Page 40 of Chasing I Do
They hadn’t spoken about the kiss, which abruptly ended when Kylie came bounding out on the porch, asking if he was going to stay for breakfast—which he did. Then Kylie had a playdate, so they all left the house at the same time, eliminating any chance to talk about where they stood.
Gage wasn’t sure of what Darcy’s reaction would be to him showing up like this. So he momentarily hesitated when she leaned back against him and said, “The Goldsteins have been married for fifty years. Fifty years and still so in love that they wanted to do it all over again. She wore the same veil as the first time and they’re going back to Niagara Falls for a second honeymoon. Even staying in the same room at the lodge. Isn’t that romantic?”
His answer was to silently slide his arms around her, holding her as he’d dreamed of for so long. But for all of his dreaming, and there’d been a lot, none of it had come close to holding the real thing.
“How long were you waiting?” she asked.
“Long enough to make sure your dance card was open.”
“It’s almost midnight, which means my dance card will expire in a few minutes.”
“I guess I got here at just the right time,” he murmured against her ear, then slowly turned her in his arms. “A dress like this demands at least one spin around the dancefloor.”
She looked up at him through her thick lashes. “There’s no music.”
“Pink, we don’t need music.” He slid one hand around her back, settling it low on the curve, his body hardening when he felt the outline of her panties—a thong if he was guessing. “We can just sway all night for all I care.”
He took her hand with his free one and pulled her close, and their bodies brushed as they moved together. Not fast. In fact, they barely moved at all, their feet taking the tiniest of steps, as the night settled around them.
“Where’s Kylie?” he asked.
“Having a sleepover at Jillian’s. Sam had football practice and Kylie likes to cheer him on, so after she just stayed the night.”
“I think I need to meet this Sam if he’s doing sleepovers with my niece.”
Darcy laughed, but Gage was serious. If any kid was going to be spending time with his niece, he needed to be told of the rules. And with Kylie and those big baby blues, Gage had the feeling there would be lots of rules—and lots of boys.
Boys that were just like his brothers. Not the image he needed.
“Where’s Fancy?” she asked.
“Having a sleepover at Josh’s. Fancy likes to pee on shoes, so with Josh having the most expensive shoes in the family, I told him he could sit the guy for the night.”
This time when Darcy laughed, it sounded like rain trickling down on leaves. Magical and melodious.
“One of the guests at the wedding wants to bring her daughter by next week,” she said. “She just got engaged and is wanting a Christmas wedding. Her mother was beyond impressed with Belle Mont House.”
“I think it’s what you did with the house for the Goldsteins that she was impressed with.” He looked into her eyes. “You are the real deal, Darcy.”
“I hope so. I sent some preliminary ideas to Stephanie yesterday afternoon,” she said, misunderstanding his compliment. “Just to make sure I was on the same page as what was in her head.”
“She loved it.” Gage slowed them down even more. “And I was talking about you. I watched you with the Goldsteins and their family. You cared about each and every one of them, making sure everything went perfectly. You have a big heart, Darcy Kincaid.”
“They are entrusting me with one of the most important days of their lives, so I want to honor that.” Their hips brushed, their eyes locked, and Darcy gave a look that went right down his spine to lodge in the center of his chest. “Life moves so fast, people rarely slow down to enjoy it, but love makes people stop and really see what they have. When they come here, I don’t want anything else to penetrate the moment, so I create an ambiance that pulls them in, so when they think back to this snapshot in their journey together it will be as beautiful as their connection.”
Gage knew enough about Darcy’s childhood to know that beautiful moments were few and far between. The ones that she did have, she’d created for herself. In fact, every good thing that Darcy had, she’d fought tooth and nail for. So, he hoped when she looked back at this snapshot, it would be one about partnership and a shared joy.
“I know for a fact Stephanie loved it,” he said.
“She called you?”
He shook his head. “She’s still out of town. But she forwarded them to Lana at the magazine.”
“Lana saw them?” she squeaked. “They were just rough ideas.”
Darcy tried to stop moving, but Gage didn’t want to let go, so he kept them swaying. “Rough or not, Lana loved them too.”
“Loved,” Darcy asked. “She actually used that word?”
