Page 129 of The Fine Art of Faking It
“You think I’m dumb enough to stand you up twice in one lifetime?” He reached for her, took her hand. “I’ve been waiting fifteen years to ask you this.”
“Ask me what?” she asked, nerves and anticipation dancing through her veins.
“May I have this dance?”
Eden congratulated herself on not swooning there on the spot. Sure, maybe she stumbled over her own feet on the way to the dance floor, but Davis was there to steady her.
He swept her into his arms beside Mrs. Nordemann and Ernest Washington. Ernest was wearing his cleanest coveralls over a green elf sweater. The Volkswagen salesman looked positively festive next to Mrs. Nordemann’s long black cocktail dress.
“You look stunning,” Davis said to Eden.
“Oh, aren’t you sweet?” Mrs. Nordemann responded, fluffing her gray hair. “I tried a new eyeliner.”
Eden cleared her throat. “And it looks wonderful on you. Purple is definitely your color.”
Davis spun her away melding into swaying couples and silver and gold lights from the DJ booth. “I meantyouare stunning,” he said again.
“You don’t have to sweet talk me, Gates,” she teased.
“I’m not sweet talking you. I’m wooing you. It’s what boyfriends do.”
“Are we really doing this?” Eden asked.
“Hell yes, we’re doing this.”
“What about our parents?”
“What about them?”
“They’re not going to be happy,” she reminded him. Eden needed to make sure Davis had thought this through.
“Eden,” Davis said, tilting her chin up. “Our parents’ problems are their problems. You and I can and will create our own.”
She took a deep breath and the plunge. “Are you doing this just to make me happy?” It was the last question that she had before she’d give herself over to the glee, the hope. If he wasn’t in this for himself, they were going to have problems bigger than a family feud.
His hands tightened on her hips, and she reveled in the feel of his touch. “Eden, I’m doing this for purely selfish reasons. I want to be with you.”
“That’s why you didn’t listen to me when I said we needed to break up?” she pressed.
“For once in my life, I am crystal clear on whatIwant. What’s right for me. And believe it or not, that something is you.”
She snuggled closer to him and felt him harden against her. “I owe you an apology for the last fifteen years.”
“Eden, we’ve spent enough time in the past. You can spend the next fifteen making it up to me.”
“Davis, I was so wrong about you, about not giving us a chance. I’ve been so wrong about so many things and I’m terrified that it’s all too late. That you won’t be able to forgive me.”
“Sweetheart, you were forgiven before you did anything worth apologizing for. I just had to figure out how to make you realize you were head over heels for me. We’ve both made mistakes. Hell, there are multi-generational mistakes at play. But I’d rather talk about our future.”
“Oh? And what does that look like to you?”
“I’m foreseeing special overnight wine tour packages. Discounts on wine purchased at the inn. Private winery tours or paint classes for inn guests.”
“You’re turning me on,” she teased. “You know I love it when you talk work.”
“I see us living together, arguing about wine labels and guest room linens. Unless of course, my father does fire me—I gave him the option today. Then you can hire me as your assistant innkeeper. I’ll scrub toilets for you and mow the lawn.”
“You didn’t tell him to fire you!” Eden gasped. “The winery means everything to you!”
