Page 88 of Clued in to Love
“I hope you love it. This theme was so much fun.” Marissa beamed with pride.
Hilary showed Marissa into the dining room. She put on an old-school holiday playlist with selections from Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra while Marissa arranged her incredible food display. The dining table quickly transformed. Romantic flickers of candlelight cast long shadows on festivebundles of cinnamon sticks wrapped with red ribbon and bowls overflowing with cheery clementines, their bright citrus scent mingling with the warm spice. Hilary carefully set out their Christmas china—creamy white plates rimmed in gold with sprigs of holly. A gentle, inviting glow spread over the room and through Hilary’s body. Was it going to be enough to impress Ben? To show him how much she cared?
When Marissa finished, Hilary sucked in a breath. “It’s spectacular. This completely exceeds my expectations. You are truly talented. William wasn’t exaggerating.”
“William?” Marissa stuck out her chin. “What does he have to do with anything?”
“Oh, didn’t I mention that?” Hilary’s honesty and directness had gotten her in trouble, but this time she intended to harness that energy for good. If she had a second shot at love tonight, she wanted to pass it on. “William showed me your work, told me how talented you are, and basically said I would be an idiot not to hire you.”
“He did?” Marissa fumbled with a box of supplies, nearly dropping it on the floor.
Hilary nodded while writing a check for the balance. “He’s your biggest fan. You should come to the closing ceremony tomorrow. He’ll be there. You won’t want to miss it.”
Marissa gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but seriously, come.” Hilary handed her the check. “Let’s plan a time to get together after the holidays. I’d love to discuss hiring you for our monthly Chamber breakfast and other events.”
She could tell by the way Marissa’s eyes glowed and her wide smile that the news William had recommended her was a surprise.
“Promise me you’ll show up tomorrow?” she said when she walked her to the door. Marissa was clearly confused, but she agreed.
Her matchmaking duties were complete; now, she needed to convince her husband that she was truly ready to invest in their future.
Ben’s invitation had requested that he arrive at seven. When seven came and went, Hilary’s nerves went into overdrive. She couldn’t sit down. She paced from the living room to the dining room and kitchen and back again in an anxiety-infused loop.
What if he was done? What if she had pushed him away for good? He had made every attempt to show her how much he cared, and she had ignored him. She had given away his flowers and put him last. She understood why he wasn’t coming, but it didn’t make it any easier.
The clock ticked forward. A half hour later, she wondered if she should eat without him. It was a shame to let Marissa’s hard work go untouched. But then a soft rap sounded on the front door. Hilary practically skipped to the door.
She pulled it open to see Ben standing on the porch wearing a navy blue suit and holding a bouquet of Christmas roses.
“Sorry I’m late. There was an accident on the highway.” He handed her the roses with shaking hands, his voice growing husky. “You look amazing. New dress?”
Was he nervous, too?
“Yeah, you look fairly dapper yourself.” Hilary scanned his body from head to toe. “Are you okay? Were you involved in the accident?”
Ben shook his head. “I’m fine. I witnessed it, so I had to stick around until the police arrived.”
“Come in. You must be freezing.” Hilary moved to the side, feeling oddly formal.
It was weird to have Ben enter the home they had shared for twenty years like a stranger. She put the flowers in water and set them on the kitchen island. “Are you hungry?”
Ben glanced around the kitchen. “Did you cook?” His voice sounded wary.
She laughed. “Well, not exactly. You know my culinary skills leave a lot to be desired, but I do have a surprise.” She motioned for him to follow her with what she hoped was a seductive two-fingered wave, intentionally swinging her hips and giving him a long smile. “Come into the dining room with me.”
“Thedining room?” Ben raised one brow suspiciously. “When’s the last time we ate in the dining room?”
He was right. They had rarely used their formal dining room when the twins were at home, short of Thanksgiving, or when they had each of their extended families for visits.
“To what do I owe the honor?” Ben asked, pulling out her chair for her, letting his lips briefly graze the nape of her neck as he pushed her in and sat next to her.
“I hope you’ll take this dinner as an apology… a first step toward a new start.” She swallowed hard and met his gaze. “I know I’ve been terrible. I know I should have talked to you and opened up, but instead, I just became consumed with this job in hopes that it would make me forget about how sad I’ve been. Instead, I pushed you away. You were right, I realize that now, and I’m so sorry, Ben. I really am.”
Ben didn’t answer right away. He sat solid, unwavering with candlelight glinting in his eyes as he studied her, all of her—her nervous hands, the quiver in her voice, and the hopeful curve in her mouth, trying to stay steady. The room fell quiet except for the soft sound of the holiday music and the faint crackle of her breath.
Finally, he reached for her hand, his voice softer than she expected. “Hilary, this looks like a set from a movie. Are those Yorkshire puddings?”
