brother over for dinner once.
âHere? No, I think sheâs in Italy now.â
She nodded. From all accounts, it didnât sound like she stayed in one place for very long.
âSheâs never been very content.â He frowned. âWith anything.â
His expression made her sad. She wanted to ask his mother what the hell her problem was. How could she not be content? She remembered his statement about people trying to change him. Was his mother one of the people who had always tried to change him? If that was the case, it was no wonder he never felt as if he could satisfy anyone.
âThatâs a sad life. Never being content. Always traveling and never setting down roots.â She brushed his hand. âFor what itâs worth, I think Iâll be content as long as Iâm with you. No matter where we are.â
âThereâs no one else I want to set down roots with,â he whispered. âBut I want to do it in Wilmington. Iâm glad I was able to purchase this place, but just being here has proven to me that home is in the States.â
âIâd move here if you wanted to.â
âThank you, little one. You donât know how much that means to me.â
She turned and put her arms around him, just wanting to show support. To simply be there for him. He sighed and kissed the top of her head.
They stayed wrapped in each otherâs arms for several long minutes. He gave her a squeeze and pulled back. âRight, so enough of melancholy. Why donât I show you where I had my first kiss?â
***
Cole couldnât hold back his grin at Sashaâs dropped jaw.
âWhat?â she asked.
âI had my first kiss, right down there.â He pointed to the old barn. âCome on, Iâll show you.â
She took his hand and they walked down the gently sloping hill to reach the small weathered barn. The building hadnât been maintained very well. He was going to have to hire someone to keep the house and yard up. This place was too important to him to let it fall into ruin, even if he had no desire to live here full-time.
He let go of Sashaâs hand only long enough to open the iron gate and push aside the overgrown weeds.
âUgh.â She followed behind, swatting at the tall grasses. âYou have your work cut out for you here.â
âIâm going to hire some people to help me clean it up.â
She waved away a fly. âI certainly hope it wasnât like this when you brought your girlfriend here to seduce her.â
âWhat makes you think I seduced her? Maybe it was the other way around.â He held open the barn door so she could join him inside.
âReally?â
He pulled her deeper into the barn, a place he hadnât been for more than twenty years. Back then, it had smelled of grain and hay and sheep. Now it was all musty and dirty. âI was thirteen and she was fifteen.â
âOhh, an older woman?â She pushed his shoulder. âLook at you.â
âRight? Mary Catherine was the vicarâs daughter. She had strawberry blond hair that had these perfect ringlet curls.â
âAt fifteen?â Sashaâs nose wrinkled. âRinglets?â
âIt was natural and she hated it. Threatened to cut it all off.â
âSmart.â
âI liked it. I thought itâd be fun to pull. But she came over one day with her father for a visit. I was in here, helping with a pregnant sheep that was having some trouble. Mary Catherine strolled in like she owned the place and said, âIâve decided Iâm going to kiss you today.â I was in shock. She was so pretty and all the guys wanted her.â
The look on Sashaâs face was a combination of disbelief and fascination. He laughed and pulled her to his chest.
âCome here. I just looked at her with my jaw hitting the floor, much like yours is now. She gave me a smirk and walked over and kissed me.â He