Page 103 of The Runaway Bride of Blossom Branch

Clearly, he was referring to her fib. About not wanting to have sex in her grandparents’ house.

Cate could have set the record straight and spent the night in his arms. But she felt the need to retreat and regroup.

“Yes,” she said. “But the evening is not over quite yet.”

Harry frowned. “What do you mean?”

She reached in the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “Happy birthday, Harry.”

He stared at her. “What’s this?”

“Just open it.” Cate had produced the form on her Grammy’s printer. “It’s not legal. Yet.”

As she watched, Harry unfolded the faux document and read the words. He looked up, stunned. “You’re giving me 5 percent of your store?”

Cate nodded. “You saved my life, Harry. In a way no one else could. You gave me space and time to grieve after the wedding ended. You shored up my confidence.”

“You would have done just as well without me,” he said gruffly.

“I don’t think that’s true. I wanted a special gift for you, but what does a man like you need? I decided to do this. It won’t mean much. Not for a few years at least. But even after you and I go our separate ways, you’ll still have a connection to me and to Blossom Branch.” Something about his expression bothered her. “But you don’t have to accept if you think it’s weird.”

“Cate.” His voice was husky. “Come here, woman.” He pulled her toward him, with the console awkwardly between them. “Thank you. So damn much. This is the most perfect birthday gift I’ve ever received.”

His kiss was gentle and sweet. But it still generated a buzz.

When they separated, she gave him a wry smile. “I’m sorry you have to share your birthday with the United States of America.”

He grinned. “I always get the day off, and fireworks to boot. Not a bad deal.”

“Let’s go home,” she said.

Inside the house, Harry took her in his arms. “Good night, sweet Cate. This was a perfect birthday, top to bottom. I’m glad I spent it with you.”

“Me, too,” she said, kissing him and trying to make it seem casual.

After they climbed the stairs and went their separate ways, Cate lay awake in her bed, counting all the reasons a relationship with Harry was impossible.

Even if none ofhisdeal breakers existed, there was always the reality of Cate’s wedding fiasco. What would people think if they knew she went from Jason’s bed to Harry’s?

For that matter, what would Jason think? Would he assume she was trying to hurt him? Maybe that’s what it would look like from the outside.

How could Cate explain the progression of her relationship with Harry when she barely understood it herself?

The next morning the two of them made sure everything was in order and then closed up and locked the house.

Cate replaced the key in its hiding spot.

Harry put the last of their personal items in the car.

“You ready?” he asked. His mood was subdued, as if he had wrestled with the same impossibilities Cate had.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Despite knowing this wasn’t a final goodbye to Blossom Branch, she felt a rush of wistful emotion as they drove away. She and Harry had experienced so much closeness here. Even with his two-week hiatus, she had met his mother. Harry had shared some dark secrets. Cate worked through her feelings about her wedding day.

All in all, Blossom Branch had served as a watershed moment for Cate’s relationship with the inscrutable Prescott Harrington.

Or maybe not so inscrutable after all.

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