Scarlet had only a rudimentary knowledge of the language, but she understood as he thanked Rosa for the food and told her that she could take the rest of the afternoon off to enjoy with her family.
Rosa smiled at him and put the tray on the table in the dining area under the trees.
“I asked Rosa to bring drinks for us... O’Malley’s Blonde Brew. But now I’m thinking you’d prefer juice or water?”
“Water would be great,” she said.
He gestured for her to go and have a seat at the table while he went to the bar area and opened a small refrigerator that had been built into the river stone.
As she sat down, she realized that this pregnancy situation was more complicated than she’d considered. Obviously, her first priority was to make sure that the child had a parent who loved her and put her first, but now there was more that she hadn’t thought of.
She’d never considered he’d suspect she was lying about him being the father. She supposed his suspicion was fair enough, but it raised more questions. She would have to be careful where she had the test. She wasn’t ready for the public to know about this pregnancy, not until she decided what she was going to do. The tabloids would have a field day with this story.
She didn’t want her child to grow up with the stain of all the mistakes and tragedies that had dogged her life. She wanted a more protected upbringing for the child. The kind of childhood that a place like Cole’s Hill and a family like the Velasquezes could provide.
She wanted the baby to have the kind of family that Alec seemed to have. But she knew firsthand that appearances could be deceiving.
“You look very pensive,” he said.
“Wow. That’s not a word I usually hear applied to me.”
“I expect you’re more used tosexy,glamorous,trendsetting,” he said.
She shrugged. She’d cultivated an image for herself and a lifestyle to fill the emptiness left by the death of her mother and her father’s distance.
“Maybe. What words would describe you, Alec?” she asked. It was time to stop dwelling on what she knew—shewasn’t an ideal candidate to become a mother—and find out if he had the qualities to be a good father.
“I want to say dangerous, sexy—of course—and I’m... That’s where it breaks down. Honestly, I’m reliable. And tenacious—I can’t let things go. Also, according to my brothers, I’m a sore loser.”
She laughed at that. “I am, too. I don’t see the point in pretending I’m okay with losing. If I compete I’m doing it to win.”
He nodded, moving the cloche off the tray and pulling his plate toward him. She noticed that it was nachos. “Do you mind if I eat? Are you sure you don’t want anything?”
“I think you better. Don’t want to see you hangry. I’m okay,” she said, realizing that she sort of liked this man. She wasn’t going to rush to judgment because there was a lot about him she didn’t know. But he’d been honest with her today, and after the big lie that had started their...well, relationship...she needed that.
She sipped her water while they exchanged opinions on books, music, TV and movies. He did everything digital—watched it all on apps.
“But I do have a library in my house,” he added. “As much as I prefer the convenience of digital, I like seeing books on my shelves.”
She did, too. She was surprised at how much they had in common. It gave her hope that he might be the solution she’d been searching for.
“What else do you prefer?”
“Not lying to you,” he said.
“Me, too,” she said. “I’d like to see more of this place.”
“I’m done here,” he said. “Let’s go.”
He offered her his hand, and when she took it, a shiver went up her arm. She wanted to be smart about this thingwith Alec. Keep it all about the baby. But a part of her liked him and still wanted him.
After he ate,Alec took her on a tour of his gardens. His mind was roiling with so many different thoughts it was hard to focus.
He’d never been so careless in his dating life. But to be honest there was something about Scarlet that was different from any other woman. There had been a spark when he’d first been introduced to her at the gala and it hadn’t lessened at all over time.
“Scarlet isn’t a typical Irish name, is it?” he asked as they strolled down a path lined by rosebushes in full bloom.
“No. Not at all. My mom picked our names. She lovedGone with the Wind. She loved how it was the strength of the women that kept everything going. She wanted my sister and me to have that same strength. So she named Tara after the plantation and me after Scarlett O’Hara. She never really liked Melanie so that wasn’t an option.”