Chapter 13

It was after midnight on Christmas Eve, and the entire house was quiet. Darcy sat on the sofa looking at the Christmas tree. All the lights in the house were out except for the multicolored ones adorning the tree. She was wearing her new Christmas pajamas and sipping a cup of hot chocolate.

“You know Santa can’t come unless everyone’s asleep.”

Smiling, she turned her head and saw her father standing a few feet away. “I wasn’t going to stay up all night,” she teased softly.

Ian Shaughnessy came over and sat beside her. “What are you still doing up?”

She shrugged. “You know how much I love looking at the tree.”

“That’s why you have one up in your room,” he reminded her. “Try again.”

Leave it to her dad to call her out on the fib. “I couldn’t sleep. And I could only toss and turn for so long. I thought maybe a warm drink and sitting down here for a little while would help.”

“And has it?”

She shook her head. “Not yet.”

They sat in companionable silence.

“I think tomorrow is going to be a bit of a zoo,” Ian said after a few minutes.

“Why’s that?”

“Look at all those presents! And that’s not including the ones I still have to put out for the kids from Santa.”

Laughing softly, Darcy turned her head and looked at her father. “Six grandkids,” she said with a sigh. “Seems like life’s come full circle, huh?”

Ian nodded. “And we’re not done yet.”

Her brows went up. “Do you know something that I don’t know?” she asked curiously.

“Nope. Just know that none of you are going to stop at one baby.”

“Technically, Owen’s got two.” The image of her twin nephews made her smile.

“So could you, sweet pea.”

And she immediately began to choke.

Ian patted her on the back until she could breathe again. “Dad! What the heck?”

“What? What did I say?”

“Why would you even say that?”

He looked at her as if she were crazy. “Say what?”

“You cannot possibly put me in a conversation about everyone having babies!” she said adamantly.

“And why not?”

Her eyes went wide. “Seriously? Um, how about because I’m not married yet? Or how about because I don’t even know if things are going to work out with Ben? And…and…”

Ian hugged his daughter close and waited for her to calm down.

“Sorry,” she murmured.

“Darce, I know you’re a little sad. And I know you’re missing Ben, but don’t sell yourself short. You’re going to see him in a few days, and everything’s going to be all right. And you know what I think?”

Looking up at him, she asked, “What?”

“I think that you, my sweet girl, are going to have the greatest love of them all.”

Tears instantly filled her eyes. “You do?”

He nodded. “And do you know why?”

She shook her head, too overwhelmed to speak.

Tucking a finger under her chin, he said, “Because you have the biggest heart of anyone in this family. You were the one who held us all together when we would have fallen apart. Without you, Darcy, none of this would be possible.” He motioned to the presents, the tree, the family photos. “You are the reason there is so much love and laughter here.”

“Dad—”

“It’s true. Now I’m not going to lie to you. It’s not going to be easy to watch you leave here in a few days. I’ve sent you off to visit your brothers, I’ve sent you off to college…but I knew those were temporary visits.”

Tears stung her eyes. “It’s not like I’m never coming back.”

“I know. I know.” He paused. “I convinced your mom to move away from her parents,” he said casually.

“Um, what?”

Ian nodded. “It’s true. Granted, it wasn’t very far—not like the other side of the country or anything—but still, she left her family to be with me.”

“Wow.”

“There isn’t any place in the world that you can live that I’m not going to love you, Darcy. My only wish for you is that you be happy.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she reached out and hugged him. “Thanks, Dad,” she whispered.

“I like Ben,” he said, taking her cocoa from her and taking a sip. “I think you gave to him exactly what you gave to all of us.” He paused. “And that makes him a lucky man.”

She gave a quiet snort. “I don’t know about that. All I know is that I don’t ever want him to be alone again. It broke my heart thinking of him living the way he was.”

Ian studied his daughter for a moment. “See? Such a big heart. I think Santa is going to be very pleased with you. Maybe he’ll leave a little something extra for you under the tree.”

Darcy couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Dad, I’m a little old for that to work.”

He hugged her back, and when they broke apart, he stood up. “You’re a good daughter, and I am honored to be your dad. You are the greatest gift to this family. I have two things that I want to give you.”

Ian walked over to the tree and looked around for a moment. Then he reached into the pile and pulled out a small box. Sitting back down beside her, he handed it to her.

“Dad, we’re not supposed to open any more presents tonight,” she chided playfully.

“I was trying to think of a way to give this to you when we were alone. So I’m actually glad you were up.” He smiled lovingly at her. “Go ahead. Open it.”

Putting her mug down, Darcy carefully opened the package. It was small, like the size of a box you’d put a pair of earrings in. But that’s not what she found inside. She looked down and then at her father. “It’s a key,” she said, feeling slightly confused.

Ian nodded. “Yes, it is.”

“But to what?”

“That is the key to this house.”

Maybe it was late, but clearly, one—or both—of them was more confused than the other. “Um, Dad, I already have a key to the house. I live here.”

He smiled as he reached out and cupped her cheek. “That key is more symbolic,” he began, and she heard the slight tremor in his voice. “That key is to let you know that you will always have a home here. Always. Whether you want to come home for a weekend, a week, or…well, you get the idea. I can’t guarantee that your room will always look the same, but no matter what, there will always be a place for you.”

It was one of the greatest gifts he’d ever given her. Putting the key down, she leaned in and grabbed him in a fierce hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.

When they broke apart, Ian stood and walked back over to the tree. “And I know that Santa’s about twenty years late with this, but I hope you know that he never forgot.”

She looked at him oddly. “What? What are you talking about?”

He handed her another box. It looked to be the size of a hardcover book. With the paper off, she lifted the lid off the box and gasped.

And then smiled.

It was a bifold silver picture frame.

On one side was a picture of Darcy as an infant in her mother’s arms. And on the other? A picture of her and Martha from Thanksgiving.

She knew what it meant, and it made her heart soar.

Tears fell in earnest as she hugged her father close.

There was no need for words.

* * *

It wasn’t that Ben wasn’t having a good time.

He was.

But he also wanted this particular good time to end so he could get back to his life and the things he needed to be doing. His brothers were leaving tomorrow, and as much as he didn’t want to be a jerk, he was so ready for them to go. Because once they were gone, Darcy would be arriving the next day. They’d coordinated it that way because she didn’t want to interfere with their visit.

Damn, but he loved his girl!

Christmas Eve had been amazing. They’d laughed a lot, they’d cried a lot, and more than anything, Ben remembered everything he had loved about the holiday. The giant tree looked good in his living room, and they had not only put all the family ornaments on the tree, but Ben had taken out all the ones he had made and had in storage and put them on it as well.

They looked good.

Really good.

“There’s snow in the forecast,” Jack said as he finished his cup of coffee. “Nothing major, but if we’re going to do this, we should probably go now.”

Ben agreed.

Thirty minutes later, they laid the wreath they’d made out of the tree trimmings in front of the headstone that read “Thomas and Julia Tanner—Beloved Parents.” Just seeing those words had Ben getting choked up. But rather than turn it into something sad, they continued the celebration, taking turns telling a favorite Christmas memory as they laughed and remembered. When the snow began to fall and they made their way back to the car, Ben turned one last time and looked at his parents’ plot.

“I promise to make you proud,” he said softly.

That night, snow dusted the trees and the roads without accumulating too much, and the three of them shared one last dinner together before his brothers had to leave.

“Your flight is so damn early,” Ben said. “You’re going to have to leave here around four in the morning.”

Henry nodded. “It wasn’t ideal, but it was part of the great pricing I found.”

“It’s almost not worth going to sleep,” Ben said. “We’ve yet to go to bed before two the entire time you’ve been here.”

“Then we won’t sleep,” Jack said, raising his glass. “We’ll spend this last night pulling a—relaxing—all-nighter, and then you’ll get your peace and quiet back.”

Ben chuckled. “It’s highly overrated, I’m told.”

“You got that right,” Henry said before taking a pull of his beer.

They ate grilled salmon and mashed potatoes and salad and enjoyed one another’s company as they did it.

“So what’s next for you, Ben?” Jack asked. “What projects are on the horizon?”

“I have my choice of what I want to do,” he began. “I have three clients who I’m always doing pieces for, and then I have the bar I’ve been working on.” He stopped and smiled. “And then I may do a custom tree house.”

His brothers just stared at him.

“I know. It’s completely different from anything I’ve ever done, but I’ve watched some DIY shows on the subject, and I’ve been researching it, and I may give it a try.”

“Who’s the client? Do they have blueprints for you? That involves a lot more construction than you usually do, doesn’t it?” Henry asked.

Ben nodded to all the questions. “The client is one of Darcy’s brothers, and it’s very different, but I think it could be challenging. I’ve been doing some drawings, and I’ve got an image in my mind of how I want it to look. I’ll have to run it by Hugh and his wife and see if we’re on the same page, but that’s what I’d like to do next.” He shrugged. “There’s never a lack of something to do. And with any luck, Darcy will get things going on finding me a gallery and starting that phase of my career.”

“It’s about time you had a place for your art. The sheer amount of stuff you have in storage in the workshop will fill a gallery,” Henry said.

“Well, it wouldn’t only be my stuff on display. I’d like to showcase local artists and maybe even some students from our old high school. You know, pay it forward like what was done for me.”

They all smiled and nodded in agreement, and Ben had to admit, he was going to miss this.

“So what about Easter in Boston? Is that something I’m going to enjoy?” he asked and almost burst out laughing at the surprised looks on his brothers’ faces.

“You’re really going to come and spend a holiday with us?” Jack asked.

“Yup. And remember, you asked for it.”

“Oh lord.”

“You’ll be missing the days when you used to miss me,” Ben added with a big grin. “And then I’m going to have to say I told you so.”

“Just don’t do the dance,” Henry said with a groan.

“I have never done a dance,” Ben said primly.

“Oh please! You were the worst at the ‘I told you so’ dance!” Jack said, laughing at the memory. Then he and Henry jumped out of their seats and acted out the ridiculous dance that included quite a few jumps and stomps. When they were done, they both looked at him blandly. “Bring back any memories?”

Doing his best to keep a straight face, he shook his head. “Mmm, nope. Sorry. Doesn’t ring a bell.” It wasn’t until they both sat down that Ben started to laugh. “And just for the record, I never shook my hips quite like that.”

The room erupted with laughter, and as they finished their meal and worked together to clean up, he knew for sure that he was going to miss them this time after they left. As anxious as he was to get back to work and back into his normal routine, he knew that this time they spent together was crucial on so many levels. More than anything, it helped him to feel a lot more grounded and back in touch with what was important in life.

He turned on the TV, and they argued over what to watch and found a hockey game that they could all agree on. When was the last time he’d done this? Watched a game—any game—with a group of guys?

Too long.

Far too long.

Hell, when was the last time he’d done anything social with anyone?

With the Shaughnessys.

With Darcy.

He missed her so damn much. She’d changed his life in so many ways, and he couldn’t wait to have her back here with him—where she belonged.

* * *

Ben was finishing his coffee and watching the clock in hopes of time moving faster so he could leave for the airport when his phone rang.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Hey, yourself,” she said in the sexy voice that he couldn’t wait to hear in person. “So, minor change of plans.”

Uh-oh. “What’s going on? Is your flight delayed? I was just on the website, and it said everything was on time.”

She laughed softly. “No, no, no, nothing like that. I just got off the phone with a guy who owns a gallery in downtown Seattle. This is an amazing opportunity, but we have to act fast.”

“Darcy, I thought we were going to wait a little while before we started doing that sort of thing.”

“I know, I know, but I was just sort of looking around online and saw this and wanted to jump on it. You never know. It could be a great opportunity.”

“Opportunity for what? What exactly are we talking about?”

“He has an opening for a show next month that I’d really like to get you into, and he’s looking to sell the gallery. So if you go and meet with him on the way to the airport…”

It would be a good way to kill time, he thought.

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” he said honestly. “I have no idea what I should be asking or—”

“The only thing I need you to do is look at the space and talk to this guy about the show. I think you’ll have an idea if it’s something you want to buy after you’ve been there and checked out the space. So what do you say? Will you go? Will you look? And then when you pick me up, we can talk about it.”

He chuckled. “Sweetheart, I had a much different idea for what we were going to do after I picked you up.”

“Ooh, I like the sound of that. We can do both. I promise. I’ll text you the address, and before you know it, I’ll be there with you.”

“And I definitely like the sound of that.”

By the time they hung up, Ben was already at the back door putting on his boots.

Anticipation spurred him on. The sooner he got done with this meeting, the sooner he’d be on his way to the airport.

During the drive, he thought about all the plans he had for them for tonight. At first, he had planned on staying in the city for the night—getting a room at the Four Seasons and going out for a romantic dinner. In his mind, it would be wildly romantic. They had talked every day since that day he called her and she was at the cemetery, but they both agreed that there were some things they needed to talk about when they were face-to-face.

So he nixed the wild and romantic plans and opted to bring her home where they could simply reconnect and talk and just get anything and everything out of the way that they needed to before they could move on.

And that’s what he wanted more than anything—to put all the misunderstandings and hurt feelings behind them so they could start their lives together the right way.

And he had to admit, the thought of having her back at his house and in his bed was better than any five-star hotel image.

Making his way around the city, he followed the GPS directions until he reached his destination. He parked his truck and noted that the gallery was in a very desirable part of the city—a very artsy part. He’d come to events this way before, and they were always well-attended. It would be a great location for a show.

Stepping inside, he saw a lot of boring art.

Disappointment swamped him. Ben wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but this bland assortment of watercolor wasn’t it. Slowly, he walked around and took in his surroundings. If he were to do a show here, he would have to request that the gallery undergo some sort of overhaul. Or at least strip down the walls and put away these paintings until his show was over.

“Mr. Tanner?”

Ben turned and smiled as an older gentleman approached him.

“I’m Stewart Ramsey,” he said as they shook hands. “It’s nice to meet you. I was thrilled when Darcy told me you were willing to come in and meet with me. So tell me, what do you think of the space?”

Ugh. What was he supposed to say to that?

“Be honest,” he prompted.

Oh well. If it was going to move this meeting along, he’d be honest. Go big or go home, right? Better for him to say exactly what he was looking for so there’d be no misunderstandings later.

“It’s uninspiring, Mr. Ramsey,” he began. “The art clashes in spots, the flow is awkward, and basically, there isn’t anything here I’d want to hang in my home.”

For a moment, Stewart Ramsey blinked at him. “Oh. Wow. I don’t think I was quite expecting that.”

Ben sighed. “Sorry. Maybe I could have been a little less blunt.”

“No,” he said immediately. “This is what I needed. For so long, I haven’t been able to figure out why things weren’t working, but no one would give me any advice. I really appreciate your bluntness.”

“You’re the first to say that,” Ben said with a small laugh.

Stewart let out a small sigh and then seemed to collect himself. “Okay. Tell me what you’d like to see here that would make you want to hold a show with me.”

They walked around the gallery as Ben mentioned removing the watercolors and suggested what kind of wall art and colors would complement his work. They made their way to a small back room that housed only two paintings.

One was of a house in the mountains.

The other was a house on the beach.

One was him. One was Darcy.

And just like that, the need to get in his truck and get to the airport was almost overwhelming. He pulled out his phone, looked at the clock, and saw that her plane wouldn’t be landing for almost two more hours, and he groaned.

“Everything all right?” Stewart asked.

Ben nodded.

Behind them, the chime over the front door rang out, and Stewart excused himself. Ben stayed where he was and studied the paintings some more.

“I always wondered if the beach was anything like it’s portrayed in pictures,” a soft voice said from behind him.

And Ben’s heart simply stopped.

“Portrayed how?” he asked softly, afraid to move.

“The sun is always shining, the sand looks pristine, and the sky is always this pink pastel color.”

“Personally, I’ve never seen that.”

“The sky or the pink?”

“The pink,” he replied. “My sky is pretty gray.”

“Seems about right.”

“For a little while, I thought I saw some pink, but then it went away.”

“Probably was forced to go away,” she said mildly. “Some places are naturally gray like that.”

“Mmm, maybe. But I’d be curious to see what all the fuss is about with the pink sky and the sand and all that.”

She was standing beside him, and it took everything he had in him to not reach for her. His curiosity got the better of him and had him waiting to see what she was doing here.

With a shrug, she said, “Last I checked, Washington isn’t known for its pink skies and white sand.”

“Maybe I’ve been thinking of branching out.”

She shrugged again. “Sure. Temporarily.”

And then he was done with the banter. “What are you doing here? I thought your flight wasn’t coming in for a few more hours.”

“I got an earlier flight.”

That totally took him by surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have picked you up. Hell, I would have slept at the damn airport if that’s what it took to get you to me sooner.”

“I know you would have.” She nodded, but her gaze stayed on the paintings. “But I wanted to surprise you. Oh, and I got a job.”

“A job?” he asked.

“Yup.”

“Where?”

“Here.”

They were talking like polite strangers. Surprise him? Yes, she’d managed that. Infuriate him? Um, yeah. That’s more like what he was feeling right now.

Now he was really done. Not only did he face her, but he gently grasped her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. God, was she beautiful. That face, those eyes, everything about her just had him ready to drop to his knees.

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m going to be managing this gallery. At least temporarily. Stewart’s looking to sell it, and I’m here to help him get things in order and find the right buyer. But a few things have to happen before we can get started. I’ll need to figure out the commute and get a car and—”

He cut her off with a kiss.

Cupping her face in his hands, his lips covered hers, and for the first time in almost a month, Ben felt like he could finally breathe.

He could relax.

He could touch her.

And he could…

“I’ve been counting down the damn minutes until I could get to you,” he said, lifting his head.

Darcy looked up at him with mild disbelief.

“It’s true. My brothers left, and I haven’t been able to do a damn thing work-wise because all I could think about was you. I almost got on a flight to North Carolina yesterday to come and get you.”

“Get me?”

His hands were still on her face. “Yeah. Get you. You’re mine, Darcy Shaughnessy. You showed up on my doorstep and turned my entire life upside down, and now you’re stuck with me.”

She took a step away, out of his arms, and gave him a stern look. “Oh really? You think it’s just that easy? You just announce that you’re ready to come and get me, and I’m supposed to, what? Get all swoony?”

“Swoony?”

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot sassily. “It’s a word.”

Ben couldn’t help but laugh. He loved this—the banter, the teasing, the arguing…her. “Fine, it’s a word. Any other questions?”

“Tons.”

“Go for it,” he said with a smirk.

She gave him that sassy pose—arms crossed, hip cocked, and confident smile that he loved.

“Well, my plan was to walk in here and surprise you,” she replied. “Then I was going to talk to you about my ideas for the gallery.”

“And what are they?”

“I was thinking it would be the perfect location for you to set up a permanent display. It would be a place where you can showcase your art and other local artists—ones you approve of, of course. The space isn’t huge, but it does come with a private loft apartment upstairs that you can use when you’re in town for shows. That would cut down on commuting.”

He nodded in agreement, because they had already talked about some of that being his vision. The loft? That was a definite perk.

“And then I was going to invite you to dinner to talk more about it.”

“I see,” he said after taking a moment to consider her words.

“And at the end of the night, I was going to kiss you and ask you to take me home with you. Beg you to, actually.”

She was totally stealing his thunder.

He studied her for a long moment. “That’s not going to work for me.”

Her eyes, those big, beautiful green eyes, looked up at him and expressed her every emotion—disbelief, anger, sadness. “Oh.” She stepped away from him, and he watched as she slowly sank to the floor and hugged her legs to her chest.

He crouched in front of her and placed his hands on her knees. “Don’t get me wrong, I love your ideas for the gallery—this location is great, and other than it needing a major facelift, I think it has amazing potential.”

“But?” she prompted.

He let out a long-suffering sigh. “But it’s barely lunchtime, and I skipped breakfast. So if we can change dinner to lunch, I’d love to hear more about your plans for the gallery.”

The relief on her face was instantaneous, but she didn’t say anything.

“And after we’re done talking business, we agreed that we have some other…business…to discuss. Personal business. I was going to tell you how much I missed you and need you in my life. Because without you, I have nothing. There’s no light, there’s no laughter, and”—he gave her a small smile—“everything’s gray.”

“Well,” she said, fighting her own smile. “You do live in a very gray region of the country.”

“I’d be willing to change that,” he said, his voice sounding firm and confident and hopeful.

“Ben,” she began, “you love your house. It’s been in your family forever. You said you’d never leave there.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to get rid of the house—it’s too sentimental to me and my brothers. Mainly to me,” he quickly corrected. “But it’s a house. It’s not a home. At least, it’s not when you’re not with me. I want to be where you are, Darcy. I want to make a home someplace with you. Anywhere you want. I just…I need you.” Then he reached up and cupped her face again. “I love you.”

His thumbs caressed her cheeks. “I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought by letting you go, you’d go and pursue your dreams and finally experience the life you wanted to live. The last thing I wanted to do was hold you back.”

She shook her head but stayed quiet.

“And I would have held you back. Hell, I was holding myself back,” he admitted. “I didn’t realize how much I wasn’t living until you were gone.”

She sighed. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, and I promise I’m done with all that. It’s not going to be easy, but I want to try. I really do. Will you help me? We can find a place closer to your family or anywhere you want. We’ll make it work where I could have a workshop, and we could build a life together. Will you be there with me to remind me that I need to get out of my own way and live and laugh and be happy?”

“Ben—”

“Because that’s what you do for me, Darcy. You do all that for me. And I’d like to think I do some of that for you too. That I make you laugh and smile and be happy. Not that you need me to do that—it’s just who you are. But I hope some of what I do makes a difference in your life for the better.”

And then she kissed him.

It was a kiss full of heat and promise, and if it were up to him, they’d never stop. But they were still in the back room of a gallery, and he had much bigger plans for them.

When she lifted her head, she sighed happily. “You do. You definitely do. You believe in me, and you encourage me in a way that no one else ever has. But if you ever push me away like that again, I will fight for you. I won’t let you do that to me—to us—ever again. So know this now, Benjamin Tanner—you’re stuck with me. I’m not going anywhere, and I’m going to love you and build a life with you, and we’re going to be ridiculously happy.”

She smiled and felt as if her world was righted when Ben smiled at her.

“There’s no one else in the world for me but you, Darcy Shaughnessy. No one.” He stood and pulled her to her feet.

And as soon as he got them home, he planned on proving it to her.

Repeatedly.

* * *

“Ben!” Darcy called out as she walked out of their bedroom.

It was New Year’s Eve, and it was snowing. Not that they had plans to go anywhere, but she knew he had come in from his workshop over an hour ago, and she hadn’t seen him since. Smoothing her hands over her dress, she went into the kitchen to check on their dinner. Ben had put their roast in the oven when he came in, and it smelled delicious. Peeking into the oven, she saw that it looked amazing too.

Everything else—their side dishes and appetizers—were all prepped and ready to go too. All she needed was her man.

Granted, she’d been in their en suite getting ready, but where would he have gone to? There was a bottle of wine on the counter that she had taken out earlier to go with their first course. She opened it and placed it back down on the counter to breathe. Calling out his name again, she walked around setting the table and getting candles lit. She dropped a spoon on the floor and bent over to pick it up.

That’s when she heard a sharp hiss behind her.

“Don’t move,” he ordered, his voice deep and commanding.

She was bent at the waist, and no doubt he had quite the view of what she had on under her dress.

“Ben—”

“Shh,” he said as he walked up behind her and put his hands on her hips. “Damn. This is almost better than the apron and stilettos fantasy.”

Shaking her head—which was hanging upside down—she laughed. “I can’t believe we haven’t fully done that one yet. Clearly, I have the shoes here now.”

“Baby, we have a lifetime of getting to that. But this? I am really enjoying it.”

“All the blood is rushing to my head.”

Rubbing up against her bottom made them both moan. “That looks like very skimpy underwear, Darce.”

“It is,” she agreed. “And if I don’t pass out, I’d be happy to show it to you properly.”

Laughing, Ben stepped back and helped her straighten. His eyes raked over her, and he let out another hiss of breath. “Darcy Shaughnessy, you take my breath away.”

She was wearing the dress she had bought with the girls back in November—the green strapless one with the beading. She struck a pose for him. “You like it?”

He shook his head. “I love it. It looks like it was made just for you.”

The compliment pleased her immensely.

Stepping in close to him, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him softly on the lips. “Good. I was hoping you would. Maybe it’s silly to wear it when it’s just the two of us, but I thought since it was New Year’s Eve, we could dress up.” Then she noticed that Ben had showered—obviously in one of the other bathrooms—and was dressed casually in his usual attire of jeans and a flannel shirt. “Or I can change.”

“No,” he said and put a finger over her lips. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be back.” And without another word, he went into their bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Darcy thought that was a little odd but shrugged it off and went back to setting the table. When she was done, she stepped back and admired it. With the soft lighting overhead, the candlelight, and watching the snow fall through the giant window behind the table, it was perfect. Pleased with her handiwork, she went about putting their salads out and the fresh bread she’d baked earlier. Next came the stuffed mushrooms and the shrimp cocktails. The roast still had some time left, and they had decided on the assortment of appetizers to hold them over.

She startled when music began to play over the sound system. Turning, she saw Ben standing in their bedroom doorway wearing a suit. The sight of him simply floored her. She always knew he was handsome and sexy, but none of that prepared her for how devastating he’d look dressed up.

Slowly, he began to walk toward her, and between the dim lighting, the soft music, and him, Darcy almost felt light-headed. When he was in front of her, she let out a small sigh. “Damn.”

He smiled. “I clean up pretty nice, don’t I?”

She knew he was teasing, but unable to help herself, she ran her hands up over the lapels of his jacket to his shoulders and then looked up at the face that she loved most of all. “That you do. But I have to admit, I like you dirty too.”

He groaned and gently wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her close. “This coming from the girl in the barely there panties? I believe it.”

It would be so easy to just say the hell with the food and be dirty right there in the middle of the kitchen, but there was no rush. Time was finally on their side, and Darcy knew that not only did they have all night, but they had all the time in the world. She kissed him on the cheek. “Come on, let’s have something to eat.”

She stepped out of his arms and went to grab the bottle of wine she’d opened earlier to pour them each a glass. At the table, Ben held her chair out for her, and together, they sat and enjoyed the start of their celebration.

As they ate, they talked more about the possibility of buying the gallery in Seattle. Darcy would manage it and also work as Ben’s representative from this point forward. They talked about having their families come for the big grand opening—should they decide to do it—and how they’d deal with all that logistically.

They worked together to clean up and then reset the table for dinner. While they waited, Ben led her to the living room and asked her to dance with him.

It was perfect.

Who needed a night out in a loud and crowded restaurant when they could have this?

Swaying to the music, pressed together from head to toe, Darcy thought that life couldn’t possibly be more perfect than this. Ben’s body was so warm and hard and wonderful. He smelled so damn good, and she loved that he had gone along with her crazy idea of dressing up for a night at home.

“Darcy?” he murmured against her ear as he placed tiny kisses there.

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Mmm, I love you too.”

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the start of the new year than being here with you.”

“Me too.” And it was true. This was better than any party or anything else she could have imagined.

They continued to dance in silence for a few minutes, and then he spun her around and dipped her at the end of the song. She laughed with delight at the surprise move, and when they straightened, she saw something on his face that she was beginning to see more of lately—peace. Benjamin Tanner finally looked like a man who was at peace.

And she loved that for him.

“Actually,” he began, “I’m lying.”

Wait, what?

“Um, what?” she asked in confusion, leaning back from him slightly.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong. This is great. The dinner, the dancing, this dress on you…it’s all very nice.”

Her eyes went wide. “Nice?”

Ben seemed to ignore her shocked expression. “Mmm-hmm. It is. But maybe it’s not…let’s just say that maybe I can think of a better way to start the new year.”

“I swear, if you say that it would be better to be naked right now, I’m going to slug you,” she said with just a hint of snark.

He laughed softly and kissed the tip of her nose. “No. But that would be nice too.”

“Ben—”

He took a step back and looked at her. “Darcy Shaughnessy, you were the first person who really understood me. You understood my work. You accepted me. I love working with you. I love playing with you. And I especially love loving you.”

Her heart began to pound, because this was beginning to sound like a whole lot more than just romantic conversation during a dance.

“You are my hope, you are my muse, you are my life. When I think of my future now, there isn’t one minute of it where I don’t see you by my side.”

Swallowing hard, she nodded. “I feel that way too.”

His smile was slow and sweet, and when he reached out and ran one rough finger along her cheek, she couldn’t help but sigh.

“There is nothing I want more in this world than to spend every day of my life with you.”

And just as she was about to respond, he dropped to one knee in front of her and pulled a ring from his pocket. Holding it up to her, he took her hand in his. “Promise to always be by my side. Promise to love me when I’m unlovable and to accept me when I make mistakes. Promise to laugh with me, smile with me, and dance with me forever.” He paused, and as his dark gaze held hers, he slipped the ring onto her finger. “Marry me, Darcy, and promise me we’ll have our perfect forever.”

Nodding, she felt the sting of tears and didn’t care. When Ben stood and kissed her, she tasted him along with the tears that she couldn’t hold back.

And it was okay.

Because they were the best kind of tears—the ones that were happy and shed for all the right reasons.

And knowing that she was going to have her perfect forever with Ben?

It was the best reason.