“You’re married,” Justin said quietly for her.
She nodded. “I know you think I’m a possible life mate, Justin. But I am married, and I take my vows seriously. I’d appreciate it if you just got on with my training so that I can go home and continue my life with my husband.”
Rather than respond, he turned and continued walking again. After a moment, Holly followed, trailing him back to the house and into the kitchen. It was empty now. Apparently Dante and Tomasso had finished their cake and, judging by the muffled sounds coming from the front of the house, were back in the living room watching another action movie. That or they were having a very quiet shoot out. She doubted real explosions and gunfire would sound so muted.
“There’s fried chicken and potato salad in the basket,” Justin said, setting it on the table as she closed the door. “Help yourself.”
“Aren’t you having any?” she asked with surprise when he started out of the kitchen.
“No,” was all he said.
Holly frowned after him as he slipped out of the room, letting the door swing closed behind him. Then she set the blanket over a chair, opened the basket and began transferring the food it held to the refrigerator. She wasn’t really hungry. She should be, it had been hours since she’d eaten, but she just wasn’t.
Eleven
“She doesn’t like picnics on the beach,” Justin muttered to himself with disgust as he paced the room he was using while here.
He should have realized. Justin briefly berated himself for not knowing, and then more fairly thought, well, okay, how could he know that? But, really, once she’d said that bit about picking sand out of everything for the first part of her life it had made perfect sense. He didn’t care for picnics on the beach himself for that very reason and he hadn’t spent years doing it. He should have arranged the picnic on the lawn instead. No sand there.
And she didn’t like fish with the head and tails on. That one, he definitely should have thought of. He knew she liked fish, Anders and Decker had found that out for him, but he was sure a lot of -people who liked fish would probably be turned off by the head and tails and skin being left on. He should have considered that possibility and prepared trout almondine or something.
As for the flowers, of course it hadn’t been appropriate to give them to a married woman. And, of course, he’d gone over the top with them.
Justin peered out the window, mentally kicking himself. He should have been more subtle and avoided such an overt gesture. He should have bought flowers and put them in the kitchen, maybe in the hallway and living room too, as if for the whole house to enjoy rather than filling her room with them and sprinkling petals on the floor.
The thought made him flush with embarrassment. He’d been waiting in the kitchen with anticipation when Gia had returned from Holly’s room. Like a fool, he’d fully expected Holly herself to come running down. He’d hoped she’d throw her arms around him, kissing him excitedly as she thanked him for the flowers. Instead, Gia was the one to come down, and when he’d asked how she’d reacted to the flowers, Gia had hesitated and then admitted, “She asked if someone died.”
While he’d stood gaping in dismay at this news, Gia had gone out to the garage. Justin’s upset had only increased when the woman had come back inside seconds later with a rake. At first bewildered, he’d then been mortified when she’d explained they were for the petals. The women were concerned about stepping on them and staining the carpet.