by Susan Meier
“That would be nice.”
“Holidays I can come here until Sabrina and I get established.”
“Who is Sabrina?”
He laughed. “Someone who might throw a ring back in my face if I get the proposal wrong.”
His mother gasped. “You’re getting married?”
“Not right away.” He winced. “Technically, we haven’t even dated but watching her handle a big problem that had come up in her life I suddenly realized I’d been running from mine.” He shrugged. “And that’s not who I am.”
“No. You were never a runner. You always jumped right in and faced things.”
“But I didn’t know how to handle Jim.”
“I think you do now.”
“I think I do, too.”
They ate cake and drank coffee and talked about anything and everything. He didn’t say much more about Sabrina. He’d taken a huge leap involving her in his future when she might not want a damned thing to do with him and he didn’t blame her.
But the woman with the problem had taught the man who thought he didn’t have any problems how to take a closer look and be a little more honest with himself.
She wasn’t just a beautiful face with the great figure and a mind like a steel trap. She made him a better person and he wanted her in his life.
He just had to figure out the proposal she wouldn’t be able to resist.
* * *
Sabrina McCallan stood by the huge double doors, looking at the castle outside Dublin, formal invitation in hand. The invite said the charity was having a showing of her paintings, but she hadn’t realized it would be held at the castle where she and Trent had taken shelter from the rain—
And there were no cars for other guests. There was no line of limos dropping off dignitaries and society matrons. There was just her and the moonlight.
She’d checked into the charity and it was legitimate. They’d been thrilled she was planning to attend and were eager for the money from the showing—
Still, being here right now, it all seemed a bit odd.
As her driver maneuvered the big limo down the circular driveway to the road at the bottom of the hill, a case of nerves assaulted her. She opened her shiny black purse to get out her phone and call her car back, because the whole thing was beginning to feel like the first scene of a horror movie, but the double doors of the entry opened.
A man in tails greeted her. “Good evening, Ms. McCallan.”
She took a breath. Would a serial killer go to this much trouble to get her alone?
Yes. Damn it.
“I’m sorry but I think there was some sort of mix-up here.” Her phone in her hand, she stretched her thumb to call her driver.
The butler said, “Mr. Sigmund has been awaiting you.”
She froze. Trent? She missed him in a way she’d never missed anyone because she’d let herself fall in love with him, and he’d rejected her. Now he’d lured her back to the castle where he’d hurt her?
The butler bowed at the waist, motioning for her to come inside. Though her first instinct was to reject Trent the way he’d rejected her, curiosity got the better of her.
She shouldn’t be giving him the time of day. He’d hurt her more than anyone ever had. Not because leaving her had been so devastating but because until she’d met him she hadn’t believed love existed. He’d shown her it did then took it all back. Leaving her alone, disillusioned and in the kind of emotional pain she’d managed to avoid for twenty-eight years.
As the butler led her through the first sitting room and into the more formal living room, she realized the place was clean.
Sparkling clean.
She glanced around, breathless with awe. Even in need of a good remodel the castle was amazing. A home. Not like the McCallan family’s three-story condo where her mom hosted holidays or the mansion in Montauk, but a real home. With fires in the fireplaces and the scent of cinnamon as if someone had baked cookies.
A case of warm fuzzies overwhelmed her and she let them because they felt right. Something about this castle had always called to her.
“Sabrina...”
Trent walked over to her, his hands extended to take hers. His hair was short, the way he’d had it cut the last time they were in Dublin. He looked rich and powerful and sinfully sexy, but also warm and wonderful. Just the touch of his hands filled her heart with happiness.
But he’d also dumped her—
She pulled her hands from his and waved the engraved invitation. “I thought this was an exhibition. I called the charity, verified the facts.”
“I gave them a ton of money to host this without hosting it. And it is an exhibition.” He pointed to three of her paintings hanging on the wall to the right. “They just happen to be paintings that I own.”
“You bought my paintings?”
“I would buy all of your paintings if it weren’t so impractical and selfish.” He glanced lovingly at a huge picture of a little blonde girl in a meadow. “I think that one’s a self-portrait.”
It was. But not in the conventional sense. She’d painted herself in a beautiful meadow, but alone. She’d always been surrounded by beauty, but she’d also been very much alone.
She suddenly realized this castle was the first place she hadn’t felt alone, the first place she’d let herself be herself.
And he knew that.
“This whole deal feels kind of sleazy and cheap.”
He arched a brow. “Let me assure you. It was not cheap.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do.” He turned and led her through the sitting room to a corridor she didn’t remember to the great room. “But I knew it was going to take a grand gesture not just for you to hear me out, but to understand.”
The table was set with the good china. Candles burned between the two catty-corner places.
The need to cry shivered through her. In the weeks that had passed, she’d barely let herself think about the night they’d spent here. And now here it was, recreated for her.
He lifted the lid off a silver bowl and the scent of his goulash floated out.
Tears filled her eyes, but she laughed. “What are you doing?”
“Apologizing.” He stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets. “Explaining.”
After the first week had gone by without a word from him, she’d dashed any hope that he might have acted hastily or made a mistake. She’d spent every day since then working to get over him. But one bowl of goulash, one sweet gesture, and she was butter.
“I let you go because I was afraid I would hurt the fragile peace your family had just established.”
“So you said.”
“But I saw your family at the charity ball a few weeks ago. I saw that you’re all strong. Even your mom. And I thought it was a little vain of me to think I could hurt you.”
“It was.” But she had understood it. Even two years after her dad’s death, she was still cautious, still afraid. It had taken four days with Trent for her to see she’d been living in a prison.
“Don’t forget, I’d carried the guilt of ruining one family.” He took a breath. “So I paid a visit to my mom and stepdad and realized I hadn’t really ruined anything. My stepdad’s a piece of work, frequently grouchy, but I think he’s hiding a low self-esteem.”
“Oh, yeah?”
He motioned for her to come to her seat and she did—slowly—as hope built inside her. A man who’d bought her paintings and arranged to meet her in the house where they’d fallen in love had to have something important to say.
He pulled out her chair and helped seat her, then took the chair across from the candles.
“You look lovely. Even if you are playing it safe with blue.”
She laughed. “You didn’t think I’d wear the backless dress to an event where I kne
w no one.”
“I thought you were bold.”
Her gaze jumped to his. “I am bold. I came to this castle only out of curiosity—” She stopped, cleared her throat. “I didn’t even realize this was the castle we were forced to stay in.”
“I bought this place.”
Shocked, she glanced around. “You did?”
“For us. It was a matter of looking at public records to find the owner, but he wasn’t willing to sell until I told him our story.” He laughed. “Then he welcomed my offer with open arms. A few decades ago, he’d bought this castle for his new wife. They’d summered here with their four kids. When I told him you were pregnant, he knew we’d keep this house a real home. That’s what he wanted. That’s what I want.”
Her throat tightened with the longing to weep, and she swallowed. He’d barely explained himself, but he almost didn’t have to. The story of the castle owner was the most romantic thing she’d ever heard. And what she needed from him was the romance she’d always believed didn’t exist.
Still, she wanted that last little bit of confirmation. “For us?”
“We’ve known each other forever without really knowing each other, so though I brought a ring—”
She gaped at him.
“If you don’t want to take it, I’ll understand. But no one has ever made me feel as wonderful as you do.”
Emotion swelled in her chest, making it difficult to breathe, let alone think. She now knew romance was more than dancing and kissing. Honesty had brought them together. Only honesty would keep them together.
Her answer came straight from her heart. “No one’s ever made me feel as wonderful as you make me feel, either.”
“So we can take a few months or a few years.” He shrugged. “Whatever we feel comfortable with before we get engaged.”
Thoughts wound through her brain and eventually connected everything he was saying. “If that was a proposal you did a really poor job.”
He laughed. “I chickened out.”
“Why? You bought a castle! How can you chicken out at the best part? The part where you ask me to share it with you.”
“Because the last time I saw you, you were still mad at me.”
“The last time I saw you, you were naked. We were both naked. I could pick up right from that spot.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No. I understand. What happened between us happened fast. Now I see that you had some loose ends to tie.”
He rose from his seat, sliding his hand into his jacket pocket and pulling out a black velvet ring box. Getting down on one knee, he opened the box and said, “Will you marry me?”
The tears she’d been fighting suddenly dried up. She pressed her lips together to stop a laugh before she said, “Yes.”
Every crazy thing that had happened since the morning of Seth’s wedding made sense.
After sliding the diamond on her finger, he took her hands and helped her to stand so he could kiss her.
“I feel like we’re breaking about a thousand rules.”
She laughed, lovingly looking at her diamond, then into his eyes. “Some people aren’t made for rules. I spent my entire life trying to keep my dad’s rules. Now I would just like to live my life.” She smiled. “With you.”
“Amen to that.”
He kissed her again.
Then a maid arrived followed by the butler. When Trent and Sabrina were seated again, the butler poured sparkling apple juice. The maid brought warm rolls and soft butter. Their duties accomplished, they scurried away.
She gave him a confused look. “A butler and maid?”
He buttered a roll. “You said kids would be sleeping upstairs and servants would be in their first-floor quarters.”
She laughed. “You really pay attention.”
“It’s one of my best traits.”
She wanted to tell him about the Irish couple she’d seen in her fantasies about this house but suddenly realized they were the couple. They’d always been the couple because she’d always known she and Trent belonged together.
That was when she realized there really might be such a thing as women’s intuition. She felt it right now. They might not live in this castle full-time. It might be their summer retreat, but no matter where they lived they’d be happy. Forever.
EPILOGUE
A LITTLE OVER eight months later, Sabrina lay in a hospital bed with Trent holding her hand and her doctor telling her to push.
She did.
When the push was over, her mother wiped sweat from her brow. “That’s great, sweetie.”
Trent kissed her forehead. “Really great.”
The doctor peered at her above the sheet draped over her legs. “Okay. We’re ready for another push. Make this one a good one.”
She took a long breath, focused her gaze on Trent’s encouraging face and pushed with all her might.
The doctor laughed and looked at her over the sheet again. “We have a girl.”
Her mother gasped. “A girl? I thought you said you were having a boy?”
The doctor handed the baby to a nurse who scurried away. “We need some more pushes.”
Trent squeezed her hand. “You’re good. Just a few more pushes and we’ll get that little boy.”
Her mother gaped at Trent. “What boy? Another baby? Twins?” She looked down at Sabrina. “You knew you were having twins and you kept that from me?”
She glanced at her mom. “I wanted at least one surprise from this pregnancy.”
“Push, Sabrina! Now!”
She pushed again, and again, and a third time, really hard.
“And here’s our boy.”
Maureen leaned down, peering over the sheet as if needing to confirm the second child. “How does a woman hide the fact that she’s having twins...and from her mother!”
Sabrina sighed. “Are you or are you not surprised?”
“I’m shocked.”
Trent laughed and peeked down at Sabrina. “From the look on her face I’d say that’s true.”
The nurse walked over with their baby girl. She handed her to Sabrina, who laughed through her tears. “Oh, my gosh!” She caught Trent’s gaze. “We have two of these.”
He kissed her forehead. “I know.”
“Are you sure we can handle this?”
“I don’t see why not. We do have two cribs in the castle and another one on order for the condo.”
His condo. He had more space for a nursery, a playroom and nanny’s quarters. All that remodeling had been done weeks ago. Now they’d start planning their wedding.
The nurse brought over their son. She would have handed him to Trent, but Sabrina insisted on switching. “Babies need to bond first with their mom.” She handed Trent the little girl, then took the boy from the nurse.
“Hello, Sebastian.”
Maureen raced to the other side of the bed and looked over Trent’s shoulder. “Oh, she’s beautiful. So tiny.” She caught Sabrina’s gaze. “And you knew she was coming?”
Sabrina laughed. “Yes, Mom. Her name is Selena.” She paused a beat then said, “Want to go out to the waiting room and tell Seth and Jake it was twins?”
Maureen clapped. “Oh, this’ll be fun!”
She raced to the door but stopped and faced Trent. “Your parents got here, didn’t they?”
He’d flown them to Key West for a fishing trip to celebrate his stepdad’s retirement, not realizing Sabrina would go into labor early, and he’d had to send his jet back to retrieve them.
“They got here about two hours ago.”
“Do they know about the twins?”
Trent stopped a laugh at her enthusiasm. Who would have ever thought the McCallan matriarch would love a good joke so much?
“Nope. Go have your fun.”
&
nbsp; She raced out of the room and Trent took his seat beside Sabrina’s bed. “Are you okay?”
She cuddled Sebastian. “I’m so exhausted I could cry.”
He laughed. “If what I’m told is true, we’d better get accustomed to that feeling.”
Looking at her son, she smiled. “It’ll be worth it.”
He glanced at their little girl, already his in his eyes because he’d been with Sabrina since the day she’d discovered she was pregnant. “Yeah, it’ll totally be worth it.”
A round of laughter floated into the labor room from the hallway that led to the waiting room.
“I think your brothers like your joke.”
“It wasn’t a joke. It was a surprise. And every once in a while a family needs to be shaken up.”
With a quick chuckle, he agreed. Once in a while, a family did need to be shaken up.
Since he’d met her, he’d reconciled with his family, bought a castle, remodeled his condo...become a dad and would soon be a husband.
Life didn’t get any better than this.
* * *
If you missed the previous stories in the Manhattan Babies trilogy, look out for
Carrying the Billionaire’s Baby
A Diamond for the Single Mom
And if you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Susan Meier
The Spanish Millionaire’s Runaway Bride
The Boss’s Fake Fiancée
A Mistletoe Kiss with the Boss
All available now!
Keep reading for an excerpt from One Night in Provence by Barbara Wallace.
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