Tessa was going to love this. He couldn’t wait to see the happy expression on her face. She’d probably clap her hands and do a little dance, then jump into his arms.

He loved her enthusiasm about simple things. The way she saw beauty in everything and made him notice it, too. Maybe she’d even teach him the names of these flowers.

“That’s so sweet and considerate,” Cara said. “You must really love her, to surprise her for no reason.”

That caught him a little off guard. He was doing something a real husband would do for his real wife. A wife he loved.

He pushed all that out of his head. He could bring Tessa flowers just because, without overthinking, and just live in the moment.

…

Leo found Tessa inside the living room, sitting on the couch, the room dim as the sun began setting. Which should have been his first red flag, because any other warm summer evening would find her digging in the garden or sitting outside with Cosette, not indoors staring at a piece of paper in her lap.

“Hey.” He left the flowers and the tickets on the counter and walked into the living room. “You okay?”

As she looked up, Leo’s heart dropped into his stomach. Her eyes were red and a little puffy. “What is it, Tessa? What’s wrong?”

“Leo, we have to talk.” With trembling fingers, she held out the paper.

Puzzled, he tugged it from her hand, then let out a curse. The proposal. The stupid, horrible proposal. Why hadn’t he destroyed it? He’d buried it in his desk and forgotten all about it. Releasing it like it was on fire, he watched it sail onto the coffee table.

He was about to say I can explain when she said, “Max Hammond came into the bakery today and let it slip that my family’s bakery might be up for sale.”

My family’s bakery. The way she worded it sounded…formal. Ominous.

Leo frowned as he realized what had happened. “Wait. You went looking for this instead of coming to me?”

“I hit the drawer of your desk with my elbow, and it popped open.” He must have given her an incredulous look, because she said, “Okay, the truth is, I was upset. I did pop it open a little. And there it was.” She glanced at the paper. “A proposal for you and your dad to buy our business and retain my mother temporarily as an employee. Dated after we were married. How could you, Leo? How could you do this behind my back?”

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. He’d made a promise to Joanna not to tell Tessa anything. That’s what had gotten him in this hot water to begin with. So what was he going to say to her now?