He lifted a cookie from the plate and held it out for me to bite. After I took a small nibble, he took a bite, then set the remaining cookie on the plate. He pulled me into his arms, and I rested my head against his chest and listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat.
With his arms wrapped around me, I felt safe, secure, and most importantly, loved, and I wanted to stay there forever. I smiled, exhilarated to know that now I could count on being held by him whenever I wanted. As we stood together, I snuggled against him, and after a moment he pulled back slightly and I looked at his face.
Desire was etched in his features, and I realized I needed to make my limits known before his expectations went too far in the wrong direction.
I stepped back and took his hand. “Marcus, can we talk for a minute?” I gently tugged him toward the couch and he followed without protest.
We sat close together, our hands still clasped.
A look of concern crossed his face. “What is it?”
I sighed, wondering how to explain my old-fashioned beliefs. “I just wanted to talk about something that’s important to me.”
He watched me closely. “Okay.”
“I’m not sure what your expectations are when it comes to . . . well, to sex . . . but I believe a man and a woman should be married before . . . well, before they . . . you know.”
“Make love?”
I nodded, glad my words hadn’t been too muddled.
“I see.”
I grimaced. “I hope that’s not a problem.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I suppose not.” He laughed. “I’m just surprised.” He paused, a look of curiosity filling his face. “Does that mean you’ve only ever been with . . ?”
“Trevor? Yes.”
“And you waited until you were married?”
I nodded.
“Wow. I’m impressed.”
“Why?”
“It’s just kind of unusual nowadays.”
“I know. But it’s the way I was raised.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
I smiled, relieved he understood.
“I’m glad you told me before things went too far.”
“That’s why I thought I’d better tell you.”
“I have to admit, it will be difficult to wait.” He paused, then smiled. “Hold on. Does that mean you’re saying yes?”
Oh boy. “Like I said at the restaurant, give me a few days and then I’ll give you a resounding yes.” My brow creased. “Is that okay?”
“I still don’t understand what the wait is all about.”
“I can’t explain, but I just don’t want to make it official yet.”
“Okay. I guess I don’t have a choice in the matter.” He didn’t seem happy about it.
I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Thank you. And I’m sorry to make things difficult.”
He smiled. “I think you just like to keep me guessing.”
I laughed. “Yes. Now you’ve figured me out.”
After a moment he said, “It’s been a busy day. I think I’ll get going and then I’ll come over tomorrow to do the grout. If that’s okay with you.”
“Yes. I think that would be great.”
He pulled me against him and we sat like that for a moment, until I heard Greta whining to be let in. Marcus must have heard it too, because he said, “I think we need to create a dog door for her.”
I went to the sliding glass door and let her in. “Yes. The sooner the better.”
He came over to where I stood. “Do you want to put it as part of this door?”
I thought about it for a moment. “No. I think I’d rather have her come in through the garage.”
He nodded. “I’ll pick up a dog door on my way over tomorrow, and we’ll get it put in.”
“You’re wonderful,” I said, smiling at him. “Did you know that?”
He leaned toward me and kissed me. “So are you.” Then he took my hand and we walked to the front door.
“Thanks for dinner,” I said, grinning.
He smiled. “It was my pleasure.”
After he left, I sank onto the couch and replayed the evening, my happiness growing with every passing moment.
The next morning, as soon as he set down the tools and dog door, I threw my arms around him, wanting to prove to myself that the evening before had really happened. He slid his arms around me and held me close, and I couldn’t get the smile off of my face.
“Good morning, my beautiful Lily,” he murmured.
“Hi.” I relished the feel of his arms around me, and only let go when I felt Natalie pulling on my leg. Laughing, I picked her up and held her on my hip.
“Hi there, sweet Natalie,” Marcus said, touching her tiny hand.
She smiled at him with her two-tooth smile, then she reached out to him. He took her from me and gently swung her around, making her giggle. After a few minutes he set her down and we got to work.
It took less than an hour to push the grout into the spaces between the tiles, although it took some time to clean the tiles afterwards.
“You’re right,” I said. “It looks so much better now.”
“Are you happy with the way it turned out?”
“Oh yeah. I love it.”
He smiled. “Good. That’s what I like to hear.” He paused. “When you’re ready, we can install the backsplash and put in the dog door.”
“Let me just give Natalie something to eat and put her down for a nap, then we can get started.”
Half an hour later she was in her crib, and we were deciding how to arrange the glass tile backsplash.
“It’s going to look so pretty,” I said as I touched the blue and gray rectangular pieces of glass.
Marcus looked at me, drawing my attention away from the tile. “We haven’t talked about this,” he said. “And I don’t want to assume. But if we get married,” he smiled, and my smile matched his. “Are we going to live here?”
“Yes. I’d like that. I mean, you were with me when I picked this place out, and you’ve put in more work than me in these projects.” My smile grew. “This place is yours as much as mine.”
He smirked. “Except for the money you spent.”
I laughed. “Well, there is that. But I’m sure we can work that out.”
“Okay.”
We spent the next several hours installing the backsplash, then putting in the dog door.
“I can come over tomorrow night to grout the backsplash,” he said. “And then we can move on to the bathrooms. They won’t take nearly as long since they’re so much smaller than the kitchen.”
He cleaned up the mess we’d made, then said, “I promised my parents I’d come over for dinner tonight.” His face brightened. “Hey, maybe you can come with me.”
I shook my head, and he looked surprised by my reaction.
“Why not? I’m sure they’d be fine with it.”
I could only imagine Trish’s reaction if I were to show up with Marcus at a family dinner. “I’m just not sure. I mean, we’re not actually engaged yet.”
“So what? We can at least make it clear we’re dating.”
That was the worst idea ever, but I couldn’t tell him that. I decided I needed to hint at the dilemma I was having. “Won’t your mom be disappointed that you’re not dating Chelsea?”
“Look, my mom can’t choose who I love.” He put his hands on my shoulders and gazed into my eyes. “And that person is you, Lily.”
My heart rejoiced at his words, but I was still worried about Trish’s reaction. I really wanted her to accept me, and springing this on her at a family dinner didn’t seem like the best approach. I gazed at him, at a loss at how to explain why I didn’t think it was a good idea for me to go.
Without warning, he pulled me against him and kissed me, dragging my thoughts away from Trish and back to him. Always him. The man I loved.
“Please, Lily. For me.”
How could I refuse him? “Okay. I’ll go.”
&nbs
p; He grinned. “Great. I’ll pick you and Natalie up in two hours.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
As we pulled into his parents’ driveway, I felt a bead of sweat forming on my upper lip. I wiped it away with the back of my hand.
“Ready?” Marcus said from the driver’s seat.
I nodded, and my stomach churned.
“I’ll get Natalie,” he said, then smiled at me. “Wait there.”
I smoothed down my skirt as I waited for him to unbuckle Natalie, then come to my side of the car and open the door. After I got out, I took Natalie from him, wrapping both of my arms around her so that Marcus wouldn’t be able to hold my hand—what if Trish looked out the window and saw?
As we walked up the steps to the porch, I asked, “Did you tell your parents you were bringing me?”
He shook his head. “No. I didn’t think about that.” He frowned. “Sorry. But I’m sure it’s no big deal.”
I was less certain—much less—but I just nodded. It was too late to do anything about it now.
Marcus knocked, then opened the door and called out, “We’re here.”
“I’m in the kitchen,” Trish called back, and I wondered if she’d caught the ‘we’re’ part of Marcus’s announcement.
As we walked toward the kitchen, we passed the formal dining room and I noticed that four places had been set at the table. My forehead creased. Who, besides Marcus, Jeff and herself, was Trish planning on?
Marcus rounded the corner into the kitchen first, and I paused, gathering my courage before following.
“So you came together?” I heard Trish ask.
“What?” Marcus said, clearly confused.
I took a deep breath and released it, then, putting a smile on my face, walked into the kitchen.
“Oh,” Trish said, her eyebrows rising. “Lily.” The surprise on her face quickly smoothed out as she pasted a smile on her face. “What an unexpected pleasure.”
“Hi, Trish.”
“Sorry I didn’t warn you, Mom,” Marcus said. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”
She seemed a bit flustered. “No, it’s fine.”
The doorbell rang.
“Can you get that, Marcus?” Trish asked, then looked at me. “Would you like something to drink, Lily?”
“No, I’m fine.” I wanted to see who had arrived, but Trish linked arms with me and tugged me toward the kitchen.
“Let’s see if I have something for Natalie to snack on,” she said.
Not wanting to be rude, I let her drag me into the kitchen. Jeff was out back, grilling something, and Trish went into the pantry and began digging around.
“Can she eat this?” she asked, turning to me with a box of crackers in one hand.
“I fed her before we came, so she’s probably fine.”
“Oh.” Trish set the box back on the shelf and shut the door. Then she faced me, a look of concern on her face. “Can I be perfectly honest with you?”
I nodded, wondering if she really would be. “Of course.”
“I invited Chelsea to join us.”
Oh boy.
“I know you and Marcus are good friends,” she went on. “So I know you want what’s best for him.” She laughed in what seemed a self-conscious manner. “I told you the two of them were dating, and it’s true that they’ve been on a few dates, but he doesn’t seem as interested in her as she is in him.”
In a way I felt sorry for Chelsea because I knew exactly how that felt. “So they’re not dating?”
Her face flushed. “Unfortunately, no. But I think she would be so good for him, if I could just get him to see it.”
I smiled with what I hoped was warmth. “Don’t you think he’s old enough to figure out his love life for himself?”
Her lips pressed together, then, “I warned him away from that Marissa, and he didn’t listen. And then she broke his heart.”
Ah ha. Marissa strikes again. Out loud I said, “He’s probably learned from his mistakes, don’t you think?”
One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows lifted. “Hard to say.” Then her expression calmed. “But that’s where you can help, Lily.”
What? “I don’t understand.” Even though I had no intention of doing anything to help Chelsea with Marcus, I was curious to hear what she would say.
“I suppose I’m asking you to encourage him to spend time with her. I’m sure once he gets to know her better, they’ll click.”
I hesitated before speaking, but finally said, “What if he’s seeing someone else? Someone he really cares about?”
She recoiled slightly. “Like who?”
Her reaction was like a slap in the face, but I plastered a smile on my mouth. “It’s just a hypothetical.”
“Then it doesn’t matter, does it? Anyway, I’m sure I’d know if he was seeing someone else.”
I didn’t know why she would think that, but I let it go.
She smiled at me with encouragement. “So will you do this?”
“I don’t think I . . .”
“Please, Lily.”
Just then, Marcus and Chelsea came into the kitchen.
“Hello, dear,” Trish said, walking over to Chelsea and giving her a warm hug. “How are you?”
I bit my lip to hold back a smile at the look of discomfort on Marcus’s face. He caught my eye and clenched his jaw, obviously irritated with his mother’s matchmaking attempt.
“You remember Lily,” Trish was saying to Chelsea.
“Of course,” she said. “And your adorable baby.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“Dinner’s almost ready,” Trish said. “Marcus, would you add another place setting, please?”
“Sure, Mom.” He pulled a plate out of the cupboard, along with a glass, and carried them into the dining room.
“Let me help,” Chelsea offered, taking some silverware out of a drawer and following him into the dining room.
Even though I knew Marcus wasn’t interested in Chelsea, and in fact wanted to marry me, I felt a stab of jealousy as I watched the two of them disappear around the corner.
“How is the move going?” Trish asked me. “Have you gotten settled in?”
I turned to face her, straining to listen for any conversation between Marcus and Chelsea. “Pretty much. It’s feeling like home already.” I needed to have a conversation with her about me and Marcus, and soon. “In fact, why don’t you come over and see the place tomorrow? I can make us lunch.”
“Sure. That would be lovely.”
I heard Chelsea’s laughter from the adjoining room, and inwardly I cringed. Was Marcus flirting with her?
“Sounds like it’s going well in there,” Trish whispered.
I bristled at the implication. That was my almost-fiancé in there. Of course, Trish had no idea that Marcus had proposed to me, but I knew, and he knew. I hoped he wasn’t doing anything to lead Chelsea on, even unintentionally.
The two of them came back in the kitchen a moment later and Chelsea walked over to Trish and asked what she could do to help.
I looked at Marcus, and he was smiling, which made me frown. His gaze met mine, and when I narrowed my eyes, his lips quirked up into a knowing smile. I smiled back, knowing that even if he was friendly to Chelsea, in the end, he was mine. I vividly recalled the feel of his arms wrapped around me earlier that day and a shiver of longing raced through me.
“The meat’s ready,” Jeff said, poking his head into the kitchen.
“Thank you, honey,” Trish said. “I just need to put the rest of the food on the table.”
A moment later we all trooped into the dining room. The table was set for five, with two chairs on each end, two chairs on one side of the table, with one chair across from that.
“Chelsea and Marcus, why don’t you sit over here?” Trish asked, her hands on the backs of the two chairs that sat adjacent to each other. “And Lily can sit across from you.”
I felt like the third wheel in Trish’s little matchmakin
g attempt, but rather than protest that Marcus was with me, I gamely walked toward the side I’d been assigned.
“I think it would be better if I sat next to Lily,” Marcus said.
Everyone looked at him, and Trish’s expression of irritation was unmistakable.
“That way I can help with Natalie,” he said, smiling sweetly.
Everyone was silent for a minute, but how could Trish object to that? Chelsea nodded, but her smile dimmed noticeably.
“Lily?” Marcus said, holding out the chair he wanted me to sit in.
Holding back a triumphant smile, and with Natalie in my arms, I walked over to the chair. Marcus helped me get seated and I murmured my thanks. Then he sat next to me, leaving Chelsea stranded in the lone chair across from us.
Dinner was delicious and the conversation was pleasant, though knowing Trish’s plans, I thought she seemed subdued. When it was time to leave, I walked over to Trish and thanked her for dinner.
“You’re welcome,” she said, then she leaned toward me and whispered, “Next time we’ll have to have a better plan for you-know-what.”
I forced a smile on my face and thought, Next time Chelsea won’t be here. “So I’ll see you tomorrow?” I said.
“Yes.”
As Marcus drove us away from his parents’ house, he sighed, then said, “Well, that was interesting.”
I laughed. “Has that happened before?”
“Yeah. A couple of times. I shouldn’t have been surprised.” He glanced at me. “I guess I’d kind of forgotten about her over the last couple of days.”
I grinned, knowing I’d been the one to make him forget.
A short time later we pulled into my driveway and Marcus walked with me into the house, then helped me put Natalie to bed. After tucking a blanket around her, I gave her a kiss, then stepped back. To my pleasure, Marcus leaned down and gave her a kiss as well.
“Good night, sweet Natalie,” he whispered, then he took my hand and led me into the family room.
As we walked, my heart felt so full of love for him, I couldn’t imagine being any happier. “I want to get married right away,” I blurted out.
He stopped and spun towards me, his face lighting up. “Really?”
I nodded as tears pricked my eyes. “Yes.”
Love At Last (Lily's Story, Book 3) Page 25