Wild, Wounded Hearts by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-04T16:55:33+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

He was highly aware of Ursa the entire time he prepared the meal, and while they ate it outside later on the terrace. He’d repeatedly told her the dinner wasn’t that big of a deal. But he’d have been lying if he’d claimed her obvious enjoyment of it meant nothing to him.

“I still can’t believe it,” she said, setting down her fork on her empty plate. “That was the most delicious meal I’ve ever had.”

He rolled his eyes and ate his last piece of tender asparagus. The dinner had turned out as good as he’d hoped it would. James had let him take some of his homemade gnocchi from the café. Z had prepared a cream sauce to go with it, with shallots, asparagus, and snow peas from his garden. It’d been quick and easy meal, ideal for a warm spring night.

“Your mother is the best cook in the west, so I sincerely doubt that. Besides, I told you James made the gnocchi.”

“That sauce you made was perfect—delicate and so flavorful—and the vegetables—all grown by your own hand, and prepared perfectly. You have to cook for everyone back home. Or else they won’t believe me when I tell them how delicious this was.”

He pointed his fork at her. “You’re not going to tell them anything about it, because that would mean you’d been to my house. You promised.”

She sighed. Her hair had dried. It shone like spun gold in the light of the setting sun. He stopped himself from reaching and burying his hand in the heavy silk and fisting the glorious stuff.

“I know. It just seems like such a shame.”

“A shame?” he asked, frowning as he took a swallow of his ice water. “I don’t think so. What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”

“How can you say that, Z? When I talked to Mom earlier today, she said that Stephen and Grandpa Joe were worried sick about you, mostly because they have no news at all. You know what they say about a vacuum. Since they don’t know anything about how or what you’re doing these days, they fill in the blanks with all sorts of worries.”

“You talked to your mom today?” he asked tersely.

“Well… yeah. I guess I forgot to tell you. I spoke to her before lunch.”

“What did you tell her?”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Nothing. Nothing of substance about you, anyway. I didn’t give away any of your secrets. I told you I wouldn’t.”

He wiped off his mouth and tossed his paper napkin onto his empty plate. “I know.”

“Why does it make you so tense? The idea of our families knowing you’re doing so well?”

He shook his head. He wasn’t sure he could make her understand. But one glance at Ursa’s earnest face, and he tried.

“Have you ever known anyone who kept screwing up at relationships, so when they finally got in one, they kept it quiet?”

“Because they were worried that if everything fell apart, they’d have to confess the ‘failure’ to a lot of people?”

“Yeah.

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