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He hadn’t said he loved her.

“Why do you look like you’ve been crying?”

“Probably because I have. We’re not the kind of people to rant and rage, Casildo, although I’ve come close.” She’d never felt so helpless in her life.

“I want to shout until I’m hoarse.”

“Antonio’s made a counteroffer. I wanted to ask what you thought.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know what’s good anymore, and I’ve got verbal diarrhoea. I want to tell you everything at once.” She placed a hand over her racing heart. “ I should start with asking why you’re here.”

“I brought you these.” He dropped the bag of salady things on the floor and held out the flowers and champagne.

“Why?”

“Marry me.” He seemed surprised by his words.

She jerked away from the wall. “I beg your pardon.”

“I’ve had a few ideas. The first was just to give you the money.” He abandoned the flowers and bottle on the hall sideboard. “But you’d have baulked at that. This is my second idea. Marry me, then it makes sense to accept half your parents’ mortgage from me, because I’ll be family too. We each pay half. What do you think?”

“I love you, Casildo. But I can’t marry you and take your money.” She wiped away a tear.

“Don’t cry.” He took her arm and led her toward the living room. “Hunt said you’d hate both those ideas.”

“You didn’t need Hunter to tell you that.”

“No, I didn’t. I’m not giving up the business. I’ve restructured. Hunt’s my partner. He’s providing the premises and a few other things. Turns out he had the premises. Dad’s offered a line of credit for emergencies. Mo will be a tenant and do all my printing.” He blurted out the entire proposal.

“Did you hear the first thing I said?” Her head was spinning with his news and hers, but he needed to understand loving him was the most important thing.

“I know you love me, Beatriz. That isn’t our problem.” Sinking into an armchair, he settled her on his lap. “I’m renting an apartment. Deal done. And I’m inviting you to join me.”

“What do you get out of that?”

“You. And that’s enough, but I don’t want you angsting about it, so the quid pro quo is doing my brand management and helping me keep the books. I’m a slave driver, so you don’t need to worry that you won’t be pulling your weight.”

“You’re a miracle.”

“That as well.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Let me hold you for a bit. I’ve missed you.”

She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled lower in his embrace. “I’ve missed you too. Why do you want to marry me?”

“Because I love you too. Everything seems less without you.” He pressed his lips against her temple. “Because this is where I’m meant to be.”

“I have more to tell you. My parents have sold the house.”

He leaned back and met her gaze, understanding slowly replacing the confusion in his eyes.

“Contracts have been exchanged.” Bea shook his shoulder slightly, relief and excitement finally seeping into her. “That’s where they were the night we went to dinner. Settlement is in twelve weeks. The final three months’ mortgage payments will be sorted as part of the final settlement. Effective immediately, my salary is my own.”

He frowned. “You haven’t made some side deal to bankroll your sisters.”

“I’d already told Mamá and Papá that Fran and Lisa were on their own. Seems they’ve been working on this plan for a while. A real estate agent approached them. They’ll get enough from the sale to buy an apartment for themselves outright, and to put a deposit on one closer to the university for Fran and Lisa to rent. My sisters have twelve weeks to find jobs.”

“How do you feel?”