Page 47 of He Loves Me Knot
Maybe it had been easier to keep his distance. To allow her to believe the worst in him.
Liddy Winnick had become the only new person he’d shared his thoughts with in years. The more he got to know her, the more he wanted to know.
Truthfully, that’s terrifying.
ChapterEleven
Liddy stretchedoutside of the car, looking at the throng of people walking through the street nearby. They’d arrived in Tibás just before eleven and, failing to find a place to park near the church, they’d driven a few streets over and parked near the soccer stadium for Costa Rica’s Saprissa team.
There seemed to be some sort of festival, and Liddy nodded toward the vendors lined up on either side of the street. “What’s going on there?”
“Farmers' market—called‘la feria.’I used to go to one like this with my mum when she had a house in Heredia. They do it every Saturday. Most locals will get their produce because it’s the freshest and cheapest, but you can also get fish and meat and some dairy products.”
“Do we have time to go look?” Liddy asked, peering at some of the local stands. “That sounds fascinating.”
Callum checked his watch. “Sure. Considering we’re here extra early, thanks to Logan, we have loads of time to spare.”
She laughed and slung her backpack over her shoulder. “I like how you use both American and British slang. Makes you sound as mixed up as I feel, having picked up some British phrases.”
“Except in this case, I learned English from an Englishman and spent part of my childhood there. Then grew up mostly in Connecticut. But yeah, it was confusing to kids I went to school with. I just sort of picked the words I liked best and used them.”
“Where do you consider yourself to be from?” Liddy asked, looking at him curiously. He’d moved to London. Did that mean he liked England the best?
“Nowhere.” He shrugged. “Home is a concept for people who have roots. The places I lived were always changing.”
That’s incredibly sad.
“Ready?” Callum locked the car, slipped the key into his pocket, and then they started toward the farmers’ market.
A sweet smell hung in the air, something that Liddy couldn’t identify, and she watched the locals with fascination. In some ways, she and Callum blended in with their dark hair, but she was also quickly learning that the locals weren’t anything she’d consider stereotypical . . . anything. Except maybe friendly. The locals wore smiles as a feature as she passed them, making eye contact with her in a way she wasn’t used to.
The stalls were a mixture of tables and stacked colorful crates with tarps and other awning materials to protect the vendors from the sun. Onions, garlic, and bananas hung from the tops of stalls, produce carefully placed in wooden boxes. Some vendors called out in Spanish.
A vendor walking around with a bag of green coconuts made his way down between the stalls, and Liddy saw him stop, then take a machete out. “Oh, what’s that?” Liddy asked Callum.
“It’s a pipa—a green coconut. They slice off the top, then you can stick a straw in it and drink the coconut water.”
“Can I get one?”
Callum tilted his head toward her, surprise written in his handsome features. His eyes were unreadable, but he gave a slight nod, then went over to the vendor. He returned with a pipa in each hand. “One for me, one for you.”
She sipped at hers and made a face. “I thought it would be sweeter.”
“Don’t like it?” he asked with a laugh.
“It’s . . . just coconut water.”
“Yeah, I mean, kids like them. I used to beg my mum for them. But they’re not spectacular or anything. You want the insider’s guide to amazing fruit in Costa Rica?”
That sounds amazing.
He winked. “Come on.” He guided her through the crowd, and she scooted closer to him, her hand brushing his ever so slightly. The sensation made goose bumps rise on her skin, her breath catching.
No, no, no . . . I do not want to be sexually attracted to my boss.It would complicate everything.
Yet she didn’t move her hand. The featherlight touch was enough for her to want to reach out and intertwine their fingers.
But that would be crazy.