Come for a drive? That was the first thing he’d said? “Bite me, Leo. I’m not going for a little ride with you.” She crossed her arms. He could talk to her right here or nowhere.

“Please. It’s important. I…I think it might change your mind.”

She assessed him for a minute, her heart beating a million miles an hour. “Okay, fine. But only because I want another ride in your car.”

She got into the ’vette, and he drove them straight to the bakery. Except something was going on in the parking lot. There was a backhoe between the buildings. And construction tape. And a giant pile of dirt. He walked around and opened her door and gestured for her to follow him to see the site up close.

“Wh-what’s going on here?” she asked. “Another patio?” Another money-making scheme?

“I’ll get to that. But I have to tell you a few things.” He stood in front of her, grasped her arms, and looked her in the eye.

“I’m sorry I kept the secret. We’re equal partners, and by trying to handle this on my own, I was wrong.”

Her skin broke out in goose bumps, and for the first time, she started to feel real, true hope. He was sorry for that. Okay. It was a start. But not enough. “You called me replaceable. You said that everything we had was just for fun, with no attachments. How could you say those things?”

“I was lashing out because you accused me of deceiving you. You said you didn’t want my protection. I live to protect the people I love.”

“I was wrong to accuse you of those terrible things,” she admitted. “But I couldn’t understand what I was seeing. And I deserved to know what was going on.”

He took a step closer to her. “I should have known better than to hide something from you. And if you give me another chance, I swear I’ll never do it again.”

Then he pulled out all the stops.

“Tessa, food is sawdust. And I can’t sleep in our bed without you next to me.” He cleared his throat. “When I wake up in the morning, I miss seeing that little imprint of your body denting the sheets. But most of all, I miss your sweet smile. Your giving nature. I miss…you.” He cleared his throat. “I miss you, Tessa.” He raked a hand through his stuck-up hair. “Like, all the time.”

Her heart was ready to pound out of her chest. But first, she had to say something to him. “I learned something about myself these past few days. I learned that I need someone to be my equal. But I also learned I deserve someone who can love me and who believes I’m irreplaceable.”