“I met you at the craft show seven weeks ago tomorrow.”
She’d been keeping track of it, too. That was a positive sign. “I know that, but I saw you in that never-to-be-mentioned play eight weeks ago tonight.”
She tilted her head sideways. “Can we count that? We didn’t even speak or anything.”
“I knew when you went after the spider that you were what I was missing in my life.” This resulted in a pinch on his leg.
“Keep that up, Matt, and you’ll be eating at Pelican Point alone.”
“If you keep pinching me, we won’t be eating at all.”
“Hmm. What should I do?” she said softly, shaking her head.
“It’s simple. Keep loving me.”
She smiled. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”
A short while later they were seated at a table with a view of the St. Marys River. After the waiter had taken their order, Matt glanced back at Darcy. “I bet the number of male customers visiting the gift shop has increased since you started working.”
“Why would it?”
“Because they all want to get a look at you. Not that I blame them. If I was at the hospital, I’d be buying all kinds of things I don’t need or want just to get a chance to talk to you.”
“And I’d end up getting fired for ignoring all the other customers.”
“Then I guess I better stay away. Have you ever heard of Callaway Gardens?”
“No. Where did that come from?”
Matt laughed as he stirred a packet of sugar into his coffee. “One of my customers mentioned it, but I already knew about it from when I was stationed at Ft. Benning. It’s up the road from Columbus. I never gave it much thought when I lived there, but as a landscape person, I’d like to see it. Apparently, it has the world’s largest display of azaleas, along with dogwoods and crabapples. Spring would be the time to go. That’s when all those things are in bloom.”
“How far away is it?”
“About five hours. Not exactly a day trip, but it would make a nice weekend getaway. They’ve got cabins you can rent.”
“You’ll have to plan a trip in the spring.”
He was way ahead of her on that. “Yes, I will.” Matt noticed the waiter returning with their food. “I forgot how big the portions are here.”
“You can handle it.”
“Thanks a lot.”
Darcy didn’t respond until the waiter had arranged their plates and departed again. “Well, there’s a lot of you to fill up.”
Matt speared a shrimp and dunked it into a red sauce. “That hole you’re digging is getting larger.”
“You’ve made comments about my appetite once too often.”
“Only because I love to watch you eat.”
She sent him a suspicious glance. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing bad. I just get a kick out of seeing you dig in and enjoy your food without worrying about how many calories you’re consuming. Females stress too much about their weight. Most girls these days are so thin you can practically see through them. It’s like trying to hug a bag of bones.”
“I guess that means I’m not a bag of bones.”
He grinned widely. “Definitely not. You’re all soft curves and silky skin, a combination that’s hard to resist.”
“I’m glad you’re happy with me because I’m useless at dieting.”
He stretched his hand across the table and clasped her fingers. “I’m very happy with you. If we weren’t surrounded by all these people, I’d prove that beyond all doubt.”
For the remainder of the meal, Matt kept the conversation on trivial subjects. As he listened to Darcy talk about another proposed shopping trip with Alison, he tried to calm the anxiety within him. The last time he reached this point with a woman, she told him she didn’t love him. Was this time going to be more successful?
As they walked out of the restaurant, he drew her arm through his. “It’s still early. Want to take a drive?”
“That would be nice.”
* * * * *
Not quite an hour later, Matt pulled into the driveway of a two-story condo facing the ocean. Darcy glanced at him questioningly. “Are we adding breaking and entering to our agenda for the evening?”
He laughed as he reached across to unbuckle her seatbelt, taking advantage of the darkness and their closeness to kiss her. “No need for that. I have a key. This place used to belong to my dad. Last year he sold it to Eric. Would you like to see inside?”
“I’d love to.”
She glanced around with interest as he led her through a tiny hall into a high-ceilinged room that served as the living and dining areas. The bamboo furniture with its palm tree patterned cushions gave it the feel of a vacation home. “Do Eric and Julie come here often?”
“About one or twice a month.”
Darcy walked over to the window. A sliver of moonlight bounced off the dark water, giving just a glimpse of the incoming tide. “Can you imagine having this view every night?”
“Yes, very easily,” he replied. “I like it even more with you in it.” He came up behind her. “Have you given any more thought to what you’re going to do about your degree?”
“I’ve been looking into finishing it online.”
“So you can stay in St. Marys?”
Did he really think she would leave now that she’d met him? “Yes.”
“And be near me?” he asked, his lips brushing against her ear.
She smiled to herself. “Maybe.”
“Maybe? What are you trying to do to me?”
“I went away because I needed to prove to myself that I could live on my own. It was the right decision at the time. But things are different now. I don’t want to leave.”
He turned her around to face him. “I don’t want you to leave, either. I’ve only just found you again. I want you close so I can learn everything there is to know about you.”
“That could take a long time.”
“You’re right. It will take a lifetime. Can you give me a lifetime, Darcy?” Reaching into his pocket, he removed a tiny black box. When he opened the lid, her eyes flew to the diamond ring resting on the ivory satin. “Will you be my true love?”
She wasn’t sure she could bear so much happiness. The wish she’d concealed in her heart for so long was finally coming true. “Oh, Matt,” she whispered, her eyes misty with unshed tears. “Yes, yes, I will.”
After sliding the ring on her finger, he brought her hand to his lips. “This is more than a symbol of my love for you. It’s also a promise that I’m not going anywhere. Marriage isn’t something to be entered into lightly; it’s a lifelong commitment or at least it should be. I’m not going to rush you into anything before you’re ready. Our engagement can be as long as you want.”
His understanding of her fears and uncertainty touched her deeply. She wound her arms around his neck. “Do you know how amazing you are?”
“Me? Amazing? Wait ‘til I tell Eric. He won’t believe it.”
“I’ll tell him myself. I love you, Matterson.” She drew his head down and kissed him softly.
His arms closed around her. “You may have started something you’re going to regret.”
Darcy shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
With a slow smile, he lowered his head. His lips teased and caressed, moving unhurriedly from her mouth to her neck and shoulders and back again. A groan slipped from him when her fingers found their way into his hair. When at last he broke away, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m not sure a lifetime will be long enough.”
Epilogue
Darcy removed the cookie sheet from the oven and set it on a cooling rack. “That’s the last batch.”
“Thank goodness,” Matt said as he snagged a warm cookie off the spatula in her hand.
“If you don’t stop eating them, we aren’t going to have any left for Stella’s party.”
“I can’t help it. Chocolate chip is my favorite.”
“That’s what you said about the sugar cookies.” She reached behind her back to untie her apron. “I think I’ve worked this thing into a knot.”
“How do you always manage to do this?” Matt quickly unknotted the strings and removed the apron, laying it on the counter. “What do I get for helping you escape?”
“Another cookie?” she suggested as she swung around to face him.
Shaking his head, he moved closer. “I don’t want another cookie.”
“How about a back rub?”
“Maybe later. Now stop kidding around. You know what I want.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed his chin. “Satisfied?”
“Darcy Gibson, I’m warning you.”
“Warning me about what?” she asked coyly.
Matt didn’t bother telling her. He showed her. By the time he finished, they were both out of breath. “Mmm. Sugar and spice and everything nice,” he whispered against her lips.
“We’re not done yet.”
“I know,” he said huskily. “I’m just getting started.”
She pushed gently against his chest. “That’s not what I meant. We need to get this mess cleaned up. We’ve got company coming over tonight.”
“I could probably convince you otherwise.”
Darcy laughed. “Let’s not put it to the test.”
He nipped playfully at her ear. “Okay, I’ll behave. Before we start this massive clean-up operation, I need to tell you something.”
“I’m listening.”
“We’re going to Florida the day after tomorrow.”
She walked her fingers up his arm, a teasing smile parting her lips. “It’s kind of soon to be going on a second honeymoon. We’ve only been married six months.”
“Second honeymoon? Our first one isn’t over yet. I guess we should go back to Callaway next spring. We didn’t see much of anything outside our cabin.” He grinned as her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink.
“Why are we going to Florida?”
“To pick up Mindy.”
“Who’s Mindy?”
“Your seizure dog.” As his words sunk in, every scrap of color faded from Darcy’s face.
“You…you arranged for me to have a seizure dog? But how? They’re so expensive.”
“We can’t put a price on your happiness and peace of mind.” With a strangled sob, she threw her arms around his neck, pressing kisses on his face. A pleased laugh escaped him. “I take it you’re okay with adding Mindy to our household.”
“I can’t tell you what this means to me, Matt. This is going to help so much.”
“You don’t have to tell me, darling,” he said softly as he brushed away her tears. “I can see it.”
She took his face between her hands. “Thank you for Mindy, and thank you for loving me.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “Thank you for letting me love you.”
Darcy smiled slightly as she drew away from him. When she got to the doorway leading into the hall, she glanced back over her shoulder. “Okay, here’s how this is going to work. The last one to the bedroom has to do the dishes. On your mark…get set…” She didn’t get any further. It was later decided that the race had ended in a tie.
The End
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Coming Summer 2016: Love of a Lifetime (Finding Love, Book 3)
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