The phone rang and she grabbed it from the end table. “Hello?”
“Hi, Libby, this is Sascha.”
Sascha was the real estate agent who’d sold her the house. They’d become friends after months of searching for the ideal place. “Oh. Hi, Sascha.”
“You sound depressed. I suppose you’ve already heard the news.”
Libby bolted upright. “What news?”
“Somebody just bought up all the property around the lake. I hate to say this, but it’s probably a developer.”
No. Her stomach churned at the idea of losing her peaceful haven. It was the only thing keeping her sane.
“But…all of it?”
“Yeah. I’m really sorry. We knew it was bound to happen, but I hoped it would take longer.”
Great. Just great.
“I’ll come over and eat ice cream with you if it helps,” Sascha offered.
“No, I’m just going to drown myself in a nonfat latte,” Libby said sadly. “Maybe I should have started a rumor that the lake is haunted. Do you think it’s too late?”
“Probably. According to my source the buyer paid cash. I’m afraid we’re looking at a real eager beaver.”
Libby said goodbye and told herself that grown women didn’t cry because their dream house was becoming a real estate nightmare. No big deal. Houses were just houses, and it wasn’t nearly as satisfying living in her new house as she’d thought it would be.
Actually, everything was fine until Neil had stormed back into her life. So it was his fault and she shouldn’t be angry because a real estate developer was going to finish the job.
The sound of a car came from the driveway and Libby sighed. She didn’t want a visitor, even if it was Sascha and a carton of ice cream.
“Libby?” called a voice as a fist contacted with her door.
Neil?
Wasn’t that wonderful? She’d gotten all morose and sorry for herself earlier, and now he was present at another low point in her life. She could hide in her bedroom and pretend she wasn’t there, but he was probably too smart to buy it.
Besides, it wasn’t Neil’s fault she’d lost her perspective. She wanted to blame him, but she’d known from the beginning what he was like—falling in love with a dedicated bachelor wasn’t the brightest thing to do.
“I do have a doorbell,” she said, opening the door as Neil pounded on it again. He pushed past her and she shook her head. “Please come in.”
“Thanks. I need to talk to you.”
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow? You said you were coming back to work. We can talk at the office.”
“This isn’t about the office, and no, it can’t wait.”
Neil saw the living room was softly lit with firelight and twinkling white Christmas lights, but it wasn’t dark enough to conceal Libby’s pale skin. He’d hoped to have more time, to let her get used to the idea that he wanted to become a family man, but his big-mouthed realtor had taken that option away.
“I wanted to tell you I’ve bought the property around the lake, hopefully before anyone else let it slip.”
“You’re the one?” Pain and betrayal flashed in her eyes. “What do you need with so much land?”
Damn.
She’d already heard.
“I don’t need it. I figured we needed it.”
“Yeah, I really want to put my home in the middle of a new business development for O’Rourke Enterprises. How thrilling.”
“You know me better than that,” Neil said quietly.
“I bought the land because I want to keep the view from our back window as natural as possible.”
Libby dropped onto the couch, looking whiter than before. “Our back window?”
He hitched his slacks and sat on a nearby foot rest. “That probably sounded strange. I should have started with ‘I love you, and want to marry you.”’
She blinked. “You…what?”
“I love you. Please marry me.”
“Marriage is a distraction, remember? It’s all right for other people, but God forbid you should ever get caught in that trap—”
Neil put his hand over Libby’s mouth to stop the torrent of words—something that was getting to be a habit since he used to say some dumb things.
“I know what I said, but I hoped you’d forget about it. Besides, I don’t think I ever called marriage a trap. Other junk came out of my mouth about marriage, but not that one.”
She stared at him mutely until he lifted his hand. Yet his thumb lingered, brushing the velvet curve of her lips.
“Listen to me,” he whispered. “I love you so much I can’t breathe without feeling you’re a part of me. And the crazy thing is, I think I fell for you the day we met.”
“That was eleven years ago.”
“I know. But there were so many things I didn’t understand, about myself, about my father and the decisions he made. Somewhere along the road I started believing you could either have love and a family, or a career. Then we met and you were so tempting…and I needed to think you weren’t any different than other women.”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are, but not because you wouldn’t sleep with me on a first date. That wouldn’t have meant anything, one way or the other, though I didn’t understand it at the time. I just thought it meant something.”
Neil traced her lips again with the tip of his finger. It would be easier if she’d give him a sign, some indication of the way she felt. But at least she was listening.
“Deep down I knew you were the woman who could change my mind,” he said. “Only I was too proud and too anxious to prove myself, wanting to work for my brother, but feeling I’d gotten a break that I didn’t really deserve.”
“You did deserve it.”
Libby’s boundless faith in people was one of the remarkable things about her, but he shook his head.
“I didn’t deserve it any more than any other Harvard graduate, and somebody else wouldn’t have been so cocky and full of himself. Someone else wouldn’t have smugly run over everyone in his haste to show how good he was.”
She smiled faintly. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. I have a feeling a lot of young men want to do that.”
“Run over everyone?”
“No, they want to show how good they are. But what does that have to do with me?”
Neil lifted her hands to his face, breathing kisses on them. “I met you at the wrong time, when I was too immature to understand what was really important.”
“I was pretty young, too,” Libby felt obliged to point out. “And smug in my own way. I didn’t come off any better in the encounter than you did.”
“It’s understandable. You were so innocent,” he murmured. “Scared for your mother and trying to take care of everyone, any way you could.”
“And feeling rebellious,” she admitted. “You don’t know how close you came to winning that night.”
“Thank heaven I didn’t. It wouldn’t have been right for you.”
Libby blinked rapidly. Neil seemed to be offering her everything she had ever wanted, but it was so hard to be sure. She couldn’t bear it if things didn’t work out.
“I don’t believe in the fairy tale any longer,” she whispered. “Can you understand that?”
“Perfectly. Both of us had to grow up sooner than we expected.” Neil stroked her hair away from her forehead. “But I don’t want a fairy tale, Libby, I want something better. I want a wife who loves me, even if I’m not perfect. I want to work hard and take care of my family. But more than anything I just want to love you.”
When she didn’t say anything, he tilted her chin up to look at him.
“Please say you love me, darling. God knows I have my faults, but I’m better because of you, and I’m sure I’ll improve even faster if we spend more time together.”
Tears spilled down Libby’s cheeks and she sniffed. “You know what I was thinking in Griffith?”
“No.” Neil dabbed at the tears
tracks on her cheeks with a miserable expression on his face. “Please don’t cry. O’Rourke men don’t handle it very well. I shouldn’t admit that, but I know you won’t use it against me.”
“I can’t help it.”
“All right. What were you thinking in Griffith?”
“I was thinking how I didn’t believe in fairy tales, but it didn’t matter, because you’re better than a prince.”
His smile blazed out. “Now I know you must love me.”
“Of course I love you.”
With breathtaking speed she was swept into Neil’s arms and a rain of kisses fell across her face.
“Thank God, I’ve waited forever to hear that.”
She laughed as he tumbled both of them onto the couch. Oh, she loved his weight and strength, and everything about him. And his hands…everywhere, stroking over her hips and waist and curving around her breasts. The heat built so quickly she moaned.
“I know, love, I know.” Neil put his hands over her head, curling them in loose fists. “I didn’t mean to go right to the hard stuff—it’s a long drive home and now I need another cold shower.”
Libby blushed, even as she laughed again.
“Are you always going to get that pretty pink color when I say something outrageous?” Neil asked, grinning.
“Probably. But I plan to shock you a few times, too. You’ve no idea how much I enjoyed seeing you naked.”
“I invited you to watch, though I didn’t really expect you to do it.”
“I can’t wait for a repeat.”
“On our wedding night. I want to do things in the right order,” Neil breathed, becoming more serious. He dropped a kiss in the hollow of her throat. “How soon can we get married?”
“I don’t care about a big wedding, so whenever you want.”
“That sounds perfect.” Then he groaned. “Except your mother and my mother will get together and they’ll accuse me of being insensitive and unromantic if we have a quickie wedding. That sort of thing is always the groom’s fault.”
“What do you suggest?”
“If you don’t mind getting married in January, I say we give them a month to do their worst. And that way we can plan our honeymoon. How about spending a few weeks visiting bed-and-breakfast inns, making love and checking out the competition?”
The rat.
She socked him on the arm and he chuckled.
“Just joking, sweetheart. How about the Bahamas? Warm sand, warm beach, warm water…and a very big bed.”
“Hmm. You know what everyone says about you, right?”
Neil looked at her warily. “What’s that?”
“They say your idea of commitment is a weekend in the Bahamas.” Her mischievous smile sent warmth through his heart.
“They do, huh? I guess we could go to Alaska—this time of the year the nights last around twenty-two hours, which is just fine by me. But we spend the first night upstairs.”
She looked at him quizzically. “Why?”
“Because it seems right to start our life here—and I haven’t slept for days thinking about making love to you in that bedroom. I want to make our babies there, and raise them in a place that’s peaceful and beautiful, like their mother.”
Libby stroked her fingers over Neil’s face, marveling at the way everything had changed from dark to light. She loved him more than she’d ever imagined was possible.
“I’m not beautiful.”
“You’re so beautiful it takes my breath away,” he said, so firm and certain Libby didn’t argue.
She glanced around the living room and knew it would only be home now if Neil was there. But any place could be home, it didn’t have to be a place where he wasn’t comfortable. “Do you really want to live here? It’s so quiet and far out of the city. You don’t have to do it for me.”
“Oh, babe, I want to live here for us. We’re going to need the lake and the quiet after a busy day. The same way we’ll need the house in Endicott. I want to make love to you without feeling guilty and embarrassed because your father is down the hall.”
“Because he’s a preacher.”
“Partly. Lucky me his daughter is a temptress. And an angel.”
“Hardly an angel. You’ve seen my temper more than anyone else alive.”
“Yup. But that’s all right. I love that part of you, too. Now, do you want to call everyone and tell them the news, or do something else?”
Libby looped her arms around his neck. “Definitely something else. I have a lot of time to make up for.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Neil murmured as he gathered her close.
Epilogue
“You don’t think Libby is going to change her mind?” Neil asked as he fumbled with his tie. “She wouldn’t do that, would she?”
“You’re supposed to have cold feet about getting married, not whether the bride is going to show up. Though I did hear her ask for the fastest way out of town,” said his sister, Shannon. She seemed to be enjoying his frenzy and he gave her a dire glance.
“That isn’t funny. Libby is smart and beautiful and could marry anyone she wanted. I should never have suggested waiting a month. It gave her way too much time to reconsider.”
“Libby is crazy about you and she’s definitely showing up at the altar,” assured Patrick. “Get out of here, Shannon. We’re trying to get dressed and you’re being a pain.”
With a grin Shannon flipped her hand and sailed through the door. The construction company had worked miracles in the house Neil had bought as a weekend retreat, though it wasn’t ready for real habitation. It was, however, sufficient for the family of the groom to use for their preparations.
The Dumonts would have happily shared their home, but Neil knew there were traditions about the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding, and he wanted everything to be perfect for Libby.
“Damn.”
He yanked the tie off his neck and glared at the offending piece of fabric. He didn’t really think Libby would change her mind. Not really. She was the steadfast type, and said she loved him.
“I’ll do it,” Kane said, taking the tie and untangling it. “You have to calm down, Neil.”
“Right. With both you and Mom talking about what it means to be married and what Dad would have told me today if he only could have been here, and Shannon thinking she’s a comedian, I’m going to calm down. You bet.”
“Mom talked to both Patrick and me before we got married.”
Patrick nodded in agreement. “Come to think of it, I was in a worse panic than you are right now.” He stopped and seemed to consider something. “Well, almost worse. I didn’t have to wait as long, worrying about something going wrong—I talked Maddie into a two day engagement.”
Neil snorted. “Only you aren’t famous for idiotic ideas about marriage and commitment. I’m not deaf, I’ve heard the comments. I used to think it was funny, but Libby even teased me about it, saying my idea of commitment is a weekend in the Bahamas. Libby is just so sweet, she wasn’t angry at all when I suggested we go there for our honeymoon.”
Kane stroked the side of his mouth. “Sweet? I seem to remember you having some good arguments in the last month.”
Neil stuck his finger in his oldest brother’s face. “Don’t say anything bad about Libby.”
“I didn’t. I happen to approve of you marrying her, but you’ve gotten yourself in a lather for nothing. As far as Libby is concerned, you’re the sun and moon and sky put together. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, so take some deep breaths and it’ll be over before you know it.”
“Yeah, right. Oh, my God. Do you think Shannon was serious about her getting out of town? Shannon!” Neil shouted and headed for the door in the same moment.
“Slow down.” Kane hauled him around and pushed him into a chair. “Libby grew up here, so she already knows the fastest way out of town—for that matter, it’s the only way. And if you don’t cool it, you’re going to have a stroke before the ceremony
.”
Neil knew he was overreacting, but it was hard to believe he was getting his heart’s desire after wasting years chasing an illusion. How strange that he’d traveled all over the world, only to come home and find he’d mistaken money for success, and power for happiness.
“Before I forget,” Kane said, pulling a small package out of his pocket, “Libby’s brother just delivered this for you. Your bride-to-be wanted you to have it before going to the church.”
Inside the box was a fine watch, and with a surge of anticipation Neil turned it over. Below an engraving of two linked hearts was an inscription—My dearest love…it isn’t the time we missed that counts, it’s the time we have together. Some miracles are worth the wait.
A certainty swept over him, and the tension drained away. Libby understood him better than anyone, even his family. When she loved, she loved completely, without reservation.
He put the watch on his wrist and noted the time.
“All right,” he said. “It’s time to go.”
“Darling, it’s time,” said Faye Dumont, looking healthy and radiant in a pink lace dress.
Libby smiled. Neil had brought in a top heart specialist to check her mother, sweet-talking her into the examination with charm and finesse. The doctor had adjusted Faye’s medication and recommended a careful regime of exercise. She was doing so much better the entire family had breathed a sigh of relief.
“I know, Mom. Go sit down.” Libby took a last look at herself in the vestibule mirror, then closed her eyes for a brief prayer. She’d expected to feel nervous, yet despite the last minute wedding hysteria assailing everyone else, peace had filled her all morning.
Marrying Neil was the answer to cherished dreams and hopes, the sweet melding of childhood fantasies and adult wishes and realities. It closed a circle, and opened a new world for both of them. He’d discovered the man he was always meant to be, and she’d found freedom in his love.
Ginger, her matron of honor and only attendant, winked and disappeared into the church, walking slowly down the short aisle.
The music swelled and Libby took a long stemmed peach rose from the table, tied with a thin white satin ribbon. She hadn’t wanted a fancy bouquet, but something clean and direct, like the mountains she’d grown up in.
The Bachelor Boss (O'Rourke Family 3) Page 14