If I Had You (Christmas In Harper Falls) (9 page)

“Lila, I know this seems sudden.”

“No.”

Sam frowned. “No, this isn’t sudden?”

“No, I won’t marry you.”

Sam watched as she turned, stunned to see a huge smile on
her face. His world was crumbling around him and she was smiling?

“I see,” Sam said stiffly.

“We can’t get married, or engaged. Not after a week.
When we know each other better, ask me again.” She thought for a moment.
“On Valentine’s day. I’ll say yes.”

Sam swooped Lila into his arms, twirling her around and
around until they were both laughing and breathless.

“Wait.” Sam pulled back before he could seal it
with a kiss. “I have to leave, Lila. There are meetings — business I can’t
postpone. How are we supposed to get to know each other when we aren’t in the
same zip code?”

“Tell me you love me.”

“Lila.”

“Say it, and then I will answer your question.”

Sam put his hand under her chin, gently lifting until her
eyes met his. His clear blue eyes told her everything. But she still wanted the
words.

“I love you, Lila. I know it’s been fast, but that
doesn’t make it any less true. If you’ll give me the chance, I will spend every
day, for the rest of my life, showing you.”

“I swore if the man of my dreams ever told me he loved
me, I wouldn’t cry.” She wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “Just goes
to show, you can’t plan these things.”

“Hey,” Sam said, kissing her lightly. “Isn’t
there something you need to tell me?”

“Right. About our logistics problem.”

“Lila.”

She loved the way he said her name when he was exasperated.
Or when he was happy, or making love with her. She loved everything about him.

“I love you, Sam. A long-distance relationship doesn’t
cut it for me. So, like it or not, Cooper and I are going with you.
Today.”

Sam wasn’t going to argue. It was exactly what he wanted. He
did have a few pertinent questions.

“The shop? Are you okay with leaving
Peony
?
Trusting someone else to run your baby?”

“
Peony
has kept me busy, but it isn’t my passion
or my dream. I want to be a writer, Sam. I want my story published.
If
your contacts think it’s good enough.”

“I promise to leave the decision in their hands.”

What he didn’t tell her was his certainty the book would be
published. Without any push from him. It was that good. He’d bet anything there
would be a bidding war. The sky was the limit. That was something Lila would
have the pleasure of finding out when the time came. He wasn’t going to spoil
the surprise.

“And your brother? Your friends?”

“I will miss seeing them all the time.” Lila
relaxed in his arms. “Alex will understand. Everyone else will be happy
for me. For us.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Sam pushed Lila
towards her closet. “Pack your bags, my love. We have a dog to pick
up.”

LILA’S EYES FLEW open. Eight o’clock? Why was she still in bed
on the most important day of her life? Then she remembered. On the night
before
the most important day of her life, Sam did some very creative things with his
mouth and a feather duster.

Lila sighed. She floated on a happiness high. One that
started on New Year’s Day and hadn’t waned. Six weeks. A private jet to Los
Angeles. Sam’s meetings kept them there for several days. Then New York.
Broadway, late night suppers. Exclusive designer boutiques — with the
actual
designer present. Finally, Paris. Home.

Lila threw back the covers. A shower in the luxurious
bathroom was what she needed. She slipped from the bed, pausing at the window.
The neighborhood was one of the most exclusive in Paris. They were somewhere
over the Atlantic Ocean when Sam mentioned the location of his apartment. Saint
Germain-des-Prés. Lila quickly looked it up. Holy crap.

“Sam?” Lila asked in a hushed tone.

“Yes?”

Sam, reclining in one of the plane’s cushy chairs, put the
script he was reading on a pile of six or seven others. Potential future
projects. Though nothing was catching his interest.

Lila’s eyes were as wide as saucers. Through this entire
whirlwind, she tried to maintain an even keel. Impressed, but not gushing. She
didn’t want Sam to think he’d saddled himself with an unsophisticated twit.
This was too much. How could you maintain a blasé attitude when your future
home was not only in Paris but on the Seine?

“Do you know where you live?”

“Where
we
live,” Sam corrected. “And
yes, I’m acquainted with the area.”

“Oscar Wilde and Cole Porter lived there.” Lila
bounced up, bursting with excitement. “Paris, Sam. I’m in love and going
to live in Paris.”

“Finally.” Sam snagged Lila around the waist,
pulling her onto his lap. “I was wondering what it would take to strip
away that ridiculous veneer of sophistication you put up.”

“You knew I was faking?” Lila frowned. “Why
didn’t you say anything?”

“Honey.” Sam kissed her cheek. “Everything
happened so fast. If you needed to put on a temporary mask out in public while
you adjusted, I was fine with that. As long as you were you in private, I had
no complaints.”

“I was afraid if I ran around all wide-eyed, asking
questions. Pointing at one thing after another, you might dump me back in
Harper Falls and find yourself a woman less inclined to gawk.”

“Never again,” Sam said sternly. “Don’t hide
yourself from me, Lila. I love your enthusiasm. I’m looking forward to showing
you Paris. I want to see it again for the first time with you — through your
eyes.”

“Be careful what you ask for,” Lila warned. She
relaxed, perhaps for the first time since leaving Harper Falls. “I want to
see everything.”

And that’s what she did. When Sam wasn’t working, he walked
with her. The rest of the time, Lila was happy to wander Paris on her own. It
would take years, decades, to see it all. She could hardly wait.

After a quick shower, Lila threw on a pair of jeans, a
burgundy sweater, and thick socks. Paris in February was damp and chilly. Then
she went looking for her men.

“Sam? Cooper?”

No response. Maybe they were out for their morning run.
Cooper was adjusting to his new lifestyle beautifully. You would think he was
born to city life. Maybe he was? They didn’t know. But he belonged to them now,
and they belonged to him. She, Sam, and Cooper. A very happy family.

Smelling coffee, Lila walked to the kitchen. Sam enlarged
the area before he moved in. He managed to keep the Parisian feel while
updating it to fit his modern tastes. She reached for a mug when she heard the
front door open.

“Hey,” she called out. “I was wondering where
you were.”

Lila looked in the living room, a smile of greeting on her
face. Cooper sat alone in the middle of the room, smiling back.

“I know you’re talented, but you did not come in by
yourself.”

Lila knelt, patting Cooper’s head. Suddenly, she noticed the
red, silk ribbon tied around his neck.

“What’s this?”

Making a closer examination, Lila ran her hand over the
ribbon. She froze when she felt the circle of metal. A ring.

“It’s Valentine’s Day.”

“That’s what the calendar says.”

Sam. Lila’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t believe he
was hers. Gorgeous, sexy. Blue eyes to die for. Kind. Not perfect, but perfect
for her.

Sam took the ribbon, letting the ring fall into his hand.

“I know you better than I did six weeks ago,” he
began. “I hope to spend the rest of my life growing with you, changing.
Doing my best to make you happy. Loving you. Marry me, Lila. Please?”

Sam Laughton. The man helped her make her dreams come true.
What else could she say?

“Yes.”