Alex led her to a gazebo next to a small lake. “Katerina, I would like—” Suddenly nervous, he stuck his hands in his pockets and looked out at the lake, the wind stirring tiny whitecaps on its blue surface. Nervous was not a word he normally applied to himself. Alex sighed. He was getting in way deeper with this woman than he had expected.
Kat placed one hand on his cheek, directing his gaze back to her. “You would like…”
Alex pulled her into his arms, pushing thoughts of the future out of his mind. Right now was all that mattered. “I would like to kiss you with no chance of my family interrupting us, but more importantly, when you have your senses about you. I want you to remember this kiss.”
She relished the sudden warmth as his arms enveloped her but in the back of her mind, tiny warning bells went off. She could excuse the night in the arena as having too much to drink. But tonight she was aware, almost too aware, of Alex’s magnetism. Having an adventure was one thing, but her feelings for Alex Marino were beginning to dominate her thoughts…and that wasn’t a good thing. “We’ve only known each other a few weeks, Alex.”
“So you have no desire to kiss me?” He leaned closer, his breath tickling her ear. “Not even a little bit?”
She stared at the tanned, dark-haired man with the jet-black eyes, a war of words waging inside Kat’s head and another war beating in her heart. Yes, she had plenty of desire to kiss him and no, this relationship could only lead to heartache. She promised her father she would return home in June. She couldn’t afford to leave her heart in…
Awareness flooded her mind as she thought of the old song I Left My Heart in San Francisco. “I don’t—”
Alex cut off any further protests when he gently pressed his lips to hers, in fact cut off any further thought, because Katerina was completely, totally, inexplicably lost the minute their lips touched and her breath mingled with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed closer, reveling in his kiss.
Only the music continued to play in her mind as they kissed. I left my heart….
Chapter Six
The morning of the faculty party, Alex drove down the main street of Almendra and wondered where he could find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for Katerina. Something not too extravagant, but something, at the same time, memorable. He passed the jewelry store, where displays of diamonds and shiny foil hearts winked enticingly.
Diamonds were out of the question. He wanted something she could remember with affection. Four months remained before Kat returned to her orderly life and Alex his. Pulling into a vacant parking space, he switched off the truck and sat in silence thinking of diamonds. The heady aroma from The Tin Cup slithered into the truck cab and enticed him inside the coffee shop. He ordered a mocha latte, settled into a chair by the window, and considered his options.
One of his options was flowers, since he was already charged with picking up his father’s traditional bouquet of red roses for his mother. Every Valentine’s Day, they heard the story of how neither of them could afford a gift so his father had picked a bouquet from the rose bushes at the vineyard. Just a few doors down, on the opposite side of the street, colorful flowers beckoned in front of The Flower Basket.
As he pondered his errands, Wendy’s sister, Colleen, and her husband came into the coffee shop and approached the counter. Their middle sister, Bobbi, was married to Rob Roberts. How those two ended up with those names he’d never guess. Rob was a partner in the same firm as Alex’s brother Doug. He stood and waved them over.
Alex planted a soft kiss on Colleen’s cheek. “Colleen, you’re looking lovely, as always.”
“Hey, watch it buddy.” Matt grabbed Alex’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “She’s my girl.”
“Oh, please, you two.” Colleen threw a playful punch at her husband’s shoulder. She turned as their order was called out. “Have a seat, babe. I’ll get the drinks.”
Alex followed Colleen’s path across the coffee shop, and then looked at his friend to find Matt’s gaze on him, a slight smile about his mouth. “I still can’t believe Colleen and Wendy are sisters.” He laughed as he mentally compared the two women, Colleen with her twenty-five years in the Air Force and Wendy with her five-page resume of her many and varied jobs.
Matt snorted. “Tell me about it. Did I ever tell you about the time Wendy and I went out?”
“You’re kidding? I thought you only had eyes for Colleen.”
“I did, but she had other ideas. When she found out I was younger, she sent Wendy out on our date.” Matt ran a hand through his wavy, blond hair. “Talk about an adventure!”
“I can only imagine.” Alex shook his head as he sipped his latte. “She talked me into going to The Wild Pony a few weeks ago with her and Tony. I couldn’t get out of there soon enough.”
Chuckling, Matt slapped the table with his hand. “She took me to the same place!”
“I have to admit she’s made some improvements at the vineyard. She found a buyer in New York City.”
“I’m not surprised. She’s a tornado in high heels.”
Colleen set two cups of coffee on the table and sat next to her husband. “Don’t tell me. You’re talking about my little sis.”
“What tipped you off?”
“Your description.” Colleen grinned as she pulled her chair closer to the table. “I’ll bet she’s livened things up at your house, Alex.”
“You’re not kidding. Our little niece loves dinnertime. She barely stops talking long enough to eat.” Affection for the little girl surged through Alex as he pictured Jaiden’s antics at their dinner table. “Then Wendy talked me into giving horse riding lessons to Katerina.”
“How is she doing?” Colleen’s eyes sparked with interest. “She seemed so lonely I figured Wendy could bring her around.”
Alex shot Colleen a look. “She did more than that. Wendy got her drunk.”
Colleen’s cup hit the table with a bang. “She’s German and her father owns a vineyard. How did Wendy manage?”
“Trust me, she managed it. Anyway, Wendy told her to be adventurous so after some liquid courage, she went out to the barn and rode one of the horses.”
Matt leaned closer. “What happened?”
“She fell flat on her—” The image of Kat’s wavy, blond hair spread across his arm flashed into his mind, and he lost his train of thought.
“I thought she was too afraid to try riding. She seems rather bookish.” Like him, Colleen was a daredevil. While in the Air Force, she had traveled all over the world and tried a variety of sports. Alex shook his head and forced his mind to focus on his friends. “Alcohol makes you do funny things.”
“I suppose she’s afraid of the horses now.”
“I’m not sure she remembers falling off. Actually, she’s surprisingly good. She has excellent posture. She thinks she’s not athletic. But she’s very athletic with great form and—” Alex broke off when he noticed the smile Colleen shared with Matt. “What?”
Colleen stirred her coffee with a wooden stir stick. “You seem quite taken with our little German friend, Alex.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Alex leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “I just felt sorry. Someone who is so afraid to try anything because she was told she couldn’t do it. Just not right, you know?”
Colleen patted Alex’s hand. “Sure, we know.” She stood and grabbed her purse. “We have to run. We’re heading out to The Farm to see the Monarchs. See you tonight at the party,” she winked, “with your date.”
“She’s not—”
“By the way,” Matt put a hand on Alex’s shoulder, “the department head wants you to talk to the underclassmen about the realities of business ag.”
Alex shook his head. “I’m not a public speaker, Matt.”
Matt winked. “Just think about it. Someone needs to warn those kids what they’re getting into. They think you stick a few plants in the ground and suddenly you’re rich.”
As Matt and Colleen le
ft, Alex glanced across the street and focused on the colorful display of spring flowers in the window of The Flower Basket. Florists often had gifts. He still had to pick up the roses anyway.
As he entered the shop, a bell tinkled overhead.
“Hi, Alex.” Grace Paxton, one of the three women who owned the shop, sat at the counter going through receipts. “Are you picking up your dad’s order?”
“Yep.”
“He’s so sweet. He’s had a standing order ever since we opened our shop. Your dad is so romantic.”
A picture of his gruff father flitted through Alex’s mind. Somehow, he’d never thought of his father as romantic. “If you say so.”
Grace giggled as she jumped off her stool. “Are you kidding? A man who remembers the first Valentine’s Day together with his wife of—what is it now…”
“—thirty-five years this May.” Alex settled onto the stool in front of the counter.
“Your parents are inspirational, Alex.” Grace gathered the receipts into a pile and tapped the edges smartly on the counter to align them. After wrapping a rubber band around them, she went over to the cooler and pulled out a long, white box. “Donica was in early this morning and got these ready for Mr. Marino. They’re absolutely gorgeous, if I do say so myself. Be sure to tell your father we haggled over the price.” As she slid the box onto the counter, she winked.
Alex pulled his wallet from his back pocket and flipped it open, withdrawing a credit card. “You ladies have done a phenomenal job with this place, Grace. Running a business in this economy is not easy.”
“Thanks, Alex. We appreciate the encouragement. Some days…” she rolled her eyes as she reached for his card.
“My dad’s been in business thirty-five years and some days he still wonders if he did the right thing.” Alex looked around the shop as he headed for the door. A small shelf of knickknacks caught his eye and, hand on the doorknob, he paused.
“Something catch your eye, Alex?” Donica pushed open the door, her arms laden with boxes. “Are you sure you don’t want some roses for zee lee-tle pro-fes-sor?” A twinkle in her eye, she nudged Alex with her elbow.
Alex threw his free arm around her and kissed her forehead. “She’s German, Donica. That was a French accent.”
Donica smoothed her ponytail. “Oh, well. At least I got the continent right.” She gave him a shove. “Get out of here, you proverbial bachelor.”
As the door slammed behind him, Alex tucked the long white box of red roses securely under his arm. Three doors down, the jeweler’s windows beckoned, their displays of diamonds and pearls promising happiness. Certain he didn’t want jewelry, Alex’s feet led him there anyway. He wanted to give Katerina something, but not jewelry. He wandered along the sidewalk, his gaze locked on the enticing window displays.
At the last window, a small collection of crystal figurines caught his eye. A unicorn, the horn tinted blue, was pretty, but didn’t have any meaning. A playful puppy, cute, but he didn’t even know if Katerina had a dog. On the top shelf a delicate butterfly, wings tinted a soft shade of orange and black, perched on a twig. A Monarch. As Alex stared at the figurine, an idea took shape. He pushed open the door of the shop.
Thirty minutes later, he pulled into the drive at the back of the house. He went into the tasting room and searched until he found what he was looking for—a small wooden box with Marino Family Vineyard and their logo painted across the top. He nestled the figurine in tissue paper and closed the lid. He continued into the kitchen and found Wendy feeding baby Jaiden in her high chair. “Can you wrap this for me?”
Wendy glanced over her shoulder. Her gaze flicked from his face to the wooden box in his hands. “What is it?” A smile grew on her face. “It’s a gift for Kat, isn’t it? Ha! I knew it. It’s a Valentine’s Day gift. Oh my goodness.” She slapped one hand over her mouth. “It’s a ring. You got her a—”
“No, Wendy, no, no, no, I did not get her a ring.” Alex rolled his eyes at his sister-in-law’s assumption. The last thing he needed was for his family to think he was getting married. “Now calm down. It’s just a little something to remind her of California.”
Wendy’s eyes twinkled. “I still have contacts from my lingerie sales days, bro. Why don’t I find you something to get the sedate Fräulein Bauer revved up?”
Alex frowned. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Come on. It would be funny.” Wendy giggled as she spooned applesauce into the baby’s open mouth.
“Just wrap my gift okay? Thanks, sis.” Alex leaned against the counter and wondered if asking Wendy to wrap his gift had been a mistake.
“So…what is it, bro?”
“I just got her a holiday thing.”
“A holiday thong?”
Alex faded out as a picture of a racy Valentine-themed thong popped into his head. When he caught Wendy’s amused gaze, he pushed the picture from his mind and frowned. “No, a holiday thing.”
“Now a thong would be a gift.” Spooning a dollop of applesauce into the baby’s mouth, Wendy made her voice deep and sexy.
Alex debated taking the box, heading back out the kitchen door, and returning the figurine to the jewelry shop. Wendy was making things way more complicated than he had anticipated. “Katerina wouldn’t think so.”
“Might take your relationship to new levels.” Her eyebrows waggled, just as her sister’s had earlier.
“Not all of us move at lightning speed like you, Wendy.”
A footfall sounded in the hallway and Alex quickly hid the box behind the toaster. “Will you or won’t you?” The last thing he needed was for another family member to start asking questions.
“Of course I will. I have gifts for my sisters to wrap later.” Her gaze flicked to the toaster. “I’ll take the box upstairs when we’re finished with our snack.”
In search of a snack, Katerina wandered into the kitchen and her stomach growled. She jerked to a stop as she caught Wendy and Alex deep in conversation. From the guilty look in Alex’s face and the amused look in Wendy’s she was certain she had interrupted a discussion. “Excuse me. I didn’t know anyone was in here.” She turned to leave.
“No!” Wendy and Alex spoke as one.
Alex straightened and smiled. “How would you like to go for a ride?”
Katerina rubbed her bottom, still sore from the previous horseback ride. “I’m not sure…”
Alex shook his head with a laugh. “I mean a car ride. I’ll show you the area.”
“I told Wendy I’d help her with the decorations.” Memories of the previous evening surfaced, reminding her if she didn’t want to leave her heart on the North American continent she should spend less time with a certain Californian.
“I’m almost finished, Kat. Go off with Alex.” Wendy spooned a drop of baby food from the baby’s chin.
“Well.” Katerina shot Alex a look and fought down the surge of excitement. She enjoyed spending time with him, although increasingly she wondered the point. “I suppose, if you’re sure we won’t be back too late.”
“The place isn’t far. Wear some comfortable shoes, bring a jacket.”
Retrieving her jacket and shoes, she fought back doubts as she walked through the herb garden and under the archway. But when she saw Alex leaning against his truck, arms crossed and wearing a pleased grin, the memory that surfaced was Wendy’s advice to have some fun. “What are you up to?” Searching for clues, she peered into his face as he held open the door.
“You’ll see soon enough.” He hurried around the front of the vehicle, jumped into the driver’s seat, and buckled his seat belt in one fluid motion. “Buckle up, Kat.”
As the truck surged down the lane, Kat was pressed against the seat back. The hard right onto the road threw her against the window. “You are driving like a European, Alex.” Kat repositioned the seat belt against her waist and reached for the hand grip over the window.
Without taking his gaze from the road, Alex’s tanned face creased with a
grin. “I’m only two generations removed from Italy. The trait must be innate. Besides, I’m excited for you to see this.”
“To see what?” Kat shot a look at the man driving and caught a flash of dark eyes. Excitement surged through her body. The air conditioning was cool on her face.
Alex wagged a finger in the air. “Be patient, my dear. We’re almost there.” Ten minutes of Kat’s unanswered questions later, they turned off the interstate. He pulled into the parking lot at the front of a large, white farmhouse. Switching off the truck, he turned in his seat and pointed to a wooded area to one side of the building. “This is the Ardenwood Historical Preserve. It’s a nineteenth century working farm.”
Kat fought back a stab of disappointment. “You brought me out to see a working farm?”
“Not exactly.” Bouncing out of the vehicle, he opened her door and reached for her hand. “The trees over there shelter a Monarch sanctuary. Do you know what Monarchs are?”
“The Monarch butterfly, of course.” Kat stood at the open car door and glanced around at the vacant lot. “Are we the only ones here?”
“Matt and Colleen were here this morning.” Shutting the door, Alex reached for her hand and pulled her toward a path leading to the woods. “The Monarchs have been here for a while, but will eventually move inland. I would have brought you sooner but I didn’t think of it.”
Kat hurried to keep pace with Alex’s long stride. “Okay.”
With a firm grip on Kat’s hand, Alex strode down the wide, dirt path. “Monarchs west of the Continental Divide come to California to spend the winter. Now, with the warmer days of spring, they begin to mate. Soon the females will fly inland looking for milkweed, which is where they lay their eggs.”
The warmth spreading through Katerina had little to do with the winter sun peeking out from behind the clouds. As Alex took her hand and led her down a nearby path, she wondered, why did he bring me here?
Never Too Late Page 8