One of the selling points of the house I bought was that it had an attached gymnasium. The person who had built it was a huge basketball fan, and I thought it was a neat feature. I knew it would be great for entertaining friends and family and I could get back to work swinging on my silks, which was fun and therapeutic for me. I also wanted to eventually build a rock wall for Owen.
I was on the heels of finally getting everything settled in my new place when Owen's brother, Daniel, got married in California. Their wedding was going to be held at a private beach, which I thought was the essence of romance.
I went with them to celebrate the occasion.
My life had been an absolute whirlwind since my parents died, and I was looking forward to the change of pace the trip would provide. We were only planning on staying out there for a few days, but I was excited about it.
The time had finally arrived for us to go.
We all got on the same flight, taking up what seemed like half the plane. There were more than twenty of us traveling in our group, and we laughed, told stories, and had the best time. I sat right next to Owen, but we were all close to each other, and we interacted during the whole flight.
We were only about a half-hour from our destination when Owen got up to use the restroom and stretch his legs.
Their Uncle Max had come along, and he was listening as the others ask me questions about my new house.
"Did you ever ask Darcy about buying that land off of 51?" Max asked, leaning over to talk to Michael.
I glanced at Doozy who scowled at Max for mentioning such a thing.
"What?" Max asked shrugging. "It can't hurt to ask her."
"Ask me what?" I asked, looking at Michael.
"It's nothing, sweetie," Ivy said, shaking her head at Max.
"Tell me," I said. I glanced at Jesse, hoping he'd fill me in on what they were talking about, but he just shrugged innocently.
"What land?" I asked.
"Dad had tried to buy some property out there off of Highway 51," Jesse said.
"From who?" I asked, glancing again at Michael.
"I talked to your dad about it a while back, but it didn't work out. It's really no big deal. We're gonna look at a piece of land out in Collierville."
"Do I have it?" I asked, putting a hand to my chest. I shifted to look at Jesse since he had been present during the settling of my dad's estate.
He gave me a little nod. "It was your dad's."
I turned to regard Michael. "If I have something you want, just buy it from me. Have it. I mean, after all you guys have done for me… just take it without buying it if you want it. What are you trying to do with it?"
"A parts plant," Michael said.
"It would be a nice place," Max added. "And good for Memphis. About three hundred jobs."
"But she doesn't need to worry about that," Michael said. He smiled at me like I should ignore Max. "I didn't even want him to mention it to you. I wasn't going to say anything."
I let out a laugh. "I know you weren't, because it's been mine for weeks, and you haven't said anything. You guys are the ones who helped me through all that. You should have said something."
"See?" Max said. "Ask and ye shall receive."
"Definitely," I said. "I didn't even know I had any land off of 51."
"It's ten acres," Michael said.
"Well, it's yours," I said. "We can work it out when we get back."
Max clapped and let out an excited yell of approval that made everyone laugh.
I turned to find that Owen was walking down the aisle. He sat down next to me, securing his seatbelt before turning to face me with a smile. "What's everybody smiling about?" he asked.
"Your girlfriend just made your grandfather's day," Shug said, leaning over to talk to Owen from a few seats down.
Owen looked at me with a quizzical expression.
I just smiled and shrugged. "I thought it was him who made my day," I said innocently.
Chapter 17
Daniel and Courtney were having the wedding and reception at the house of William Connor, a good friend of Courtney's who was also a royally successful movie producer. His Malibu house wasn't his primary residence, and he generously let us take over the place for the few days surrounding the celebration.
Most of the group that had traveled from Memphis was staying at a nearby hotel, but Daniel's immediate family stayed at William's house with Daniel. I was a part of this select group because I was with Owen. We arrived the day before the wedding, so we got to enjoy the beautiful home and private lagoon the evening before the festivities.
They held the ceremony on the beach and the reception at William's house. I didn't count, nor did I ask, but there were what must have been a hundred or so guests, and Courtney's assistant had done an amazing job making it simple yet beautiful. Courtney was a gorgeous bride, and it was obvious to all of us that she and Daniel were very in love.
The ceremony was short and sweet, and everyone was treated to a gourmet dinner afterward. There was a three-piece jazz band that played instrumental songs during the reception, and we all ate and then danced under white lights that had been hung on William's beautiful terrace overlooking the ocean.
I brought a dress I had worn several times to functions in college. I liked how it fit me and thought it would be appropriate for a wedding. It was a short, but not too short, silvery-grey number that was sleeveless and flared just a little over my thighs. It was cool and comfortable, and I was happy about my choice to wear it because I had gotten several compliments on it, including one from the bride herself.
Owen had on something similar to his brother. Their whole family had coordinated their outfits for the purpose of pictures, and they all looked great. Owen was wearing navy slacks with a fitted, off-white button down shirt. It had delicate navy pin striping that could only be seen from up close. He had on a tie for the ceremony, but he had taken it off and unbuttoned the first few buttons of the shirt as soon as it was over. He also unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled his sleeves, changing his look to something more casual but still so dashing.
His dark facial hair grew in perfect patches on his cheeks and jaw, and I watched him from across the terrace, marveling at the way I was attracted to every little part of him. I took him all in—from his sweet smile to the way his light brown leather belt fell just perfectly around his waist. I followed the shape of his body, thinking I even loved the way he stood.
He literally took my breath away.
I got butterflies just looking at him.
I watched as he interacted with his grandparents. He had gone to get us a drink, and he stopped to talk to his grandpa, Jacob, while he was over there. I watched him give Jacob and Alice both hugs. I was truly proud of him and felt in love right down to my bones. I couldn’t help but smile. He was in the middle of talking to his grandparents when he glanced at me. He pointed at me, and they both looked my way, smiling at me and waving. I waved back, but I blushed, knowing they must be talking about me. I wondered what they were saying.
Owen made his way back to me, carrying two drinks. I was standing with my back against a ledge, pretending to watch the action on the dance floor but really only watching Owen. He handed me the delicate glass, which was some sort of punch mixture, and I drank it down in a couple of sips feeling thankful for the cool refreshing drink as it filled my chest.
"What'd you say to your grandparents?" I asked.
He smiled as he took my empty glass and set it on the tray of one of the servers who happened to be walking by. "None of your business," he said, teasing me.
"Your grandpa did a good job with the ceremony," I said.
"That's what I told him."
"Oh," I said.
"And other stuff," he added.
"Like what?"
"That's the part that's none of your business," he said, stepping closer to me.
He invaded my space, and I loved it.
I was overwhelmed by his masculinity—his smell a
nd the way his perfectly tailored and starched outfit hugged his body. He didn't make contact with me, but he stood so close that we were almost touching. I reached out and put my hand on his forearm. Most of my hand was wrapped around the cuff of his shirt, but my pinky was touching bare skin, and I couldn't help but wiggle it a little.
"The sun's about to set," he said, glancing toward the ocean. "Do you want to go down to the beach?"
I nodded, and Owen grabbed my hand and began leading the way.
It took us more than five minutes to make the walk from the house down the path that led to the beach. It was steep, and we held onto each other as we made the trek.
William's private part of the beach was tucked back, so we had to walk a little ways out to the edge of it so that we could fully appreciate the sunset. Owen and I were the only two people out there… it was as if the sun was setting for us alone. The sky was mostly orange with bands of pink and the area right around the setting sun was bright yellow. There were a few clouds, which appeared dusty gray in the distance and provided perfect contrast to the bright sky.
The ocean was calm, but we could hear the wind and waves as we stood there, holding hands and taking it all in. We stared at the sky for what must have been a full minute before Owen stepped behind me, wrapping himself around me where my back comfortably rested against his chest.
He had on my favorite cologne, and I leaned back, breathing in the masculine smell and feeling all sorts of fizziness inside. I wanted to just melt into him and never ever separate again.
"It's amazing," he said gazing at the sky.
"God's an artist," I said.
"And just imagine; He paints a new one of these every night."
I adjusted, pulling Owen's arms around me and encouraging him to hold onto me even tighter. "Daniel and Courtney did so good choosing this place," I said. "It's the most romantic setting ever. The perfect place for a wedding."
"I'm so glad you came," he said.
I turned in his arms so that I could face him more fully, and he stared down at me. "Owen?"
"What?"
"I never want to not come. I mean, I always want to go where you go."
"That works out," he said. "Because I never want you to not come either."
I smiled, but it soon faded. "I'm serious."
"So am I," he said.
"Yeah, but I have more at stake than you do."
"What's that mean?"
"It means I have nobody in this world if not for you."
My heart pounded as I spoke, but they were words I'd been meaning to say to him, and I wanted to get them out.
Owen tenderly touched the side of my face, looking at me like I had made a mistake in saying such a thing.
"I'm serious," I said. "It's humbling for me to say that, but it's true. I have some friends or whatever, but I have absolutely no family in this whole world. That's humbling. It's scary. I have plenty of money but what does it get me, really? My dad had plenty of money, and he paid to have people working for him and surrounding him all the time, and yet no one would even talk at his funeral."
"You're not like your dad, Darcy."
"I know, but I'm just saying. It's a little scary being all alone. You've got such a big, wonderful family, and…"
I trailed off when Owen turned me in his arms, making me face him more fully. He manually wrapped my arms around his middle, and he did the same to me, holding me close and staring down at me with a sincere expression. "You are not alone," he said quietly. "As long as I'm alive, Darcy Bishop, you will never be alone. My family is your family now. I want you to be secure in that because it's the truth."
My heart beat rapidly as I stared at Owen.
"You accidently said Darcy Bishop," I said shyly. "You accidently called me Bishop."
He gave me an almost imperceptible shake of the head. "That wasn't an accident."
I took a shaky breath. "I didn't say all that to get you to commit to some kind of—"
"I didn’t call you Darcy Bishop because you said that," he said. "I called you that because I wanted to. I like the sound of it. I want Darcy Bishop to be your name."
I could hardly breathe.
I was shaking and nervous because I was staring at the one person I loved most in the whole wide world, and he was telling me he wanted to give me his name. I had doodled Darcy Bishop on any available piece of paper since I was a kid, and to hear those words come out of Owen's mouth made me feel shaky and overwhelmed. I scrunched up my toes, feeling the sand shift underneath me.
He reached up and held the sides of my face, staring at me. "You are not alone, Darcy. You are far from alone." He glanced upward, toward the festivities that were still happening at the house. "You have a whole big family up there—a whole group of people who really do love you. We're the lucky ones. I'm the lucky one."
I could tell by the sincerity in his voice that he was completely serious, and it caused tears to spring to my eyes. He loved me. He really loved me, and he meant what he said about his family loving me too. A tear rolled down my cheek, and Owen wiped it away with his thumb. A second tear fell, but this time he bent and kissed my cheek.
"Are you gonna marry me?" I asked.
Maybe it was silly or desperate of me to ask such a thing, but I wanted it to happen so badly and I was so vulnerable that it just came out of my mouth.
"Yes," he said, seriously and without hesitation. "Yes, I am."
"When?"
I tried to stop myself from saying it, but the word just came out.
"Whenever you want," he said.
He held me close, staring at me with an earnest but unreadable expression, and I just blinked at him feeling fragile and exposed.
"I have a ring for you," he said. "I don't have it with me, but I did buy a ring. I was planning on getting the family together and asking you while everybody was around." He paused and looked around, taking in our surroundings. "I almost brought it with me, but it was Daniel's wedding, and I didn't know how you'd feel about—"
"Fine," I said, cutting him off. "I'd feel fine about it. I don't care that it's Daniel's wedding, and I don't care that you don't have a ring. I just want to marry you."
Without another word, Owen dropped to his knees. He didn’t even hesitate; he just fell to both knees right there in front of me, letting the soft sand catch him. The sudden movement surprised me, and I stepped back a little, looking at him for a second before realizing what he was doing. I dropped to my own knees so that I could see him more clearly. He smiled at me as he reached out to take my hands.
"I was supposed to be down here by myself," he said.
"I know, but I'm the one that talked you into doing this, so I didn't want you to—"
He smiled and shook his head, causing me to stop in mid-sentence. "You did not talk me into anything," he said. "You are my prize, Darcy—my best prized-possession. You are my one and only love. The only girl I've ever loved or ever will."
I not so gracefully scooted closer to him until our knees were almost touching. And then I reached up and grabbed his face. "I love you so much I can hardly stand it. I love every single thing about you."
He smiled, and his cheeks shifted under my hands, making my heart feel as if it could leap from my chest.
"I never, ever want to not be with you," I said.
He paused, making sure he understood me correctly but grinned when he got it. "I never, ever want to not be with you, either," he agreed.
Chapter 18
We were still on our knees in the sand when Owen took a hold of me and pulled me over. I let out a little yell when we were in motion, but I quickly realized that the whole thing was very intentional, and I fell into his embrace. It was a calculated move on his part—one where we landed lying down with him on his back and me on top of him.
Owen gave me a satisfied smile as he lifted his arm and put it underneath his head, propping up on it in a relaxed manner. He was gorgeous.
I shook my head and smiled at him
. "You're gonna get your suit all sandy," I said.
"You think I'm worried about sand right now?" he asked, beaming at me confidently.
I couldn’t hold back. I leaned down to place a kiss on his gorgeous cheek. The way the lines made a crease when he smiled was just too much for me to resist, and I put a kiss on the corner of his mouth, too. He pulled me closer by the waist when I did it, and I smiled as I lifted my head to gaze at him again. His dark eyes shone even in the fading light of the sunset.
I adjusted, shifting my weight to the spot next to him so that we could both be comfortable. I propped myself up on my elbow being careful not to separate myself from him too much. Our faces were only a few inches apart as he settled next to me.
"You're beautiful," he said, staring at me.
"Thank you," I said, smiling shyly. "Can I have my ring when we get back to Memphis?"
He gave me an amused grin. "If you want it," he said. "I wish I had it with me now."
"Of course I want it." I lifted my hand and stared at my ringless finger. "It's going to go right here," I said using my thumb to point to my ring finger. "See? I've got the perfect spot for it."
Owen chuckled at me, which caused his chest to shake. "I like that spot," he said, humoring me.
I hovered over him, still leaning on one elbow as I used my other hand to cup his cheek. I wanted him so badly. I absolutely couldn’t wait till he was my husband so I could know every single thing about him. My blood turned thick and warm as I stared down at him, wishing I were already his wife.
As if he was having the same thoughts, Owen pulled me closer squeezing me tightly and holding me securely to him like he couldn’t get close enough. Both of his arms were occupied—one behind his head and one around my waist, so the next move was mine to make.
I leaned in, letting my face come extremely close to him without actually making contact. I let the side of my nose brush the side of his with a feather light touch that sent a sudden tingling sensation through my abdomen. It caused me to close my eyes and take a deep breath.
My Little Gypsy Page 11