“You never let anyone do your work,” Mitch said, as if she needed the reminder.
“Today seemed a good time to start letting others help me.” Belle hadn’t planned to delve into all that. She was there to offer him support, not try to drag the focus onto herself.
“It is. I’m grateful that you’re here. I’m just not quite sure what to make of it.” He lifted their joined hands. “Or this.”
“The message…the one I left you,” Belle began.
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you,” Mitch said. “I planned to call you later today.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Mitch. I know you had far more important things to deal with than returning my call.”
“Still, I’m sorry. Why did you call?”
“I was going to see if you wanted to go for dinner. I had a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What were they?” Mitch asked.
The butterflies in her stomach started fluttering. “We can talk about them later. I know you have other things on your mind.”
He gave her a small smile. “I wouldn’t mind the distraction of something else, to be honest. I need to stop the endless loop of images and thoughts for a while.”
Belle decided that if that was the support Mitch needed, then she’d give it to him. “Well, the detectives called to let me know they’d located a young man who confessed that Andre had paid him to torch his place.”
“Really?” Mitch said, a smile curving his lips and lingering longer than any other had since she’d arrived.
Belle gave him the details of what the detectives had told her. Happy to see that Mitch seemed distracted and pleased with her news, she squeezed his hand. “I’m so glad it’s all over. Now I’m not waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“I’m pleased for you. I can’t say that this was how I imagined it all going down, but I’m happy it’s over.” Mitch leaned back, still keeping her hand in his. “Was there something else you wanted to talk about?”
From the way he said it, and the hopeful lilt in his tone, Belle could tell that he suspected he knew what was coming, not that it was a big reach given they were sitting there holding hands. But he needed the words from her, Belle knew that. Just like he’d given her the words.
“I know that I told you I couldn’t—wouldn’t—consider a relationship. That my job was my life, but you were right, I was letting Andre dictate my future.” Belle looked down at their hands. Now that she was at the crucial moment, she was at a loss for words, but she had to try. “You’ve come to mean a lot to me. More than I realized it was possible for someone to mean to me. Someone not my family, anyway.”
“You mean a lot to me too, Belle.”
After he said the words, Belle realized those weren’t the ones she wanted to hear. Of course, maybe those weren’t the words he wanted to hear from her either. Maybe she needed to take the risk. Just like she’d taken the risk to show up there that morning. He hadn’t rejected her for that.
Belle turned and used her free hand to touch Mitch’s cheek, and she looked into his blue eyes, seeing there a bit of hope, a bit of sadness, and love. A love that spoke to her heart and demanded it respond in kind. “I love you, Mitch. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that. I hope it’s not too late.”
Mitch smiled, reaching up to cover her hand with his. “It’s not too late. I haven’t figured out how to not love you yet.” He turned his head a bit and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Not that I’ve really tried all that hard.”
Now it was Belle’s turn to smile. “I’m really glad you didn’t.” She lowered her hand, once again clasping his. “You showed me how a real man should be. How a real man treats a woman. You gave me hope once again. I’m so grateful that Maya decided she needed to bring you with her that day for her wedding consultation.”
“To think I was trying to find any way to get out of the meeting that I could, and I was dreaming up ways to make Gabe pay. Now it looks like I owe him.”
“Maybe I’ll plan his wedding for free,” Belle said, bumping her shoulder against his.
She was smiling at him when Mitch leaned closer. His hand touched her cheek, his fingertips brushing across her skin, leaving warmth in their wake. His fingers were rough, a result of the work he did, but his touch was gentle.
“Or maybe we’ll just call it even,” Mitch said with a small laugh, then he paused, his gaze lingering on her. “I hope this doesn’t mean I’m your beast, Princess.”
“No. Never,” Belle said, leaning to press another kiss to his lips. Andre had been the beast in her life, but he was out of it now. “You’re my Prince Charming.”
EPILOGUE
Mitch walked from the warmth of the home C&M was renovating into the cold December morning. Without fail, the change of temperature always brought to mind Ryan. He’d wonder if his brother was cold or warm. Did he feel the change of temperature? It was the same with eating. When Mitch ate anything, he would wonder if Ryan had food and clean water. When he’d go to bed at night, he’d wonder if Ryan had a decent place to sleep. Thoughts of his brother plagued him throughout each and every day.
It had been three months since they’d received the news about the disappearance of Ryan and his team. Most the team had since been released, but Ryan and one other man were still missing. Some days the agony of not knowing his whereabouts was almost overwhelming. But they pressed on.
After the family had spent three days together at the house, each of them had agreed that they had to get back to their normal routines. Ryan wouldn’t have wanted them to put their lives on hold. So, they’d gone back to work and moved forward, praying each day that they would hear good news about Ryan. But days had turned into weeks and weeks to months. With news of the release of each of the other team members, hope would soar, only to be dashed when there was no news about Ryan.
Mitch shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket while he waited for the truck to warm up. When his phone rang, he pulled it out of his pocket, smiling when he saw Princess on the screen, overlaying his favorite picture of Belle.
“Hello, love,” he said as he answered it. “How’s your day?”
“Better now that I’m talking to you,” Belle said. “Actually, it hasn’t been that bad. Just working on a wedding plan with Kelly. It’s one of the more challenging events, but it will be fine.”
“Did you want to meet for lunch? Or dinner?” Mitch paused. “Or both?”
“Both would be lovely, but I may only be able to swing dinner,” Belle said with a sigh.
As much as the past three months had been difficult for Mitch because of Ryan’s disappearance, they had been made bearable because of Belle’s presence in his life. They’d spent a lot of time together. He’d been by her side at the grand opening of the new site, and it seemed that changing location hadn’t negatively affected the business at all. If anything, Belles & Beaus was busier than ever.
During that time, he’d watched as Belle had begun to make changes to her life. She still had busy weekends, but slowly but surely, she was passing over many responsibilities to her new assistant, Kelly. That, plus the fact that the busy wedding and construction season was over, meant they’d both had more free time. And they’d made good use of that time, spending much of it with each other. Sometimes going out to the movies together or to hockey games with the family. Maya’s dad had a permanent box for home games which made those evenings with the family, fun. Especially when Kenton’s team came to town to play the Jets.
His favorite times with Belle, though, were when they’d go out for dinner and talk, usually staying right until the restaurant’s closing time. One thing became more certain to Mitch after each and every one of those evenings. He wanted a future together with Belle, and he wanted it to start sooner rather than later.
Though Maya and Gabe hadn’t said anything to him, Belle had let it slip that Maya had asked her to put a hold on their wedding plans. Mitch knew that Ryan wouldn�
�t have liked that, so he’d gone to them to ask what their plans were. That conversation had started a ball rolling, but in order for it to really pick up steam, he needed to do his part. Which was what he hoped to do that evening if Belle agreed to meet him.
“Dinner at six then?” Mitch asked.
“Sounds good. Where are we going?”
“Would you like to choose? What are you in the mood for?”
“Not sure at the moment. Can I decide later? Once I’ve finished my day? What I want may have changed by that point.”
Mitch laughed. “As long as you promise to pick the place where you really want to eat, it’s all good with me.”
“I love that you’re so easy to please, babe. Makes my life a whole lot simpler.”
“You’re pretty easy to please, too,” Mitch replied with a grin. “For a princess.”
“Hey, now.” Her protest was only half-hearted since they both knew that there were times when she wasn’t so easy to please.
There were still times when something would trigger her anxiety, which in turn brought her stubbornness, and sometimes anger, to the forefront. But Mitch was learning what to do for Belle at those times. How to be there for her in the best way. Sometimes it was taking her out and offering her a distraction. Sometimes it was just listening while she vented.
Whatever it was, Mitch was happy to do what he could for her. It was good to feel needed, especially by someone as confident and self-assured as Belle. That she allowed herself to be vulnerable to him was a true gift. One he never took advantage of, and one he planned never to abuse.
“Give me a call when you decide where you want to go, and I’ll be around to pick you up.”
“Okay. Love you.”
Mitch knew he’d never tire of hearing those words from her, just like he’d never tire of saying them to her. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”
At one time in his life, Mitch would have said that when he proposed, it would involve a super romantic restaurant, flowers, and a well-rehearsed speech. But since he knew that none of those things impressed Belle, he’d decided to propose in a much simpler way. One that he knew would please her.
Not that he’d totally forgo romance, of course, but instead of a full court press, it would be just a touch. Although he really did hope that she didn’t choose fast food for their dinner. He could cut down on the romantic gestures, but a proposal under the golden arches or at some other fast food restaurant might be a bit too skimpy on romance, even for Belle.
Belle said goodnight to the staff who were still in the shop before heading out to her car, grateful she’d used command start so that it had a chance to warm up. Even though it was just after five o’clock, it was already dark, and had been for almost half an hour. The huge windows on the wall of her office gave her a front row seat to day slipping into night, especially during these short winter days. And they would get shorter still until closer to Christmas.
Thankfully, it didn’t take too long to get home, so she had time to change into a pair of fitted dark jeans and a lavender colored turtleneck. It wasn’t super fancy, but it was comfortable after a long day in her suit. And she hoped that Mitch didn’t mind that they were once again going to Mongo’s. It had been where they’d gone for their first date—and it had been a date, she knew that now—and where they’d returned several times over the past few months.
When the buzzer to the building went a short time later, Belle was just tugging her knee-high boots into place. She pressed the button to let Mitch in, then pulled on her jacket. When he knocked on the door, she opened it with a smile on her face. Just thinking about him did that to her.
“Hey, Princess,” Mitch said as he took her in his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. “You ready to go?”
Belle squeezed him tight then moved out of his embrace to grab her purse. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Mitch took her hand as they walked down the hallway to the elevator, sharing a bit about his day as they went. It was something she enjoyed, the sharing about their days. Neither understood everything about each other’s work, but Belle had no problem listening to Mitch recount how good or bad his day had been and why. He was also way more patient listening to her tell him about her job than Andre had ever been even though they’d actually been in the same business.
“So you’re hungry for stir-fry?” Mitch said as he opened the door to the truck.
Belle grasped the handle and pulled herself up onto the seat. “I am. It’s been a busy week. Spending time with you while eating food I didn’t cook is the best thing I could ask for.” She leaned forward to rest her hand against his cheek. “Feed me, Prince Charming.”
Friday night traffic made for a slow trip to the restaurant, but Belle didn’t mind. The Christmas lights were up on the light posts along the main streets now, and there were plenty of lights on houses along the way. Christmas trees lit up many windows, much like the ones that lit up the windows of Belles & Beaus. Though she could take no credit for those. Jasmine and the other staff had set them up and then decorated them with silver and blue decorations.
However, she had helped set up two Christmas trees so far that season. The one at her apartment with Mitch and Jasmine’s help, and then she’d been with Mitch at the Callaghan home to set up theirs. That had been a difficult evening. Everyone had tried to enter into the Christmas spirit, but even though she had never been part of the tradition, Belle knew that there had been a damper on the occasion. And she hadn’t missed the tears that had glistened in more than one person’s eyes that night.
Every day she prayed that news would come for the Callaghan family. Good news. Having spent time with them over the past several months, she was aware of the adversities they’d already faced as a family. She had a hard time believing that God would allow one more thing to befall their family. What would it do to them if Ryan didn’t come home safely?
Once at the restaurant, they were shown to a table similar to the one they’d sat at their first time at the restaurant. Since they’d been there before, it wasn’t long before they had filled their bowls and were back at the table with their freshly cooked food. There was a steady hum of conversation from the tables around them, but they were still able to talk and be heard without having to raise their voices.
When they were done, Belle thought they’d settle in with dessert and coffee and chat for a bit, so she was surprised when Mitch said, “Are you interested in going to see the light display out on Portage? Maybe we could grab some coffee on the way. Some donuts?”
Belle considered it for a minute, her mind changing gears, then nodded. “Sure. That sounds like fun. It’s been a couple of years since I last went.”
“I know that we usually hang out here until closing, but while coming to pick you up I heard a commercial for the light display and thought this might be a fun change.”
Though it was a cold night, the truck warmed up quickly, and stopping to get a couple of large coffees and a box of Timbits made it even better. There weren’t too many vehicles lined up, so it wasn’t long before Mitch was slowly guiding the truck along the route of the light display. With Christmas music coming through the speakers, Belle found that it put her even more in the festive spirit.
At one point in the drive, there was a place where cars could pull off, allowing others to continue through the display. Belle glanced over at Mitch when he pulled in behind a minivan that was parked in the pull-off area.
When he didn’t look at her, Belle said, “Mitch? Are you okay?”
“More than okay.” He looked at her then and smiled. “I’m just thinking back over the past few months. They’ve been difficult, but you’ve made them bearable for me.”
Belle reached over and laid her hand on his arm. “I know it’s been hard for you and your family. If I’ve helped at all with that, I’m thankful. You mean the world to me, Mitch. More than I ever thought someone who wasn’t related to me, could.”
“I feel the same way. I’d be
en waiting a long time for you, Belle. It felt like forever, in fact. From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were different from other women I knew.”
“You’re not the first to tell me that,” Belle said with a laugh.
Mitch smiled at her. “But for me, you were different in the most perfect way. My heart knew it had found its match when I met you.”
He turned his hand over, palm up on the console, and Belle slid her fingers between his. “I’m sorry it took me awhile to come around. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel the same way. I was just too scared to trust my heart again.”
“I knew that, and I understood why,” Mitch said as he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “I’m just glad it all worked out in the end because I’d really like to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Belle stared at him, her heartbeat picking up its pace. It was how she felt too, but she wasn’t sure if Mitch was just saying that in passing, or if… No. She was pretty sure that if Mitch were going to propose, it would involve a romantic dinner, flowers and maybe even a serenade of some sort. Mitch’s idea of a romantic proposal wouldn’t be sitting beside the road at a light show, though that would be perfectly fine with her.
“I realize we haven’t known each other long, and we’ve been together even less time, but already I can’t imagine my life without you.” Illuminated by the lights on the displays around them, Belle saw Mitch’s gaze drop to where their hands rested entwined on the console between their seats. “I’m hoping you feel the same way about me because I’d really love it if you’d agree to be my wife.”
Mitch lifted their hands and pressed a kiss to the back of hers.
“Are you seriously proposing? Or is this a precursor to a proposal?”
His brows rose at her question. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because I would have thought that if you proposed, it would be with all the bells and whistles.”
This time Mitch frowned. “Is that what you want?”
“Not at all, but then I’m not the one in charge of the proposal, am I?”
A Touch of Romance Page 30