So Right

by Darcy Burke

  Luke hadn’t minded at all. They’d also decided to include Cam since Brooke had texted to check on Kelsey multiple times since the incident at the pub the night before.

  After running to the market to fetch supplies, Kelsey threw together a salad and some scalloped potatoes while Luke roasted a pork loin. As she set the table, she realized it was the first time they were entertaining as a couple. She smiled at the thought.

  Brooke and Cam arrived first, with an excellent bottle of wine, naturally. Brooke hugged Kelsey tight. “I’m so sorry to hear about everything that happened.” Her brow creased as she rubbed Kelsey’s shoulder.

  Kelsey knew that Luke had talked to his brother after they’d gotten home and given him the scoop. “It’s been an exhausting day.”

  Luke answered the knock on the door and welcomed Gram and George inside. Gram went straight for Kelsey and wrapped her arms around her. “Are you all right, dear?”

  Kelsey had spoken to her briefly, just saying that Noah had come to town and died in a freak accident. Kelsey and Luke both hoped that all the testing the police were doing would confirm that he’d simply died in the fall. Neither could imagine anything nefarious happening in—or that close to—Ribbon Ridge.

  “I’m doing fine, Gram.” Surprisingly so. Luke’s strength and support were like a balm to her soul.

  “It helps to have Luke, doesn’t it?” Gram glanced over to where he stood with George, taking his jacket.

  Kelsey was unable to stifle a smile. “Did you read my mind?”

  Gram chuckled. “When one is newly in love, it’s particularly easy to spot others in the same situation.” She kissed Kelsey’s cheek.

  “Wine?” Cam called from the kitchen where he was pouring out the pinot noir he’d brought.

  “Absolutely!” George went to the island, where Cam had set out the glasses. George waited until everyone had grabbed a glass before raising his and toasting, “To family.”

  They all chimed in and clinked their glasses together, then Kelsey began the nerve-racking task of recounting the sequence of events from when Noah had shown up at the pub.

  When she’d finished, Gram shook her head. “Such a shame. I can’t imagine why he thought it was a good idea to come down here.”

  “I think he was hoping there was still a chance for us,” Kelsey said, feeling sad. “It is a shame because he was getting help. I really hoped he’d pull himself together.”

  Luke put his arm around her waist. “You are a saint.”

  Everyone agreed, and then they sat down to dinner. Luke opened two more bottles of wine, and by the time they were finished eating, the mood had lightened. Brooke helped Kelsey tidy up the kitchen while everyone else adjourned to the living room.

  “So where do you go from here?” Brooke asked as Kelsey closed the dishwasher and set it to run later.

  “First, I call my therapist tomorrow morning.”

  Brooke smiled encouragingly. “Good start. What about you and Luke?”

  “Nothing’s changed.” Actually, that wasn’t necessarily true. The love she felt for him had only intensified. There was still a bit of fear in the back of her mind, but she accepted that there was risk in anything worth having. “I’m in love with him, and I hope we’re together for a long time.”

  Brooke grinned. “I hope you’re together forever! If you get married, we’ll be sisters-in-law!”

  Kelsey laughed. “I suppose so. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” She was quite content to stay the current course and see where it took them.

  Later, after everyone had gone home, Kelsey snuggled back up against Luke in bed. The exhaustion she’d managed to keep at bay swept over her, and she couldn’t keep her eyelids open.

  He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his warm chest. “Kels?”

  She didn’t open her eyes. “Mmm?”

  “Maybe now isn’t the best time to ask, but I’d like you to stay here permanently. If you’re ready.”

  She was suddenly quite awake. Rolling in his embrace, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. Though it was dark, she could just make out his features. “I think I am.” Her answer surprised her as much as him—if the subtle rounding of his eyes meant that he was surprised. And she thought it did. She curled her arm around his neck. “Did you think I’d say no?”

  “I thought you’d at least say you needed to think about it.”

  “I don’t. I’ll give notice on my crappy apartment tomorrow.” Happiness unfurled inside her, and she had to giggle to let it out before she exploded.

  “Is that joy because you’re giving notice or because you’re coming to live here?”

  She tugged at the hair at his nape. “It’s joy because of you. Because of what we’ve found together. Because of what the future has in store.” She pulled his head down and kissed him. “I love you so much.”

  “And I love you.” He kissed her again, and she knew that nothing in her life had ever felt so right.

  Epilogue

  Thanksgiving, Ribbon Ridge

  There were so many people at the Archers’ Thanksgiving dinner that they were spread out over three rooms and just as many tables. There were Archers and Westcotts, and children and George and Ruby, and a few friends, such as Crystal. It was a massive undertaking, but Luke knew that Rob and Emily Archer were delighted to do it. And between seven children and their spouses, plus the added guests, they had plenty of hands on deck. Luke and Kelsey had brought yams and an apple pie. It turned out Kelsey was an excellent baker. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be twice his size come next year.

  Seated at the large table in the kitchen, he stretched his legs out after dinner, satisfied in every way possible. He draped his arm across the back of Kelsey’s chair beside him and let his fingers graze her shoulder. The diamond ring in his pocket felt heavy, which was silly. It wasn’t really—he was just exceedingly aware of its presence.

  And unbearably excited about it.

  He looked over at Kelsey and grinned like an idiot. As if she could feel his stare, she turned her head. A bemused expression stole over her features. “What?”

  He shook his head. “Later.” He planned to pop the question before dessert so that they could announce their happy news over pie.

  Assuming she said yes. He realized it was fast, but he wanted to spend his life with her. And he wanted everyone to know it.

  Last week, they’d closed the case on Noah’s death, ruling it an accident. The evidence had revealed that he’d fallen down the hill and struck his head on the rock. The result had been a massive brain hemorrhage, and he’d died almost immediately. He’d also been—literally—fall-down drunk. With that behind them, it seemed they had a fresh beginning, and he was eager to move forward.

  Rob Archer came into the kitchen from the dining room. “Can everybody come into the living room? We want to say a few things.” He smiled as he gestured through another doorway to the great room.

  Luke stood and held Kelsey’s chair. They moved as a group into the living room, passing Rob on their way. Taking stock of everyone in the room, there had to be about thirty people, including the toddlers and babies.

  Rob came in then and stood near the massive stone fireplace. “Thanks for coming today. It’s our pleasure to share Thanksgiving with all of you. We’re truly honored by your presence. And none more than my good friend George, who has something he’d like to say.”

  George had been standing off to the side with Ruby. He took her hand, and they walked together to the fireplace. Luke had a pretty good idea what was going to come next, and he couldn’t have been more thrilled.

  Putting his arm around Ruby, George looked around the room. “I’ve known most of you a long time. Which means you know me too. Or at least you think you do.” He chuckled as he glanced down at Ruby and gave her a squeeze. “This might surprise you—it sure surprised me, and in the best way possible.” He grinned much the way Luke had a few moments ago in the kitchen. “This lovely young th
ing standing beside me has agreed to be my wife.”

  No one would ever know if he meant to say more, because the room simply erupted in cheers and excitement. One of the babies started to cry.

  When Kelsey didn’t rush forward to hug her grandma, Luke turned to her and asked, “Did you know about this?”

  She nodded, and he saw tears in her eyes. “She called me this morning right after he proposed. I think she wanted my permission.” She laughed as she swiped her fingers beneath her eyes.

  Luke hugged her and kissed her forehead. His proposal could wait. He didn’t want to take a moment of the spotlight away from George and Ruby.

  After everyone had finished mobbing the newly engaged couple, Luke and Kelsey took their turn. Luke shook George’s hand, but George pulled him into a fierce bear hug instead.

  “I figure we’re family now, right?” He thumped Luke’s back before pulling away.

  Luke coughed. “Good Lord, George. How much are you bench-pressing these days?” He grinned at the older man, who laughed in return.

  Luke waited until Kelsey and her grandmother finished embracing before giving Ruby a hug too. “I’m so happy for you both.”

  “Thank you. It’s quite a thing, isn’t it?” She put her arm around Kelsey and pulled her close. “And won’t Kelsey look lovely as my maid of honor?” She kissed Kelsey’s cheek.

  Luke couldn’t dispute that. Kelsey looked lovely every single minute of every single day. “She certainly will.”

  “I’ve decided to take a page from Kelsey’s book and cut back my hours at The Arch and Vine,” George called out, effectively silencing the group. “Sorry, but it’s time to embrace at least semiretirement so I can enjoy my bride.”

  “I think that’s great,” Luke said to Kelsey. She’d gone down to working just two days a week at the pub, plus she’d help out as necessary, though that hadn’t come up yet. They’d both been surprised to realize they didn’t like working as much now that they’d found each other.

  Kelsey smiled up at him. “Right? I knew you’d get it.”

  After gorging themselves on five kinds of pie, Luke and Kelsey finally went home, where Luke immediately stripped and put on athletic shorts and a roomy T-shirt. “I need fat clothes,” he said.

  Kelsey laughed. “Hey, I did the same thing. I just went straight for pajamas, though.”

  He arched a brow at her. “You think you’re going to wear those for long?”

  “At least until you digest a little!”

  “Good point. Let’s see what we can hunt up on Netflix.” He turned and went into the living room.

  A few minutes later, Kelsey joined him, but she didn’t sit. He turned to look at her standing at the end of the couch, staring at him, the chinos he’d been wearing in her hand.

  She looked… He wasn’t sure what she looked, but it wasn’t necessarily good.

  He muted the TV and turned to face her. “What’s wrong?”

  She hesitated before saying, “I, uh, you left your pants on the bed. I was going to hang them up for you.” With her free hand, she held up her thumb and forefinger. Which held the diamond ring he’d planned to give her.

  “Shit.” Really? That’s what he said? He jumped up. “I mean… Oops. I forgot that was in there.”

  “I see.”

  He laughed then, amused by the absurdity of the situation and his idiocy. “I’m not sure how I forgot, since I’d been planning to give it to you.” He added, “Obviously,” in case that needed to be said.

  “When?”

  “After dinner. Before dessert. Pretty much when George announced his engagement to your grandma.” He scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “I didn’t want to steal their thunder, so I decided to wait.”

  Her mouth formed an O, but no sound came out. She held it out. “Here. You’re amazing. I love you.”

  He realized there would be no better time than the present. He took the ring from her and stepped toward her, dropping to one knee. “Kelsey McDade, you’ve made me happier than I ever imagined. I never thought I’d find someone I’d want to share my life with. You’re my lover, my best friend, my soul mate. Will you marry me?”

  She stared at him, her mouth open. At last, she nodded, slowly at first and then increasingly faster. He actually feared she might give herself whiplash.

  “So that’s a yes, then?”

  She stuck her left hand out, and he slipped the ring on her finger. It was a little too big, unfortunately. “We’ll get it sized,” he said.

  She stared at it, holding her hand flat and then bringing it closer to her face. “Is this real?”

  “Um, yes?” Of all the reactions he’d been expecting, that wasn’t it.

  She laughed, then clapped her hand over her mouth. The diamond sparkled on her finger. She pulled her hand away and looked at the ring again. “That’s not what I meant. What I meant is this”—she looked down at him, her eyes pale and glistening, and gestured to him and back to her—“is this real?”

  He stood and clasped her waist. “Absolutely,” he said softly.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Can we keep this to ourselves? Just for a bit. The weekend. I loved that you wanted my grandma and George to enjoy the spotlight. You are the best of men.”

  He smiled down at her and smoothed her hair back from her face. “Whatever makes you happy.”

  She tipped her head to the side, her mouth curving into a gorgeous grin. “That’s easy. You.”

  The end

  Don’t miss the next book in the Love on the Vine series, So in Love!

  Thank You!

  Thank you so much for reading So Right! I hope you enjoyed your stay in Ribbon Ridge and that you’ll come back for So in Love, the final book in the Love on the Vine series, featuring Jamie Westcott and Crystal Donovan. In the meantime, you can catch up with the Archer family in the seven book Ribbon Ridge series, available now from Avon Impulse. If you haven’t already, be sure to catch up on the first book in Love on the Vine, So Good.

  Ribbon Ridge is a fictional town based on several cities and towns dotting the Willamette Valley between Portland and the Oregon Coast. It’s pinot noir wine country, very beautiful and picturesque, and a short drive from where I live. My brother actually dwells right in the heart of it in a tiny town with no stoplights. There is, however, an amazing antique mall in an historic schoolhouse (and apparently seven Pokestops).

  Would you like to know when my next book is available? You can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter at @darcyburke, or like my Facebook page at http://facebook.com/DarcyBurkeFans.

  Reviews help others find a book that’s right for them. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. I hope you’ll consider leaving a review at your favorite online vendor or networking site.

  If you like historical romance, check out my Regency-set series: The Untouchables, Secrets and Scandals, and League of Rogues.

  I appreciate my readers so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  Books by Darcy Burke

  Historical Romance

  The Untouchables

  The Forbidden Duke

  The Duke of Daring

  The Duke of Deception

  The Duke of Desire

  The Duke of Defiance

  The Duke of Danger

  Secrets and Scandals

  Her Wicked Ways

  His Wicked Heart

  To Seduce a Scoundrel

  To Love a Thief (a novella)

  Never Love a Scoundrel

  Scoundrel Ever After

  League of Rogues

  Lady of Desire

  Romancing the Earl

  Contemporary Romance

  Ribbon Ridge

  Where the Heart Is (a prequel novella)

  Only in My Dreams

  Yours to Hold

  When Love Happens

  The Idea of You

  When We Kiss

  You’re Still the One

  Ribbon Ridg
e: Love on the Vine

  So Good

  So Right

  So in Love

  Acknowledgments

  Several professionals helped with this book, and I am deeply grateful for their expertise. Any errors are mine. Thank you Heather Durham for your assistance with the crime scene specifics and also, for being a wonderful friend. Thanks to my husband Steve for all the legal stuff. And thank you to Rachel Grant for her archaeological knowledge and help with the map situation. If you haven’t read her books, you totally should. I LOVE them.

  Thank you to Elisabeth Naughton and Rachel (again) for their help with this book. I absolutely cherish our time together and appreciate you both from the bottom of my heart.

  Thank you to Danielle and Corinna for being total rock stars. Thank you to my editing team of Linda and Toni. Thanks also to my cover designer, Carrie Divine.

  As always, endless love and thanks to my beautiful family. You make every day the best day ever.

  Copyright

  So Right

  Copyright © 2017 Darcy Burke

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1944576126

  ISBN-13: 9781944576127

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.