The Tycoon's Perfect Match (14 page)

Still, he had come after her. That meant something, though she wasn't sure what, exactly. She supposed a little kindness was in order and nodded in the direction of the waiting room. “Why don't you join us. I'm sure my grandmother would like to see you again. My mother will be back soon.”

Even to her own ears, her voice sounded formal, almost distant, as if he was someone from the company who had stopped by to pay his respects,
instead of the man who, a short time ago, she'd made love with.

She introduced him to Grandma Rose, who gave him a big hug. “Of course I remember Brian.”

Her mother walked in and there were more greetings. She shook his hand. “Thank you for spending time with Mari at the lake.”

“It was my pleasure,” he said, turning to give Mari a slight wink. Her cheeks heated at his innuendo.

They all made small talk until Brian said, “Mari, could I talk to you in private for a moment?”

Mari shrugged. “Sure. There's a little office on the other side of the hall. It's for clergy, but I think we can use it.”

They walked over to the room. Mari took a seat, but he stood.

“What's wrong?” she asked, looking up.

Brian gazed at her intently. “Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that I don't want to leave Hawk's Lake. If you're going to live there, that's where I want to be.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “I don't understand.”

“You were right about everything. I can do whatever I want in Hawk's Lake. And I could have gone back to Wall Street whenever I wanted, but I was making excuses to stay. I don't want to work at Sherwood or anywhere else, for that matter.
That's probably why I didn't mail out my resumés anywhere. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.”

“You didn't plan on sending them?” she asked, just to make sure she understood him.

“At first I did, but then…
no.
Then I considered applying for your job. I was just waiting for you to decide before I acted. But I couldn't bring myself to go for that, either.”

She pulled out his letter from her purse and held it up. “You weren't going to mail this?”

“No.” He rubbed his head. “I didn't know you found that. You probably thought I was going to mail it before you had a chance to talk to your parents.”

She met his gaze. “Of course.”

“Check the date on that letter.”

Mari did so. It was dated the day after she'd arrived in Hawk's Lake.

“Mari, please believe me. After we got to know each other again, I couldn't bring myself to go for your job, or any job for that matter. Not if it meant hurting you.” He sighed. “You were right—about everything. I was living my dream in Hawk's Lake, but never knew.”

Mari heard sincerity in Brian's voice—and realized she'd been wrong about him. Totally wrong.

“So, when are you going to trust me, Mari?”

“Now,” she said firmly. “Right now.”

“Good.” Brian took her hand. “And you were right about something else, too—Hawk's Lake is the perfect place to raise children.”

She felt hope swelling in her heart. Hope that the two of them could get another chance to start over.

“Are you telling me that you've changed your mind about Hawk's Lake, too, Brian?”

“You made me see everything clearly. I've already achieved my dream—I just didn't know it.” He took a deep breath. “But there's still one person that I need to make it complete.”

He handed her the flowers that she'd thought he'd brought for her father and knelt before her.

Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest, she was sure that a nurse would come by and tell her to be quiet.

“This isn't exactly the most romantic place to ask you something important, but I can't wait another minute.”

He slipped a cigar box out of his backpack.

It was the treasure chest that she'd made him when she was nine! It had lost some of its glitter and a few pennies had come off the sides, but to her it looked better than ever. She couldn't believe he had kept it all these years.

“Marigold Sherwood, I love you. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man in Hawk's Lake?”

He opened the cigar box and took out a ring—a tiny glass “diamond” ring with an adjustable metal band. He'd gotten it out of a gumball machine at Clancy's store when he was fourteen, and had given it to her.

“I thought I lost this in the lake.”

“You did. I found it and forgot to give it back to you,” Brian said.

As they had a thousand times over the years, her eyes immediately went to her ring finger. “That's the ring I've been looking for—waiting for—forever.”

“I'll exchange it for a real one,” he said. “Just say you love me and will marry me and live with me in Sherwood Lodge.”

Hot, happy tears trailed a path down her cheeks. “Oh, Brian! Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!”

He slipped the ring onto her finger. There it was—the most spectacular ring she'd ever had. The one that had meant the most to her, and always would.

Brian raised his hand as if he was taking an oath, his eyes twinkling in merriment. “Pirate's promise that you'll marry me, and we'll live happily ever after in Hawk's Lake?”

She raised her hand and stifled a laugh. “Pirate's promise.”

She pulled him to his feet, and they hugged each other. And when they kissed, they both knew they'd found their way home.

Two years later

I
t was a beautiful day for a family picnic, Brian thought, turning the sweet corn on the grill.

Melanie's daughter, Angie, was making sand pies on the beach with her father in front of Sherwood-Hawkins Lodge. Ed Hawkins was talking to Barb and Tom Sherwood and Grandma Rose as they all sipped lemonade and sat in white Adirondack chairs by the lake.

Jack and his latest girlfriend were out on the speedboat, pulling Kyle on a tube behind it.

Mari and Melanie were bringing salads out of the Lodge and setting them on the picnic table.

Brian could smell the scent of fresh lumber on the breeze, and he looked at the skeleton of the large addition he was constructing on the right side of their cottage. There would be an office for him, as well as a studio and office for Mari. Together they would run the Sherwood Foundation, a philanthropic and charitable organization, funded by the sale of Sherwood Enterprises to family friends. When she wasn't working for the fund, Mari was busy crafting her beautiful pottery, which often sold out at area gift shops.

Barbara and Tom had decided to do some traveling. No doubt, they would spend a lot of time in Hawk's Lake, just as soon as he and Mari made their big announcement at the bonfire tonight.

Grandma Rose would certainly spend a lot of time in Hawk's Lake, too, whenever she wasn't at her condo in Florida.

They were all more than welcome at the cottage. Mari and he certainly could use their help in about seven and a half months.

Mari must have sensed he was thinking about her
because her gaze met Brian's. She pointed to her stomach, where she carried their twin daughters.

Brian held up two fingers, and they both grinned.

Surrounded by everyone he loved, Brian knew that his life was perfect. After all, Mari had always been his perfect match.