love you, too.” Saying those words felt foreign to him, too. He’d never heard them growing up. A couple of the gals he’d dated had said it, but he knew they hadn’t meant it. He’d never said it back.
“My parents are staying at a hotel tonight and leaving in the morning. They want to have dinner with me. With us.”
He cringed at the thought, and at losing time with Mia alone. They didn’t have much of it left before she had to leave. “Did they actually say ‘us’?”
“I said ‘us.’ That’s a new word, too. Us. They’re going to have to accept it. I know if they spend time with you they’ll see what I see.”
He leaned against the building, tossing the mangled weed. The heat from the sun-warmed metal eased the tension in his back. “And what’s that?”
“That you’re honorable and good and sweet and respectful. Of course, they won’t see the sexy-as-sin side of you that I see.”
He wouldn’t mention how her mother had taken in an eyeful. Instead, he let Mia’s words fill his soul with warmth. “I hope they see what you do.” He hoped he actually possessed what she saw.
“They will, baby. They will. Come home after work. We’ll have a little time before we meet them at Riccardo’s.”
That made him smile. “Are we going to clean out the pantry again?”
“Mmm, you bet.”
He kept that smile through the afternoon.
Peter came out near closing time. “Hey, since you don’t got one of those race cars waiting around, how ‘bout you finish Mrs. Watkins’s car tonight?”
“No can do. I have to get the cottage ready before the real-estate agent comes tomorrow.” He’d forgotten to tell Mia about that.
“I think it has more to do with Mia than it does with that house,” Peter groused, but with a smile.
“You may be right.”
“So maybe this garage selling is a good thing. Frees you up.”
If it made his boss feel better, Raleigh would agree. “Go ahead and accept the offer. From what the Realtor said, even if we get an offer on the cottage next week it could take a month or more to actually close. I’m all right with it,” he assured Peter. “Like you said, it frees me up.”
The man looked relieved. “Good.” He clapped Raleigh’s shoulder. “I wish you the best, I really do. You deserve it.”
Did he? Mia thought so. Obviously, Peter had seen the good in Raleigh, too. “Thanks. For everything.”
“All right, I’m outta here before we get all sappy. Have a good night.”
Mike popped his head out from beneath the car he’d been working on. “What are you going to do, Raleigh? I was hoping you’d open your own place. Maybe hire me.”
“I will, if it works out that way. I’m wide open right now.”
Free, as Mia had said. Scary and exciting at once. They closed up the garage and headed out. Raleigh glanced at the old building as he pulled away. He’d miss it, miss Peter. But the possibility of having Mia in his life was beyond any negatives.
Just the fact that she’d been thinking about how they could make it work, even recognizing his loyalty to Cody and Rose…it was hard to fathom. But that was why he loved her.
He’d been thinking about it, too, all day. How he could have his cake and eat it, too. Could he bring the two of them to Minneapolis? Set Rose up with a job, give her a fresh start. Escaping one’s past, one’s reputation, held a huge appeal for him. Would it for her? Cody would get used to the cold. He’d probably dig the snow.
Raleigh’s chest felt light as he pulled up to the cottage, the words Honey, I’m home ringing through his head. Home. Us. Words he’d never hoped to own.
He knocked on the door, hearing her call, “Come in! Goodness, you don’t have to knock.”
She was breathtaking in a white sundress, leaning against the back of the couch facing the door. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, pulling down the hair she’d so artfully piled on her head. “Nice dress. I’ll enjoy seeing it on you later.”
He started to untie the bow at the base of her neck, but she stilled his hand. Gave him a look that indicated he’d missed something. Or forgotten something.
“Was I supposed to bring home wine? Is it our anniversary? What?”
Her eyes were wide as she gestured toward herself. “Notice anything?”
Oh, crap. She’d done something special and he hadn’t seen it. He stepped