enjoy the evening.”
When Julie stepped through the sliding glass doors, she couldn’t hold back her gasp. His deck had been transformed, with a cozy feel in the evening twilight. A teak bar-height table with two chairs took center stage, topped by a small black umbrella with twinkle lights strung around the edge of it. Lit topiaries flanked the corners of the staircase railing that led to the golf course below. On the other side from the grill and table, a small padded couch and chair for cozy seating surrounded a low slung fire pit with a fire already crackling in it. There was even a bowl of marshmallows and metal skewers sitting on the end table waiting for them.
It was decidedly romantic and Julie was a little bit overwhelmed. “Wow, Chris, this is just…wow! This is amazing. Was this you or Cassie’s doing?”
He looked embarrassed when he admitted, “This was mine. I’ve always loved Cassie’s outdoor area behind her house and I wanted something like that. With these townhouses on the golf course, we have this amazing view. It seems a shame not to enjoy it.”
She looked out over the golf course. It was beautiful, especially now that the sun had set. A watercolor of pinks, purples, and peach hues spread into the dark navy of the sky. It evoked a peaceful feeling that Julie hadn’t experienced in a long time. In fact, it had probably been over a year now since she’d felt this at ease.
“Well, your work was worth it. It’s gorgeous. Do you want to come over and help me do mine?”