Chapter Thirty
Bea threw the ball for Sifis, and he trotted after it without his usual enthusiasm.
She couldn’t blame him. It was very hot this late in the morning, as it seemed to be every day now that they were approaching the height of summer.
She pottered around the garden, tending to the plants while Sifis kept himself occupied nearby, sniffing around until she was ready to throw the ball for him again.
She couldn’t help thinking that Blane might have a point about a pool.
She’d kept insisting she didn’t need one, but the hotter it got, the more she was beginning to revise that assessment.
Sifis barked at the sound of her phone ringing, and she hurried back to where she’d left it on the table in the shade.
“Oh, hello, Meg. How are you, my love?”
“Hi, Bea. I’m fine, thanks. How’s everything with you? What are you up to this morning?”
Bea turned to look back at the garden. “I’m doing wonderfully. Sifis and I are gardening.”
Meg laughed. “I hope that little dog knows how lucky he is.”
Bea looked down at him where he stood panting and gazing adoringly up at her. “I have to say, I rather think he does. He’s the sweetest little thing, Meg—I really do want to get you out here to meet him. Of course, not only to meet him, but…” She laughed. “You know.”
“I do. And you’re right. Perhaps I can come sooner rather than later.”
“Oh, I hope so. That would be lovely. But what about you? How are things going? How are Amy and little baby Molly? And Matt, of course. I do feel bad, I never think to ask after poor Matt.”
Meg laughed. “They’re all doing well. Amy sends her love and says to tell you that if you haven’t been back to visit before Christmas, she’s going to start pestering you.”
Bea smiled. “Tell her not to worry. I’m thinking I’ll come at the beginning of November.”
“Oh, that’ll be nice. I’ll let her know. You’d better not leave it any longer than that—little Molly will be seven months old by then.”
“Oh my goodness. Where does the time go?”
“I don’t know, but wherever it goes, we can’t get it back—so I hope you’re making the most of yours.”
Bea smiled, her gaze drifted toward the lane. “I really am.”
“And Blane?”
“Still here.” Bea laughed softly. “Well, not this morning. He’s off doing something for work.
I don’t actually know what he’s up to.” She watched a lizard scuttle along the top of the wall.
“But whatever it is, things seem to be coming together with him running some training on Nikos’s land.
I just hope it means he’ll have to keep coming back. ”
There was a pause. “You think he’s leaving?” Meg sounded genuinely startled.
“Well, he’ll have to at some point, won’t he?” Bea kept her voice light. “It’s been wonderful, having him here again these last few weeks, but his life is over there, Meggie. His work, his friends, his sister.”
“And you haven’t talked about it?”
“Well, no.” She watched Sifis sniff along the path between the geraniums. “I’ve rather been avoiding it because…” Bea let the words trail off. “Well, you know.”
“Bea. You should talk to him about it.”
“I know I should.”
“No, really. Next time you see him, I think the two of you ought to sit down and work out just how long you're actually going to have together.”
“Perhaps. We’ll see.”
“Well, when I talk to him, I’ll simply ask him myself—I’ll tell him to come with you when you visit in November.”
Bea laughed out loud. “Considering you’re not likely to talk to him until either we get you out here or I bring him over to meet you, I’m not too worried.”
Meg laughed. “Don’t sound so smug. You think you’ve won, don’t you?”
“I do, yes.” Bea grinned. “But however it works out, I’d love for you to meet him.”
Meg didn’t say anything.
Bea frowned. “You’ve gone rather quiet on me. Not for any particular reason, I hope?”
“Oh—no,” Meg said quickly. “Only that I can’t wait to see you, my love. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to dash. We’ll talk again very soon, all right?”
“All right. I’ll call you. Give my love to everyone.” A thought struck her. “Oh, and David—how is he?”
Meg laughed. “Oh, David’s a very happy chap right now. But I really must go. Bye, love.”
Bea ended the call and set her phone down with a smile, wondering what on earth Meg had roped poor David into now.
~ ~ ~
Blane couldn’t help smiling when Meg stepped back in through the patio doors with a huge grin on her face.
“She okay?”
“She’s fine. She has absolutely no idea what’s going on.” Her grin disappeared. “Although I have to say, Blane, you’re going to have to make your intentions very clear, because that woman is still bracing herself for the day you leave. She’s still dreading it.”
His smile faded.
Cash stepped forward with a laugh. “I don’t think we need to worry too much about that, Meg, honey. Pretty sure after today she won’t be in any doubt about his intentions.”
Meg’s cheeks flushed, as they seemed to every time Cash spoke to her. She gave a little laugh and nodded. “Yes. I suppose you’re right.”
Brooke came back inside from where she’d been out looking at the pool with Emmett’s girls. When she reached him, Blane slung an arm around her shoulders.
“I can totally see why you don’t want to come home.”
He tightened his arm around her. “That’s not what I said, Brookie.”
She tipped her head back and smiled up at him. “I know. And it’s not what I meant either. You know what I mean. This place is amazing.” She turned to look back through the patio doors. “I’ve fallen in love with it myself—the whole island. And that pool? Damn, Blane.”
He gave Cash a rueful smile. “Yeah. Figured you guys would enjoy staying here.”
When he’d told Cash what he wanted to do, Cash had gone to work in his usual fashion.
And that was how they'd all ended up at this particular villa. It was the one Cash had rented for him the first time, when he first came out to Crete with Bea after London, back when he hadn’t wanted to assume he’d be staying at her house.
This place still wasn’t his taste, and the big fancy infinity pool had never been the point anyway. Bea had been the point.
This time, though, the villa was perfect for everyone who’d come over, and Cash had rented another villa just down the lane so that there was room for everyone.
Brooke smiled at Meg. “Was Bea okay when you talked to her? I can’t wait to meet her.”
“She’s fine. She has no idea.” Meg looked around at all of them, then out toward the terrace where her husband, David, stood talking to Emmett while Harper and the girls dipped their feet in the pool.
Mav stood a little apart at the edge of the terrace, staring over the olive groves toward the sea.
“I think she’s going to be rather shocked that you’re all here.
Shocked, but very pleased to meet you all. ”
“So, what’s the plan?” Cash asked. “I’ve done what I can with logistics, but what happens from here is all on you, bud.”
Blane nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, Cash.”
Thanks seemed like a pretty small word for everything his friend had done to make this possible. He’d made sure Brooke could get the time away from work, got everyone onto the jet, then organized transport and the villas once they landed. He’d gone way above and beyond, the way he always did.
The one piece Blane had handled himself was calling Meg.
He'd needed her to know he wasn't going behind Bea's back setting all this up—well, he was, but he'd wanted her to understand why.
He'd liked her the moment he got her on the phone, and standing here now he could see exactly why she and Bea were such friends.
He figured he'd never get a word in edgewise once the two of them were in a room together; Meg talked nearly as much as Bea did.
Mav came in off the terrace and gave him a chin lift. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what we’re figuring out,” said Cash.
“My plan is to head back now that I know you guys are settled here.” Blane slipped a hand into his pocket and touched the small box inside that felt like it’d been burning a hole in it since this morning.
He’d felt like a damn fool in Chania, walking into the jewelry store with an entourage behind him.
Not foolish enough to stop him, though. Back home, the guys had a tradition—when one of them was buying a ring, they all went along—and Blane had wanted some version of that here.
He couldn’t have all the guys, but he’d had Emmett, Cash, and Mav with him, and Brooke and Harper had insisted on coming.
Meg and her husband, David, had come along, as she’d put it, to represent Bea’s interests.
And Emmett’s girls, Tanya and Alana, had wanted to be part of it too.
And in the end, he hadn’t listened to a damn one of them.
He'd known the ring the second he laid eyes on it.
He straightened, coming back to the moment. “Can't tell you exactly what your plan is yet. Mine's simple.” He smiled. “Go home. Ask her the question.”
“And what if she says no?” Mav asked.
Brooke slapped his arm. “Don’t even say that, Mav!”
Mav shrugged. “You make a plan, you plan for contingencies. Right?”
Blane huffed out a laugh. “That's what I'm doing. That's why you're all sitting up here instead of coming with me.”
“No, it's not.” Cash grinned. “We’re waiting because he doesn't want to put a lick of pressure on her.”
Blane didn't bother arguing. “All you need to know for now is that I'll text you when it's time to come over.”
Mav lifted an eyebrow. “Regardless of the answer?”
“Regardless of the answer.”
That quieted them.
Blane looked at Brooke, then around at the others. “I wanted her to meet you all anyway. And I wanted you guys to meet her. That wasn’t dependent on what she says to me.”
Meg’s expression softened. “I really don’t think you’re going to need that contingency.”
Blane smiled. He didn’t think so, either. But that wasn’t the point. Cash was right—the point was that Bea got to choose. She got to give him her honest answer without a crowd of people she didn’t even know yet watching.