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She did a double take, thinking he was answering the question in her head. If she’d said the words out loud, she’d be mortified. He was studying her over the rim of his coffee cup and she scrambled to act normal.

“I’m just surprised,” Rhett continued. “It smells incredible. I’m sure it’ll be a thousand times better than room service.”

“Maybe not a thousand.” She smiled at his enthusiasm. “I’ve always had an easier time cooking when room service is a convenient backup plan.”

“Well, it’ll be perfect, I’m sure. But so much work? I didn’t want you to lift a finger, especially not today.”

“You deserve far more than a simple breakfast. Legal marriage is no small thing. You know I would’ve been happy pretending.”

“Until it blew up in your face.”

“True,” she agreed. “But this is a serious obligation and I know we’ve covered it. I know you’re okay. I just wanted to do something nice.”

Finally, a warm smile brightened his face and the tension pinching the back of her neck smoothed away.

“I can’t wait to dig in, thank you.” He moved a little closer to check the pan, without crowding her or even touching her. “And when you’re ready to talk about anything, I’ll listen.”

She nodded. Not a chance she’d let Luca intrude on the day ahead of them. Tucking a wayward curl behind her ear, she shooed him aside so she could serve.

Rhett dug in, eating for several minutes in silence. He paused for a slug of coffee and then grinned at her. “This is delicious, Trina. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” His enthusiasm made her happy. She wanted to create fun and happy memories all day long today.

“Is this a family recipe?”

“Yes.” She smiled, thinking back. “My grandfather used to love to make breakfast. Whenever I visited, he would let me help and we would try and surprise Nonna. They had the best garden.”

“That’s wonderful.” He got up to refill his coffee. “I’ve often envied you growing up in Europe. It always seemed so idyllic. Way better than dinky South Carolina.”

She laughed. “Home is home, right? And the grass is always greener elsewhere. I couldn’t wait to get out and see the world on my own terms.”

“True. But you like living in South Carolina?”

“I love it. I hope I never have to leave.” She chased the last bite of frittata around her plate.

“Another espresso?” he offered.

She held up a hand. “No, thank you.”

Hedished up another helping from the skillet to his plate. “Seconds?”

“Half, please.” Yesterday she had been too nervous to eat much of anything and today she was starving. As they fueled up, she marveled over how easy it was to sit here with him, as if they’d been friends for years, rather than bitter competitors.

“So what do you want to do today?” he asked once he’d cleaned his plate for the second time. “After my staff meeting.”

“Beyond getting ready for the wedding?”

He shrugged that off. “We have hours yet. We could take a walk on the beach or check out a museum. And you’ve come this far, we have to visit the Mile Marker Zero. It’s a great spot for selfies.”

“I can’t tell if you’re kidding.”

He leaned back against the counter, watching her. “I’m serious. There isn’t much work after my morning meeting.”

“Won’t your staff be upset that you’re leaving?”

“On my wedding day?” He snorted. “Besides, I’m only shifting to a hybrid approach. They’ll probably love not having me underfoot, spouting off new ideas every week.”

She knew better. It was plain to see how much the staff here admired him.