Bridesmaid for Hire
Page 14
Mrs. Bailey put her two hands over her mouth and cried, "Oh!” And tears began to fall down cheeks. Eric fell to his knees and reached out for her hand and Tasmine jumped up to hang onto the painting.
As soon as she had it he moved to take both Mrs. Bailey's hands in his. "Mrs. Bailey, I am so, so sorry. We’ll find another restorer, there has to be a way–"
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Look," she said. Eric turned and saw what they had already seen. The painting was perfect. Not a hint of his stupid doodle remained.
"They said on the phone that they’d been able to lift all the pigment." The judge said. He had to clear his throat. She understood, as they all did, that this moment was about so much more than a restored painting. "But I don't think either of us believed it until now.”
"They also cleaned it. It looks exactly as it did when I first saw it in the sixties."
Eric didn't say a word but he pulled the older woman into his arms for a hug. And she clung to him for a moment. Then he rose and walked towards the judge and he held out his hand and the old man rose and shook his hand solemnly. "Thank you, Judge. Thank you and Mrs. Bailey for giving me a second chance."
Her own face was wet with tears as the judge said, "Will you go do the honors and hang that painting back up where it belongs?"
Eric cleared his throat. "Yes, sir," he said quickly. When he turned to her their gazes connected. She felt such love for him, and saw his love for her in return. They had no choice but to share a quick kiss in front of the Baileys.
And then he hefted the painting and hung it back in the space where it belonged.
Mrs. Bailey said, "I think this calls for a celebration. Judge, do we still have some of that vintage champagne in the cellar?"
"We do. Eric, Tasmine? Will you join us?"
Eric looked down at himself. "I'm filthy."
"You could shower upstairs. I'm sure Ernest has something you could put on.”
"I’ve got clean clothes in my car. Why don’t I shower in the pool house?"
"Whatever you prefer."
"Tasmine?"
She nodded. "I'll stay. This was my last call of the day."
“Oh, and I do want you to do another room for us. I think our bedroom could use updating. But maybe we’ll talk about that next week.”
And so, they toasted the picture and the judge informed Eric that his debt was completely repaid.
Instead of jumping for joy, as she’d imagined he would, Eric had a concerned expression on his face. "But, Judge, I haven't finished the landscaping project."
"We'll figure something out."
After they’d enjoyed the glass of champagne, the judge and Mrs. Bailey invited them to stay for dinner, but Eric said, "Do you mind if we take a raincheck? There's something I need to show Tasmine."
"Of course not. Maybe you can come next week? Our children and grandchildren will be in town. I’d love you both to meet them."
"Thank you, I think we’d both like that."
They walked out hand-in-hand. "I can't believe you kissed me in front of the Baileys."
"I couldn’t have stopped myself if I’d tried." He turned to her and pulled her to him for another deep, passionate kiss. "I can't tell you how relieved I am that the painting came out perfectly."
“I know. It felt like a miracle. And Mrs. Bailey was so happy!."
"You okay if we take my car?"
"Why don’t we take both cars? We can meet back at my place."
"Because I have something I want to show you."
"Oh. I thought you said that so we could get out of having dinner with the Baileys."
"No. I like the Baileys. I do want to have dinner with them. But next week will be better."
She got into his car and as they headed off, she glanced over at him. "Does this mysterious expedition have anything to do with whatever you were so secretive about last night?"
"I swear, you are the nosiest woman I have ever met."
She settled beside him in his car and they drove about thirty minutes to a familiar-looking street. He drew the car up in front of the old cottage that they’d looked at when the For Sale sign first went up. Now there was a Sold sign slapped across it. She turned to stare at him, "You didn't."
"Buy it?" He shook his head. "Without my parents’ help, I had no hope of getting this house. But, I did talk to the new owners. They are hiring my company to do the landscaping. They’re from New Zealand and they want this house perfect and move-in ready when they get here in two months."
She was so excited she jumped up and down in her seat. "Does this mean you'll start your own business?"
He turned to her. "I already did.”
"But how did you do it? You need equipment and staff. There is no way you can start a company with no money."
"I know. I had a long talk with Judge Bailey the other day.” He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. "He took me to his own bank. And he told them that I was a fine and decent young man, and that they should give me a new business loan.”
"Fine and decent? He didn't."
"Yeah. He did. And between his support and the business plan you made me, I got a loan."
"But they didn't even have the painting yet."
"I know. That's what makes it so amazing."
"Eric, I don't even know what to say. I’m so excited. And you know, with my business, we could even go into interiors as well as exteriors. My company has a line of really high-end cabinets suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. Not that I'm trying to get involved in your business or anything."
“I want you involved. Come on," he said. He took her hand and led her down the front path. “Wait,” he said, and ran back to his car, returning with a sweatshirt, which he put down on the front step for her to sit on.
He settled beside her. “I see so many possibilities for this house. And there will be others. I’m going to work my ass off to make a success of this. I won’t be around as much as I’d like. I need to go back to school and take some business courses, and I’m seriously considering a degree in landscape architecture.”
And this was the slacker who’d spent most of his formative years goofing around?
“So, does this mean you’re not going to be a stockbroker?”
“That’s what it means. Also, I’ve rented a house to run my business from.”
“You have been busy.”
“There’s one more thing.”
He looked serious and a tiny bit nervous. “What is it?”
He gazed at her and she felt lost. Whatever he wanted, she knew she’d say yes. “Maybe this is too soon, but well, today feels like the beginning of a new start for me. And I want you with me every step of the way.”
His eyes were shining as they stared into hers and her heart beat so hard she was sure he could hear it. He said, “will you marry me?"
She was so stunned she couldn't even speak for many seconds. Finally, she gasped, "Marry you?"
He took her hand in his. "I know it's too soon, and I'm just starting out, but there's nobody I want to start my life with more than you. And I feel like my life is just beginning. When I met you, I thought there was nothing more important in the world than cutting a joke and making guys laugh. Getting through life with the least amount of effort seemed like a good idea. And then you came along, and you demanded more of me. And when I came to you with my dreams, you believed I could do this. I don't know if I'll ever be able to live up to being the man you deserve, but I'd like to try."
For the second time that day she felt tears slide down her cheeks. "Oh, Eric. I love you so much. Of course I'll marry you. Today if you want."
He shook his head. "No. You are having a great wedding. And you know what else? We’re hiring a wedding coordinator."
He dug in his jacket pocket and pulled out a jewelry box.
She’d spent the last week fearing that he was going to revert to his old life, and all the time he’d been working on a new one.
He chuckled and shook his head. "No offense, but I don't think my mother's quite ready to give you her ring yet.” He laid a hand over hers before she could even open the box. "And this is all I could afford."
She opened the box and saw a ring that was both elegant and pretty. Three diamonds set low on a gold band.
“You can take it back and get something you like better if you want. I wanted to have a ring for you, that’s all.”
She thought his choice was exquisite. "I can't even tell you how much I love this."
He reached out and took the ring out of the box, and then to her complete delight, he knelt in front of her on one knee. "Tasmine Ford, will you marry me?"
"Yes, Eric Van Hoffendam. I would be honored to marry you."
He leaned over and kissed her and they sat for a while. She sighed. “When Ashley Carnarvon dumped me with her wedding dress and climbed out of the window, little did I know she was changing my life. I thought she was handing me her wedding dress, but really she was handing me her groom.”
“Wait, are you saying I was a hand-me-down?”
She chuckled. “A hired bridesmaid and a re-gifted groom. Who’d have thought we’d end up together?”
“Where should we get married?”
She thought about it. “Nowhere I’ve ever been a bridesmaid. And that's pretty much everywhere.”
“What about the Baileys’ estate? It’s pretty much where we fell in love.”
“I’m sure the Baileys don’t want to host a wedding.”
“Sure they do. They offered.”
She turned to him, her eyes widening. “The Baileys knew you were going to propose?”
“They probably knew we were in love before we did. Mrs. Bailey helped me choose the ring.”
“But, I can’t believe this.”
“Mrs. Bailey said I’d be a fool to let you go. And the judge said you were the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Really?”
“And you know what?”
He held her hand loosely in his, and the ring winked in the light. “What?”
“They were both right.” And then he pulled her against him and kissed her.
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For a complete list of books, check out Nancy’s website at nancywarren.net
About the Author
Nancy Warren is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than 70 novels. She’s originally from Vancouver, Canada, though she tends to wander and has lived in England, Italy and California at various times. She’s currently in Bath, UK, where she often pretends she’s Jane Austen. Or at least a character in a Jane Austen novel. Favorite moments include being the answer to a crossword puzzle clue in Canada’s National Post newspaper, being featured on the front page of the New York Times when her book Speed Dating launched Harlequin’s NASCAR series, and being nominated three times for Romance Writers of America’s RITA award. She’s an avid hiker, loves chocolate and most of all, loves to hear from readers! The best way to stay in touch is to sign up for Nancy’s newsletter at www.nancywarren.net.
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Copyright © 2016 by Nancy Warren
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