Be Mine Forever (A St. Helena Vineyard Novel) (26 page)

Abby rolled her eyes. “For most pass receptions in the NFL.”

“Yup, that too.” His lips twitched and so did her thighs.

“What are you doing here?” Because this could not be happening. Today was supposed to be the start of her new life. And she didn’t want to begin it with an eerily lifelike replica of the man who had broken her heart, her confidence, and the bank when he absconded with twelve million of the town people’s dollars. Not to mention staring down the man who’d taken her virginity and something so much more valuable—her ability to trust.

“Darling, half the town is here.” He pointed to the curb, and sure enough every neighbor was on their lawn—or hers. She waved. “When Richard came up Main Street it was as though he was Jesus, walking on water and people just started following him. I saw your grandma making the sign of the cross as she hobbled out of the Sweet and Savory to watch the procession. She’ll be here any minute.”

Great.

“So you came to watch the show?”

“Nope,” he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and heat curled low in her stomach. “I came to see if you wanted to go grab a bite to eat. The show’s just a bonus.”

“You already asked me out on a date. I said no.” Although she’d wanted to say yes. Not to the date part, she’d always hated dating. But to the good-night kiss part that usually followed said date. And maybe even to what naturally followed the kiss.

“You said you were still a married woman, so I backed off.” He smiled. “You’re single now, so the question is still on the table.”

“She’s not divorced,” Rodney hollered over the hood of the car, informing everyone in a three-block radius.

Nora pulled out her phone and began filming.

Abby felt everything inside of her still. “Excuse me?”

“That there isn’t just a piece of masterful art carved from a rare marble found only in remote parts of Italy. It’s a vessel,” Rodney said, pointing to the vase in the statue’s hand and taking in a moment of silence. “I’m sorry to inform you, Mrs. Moretti, but your husband, Richard Moretti, passed away three months ago, long before that there divorce decree was signed. And as his wife, you are the sole heir to all of his assets.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T
hanks to my editors Maria Gomez and Lindsay Guzzardo, and the rest of the author team at Montlake, for all of the amazing work and support throughout this series.

As always, a special thanks to my fabulous agent, Jill Marsal, for agreeing to take this awesome journey with me. To my constant cheerleaders and plot buddies: Hannah Jayne, Jacee James, Diana Orgain, and Marni Bates. You girls keep me going! And to Jessica Beane and Brittney for sharing your awesomely funny and incredibly sweet mommy stories, and helping me understand the world of little boys.

Finally, and most important, thanks to my daughter, Thuy, and my amazing husband, Rocco. You guys are my rock.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PHOTO BY TOSH TANAKA

M
arina Adair is a #1 national best-selling author of romance novels. Along with the St. Helena Vineyard series, she is also the author of
Sugar’s Twice as Sweet
, part of the Sugar, Georgia series. She lives with her husband, daughter, and three neurotic cats in Northern California.