Page 64 of Hibiscus Heights

Deb hesitated at the offer. “I’m here to pick up a dress at Babe’s.”

Matteo removed his sunglasses and reached out to her, his eyes sparkling. “I’ve brought a bottle of wine that goes well with their fresh catch. Let’s enjoy the day together.”

Deb was tempted. Matteo was easy to spend time with, but she needed to check on her projects at the Majestic, even though it was the weekend.

“I can’t. After this, I’m going back to work.”

“What a shame,” Matteo said, taking her hand. “Can the dress wait?”

Deb shook her head. “It’s for the big party. Babe is giving me the first choice of her new inventory before she calls other clients.”

“Would you like my opinion? I’m told I have excellent taste. I used to choose most of my former wives’ clothes.” He gestured toward the boutique. “I miss shopping for beautiful women. Besides, I need something to do.”

Deb laughed at his confession of boredom. She saw that a lot here. Executives on forced vacations, filling every moment to avoid relaxing and clearing their minds. But Matteo was different; he was living his passion. “You miss your vineyards, don’t you?”

Matteo dipped his head in agreement. “Even when I’m on holiday, I’m thinking about the vines, tracking the weather, or planning for harvest. Perfection is elusive, but I try to get as close as I can.”

Deb also understood that obsession with detail. “How did your meeting with Ryan go?”

“Very productive. My wines will soon be available at the Majestic. And what will you do after you finish that job?”

“Now that I have some exposure from this project, I’d like to work on larger ones. That’s why this event is so important. There will be a lot of VIPs there. In the meantime, I’m starting a beach house job soon.”

Matteo studied her. “We think alike, don’t we? When you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work.”

“Will you return to Napa soon?” she asked, wondering what his life was like.

“Why? Will you miss me? Or you could join me.”

She laughed because she’d heard that before. “I’m not planning my life around you if that’s what you think.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw another woman’s face light up at the perceived opportunity. And that would be fine with her, she realized with surprise.

“Men like a challenge.” Matteo squeezed her hand. “As for my plans, I’ll fly out after the event to see my children. Or I might convince them to visit Crown Island for a while.”

“You should.”

Matteo’s voice dropped a notch. “Would you like to meet them?”

Deb knew that was a critical step in a relationship and not one to be rushed. While Matteo looked like Mr. Perfect on paper, the romantic attraction wasn’t there. When they rode bikes to the beach, she’d tried, but it felt like she was trying too hard. She liked him fine, but only as a friend.

“Matteo, we should talk about that. I don’t want to mislead your children.”

Immediately, she thought of Teddy and Mason. Had she become too close to them?

He put a hand on her shoulder. “We could have an easy, happy life together. We don’t need expectations of anything more. Let’s just enjoy each other’s company for a while.”

“That’s quite an offer.”

He held her gaze, willing an answer.

Deb wasn’t sure if she could ever fall in love with Matteo, but it sounded like that didn’t matter to him. Or maybe he had plenty of love to go around. His two ex-wives were still very much in the picture with their children. This sounded like a cozy harem, although she was not interested in being number three.

Or number whatever, for all she knew.

Right now, the grand reopening demanded a high level of execution, from the right menu and ambiance to the right dress. And she didn’t have much time left.

“I’ll let you know,” she said, withdrawing her hand from his velvet grip.

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