Page 54 of Mine Again
Mia shakes her head, her lips twitching as she tries not to let a real smile slip through.
“Let’s take a little walk in the garden,” he suggests, and I half choke on my drink.
A moonlit garden walk? Classic. I bite down on a grin. Didn’t I saywe’d become hot property?
“No, thank you,” Mia says breezily, not missing a beat. Her smile turns sly. “That wouldn’t be appropriate. Father never approved of us being alone with a man.”
“Your father is no longer here,” he counters, one brow lifted.
“His spirit lives on,” Mia replies sweetly, absolutely enjoying the game.
He lets out a soft breath of laughter. “Alright. Let’s step out onto the terrace then. You’ll be well within view out there.”
Not waiting for Mia’s reply, Maximo steps forward and takes her elbow, guiding her toward the open terrace doors like it’s already been agreed upon.
She throws a bewildered, slightly alarmed look over her shoulder at me and mouths,stay close and rescue me.
I give her a subtle thumbs-up. We’ve had code words and signals for exactly this kind of situation ever since we were old enough to be paraded around atla famigliafunctions.
I don’t think she’ll need my help. Of the five of us, Mia’s the one most likely to hold her own with a man like Maximo Marcos, age gap or not.
I grab another drink and drift casually closer to the door. Close enough to listen in without looking like I’m hovering.
“Now that you’ve got me alone,” Mia says without missing a beat, “what would you really like to talk about?”
Silence.
For a second, I think they might have taken the stairs down into the garden after all. I’m just about to sneak a peek around the corner when Maximo speaks.
“What are your plans now that your father is gone?”
“Umm.”The sound escapes her like the question hit harder than expected. Fair. It surprised me too.
“It’s not something I’ve had much time to consider,” Mia admits. “He’s only been dead a little over three weeks, and I’ve been helping Mari pull this memorial service together.”
“Yes, I heard the flower arrangements were all your doing. You’ve got a good eye.”
“I love flowers. Unlike people, they’re soft, fragrant… and don’t reek of ego.”
Oof.
That’s Mia. Direct with a smile sharp enough to draw blood.
Maximo chuckles. “Or you could say, they’re easy to love… and don’t need a leash to behave.”
Ohhh.
My lips part in surprise, and I have to turn away, pressing them together to stifle the laugh threatening to burst out.
Mia doesn’t bother hiding hers. Her amused hum floats through the open doorway. She’s enjoying this far too much.
“Or unlike people,” she counters sweetly, “they’re stunning, silent, and not obsessed with being in charge. Tempting, huh?”
“Hmm,” he drawls like he’s really considering it. “No. Not tempting at all.”
I can practically hear her squint at him.
“So what is it you want from me, Maximo? You’ve been staring at me all day.”
