With a gentle tug, Dog Wonder-ful pranced up the steps and into the house, a bell jingling behind them. The front room was impressive, mahogany floors and wainscoting, with ornate molding around the ceilings and dramatic arches. The furniture was turn of the century, the chandelier tiffany, and the windows original leaded glass, which cast a rainbow glow around the room.
Belle Mont House wasn’t just historic—it was a piece of art.
Gage looked at the hand painted details around the each of balusters, and tried to picture Darcy in jeans and an old college tee—her hair in a messy ponytail, her hands speckled in paint. He’d always liked Messy Darcy, almost as much as he liked Warm and Soft Darcy. But his new favorite, he decided, as he pushed through the back door of the house, was Polished Darcy in her business-ready blouses, slim fitted skirts that hugged her curves and ended just below the knee, exposing those mile-long legs of hers. Which were always finished off in a pair of fantasy inspiring pumps.
Today the blouse was buttoned, the skirt cream, and those pumps fuck-me red. And the relaxed smile on her pretty face said she hadn’t seen him yet.
She stood at the head of the table, looking poised and confident, with a presentation easel behind her that read,
HEIRLOOM BLOOMERS. CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF FLORA HERITAGE.
“We could set up tables throughout the rose garden. Six-seater round tables in a cluster so that the group is kept together, but yet still invites intimate conversations,” she said to the table of ladies in the gazebo.
Not ladies, Gage corrected. Seniors. In flowered dresses, pearled gloves, and hats worthy of a British royal wedding. A table full of them, sipping tea from elegant cups and eating sandwiches fit for a dog.
“That sounds ideal,” a woman with bright pink lipstick and two matching circles painted on her cheeks said. “And where would you propose placing the flower stands?”
“We could always go traditional and have them set up around the lawn. Or we could get innovative and,” Darcy removed the front poster board to expose a blown-up blueprint of Belle Mont’s first floor, with red dots scattered strategically throughout, “move the show inside.”
Several gasps escaped, followed by a chorus of whispers—some excited, some skeptical.
“I know that you have had the rose show outside for several decades, but your organization was founded by Ms. Pitman and her three best friends as a way to share ideas and celebrate their blooms. Their first ever Heirloom Bloomers Tea was held in Ms. Pitman’s sunroom,” Darcy said, silencing the group. “By moving it back indoors, it will allow
us
to spotlight each and every entry, and
rose enthusiasts
to take a leisurely walk back in time, admiring rose blooms whose roots date back several generations, in the way Ms. Pitman had originally imagined. A coming together of friends and neighbors.”
“I do love the sound of that,” a lady in bifocals, holding a cane said. “But our tables are much too big, they’d block the hallway.”
“Excellent observation, Connie,” Darcy said. “Which is why I have spoken with a local contractor, who’s willing to build some vintage looking flower pedestals at a discounted price.”
Gage looked down at Fancy, who was straining on the leash, trying to get loose so he could go greet everyone with a proper doggie hello. “We’re going back inside to wait until her meeting is over. No wee-wee pads in there, so if you have to go, you hold it. Understood?”
“
Yip!
”
All dozen sets of eyes turned his way at the bark, including Darcy’s. They went big with surprise, before taking a slow discovery of his body, only to stop when they reached Littleshit and narrow into two pissed off slits.
“Real smooth entrance,” he whispered to the dog, who barked and went back to yanking at the leash. “No licking and no crotch sniffing. We’ll go in like gentlemen and charm her into giving us a second chance.”
Making his way down the back steps, Fancy trotting like he was a thoroughbred and this was the winner’s lap at the Kentucky Derby, Gage greeted the table, “Morning, ladies. We didn’t mean to interrupt your party.”
“Well, a party isn’t a party until the gentlemen arrive,” a portly woman in her seventies said, pulling out a lace fan and cooling her cheeks. “And aren’t you quite the specimen. Are you the contractor?” She looked at Darcy. “Is he the contractor?”
Gage’s biceps flexed a bit, along with his ego, and Darcy snorted. “He doesn’t know a thing about construction. Probably doesn’t even own a tool belt.”
“It isn’t about how many tools a man has in his belt, it’s how well he uses the tools he has,” Gage said, his lips curving up into a smile when Darcy’s face turned an adorable shade of pink.
“If you ask me, it’s about how well he looks in a tool belt.” Connie gave one more slow look, then winked. “I say you’re hired. Have a seat next to me.”
Gage winked back and Darcy rolled her eyes, but not before taking a thorough once-over of her own. Lingering extra-long, he noticed, on his tool belt.
“Unfortunately, Gage isn’t on Belle Mont’s approved list of service providers,” Darcy said, her smile sweet as icing, her gaze dialed to castrate. “And he needs to get going. I’m sure he has a busy day ahead of him.”
“Actually, I cleared my morning for our appointment.”
“What appointment?”
“The one where we talk about me getting on your approved service provider list,” he said, loving how she refused to laugh. Her lips were straining, she was so determined not to give in. “I’ve been trying to sweet talk my way onto that list for quite some time now, with no luck.” He sat at the table, making himself comfortable. “Maybe you ladies can give me some pointers, help me figure out exactly what Darcy’s looking for.”
Connie patted down her hat and hair. “Well, aren’t you determined and diligent. And absolutely delicious.”
Gage winked again—this time at Darcy. “I aim to please.”
“Ladies, would you excuse us?” Darcy asked, walking towards the house and snagging Gage by the elbow on her way. “The dog stays.”
Fancy huffed in defiance, but didn’t dare follow as Darcy led Gage silently through the back door, across the ballroom, not stopping until they were standing in the kitchen.
“Nice place,” he said, taking in the room. It was large and open, the deep sunken farm sink and vintage cooking utensils adding the right amount of charm to the sleek, professional work areas, which could rival some of the top restaurants in Portland.
“Cut the crap, Gage.” She folded her arms, which did amazing things to her blouse. Pulling the material, and tightening the buttons until all it would take was a simple flick of the finger for one to pop. “We didn’t have an appointment, so why are you here?”
He pulled his phone out, swiped to his email, and read, “I am open to discussing the possibilities at your earliest convenience.” He pocketed it.
“I thought you’d email back, not just show up before I could—”
“Make other plans?”
“No,” she said, but for the first time since he’d arrived, she broke eye contact. “To check my calendar. I’m in the middle of a meeting.”
“You said at your earliest convenience, and I conveniently had this morning open.” He pulled out a chair and sat down. “I don’t mind waiting.”
Gage had sat at Darcy’s table a thousand times on a thousand different occasions. But there was something about him sitting at this table that had Darcy on edge.
She narrowed those sharp, brown eyes at him then pulled out her own chair, and sat. “I have a meeting directly following this one. Now will be fine,” she said, not sounding the least bit fine with her current predicament.
Gage prided himself in his ability to control even the most stressful of situations while putting people at ease. His mother claimed his need to please was a direct result of middle child syndrome. Darcy had once told him that it stemmed from having a big heart. Which was why he’d started to take her uneasiness with his presence personally.
“I didn’t come to make things worse. I came because we need to talk.”
She let out a big sigh and sat back. “I know. And you were right, I would have kept postponing this, and if we intend to find a solution that works for everyone, we need to actually discuss it.”
A small spark of hope swelled in his chest. He’d come in here expecting some kind of argument, but her body language, although tense, was very open. “Are you’re considering our offer?”
“Parts of it,” she said, and he just prayed that Kylie was the part that was going in his favor. “First off, the wedding and Kylie. Two separate things, never again to be talked about in the same discussion. Me agreeing to this wedding has no standing on my decisions about Kylie’s life.”
“Got it,” Gage said, forgetting how sexy Darcy looked when she was ticked. And the offer had more than ticked her off, it had riled her up.
“As for the wedding, I can’t believe you’d think I’d consider that offer.”
“I knew it would offend you.” Gage smiled, wondering why it was so important that he’d been right.
“Then why did you send it?”
“Because my brothers wouldn’t shut up about more money until you shot them down.” And he would always have a small question burning in his gut, a curiosity that would be impossible to ignore. The past five years had taught him that. “I’d be happy to relay any message you have to them.”
“I will do the wedding here at Belle Mont House.” She stood and walked over to a small desk in the corner of the kitchen and grabbed a contract. “Rhett and Stephanie will have access to all of the approved vendors on my list. And any area that I don’t have covered, such as security, they can select their own company.”
“Should I be taking notes?”
“I already have a new contract made up.”
“Of course you do.” He smiled when she walked over to a small desk in the corner of the kitchen and grabbed a contract.
“As for the planner.” She slid the papers across the table. “I have put in there that I will be the exclusive designer and coordinator for the Stone and Easton wedding, but on the evening of the actual event, my assistant will run the show.” She folded her hands on the table. “I’m as eager to see your mother as she is to see me, so this seemed like the best solution for everyone involved.”
“It’s an extremely generous option,” Gage said softly, knowing that coming to that decision must have been hard for her. Agreeing to hold Rhett’s wedding in her backyard was one thing, handing over the reins to her business for an event that could put Belle Mont on the map would be difficult. “Will you be here at all?”
“I will plan everything up until the rehearsal dinner, then Kylie and I are going to Disneyland, which you will see is written in the contract.” He watched her flip to the third page and point at the coordinating section, but he was too busy wondering why he was unsettled by her proposed absence. “Not the actual location, but I will be charging a relocation fee for the inconvenience. But if you flip to the next page you will see that I have dropped my planner fee significantly.”
He did flip the page. And that smile of his grew. “It’s your normal hourly rate.”
“It is.”
“That’s a no to the extra hundred grand then?” he asked, and she lifted a single brow. “Right. That was the offensive part.”
“That’s my final offer, no changes or negotiations. That is what I am willing to provide, and what I am willing to offer. If they’re okay with it, I can set up a consultation and cake tasting for later this week, maybe Friday, since we are short on time. If my rules don’t fit within their idea of the perfect wedding, then
we
aren’t a fit.”
Gage closed the contract and rested his elbows on the table. “Wow, this is a bossy place.”
“It’s my place, Gage,” she said with the steel velvet to her voice that always managed to turn him on. “My rules. And renting Belle Mont for a night doesn’t change that.”
There were so many emotions packed into those words—anger, frustration, and a hint of a lingering heartache that had his chest slowly turning over.
Gage reached across the table and put his hand next to hers. He didn’t cover it, just got close enough so that he could brush her fingers. Even that brief contact ignited a spark that lit up his nerve endings. Darcy’s breath caught and her eyes dilated to
oh my
.
She felt the pull, and she seemed about as thrilled with the discovery as he’d been.
Interesting
.
“No one is going to come in and shake things up, Pink,” he assured her. And in case she was worried about what was happening between the two of them, of his intentions, he added, “You have my word. I don’t want to make things any harder on either of us, I just want to move forward with my life.”
“Me too,” she said, a hint of naked vulnerability in her voice that kicked every one of his protective instincts into overdrive. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do that since the wedding. And hearing you say that, knowing you want to move past it all too, makes talking about Kylie easier.”
He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that together they’d get through this, but he’d said that before. And he was done making promises he couldn’t keep. Especially to Darcy.
It was clear she felt alone in all of this. A place Gage could connect with. He’d felt alone ever since Kyle passed. Standing in the middle of downtown, hanging with his friends at Stout, even surrounded by his family, there were times Gage felt the loneliness so deep it was a physical ache.