“Ha.”
Luca approached them from the office where the security around the estate was constantly being monitored. “Are we going somewhere?”
“Yep. Into Serenity to have some dinner. Hopefully, with Amelia.”
“You don’t know yet if she’s going with you?” Jude asked.
“I figured I might have a better chance of convincing her to go if I issued my invitation in person.”
“Relying on the Burke charm and good looks, huh?” Jude said.
“It’s about all I have to work with,” Ben said with a shrug.
That got a chuckle out of Jude. “Pretty sure the women of New York City would say differently.”
“I’m not interested in women who want me for my money,” Ben said. “And surprisingly enough, Amelia has never been drawn in by that.”
“She proved that by breaking up with you once already.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“Well, I do hope it all goes well for you.”
“You and me both.” Ben turned to Luca. “Ready?”
“As ever.”
After Luca grabbed the keys for one of the SUVs, they left the security building and climbed into the vehicle.
“Did you want to stop somewhere for flowers or something?” Luca asked as he drove the SUV through the front gate with a wave for the guard.
“Flowers…” Ben considered it for a moment. “Yes. I want flowers. I hope the florist shop in town is still open.”
“I think it closes at five,” Luca said.
“Did you check it out for some reason?”
“I figured you might need flowers sooner or later,” Luca said. “So I checked into a couple of places in town.”
“It’s like you’re two steps ahead of me,” he said. “Since you’re so far out in front, do you know if she’s going to go to dinner with me?”
Luca chuckled. “I figure it pays to be aware of what you might want or need.”
“If Amelia likes the flowers, I’ll tell her it was your idea.”
“No need for that,” Luca said with a wave of his hand.
Once they crossed the Serenity city limits, Luca guided them down Main Street, then pulled in at an angle to park. The two of them made their way a short distance down the sidewalk to the small florist shop.
As they walked in, the woman behind the counter greeted them with a smile. “How can I help you two fine gentlemen?”
“I need a bouquet,” Ben said. “The best you have.”
The woman’s brows lifted slightly. “Might be a bit pricey.”
“That’s fine,” he told her. “Price is no object.”
“Tell me a bit about the person it’s for. What type of flowers they like.”
