She yanked off her sunglasses so she could glare at him. “Don’t pull the lawyer crap on me, Delaney. I’m so mad at you right now.”

“I needed to know. She won’t let me in this area. Part’s pride, I think, but another’s half believing it. And maybe that’s my fault, or some of it’s my fault. I got the idea it might be something along these lines yesterday, but I needed confirmation.”

“Good for you.” She started to wrench open her door. He laid a hand on her arm.

“Emma, by not knowing, not dealing with it or acting on it, I’m hurting her. I don’t want to hurt her.”

“You should’ve asked her directly.”

“She wouldn’t tell me. You know she wouldn’t, not unless I have a way to push her into a corner over it. Now I do. Damn it, I hurt her yesterday by offering to pay for a bunch of groceries, because I just didn’t get it. It’s not about Linda, though I’d already intended to deal with her, and will. It’s about me and Laurel.”

“You’ve got that part right.” She heaved out a sigh. “But you’ve put me in a hell of a spot, Del.”

“I’m sorry, and I’m going to keep you there by asking you not to say anything to her about this. Not until I can talk to her. If she doesn’t believe, all the way, in what we have, it’s never going to work. It’s never going to fit. And if I’m responsible for that, even part of the way, I have to make it right. So I’m asking for you to give me a chance to make it right.”

“God, you’re good. How am I supposed to say no to that?”

“I mean it. She and I need to strip away some of the armor, and some of the cushion, and see what’s under it. I want you to give me a chance to do that.”

“I love you both, and I want both of you happy. So, believe me, Del, you’d better figure it out. Screw it up, or let her screw it up, and I’m blaming you.”

“That’s fair. Are you going to stay mad at me?”

“I’ll let you know after you talk to her.”

“Emma.” He leaned over, kissed her cheek.

“Oh.” This time she heaved out a breath. “Let’s go buy some plants.”

He struggled to be patient as the scanning, scouting, selection took endless amounts of time. Plus whenever he so much as thought about nudging her along, Emma simply shot him a steely stare.

In the end, they loaded what they could in the car and arranged for the rest—and there was plenty of rest-to be delivered.