She liked working normal hours. Having a life was…fun.
Something had changed between Leo and her. Something more than the high feeling of the successful day. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she knew that it was getting harder and harder to keep her guard up around him.
The gate squeaked, and she looked up to find Jack walking into the yard, a manila envelope in his hand.
Tessa automatically poured him an iced tea, using the glass she’d brought out for Leo. “Have a seat, Mayor.”
He sat down, lifting his sunglasses to the top of his head and looking around the tiny yard. “It’s really peaceful back here.”
“One of my favorite places,” she said. “Thanks for coming to support Leo this afternoon. I think it meant a lot to him to have you guys there.”
“It meant a lot for us to be there. Besides the free food, I mean.” He gave a little laugh. “Although I personally think his dad caved because he has a soft spot for you.”
“Whatever it was, I’m glad it worked.”
He nudged the big envelope toward her on the yellow table. “I brought your official marriage certificate.”
“Thank you.” She took it and set it on an extra seat, out of sight but unfortunately not out of mind.
He leaned back and put his feet up on one of the seats. “Leo’s changed a lot since you two connected again.”
“How so?” Her heart sped up a little despite herself.
“I just think he’s looking at life a bit differently.”
“In what way?”
“Well, he seems to be opening his mind to new things.” He watched Cosette stalk a spider. “Like owning a cat.”
“He did say that he was more of a dog person.”
He studied her closely, which led her to believe that something was up. He seemed to choose his words carefully. “Well, I tend to believe his newfound love of cats might be because of the fact that he’s no longer in danger of dropping dead after he comes into contact with one.”
That was so bizarre. As if Cosette knew she was being talked about, she wound herself around Tessa’s calves and meowed loudly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Jack leaned forward and met her gaze. “Leo’s allergic to cats.”
“Leo plays with Cosette all the time.” Cosette sprung suddenly into her lap and took a minute to settle herself in a round heap with her tail curled about her body. “I’ve never once seen him sneeze.” Allergic? No way.
“Leo isn’t just allergic to cats, Tessa. Leo is puffy-eyed-wheezy-get-out-the-EpiPen allergic to cats. A few years ago, we had to take him to the ER after a college house party because he couldn’t breathe.”
She set down her glass, feeling shaky. “That…that’s impossible.”
“Come to think of it, I ran into him the night of your wedding buying antihistamines in the drug store.”
Her head spun. She thought of how Leo seemed a lot more affectionate to Cosette lately, compared to that first night. She’d passed that off as him simply getting more used to her. And the night of their wedding…she’d thought he’d been trying to escape—to get away from her. But he’d snuck away to buy medicine?
“But Jack, Leo’s fine now. Around Cosette, I mean. How can that be?”
“Yeah.” He took a sip of tea. “Because he’s been getting those shots.”
Frowning, she tapped her glass. “What shots?” Then it dawned. “Oh my gosh. Allergy shots? Like, millions of allergy shots so he can live with my cat?”
Jack nodded, looking pleased that she finally put this all together. “That would be correct.”
“Doesn’t that kind of treatment go on for years?”
“That would also be correct.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
Jack gave her a wink. “Leo’s complicated. And I can’t even tell you if he’s capable of normal relationship behavior. But I don’t think his dad is the only one who has a soft spot for you.”
Tessa’s head was reeling. “Thanks. For telling me that. I think.”
“Hey, no problem,” he said before he got up. “You and Leo can name your firstborn after me.”
…
“What do you want to do now?” Leo asked after a quick dinner as they sat together that evening on the glider, watching the lights flicker on one by one in the valley below. “It’s a beautiful evening.”
“It is at that,” Tessa responded a little formally.
What was wrong with him? Everything between them since he’d gotten home had been so…awkward. Trying to look at her during casual conversation and then eye-locking and completely forgetting what he was saying. Trying to say something normal but having it come out sounding like he was a nineteenth-century gentleman. (Had he actually said Would you like to take a stroll?) And starting a conversation only to have it fall flat. Like maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling the awkwardness.
The million things he had to do to start planning his new menu offerings had kept his mind off of Tessa for most of the day. But as soon as he came home and found her waiting on the patio, sipping tea and reading a book, he knew he was in trouble.
He couldn’t get her out of his mind. He was forgetting why he shouldn’t get involved with her. Oh, yeah—so he wouldn’t hurt her.
But all he wanted was Tessa.
“Maybe we should go for that stroll,” she said.
Their eyes met, and he definitely got the feeling from what he saw in them that she was not really serious about the walk. “Maybe. Or we could do a puzzle.”
Did he just suggest that? He hadn’t put a puzzle together in about twenty years. And he could go another twenty not feeling bad about that.
“I just bought a new one,” she said. “Lavender fields of Provence.”
“Oh, fun,” he said without real enthusiasm. “Or we could go visit the neighbors.”
“We could.”
“Or we could just talk,” he said.
“I was very proud of…us today,” she said. Okay, good. Now they were getting somewhere.
“Same. We make a good team.” He looked at their two hands, joined together. Somehow he’d started holding hers. It felt natural, holding her hand.
She squeezed his hand a little. “Leo, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want the truth.”