“Hey, squirt. How are you doing?”
“I’m good. Look.” She held up a red lollipop. “Brinna gived me this ’cause I’m a big girl.”
“You sure are.” His gaze traveled to Elisa. “You look wonderful.”
“Why, thank you.” A hint of pink bloomed on her cheeks.
“What did Doc say?”
She grinned from ear to ear. “Daisy’s one hundred percent.” Her hand moved to her daughter’s hair and swept slowly over it. “My baby’s even better than when she was brand new.”
“Excellent! Then I guess you can have your surprise, Daisy.”
“My ’prise?”
“Yep, you earned it because you did everything the doctor told you to do,” Tucker said.
“I did! I get a ’prise, Mommy.”
“I heard that.”
Holding Daisy, he leaned into his car and came out with a soft yellow teddy bear, a small vase between its paws holding a single yellow daisy.
“A daisy. Like you sended me in the hospital. Just like my name!”
“Just like,” Tucker said.
“Look, Mommy! A teddy bear, too.”
“It’s wonderful, sweetheart. Did you thank Tucker?”
The teddy bear clutched in one hand, the little girl threw her other arm around Tucker’s neck. “Thank you, Tut. Will you be my daddy now? My real one instead of my honor one.”
He buried his face in her hair. “I love you, Daisy Elizabeth.”
“I love you, too, Tut. Be my daddy. Please.”
He didn’t dare look at Elisa. She’d read too much there, and he wasn’t ready to play his trump card yet.
Elisa cleared her throat. “Honey, I think—”
“She’s good, Lissie. How about you move her car seat to my Mustang? We’ll take a ride.”
“For ice cream?” Daisy laid her free hand on his cheek.
“Umm, probably not.”
Her lower lip popped out.
He tipped his head. “Not gonna work today, baby. Too much to do.”
“Can I play a game?”
“Sure.” He slipped the phone from his pocket and handed it to her, ignoring Elisa’s eye roll. Reaching out, he took the seat from her and set it in the Mustang.
Phone in one hand, her teddy bear and flower in the other, Daisy let Tucker lift her into the seat and snap all the buckles.
“Want me to set Teddy beside you?”
“His name’s Pookie.”
“Pookie?” he asked.
“Uh-huh.”
“Okay. I’ll set Pookie here where you can see him.”
When she didn’t answer, he saw she was already engrossed in his phone.
“Remember, no calling that boyfriend of yours.”
“I don’t gots a boyfriend, Tut!”
“Oh, that’s what you say.”
“Mommy, tell Tut I don’t gots a boyfriend.”
“Daisy doesn’t have a boyfriend.” Elisa corrected her daughter’s English. “And she can’t have one until she turns thirty. Maybe thirty-one.”
Tucker shot Elisa a thumbs-up. “With you on that.”
“Where are we going?” Elisa asked as she buckled up.
He simply grinned.
“Tuck!”
“You’ll see.”
“Will I like this surprise?”
“I liked mine, Mommy. Pookie was my ’prise.”
Tucker’s heart hammered in his chest. “I sincerely hope you do, Lissie.”
Elisa frowned. “Why so serious all of a sudden?”
Rather than answer, he reached out and enfolded her hand.
They drove to Desdemona’s. Like the rest of the town, her house was bedecked with Christmas lights and decorations.
She waited on the porch, dressed in a fuchsia silk jumpsuit and mile-high stilettos. A silver collar shone at her neck and long pendant earrings swung from her lobes.
When she spotted them, she started down the sidewalk.
Tucker turned off the ignition and swiveled toward the child in the backseat. “What are you playing?”
“I’m poppin’ ’loons.”
“Balloons?”
“Yeah, see?” She held up the phone and pretty colored balloons floated across the screen.
“Nice. How would you like to have a pajama party with Desdemona tonight?” Tucker asked.
A small sound escaped Elisa. Surprise? Outrage? Happiness? A little of each?
By now, Desdemona stood beside the car, a big smile on her face.
Daisy waved at her, and she knelt and waved back. She didn’t open the door, though.
The make or break moment. The plan either came together here or the wheels fell off it. “Here’s the deal, Lissie. A suitcase, with everything you’ll need for tonight and tomorrow, is in my trunk. Desdemona’s handling the bookstore tomorrow, and she’s excited about having Daisy to herself tonight.”
“She’s the grandmother Daisy’s never had,” Elisa said. When he moved to put an arm around her, she held up a wait-just-a-sec finger. “That doesn’t mean I’m ready to leave her here.”
“Why, Mommy? I wanna stay with Desdi.”
Elisa sent Tucker a now-you’ve-done-it look.
He reached out, took a curl between his fingers and played with it. “You worry about her. I do, too. If it helps any, Doc’s having dinner with them tonight and is staying for the pajama party—for a sleepover. Daisy will be in good hands.”
“I can’t just—”
“Sure you can,” Tucker insisted.
“Everybody will know I’m with you,” Elisa argued. “They’ll think we’re…”
“Yes, they will, and they’ll be right.”
Chapter 29
Twenty miles down the road, Elisa sipped the now cooling coffee Tucker had picked up for her. Quiet music filled the car, thanks to Molly who’d downloaded some romantic songs to his phone.
His sister-in-law had done her part and more. Now he had to do his.
“You won’t tell me where we’re going, will you?”
Tucker shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Are we almost there?”
“Now you sound like a kid.”
She grinned. “I don’t ever want to grow up. That’s my goal in life.”
He squeezed her hand. “It’s a darned good goal. One I can get behind.”
“You’ll have to work some to hit it, Tuck. You’re far too serious.”
He gave her a slow and lazy smile. “You might be surprised.”
Half an hour later, he turned left.
“Isn’t this the way to the airport?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“But—”
He held up a finger. “No more questions. Sit back and relax.”
“I can’t.”
“Oh yeah? Now who needs to lighten up?”
She stuck her tongue out at him.
Rather than go to long-term parking or the unloading zone, Tucker drove straight into the area reserved for private planes.
Elisa glanced around. “Do you know where you’re going?”
“Yes, ma’am, I do.”
He pulled into a parking space, pocketed the keys, and opened her door. From the small trunk, he took a duffel and two suitcases.
She eyed the luggage. “How long did you say we’re staying?”
“We can be home tomorrow afternoon. If you ask nice, though, we can stay another night.”
“I don’t know about that. I have a lot going on. This is a busy time at the bookstore, and Daisy—”
“We’ll see how you feel about it later.”
He turned and walked onto the tarmac, where a sleek white private jet waited. Elisa hurried after him.
“T
uck?”
“Our chariot.”
“This is our ride?”
“Yep.” He took in her incredulous expression and laughed. “I called in a favor from a former client. Pretty nice, huh?”
“Nice? Nice is a hot bath after a long day. Nice is an expertly made cappuccino. This—” She waved a hand as the door opened and stairs lowered. “This is so far beyond nice that I don’t have a word for it in my vocabulary.”
A uniformed steward hustled down the stairs and reached for their bags.
As he handed the last suitcase over, Tucker said, “Take very good care of this one. It’s irreplaceable.”
“Yes, sir. Plan on doing some gambling while you’re in Vegas?”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Tucker said with a smile. “I’m taking the biggest gamble of my life.”
Elisa elbowed him. “Vegas? We left Daisy with Desdemona to go to Vegas?”
“We did.” Tucker draped an arm over Elisa’s shoulders and walked beside her up the stairs and into the jet’s elegant black-and-white interior.
“Oh my gosh!” She stood inside the door, wide-eyed.
A white leather sofa and chairs were grouped around an ebony coffee table. Fresh Christmas-themed floral arrangements added their sweet scent to that of the leather. A large screen covered one interior wall.
“This isn’t quite the way I usually travel,” she said. “I’m always in economy class with my knees practically touching my chin. Can I just say wow?”
Tucker chuckled. “You can. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
They were barely in the air when their steward appeared with champagne and hors d’oeuvres. The timing was off. Tucker fumbled a couple of times, trying to find an opening for his proposal, but he couldn’t quite make it work.
This was a heck of a lot harder than he’d thought it would be.
“What’s wrong, Tuck? You look nervous.”
“Nope. Everything’s just right.”
When they landed in Vegas, Elisa said, “We’re here already?”
“We are.”
“The flight wasn’t nearly long enough. I’ve never, ever been treated to such decadence—and I loved it.” She leaned in and kissed him, long and thoroughly. “Thank you, Tucker.”
“Believe me, sugar, it was my pleasure.”
Pulling out his phone, Tucker checked his text messages before showing one to the limo driver who’d met them at the plane. He drove them to the vintage Cadillac, which had a huge Christmas wreath attached to its grille.
The key was exactly where Woofer said it would be, and Tucker popped the big old Caddy’s trunk.
“This is our car?”
“Oh yeah.” As the driver stowed their luggage, Tucker ran a hand over the hood. “Isn’t she a beauty?”
Elisa laughed. “Most men only get that glint in their eyes when they’re looking at a woman they lust over…or love.”
“Then you must see it in mine every time I look at you.”
“Tucker—”
He held up a hand. “Sorry. Too serious. Gotta find that kid in me, right?”
He helped her in and waited till she hooked her seatbelt.
“You don’t always have to be a child. Sometimes a grown man is exactly what I want.”
“Oh boy. See, you’re gonna have to hold that thought.”
“Or?”
“Or we won’t get to the important part of this trip,” Tucker warned.
She frowned. “You didn’t bring me here on business, did you?”
“There’s a little business involved, yeah, but I’m hoping it won’t take long. Let’s wait till we get to the hotel to talk about it.”
* * *
They stood outside the door to their room.
“The honeymoon suite? Don’t you think this is overdoing it a bit, Tuck? I mean, nobody here cares. The people who do already know we’ve run away for a night of—” Elisa waved her hand in the air.
“You can’t say it, can you?”
“What?”
“That we’ve run away for a night of mind-blowing, nonstop sex.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything.
He ushered her inside. Taking her hand, he said, “How about we change that to making love?” He dropped to one knee, a small velvet box in his hand.
“Tucker—”
“Hush. Listen to me. You and I have already been through more ups and downs than most married couples ever see. We’ve run those rapids and beat them. The way I see it, we’ve got this made.”
Trailing his thumb over the back of her hand, he said, “Let me start the way I should have the last time. With you is my favorite place to be, Elisa. I love you with all my heart, with all that I am. I love you for who you are and for who I am when I’m with you. You’ve filled the cracks in my broken heart and made me want to live again. With you and Daisy, I’ve finally found home.” Tucker flipped open the box, revealing a diamond solitaire ring. “Come on, Lissie, marry me. I love you…and will forever.”
“I have a lot of baggage, Tuck. I’m divorced and have a child—one who might still need a lot of extra care.”
Tucker nodded. “Yeah, you do have a little girl. Daisy Elizabeth is a big part of who you are and one of the many things I love about you. You’re an incredible woman, Lissie, and a fantastic mother. I understand you’re a package deal, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. A smart, courageous, sexy wife with a beautiful, brilliant daughter.”
She stayed quiet until his heart couldn’t take it anymore. “Put me out of my misery, Lissie. Tell me you’ll marry me.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” She threw herself at him, nearly knocking him off balance. “I love you, Tuck!”
Laughing, he stood, swept her up, and kissed her. “Thank you, sugar. I promise to do everything in my power to make you happy. I want to get married now. Right here in Vegas. Today.”
Shocked, she glanced down at her sweater and leggings. “Now? I’m not dressed for a wedding.”
Opening a suitcase, he pulled out one of Molly’s signature blue garment bags. “I haven’t seen this yet, because Molly picked it out for you. She packed a few other things, too.” He unzipped the second suitcase and turned it so she could see.
“You brought all this?” She fingered the negligees, the underwear, a fun dress and shoes as well as a more formal outfit, plus make-up, bubble bath, and scented lotion. All the necessities. “Pinch me, Tuck. I have to be dreaming.”
“Huh-uh. No way I’m marring even an inch of that beautiful body.”
“Who’ll marry us?”
“Think I’ll keep that a secret for right now. You’re okay with all this?”
She grinned. “I can’t believe it, but I am.”
“Take whatever time you need. Get all fixed up and into that gown, then we’ll go see the man and say our vows.”
“Boy, when you decide to color outside those lines, you do it up right. Obviously, there are sides to you I’ve yet to discover.”
“I intend to give you the rest of my life to find them all. I love you, Elisa Eklund Danvers.”
That did it, the reminder he loved her despite her father. She blinked, but couldn’t quite stop the tears. “I love you, too, Tucker Kennedy Wylder, and I’ll take every one of those days and promise you all of mine in return.”
He drew her into his arms and kissed her.
“If you want more after we return home, Lissie, the traditional wedding with our families and friends, we can do it again. I won’t deny you that.”
She laid a hand on the side of his face. “Tucker, I have the man I love beside me as my groom. The rest is window-dressing.”
“Thank you. I called my parents to tell them that I love you and intended to marry you t
oday.”
She went mushy inside.
“You didn’t get that chance. Your mom and—” He expelled enough air to fill twenty balloons. “And your father.”
“Your mom and dad are okay with it?”
“They’re more than okay, Elisa. They said they already knew we were in love and wondered what was taking us so long. How about your parents, though?”
“I’ll let Mom know the next time she calls. Same with the lieutenant colonel. Of course, Daisy might have three brothers and sisters by the time any of that happens.” Her forehead creased in thought. “You do want more children, don’t you?”
“I want a houseful, sticky fingerprints and all. I can’t imagine my life without Brant, Gaven, and Lainey. I’d like to give Daisy a big family.” He nuzzled her ear. “Maybe we could start on that tonight.”
Every nerve in her body stood up and took notice.
* * *
Feeling as giddy as a teenager on her first date, Elisa checked the full-length bathroom mirror one last time. Then she opened the door and stepped out.
Tucker smiled slowly. “Are you kidding me?”
She arched her brows. “Molly hit the nail on the head, didn’t she?”
The strapless, floor-length tulle gown had a wide silk ribbon sash at the waist and fit as though it had been tailored for her. The pièce de résistance? White daisy appliqués that danced over the full skirt.
“I can’t believe she had this.” She reached out to him. “Before we go, you need to take a picture of my ring.”
She held out her hand, and he snapped a shot of it.
“Now one of us together. You in your tux and me in this beautiful dress.”
He pulled her close, snapped the selfie, then texted the pictures to Desdemona to share with Daisy, along with a heartfelt message: Tell Daisy that Mommy and Daddy love her.
Elisa thumbed away a tear.
As they drove down the Strip, she smiled and held Tucker’s hand, waving at the Santas on every street corner. More than one person stopped to stare at the bright red Caddy convertible with its top down. The car was incredible, and it was oh so clearly a Wylder Rides restoration. The attention to detail was impeccable.
More important to Elisa, though, was the man beside her. Her groom. In a tuxedo, Tucker Wylder looked more handsome than any movie star who’d ever walked the red carpet, and he’d thought of everything. The dress, the ring, the car, the plane. He’d even had a fabulous bouquet waiting for her at the hotel’s front desk when they went back downstairs.
I've Got You, Babe (Must Love Babies) Page 30
