“Are you sure this was a good idea?” Eileen interrupted Wynne’s thoughts.
Wynne’s gaze shot back to her mother. “I’m not sure about anything, Mom.”
That much was the truth. For someone who liked a sense of security, liked the orderliness of a carefully dusted table and a gleaming hardwood floor, flying back to a man who her mind told her was heartbreaker material was terrifying. But the other part of her, the inner romantic who had fallen in love with the same heartbreaker five years ago, refused to let her head overrule her heart.
“Daddy!” Paige’s squeal broke through Wynne’s musings.
She watched as her daughter tugged her hand free, dropped her luggage and ran for Derek as if she hadn’t seen him in ten years. The puppy, Wynne noted wryly, remained firmly tucked under her arm. But her capacity for thought and observation immediately short-circuited the moment she saw Derek bending down to scoop Paige into a hug. Her heart melted, oozing into a puddle at her feet. All she could think was I love this man.
God, she did.
He wore simple blue jeans that hugged his lean hips and a button-down white shirt that set off the subtle bronze of his skin. When his golden head rose and his blue eyes met hers, she wanted to drop her luggage too and throw herself at him. Her mouth went dry. Had he gotten even more beautiful since last Sunday? Unfair. A shadow of golden stubble covered his strong jawline, and all she could think about was skimming her hand over it and kissing him everywhere.
She forced herself to keep a calm pace, forced her features to remain emotionless as she walked up to him and stopped. Paige was still clinging to his neck as if she thought he might vanish if she let go of him, and Derek flashed that easy, life-is-good grin he had that made Wynne’s blood flow like molten honey through her veins. “I missed you, sweet pea,” he murmured against Paige’s wispy blonde curls. His gaze, though, seemed glued to Wynne’s. She wanted to look away, but couldn’t. “And I missed your mama too.”
Paige had buried her face in Derek’s neck, but she pulled it free to begin pressing noisy kisses all over his cheeks. “Did you come to take us home?”
“Yes.” The carefree grin slid from his lips and his eyes grew serious. “If your mama will let me.”
She shot a glance her mother’s way. Eileen still frowned, but even she had been moved by the father-daughter reunion, Wynne could tell. “If you want to drive with him, I’ll drive your Jeep home for you.”
Something occurred to Wynne. “Wait a second.” She looked back to Derek. “You don’t have a car.”
A sheepish expression came over his face. “I do now. I bought one on Tuesday.”
“Really.” She turned this new fact over in her mind. He’d hardly buy a car if he wasn’t intending to stay, would he? Her heart tripped over itself at the thought of Derek staying in Atlantic. She was still too afraid to hope. What could a small town like Atlantic offer to a man who had been all over the world? More importantly, what could a woman like her offer to a man who had been with the most beautiful women in the world? She didn’t want to contemplate that one.
“Well?” An expectant expression crossed Derek’s features. “Do I have passengers in my new car, or not?”
“Say yes, Mama,” Paige pleaded, turning big blue eyes on her. “Please say yes.”
“Okay.”
Twenty minutes later, Wynne found herself looking at her baffled expression in the window of a shiny black Escalade. “I thought you said you bought a car.”
She turned to Derek, who was hoisting her luggage into the back. A cocky grin curved his lips. “I did.”
“Derek, this isn’t a car.” She examined it, circling the perimeter with Paige before stopping back at him again. “It’s huge.”
“It’s called an Escalade, sweetheart.”
He was so pleased with himself, she couldn’t resist a smirk of her own. “You’ll never fit this thing through the narrow streets of Atlantic.”
His grin only grew wider. “That’s how much you know. I already did.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are such a man.”
“Well I sure as hell hope so.”
Paige gasped. “You gotta give me a quarter, Daddy. You sweared.”
“Swore,” Wynne and Derek both corrected automatically. Their gazes clashed. It was as if no time had passed between them, no argument, no distance.
Wynne swallowed and turned back to Paige. “Why don’t you hop into the backseat, sweetie?”
Eileen had dropped off Paige’s car seat, so all Wynne had to do was snap her daughter in, which was impossible to accomplish unless she scrambled up into the Escalade herself. She ruffled Paige’s curls, made a silly face at her that incited a chorus of giggles, and began backing out of the Escalade when her foot slipped. Just as images of herself falling backward onto the pavement with her head splitting open like an egg flashed across her mind, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.
She was anchored to a warm, firm chest she knew all too well. And damn it if the combination of the almost-fall and his nearness didn’t make her breathless. Mmm. His yummy scent washed over her, and she found herself turning in his arms to face him. Big mistake, as it turned out. Their lips were too close, her breasts crushed against his chest, and Derek’s arms tightened around her, drawing her even closer to him.
Her ability to resist him vanished. Despite what she’d been telling herself, despite the practical take-it-one-step-at-a-time conversations she’d had with herself on the flight home, she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to lose herself in his arms and his touch.
His blue eyes darkened and she could read in every accent of his body language that he intended to kiss her. Wynne leaned forward, her lips already tingling.
The kiss never came.
Derek pulled away abruptly, clearing his throat. “Why don’t we get started? It’s a long ride home.”
Rubbing her arms, she nodded stupidly, feeling suddenly like a gawky teenage girl trying to catch the attention of the prom king. They hopped inside the SUV and made their way out of the parking lot maze surrounding the airport. Paige kept them occupied with an endless string of excited chatter that lulled off into silence just as they pulled into Atlantic.
Derek glanced in the rearview mirror. Wynne was ashamed to admit she really hadn’t been able to wrest her eyes from him the entire ride home. He flicked a glance at Wynne. “She’s sleeping. I think I see drool dripping onto her stuffed puppy.”
“Since she’s sleeping, I think now would be as good a time as any for you to deliver the explanation I had to fly here to get.” Wynne didn’t intend for the words to sound as snippy as they emerged, but she was tired of waiting. She wanted answers.
“Not in a car.” Derek’s jaw tightened as he swung into the space outside Wynne’s flower shop. “I’ll carry her upstairs and then we can talk.”
“Fine.” Frustrated and more than a little annoyed with him by now, she opened the door and slid out before she recalled just how high she was above the ground. She twisted her ankle and just barely avoided being sideswiped by Nosey Nadine, who puttered by the shop in her white Buick, eyes glued to Wynne. Grimacing, Wynne forced herself to wave before limping into the house.
Thankfully, Paige didn’t wake up. The flight and the excitement of being back home, coupled with the hour-long car ride, must have sapped her energy. Wynne waited in the living room, sitting on the loveseat thanks to her throbbing ankle. Derek reappeared, looking unfairly gorgeous. Really, how was she supposed to resist him when he was so mouthwatering?
His usual self-assured air was missing as he crossed the living room in a few long strides and sat down next to her on the love seat. His thigh brushed against hers and she instantly slid closer to the arm of the love seat. Skewering him with a glare, she frowned. “What’s wrong with sitting on the sofa?”
A ghost of a smile flitted about his sensual lips. “You’re not on it.”
“Oh.” She clasped her hands, then unclasped them, then claspe
d them again. Nervousness skittered through her. What did he want to say to her? She forced her gaze to the window on the opposite side of the room.
“Wynne,” he began, then stopped. “Wynne, will you look at me, damn it?”
Before she could even think about complying, his strong fingers found her jaw, tilting her head back to him. “Wynne, Trina agreed to sign the papers. The divorce will be finalized as soon as possible.”
She searched his gaze, trying to discern what his announcement meant for her, for the two of them. “And?”
“And, that leaves me free.” A shadow passed over his face. “For what it’s worth to you.”
“What are you saying, Derek?” Her heart started beating again, faster, like thunder in her chest. Was he suggesting they could have a future together? She was afraid to even think as much.
“What I’m saying is that…” He gave her a hooded look. “Damn, you aren’t making this easy, and I’m screwing it all up. What I’m saying is that I’m finally in a position where I can offer you something. I know your mother hates me, and probably with good reason. The things I’ve done in my past are all things I’d rather forget. You could have any man you wanted. You’re beautiful, intelligent, strong, and amazing in so many ways. So I guess I’m saying that I’m offering you a bum deal, but if you take me up on it, I promise that you’ll never be sorry.”
“What kind of a deal are you offering me?”
Her eyes widened as he slid off the love seat and sank down onto his knees before her. He took her hands in both of his, his serious gaze melding with hers. “I guess I’m offering you me. I know it’s not much, but I’ve realized over these past few weeks that when I’m with you, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. When I’m with you, I’m not an actor or a face everyone knows, I’m just me. And I want to spend the rest of my life being me with you and Paige, and a half-dozen more kids. Wynne, I love you.”
Wynne had never hyperventilated before in her life. But she thought she might be in this moment, with Derek on his knees in front of her and his words seeping into the small portion of her brain that could still rationally deliberate and comprehend the English language. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t do much more than squeeze his hands in hers.
“Say something, Wynne.”
He appeared to be every bit as caught up in the maelstrom of emotions as she was. And he looked worried, as though he thought she would actually reject him. Was the man blind? Couldn’t he see how obvious her feelings for him were?
She forced herself to take a deep, calming breath. “I love you too.”
“You do?” A huge grin curved his lips and he tugged her forward until she fell against him. They both fell back onto the floor, Wynne on top of Derek.
“I do,” she affirmed, smiling into his eyes. “I do.” This time, she didn’t wait for him, she lowered her mouth to his. The ensuing kiss was sweet, hungry, and laden with promise.
When she came up for air, she thought of something and frowned down at him. “Wait a second. What about the new job you told Paige about?”
“Oh, that.” A smug grin still curved his lips. “I bought the old theater down the street and I’m planning on renovating and starting up an acting company there. It’ll give me a chance to get back to the part of acting that I love, and I think that tourists just might go for it.”
“Especially if they know your name is attached.” Wynne ran a hand down his cheek, loving the stubbly bristle of his five o’clock shadow against her palm. “Derek, that’s wonderful. I wish you’d told me before.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” His tone was wry. “Didn’t work out so well, did it?”
“It doesn’t matter now.” She kissed him again, lingeringly this time. “I couldn’t be happier.”
“Well, what do you say we make this official?”
She stilled. “What do you mean?”
“Hang on. There’s something in the car that I have to get.”
An engagement ring? He wouldn’t have left an engagement ring in the car, would he? Wynne rolled to her feet, curious. Derek threw her a jaunty wink before he disappeared down the steps. She headed to the window to watch him on the street below, admiring the snug fit of his jeans. It had been too long, she decided. Maybe Paige would have to spend the night at Grandma’s.
Derek emerged from the Escalade, and there was no mistaking the blue velvet box in his hand. Definitely a ring box. She met him at the top of the stairs and he dropped to one knee, looking up at her with love shining in his beautiful blue eyes.
He flipped open the top of the ring box. “Wynne, will you be my wife?”
She didn’t even bother looking at the ring, just threw her arms around him and planted her mouth on his. “Yes,” she murmured against his lips. “Yes, yes, yes.”
“Good.” He cupped the back of her head, angling her lips under his. “God, you taste good. Didn’t you want to see the ring?”
“Oh.” She flashed him a dazed smile. “Of course.”
Derek pulled back, took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. Diamonds and emeralds sparkled up at her from a flower setting, with a filigree-and-diamond band. It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. “Oh, Derek. It’s beautiful.” And it was a perfect fit. Then her thrifty, single-mom conscience kicked in and she felt obliged to offer a halfhearted protest. “But it must have cost you a fortune.”
“Forget about it. I’d spend any amount for you.” He brought her hand to his lips for a kiss. “Are you sure you like it?”
“It’s perfect.” A tear slid down her cheek—she wasn’t one for sentimental tear fests, but she couldn’t help it. “But not as perfect as you.”
His mouth kicked up into a sardonic half smile. “I’m a long way from perfect, sweetheart.”
She kissed him again. “Not in my eyes.”
“Where are we going?” Wynne was in the passenger seat of the Escalade and Paige was in the backseat again, having woken up from her nap. Derek was all secret smiles as he drove down Main Street to the outskirts of Atlantic.
“You’ll see. I want to show my two favorite girls something.”
“Can I be the flower girl, Mama?” Paige piped up from the backseat. Wynne and Derek had told their daughter the news and Paige had been elated. Now she was peppering them with wedding-related questions. “And do I get to wear a princess crown?”
Wynne turned to smile back at Paige. “Of course you get to be the flower girl, and yes, you can wear a princess crown.”
“How ’bout my princess shoes?”
Wynne bit her lip. The two-sizes-too-big, plastic, tacky, glitter-encrusted ones?
“You can wear anything you want to, sweet pea,” Derek said.
Wynne sent him a look, but he just grinned. In fact, he hadn’t stopped grinning ever since she’d accepted his proposal a few hours ago. Then again, neither had she, so she couldn’t really fault him for that.
“Yay.” Paige clapped her hands together. “I’m gonna wear my purple ones with the heels and the glitter and Cinderelly on the front.”
“You’ll be a beautiful little princess,” Wynne assured her daughter, even as images of an elegant, formal affair disappeared in her mind. Oh well. Who needed that anyway, when you had the love of your life at your side, she reasoned.
“Here it is,” Derek said abruptly, pulling the car off to the side of the road.
Wynne turned to the window to find a sprawling Victorian home with a for sale sign in the yard. She’d seen this house, with its covered wooden porches and nice plot of land, a hundred times on her way out of Atlantic. Several ponies dotted the back field, and Paige always asked to have one of her own when they drove by it.
“What do you think of it?” Derek asked, sounding nervous again.
“It’s a beautiful home,” Wynne murmured, looking back at him and searching his features for clues.
“Ooh, Mama, this is the place with the ponies. Can I have a pony?”<
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“What do you think of this house?” Derek called back to her. “Would you like to live there?”
“Can I have ponies?” She wanted to know.
“Of course. Every princess needs a pony,” Derek said reasonably.
“Then I got to. Can we live here?”
Wynne felt Derek’s gaze on her. She turned back to him.
“Do you want to live here, Wynne?” His voice was low, intimate.
“I’d love to.” She smiled at him, bursting with happiness.
“I put in an offer and they accepted this morning before your flight came in. If you want, we’ll sign the papers.”
“Yes.” She nodded, then couldn’t quite restrain herself from leaning across the car and kissing him greedily. “I love you, Derek Shaw.”
“I love you, sweetheart,” he murmured into her mouth.
“Eeew,” Paige complained.
They broke apart, laughing. “And you want more just like her,” Wynne reminded him.
He winked. “At least a half dozen.”
She sent him an arch smile. “We’ll see about that.”
“Want some pancakes, sweetheart?” Derek wrapped his arm around Wynne’s waist and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. “Paige and I were hungry, so we thought we’d get started without you.”
The sickening-sweet smell of frying pancakes invaded Wynne’s nose. She’d way overslept that morning, a habit she seemed to be having a lot lately. Now that she, Derek, and Paige had officially moved into the Victorian, Wynne had hired a staff to take her place at the flower shop. These days, she spent a great deal of time working on restoration and redecorating projects with Paige and her mother, who came over whenever she could. Eileen was even making an effort at getting along with Derek.
Thinking of Derek reminded her of her favorite preoccupation—spending time with her new husband, of course. Husband. She still liked the way that word made her feel. They’d gotten married in a small, private ceremony at their house just after Derek’s divorce had been finalized. Thankfully, the media blitz surrounding him had begun to wane. He’d done an interview with a news magazine to declare his retirement from Hollywood, and for the most part, the press seemed to have respected his wishes. Wynne was glad for it—she didn’t miss being stalked by guys wielding cameras on Main Street.
Win My Love (Love's Second Chance Book 3) Page 19