Lilac Lane (Chesapeake Shores #14)(42)
She’d been working for a half hour or more when she heard the slap of the screen door closing abruptly and heard Bryan’s footsteps on the back deck. He came to a sudden halt, quite likely at the sight of her.
She glanced at him over her shoulder and forced a bright smile. “I took you at your word and came to do some weeding.”
For a moment, he looked flustered, but then he rallied and nodded. “Are my plants safe?”
“Come and see for yourself. I think this pile of wilting greenery beside me is made up entirely of invasive weeds. I’ve carefully avoided all your neat rows and the plants that have stakes.”
He grinned then. “Who knew my approach to gardening would provide guidance to a rank amateur.”
“The neat little labels at the beginning of the rows helped, too.” She gave him a curious look. “You weren’t by any chance unsure you’d recognize what you’d planted, were you?”
“In a couple of cases, I did experiment,” he admitted. “I’ve never grown eggplant before, and I added more than one kind of pepper. Adding jalape?o to a recipe, rather than a sweet red pepper, could be a big mistake.”
“And you couldn’t plainly see the difference when they’re on the plant? They look nothing at all alike.”
He shrugged. “Mistakes happen.”
“Not to you, I’m thinking. Why would you be growing jalape?os in the first place? There’s little need for them in most Irish food.”
“But I do love a little salsa when I’m having a cold beer on my deck in the evening. The Irish don’t know what they’re missing. Weren’t you the one who told me it’s important to serve foods that make the customers thirsty for more ale? Perhaps I should recommend that addition to the pub’s menu.”
“And have Nell fainting on the spot?” Kiera asked.
“More likely, I’d be risking your grumbling in my ear,” he retorted.
Kiera sat back on her heels and studied him closely. His mood seemed surprisingly light, given the tone she’d overheard not that long ago. He seemed calm, too.
“Is your morning off to a good start?” she inquired tentatively.
“The sight of you working in my garden is certainly a pleasant way to start the day,” he said, even though they both knew it wasn’t really a response to what she’d asked.
“Well, unfortunately, then, I’m about to ruin things by stopping. It’s time for me to get ready for work.”
She stood up, brushed the dirt from her knees and was about to put the weeds into a bag she’d brought along for that purpose when he stopped her. “Leave that. I’ll finish up.”
“Okay, then. I hope you’ll let me do this again.”
“Anytime.”
She was about to leave, when he called her name. She paused and turned.
“I’ll give you a lift to work if you want.” He hesitated, cleared his throat, his expression oddly uncertain. Finally, he added, “Maybe we’ll have time to stop at Panini Bistro for an espresso or something.”
Startled, Kiera simply stared for a moment. She almost opened her mouth to say they could get all the coffee they wanted at the pub, but she stopped herself just in time. It was another of those rare olive branches being extended by one or the other of them. They weren’t to be ignored.
“That would be lovely,” she told him. “Will fifteen minutes do?” she asked, knowing he was usually in a rush to get to his precious kitchen and begin his day.
“A half hour will be fine,” he said. “It’s early yet. Luke won’t be expecting either one of us.”
No, Kiera thought, but he would find it fascinating if they not only arrived together, which wasn’t that uncommon, but arrived with to-go cups from Panini Bistro. If she knew Luke and her daughter, that was something that wouldn’t go unnoticed and she’d likely never hear the end of it.
Chapter 10
Because it was such a pleasant June morning, Bryan asked Kiera if she’d like to sit outside at Panini Bistro where they’d have a view of the bay across the street as well as the warmth of the sun before it got too high in the sky. June weather in Chesapeake Shores could be unpredictable, pleasant one day and unbearably hot and humid the next. Today’s sunny blue skies and seventy-degree start was one of the better ones.
“I never miss an opportunity to see the water,” Kiera responded at once. “It’s one of the reasons I found my little cottage so appealing. There’s a glimpse of the bay from the yard.”
“There’s an even better view from upstairs in my house,” Bryan said. “When I leave my bedroom windows open, I can hear the lapping of the waves on the shore.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Bryan regretted them. He’d spoken the truth, but it had sounded far too close to an invitation. He couldn’t be certain from her expression if Kiera had heard it that way, but he knew absolutely that the provocative image of her in his room, in his bed, wouldn’t be going away anytime soon. It shocked him just how powerful that image was.
“Bryan?”
At the questioning note in Kiera’s voice, he snapped back to the moment and realized a waitress had arrived and was waiting for their orders. “An espresso for me,” he said quickly. “Kiera?”