Page 74 of Beneath the Sapphire Sky

“You think Gerry made them do that?” she asked, nodding in their direction.

Dante turned around and took in the twins and their brothers. “Probably.”

An elf, complete with hat and curled booties; Santa; a reindeer with two random hooved legs hanging from its butt; and a very annoyed-looking grinch on Celtic drums.

Belle had to laugh. Connor looked as angry as possible in a Christmas setting. Amy headed back to take their dinner order.

They ordered their meals and sat back, enjoying the easy company and music.

Dante fiddled with the edge of the table napkin in the fancy centre display. “I was talking to Dad today.”

Belle raised an eyebrow. That wasn’t something that should warrant him starting his sentence with. He spoke to his father many times a day.

“About?”

“I was thinking about building a house.” He glanced at her. “You know, something of my own? A bit of privacy would be nice, since Angel stole the damned cottage.”

Belle let out a small laugh to cover her surprise. “It would.”

While Dante griped about a lack of privacy every now and then, she’d thought the lot of them would still be there in the family home for the foreseeable future. It made sense; they all worked at the winery or in the vineyard. Why waste money on a rental or moving when you could walk to work in three minutes flat?

It was also why she hadn’t moved out yet. It was far too convenient to be able to finish work and walk the twenty metres to her back door to collapse after a busy night.

He flicked the napkin, not looking at her. “Would you help me look at designs? I’m not that great with visualising that sort of thing.”

Belle blinked, happiness that he’d ask overtaking her surprise. “Of course. Where are you thinking of putting it?”

He shifted in his seat, getting more comfortable. “Down near the riverbend, where we go swimming.”

Belle sat forward, her elbows leaning on the table. “That would be a perfect spot! It’s so pretty there.”

While technically only a few hundred metres away from the current house, thick stands of trees separated the river and the main part of the farm. The area was so picturesque you could have easily found it on a postcard. And of course, her favourite tree on the entire place was there.

Dante nodded, a brief smile flashing over his beautiful mouth.

She focused on his lips. How she loved to kiss them. And he kissed so darned well.

Those lips curved into a huge grin and she refocused on his eyes, embarrassed.

“That look on your face will get you in trouble, B.”

She flushed at the intensity in his blue eyes. She’d have to ask Max to fix the air, it was getting hot.

“It’s not my fault you have a sexy mouth.”

A laugh barked from him, as Amy came back with their food and a bucket with a bottle of sparkling wine.

Belle frowned when she put it down. “Amy, we didn’t order any wine.”

Amy slid the food in front of them and shrugged. “Don’t ask me, I just deliver the stuff. You’ll have to talk to Max about that. He sent it.” Her huge grin made Belle suspicious.

What is going on?

The song finished and Joe Junior pulled the microphone closer. “Since it’s so close to Christmas, we have a surprise for you folks tonight.”

“Christmas isn’t for nearly three weeks, Joe.”

Joe frowned at the comment from the other side of the room. “If you don’t want to participate, that’s fine with me, Mick Pierson. Now pipe down.”

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