The Playboy's Proposal (Sorensen Family) (21 page)

“Ella’s still napping. Why don’t you head in and I’ll go around the block a few times. Not that I wouldn’t give anything to hear what you’re about to say.”

Henry climbed out, careful not to slam the door and risk waking his niece. He stood there for a minute, preparing himself to head inside to face whatever was going to come his way.

Benny was here. And the sooner he told her how he felt, the sooner he could breathe a little easier. Or at least a little less painfully.

Entering the backyard from the side of the house, he followed the steps until he was on the lawn, looking out over a dozen tables overflowing with guests. The mood was happy and energetic as people laughed and visited with each other, some of them even dancing, and he tried to take heart in that energy, hoping that maybe it would make Benny more susceptible to what he was about to say.

He wandered around looking for a familiar face to ask the whereabouts of the woman he was here for. Hopefully they didn’t want to bash his face in.

At one table a priest laughed with a group of older couples, all of them enjoying salt-rimmed margaritas. Something he could use about now after the oversweet, melted snow cone he’d had at the zoo. Benny’s dad was the first person he spotted, seated next to another blond figure so similar in size and coloring he was left no doubt as to their relation. Henry didn’t want to intrude there, though, so he moved on.

A small hand tugged on his, and Henry looked down to see Natalie, Benny’s younger niece, staring up at him. Her hair was pinned up, and she was smiling at him like he was some kind of rock star. At least she was glad to see him.

“Hi, Natalie. I almost didn’t recognize you, you look so grown-up. I was looking for your aunt Benny. Have you seen her?”

“She and Mama are in the kitchen.”

“Thanks. Make sure you save a dance for me.” That was, if he wasn’t thrown out before then.

He climbed the stairs of the deck and slipped inside the house. Several more unfamiliar faces met his—from the logo on their aprons, he took them to be caterers. He squeezed past the crew working to fill bowls and trays with food at the dining table—only it was a larger and newer table than the one he’d seen on his last visit, and he recalled Benny telling him that Dominic had custom made it as a surprise.

The sound of laughter brought his attention to the kitchen. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest as he saw her, standing with her sister placing candles across the surface of a cake.

Benny. The look of happiness and joy that radiated through her entire being was hard to miss as she threw her head back in laughter at whatever Daisy had said.

She was lovely.

Engrossed in conversation with her sister, she still hadn’t noticed him, even as he drew close enough to reach out and touch her. Daisy caught sight of him, however, and instantly her eyes widened in surprise and then speculation as she glanced at her sister. They both waited for the moment when Benny finally looked up to see what had captured her sister’s attention.

Their eyes met, and he saw a flicker of surprise as her eyes widened twice as big as Daisy’s.

“Benny. Daisy.”

Daisy stepped back. “I think I’ll let you two have a minute—”

But Benny grabbed her sister’s arm, keeping here there. “What are you doing here, Henry?”

“I’m here to see you, of course.” He wouldn’t be scared off by the sharp tone in her voice. He was due her frustration and anger.

Her eyes cut away from him to glance around the room. When she spoke, her voice was low and quiet so as not to be overheard. “I don’t think this is the time or place.”

“Maybe not. But there is something I need to say to you, and it can’t wait. Not another day, another hour, even another minute.” He took a step closer so that she was only a couple of feet away. “You called me a coward the other day. A coward who was afraid to try and have anything real with someone. That I had no substance. And you were right. I was a coward. I won’t go into all the reasons that might have made me that way, afraid to be vulnerable—just know that I’m not afraid anymore. I know what I want, who I want.”

She was so still, almost as if she was afraid to take a breath, and he smiled. “I want you. You, Benny Sorensen. A woman who loves with her entire being and who isn’t weaker or more dependent because of it but is actually stronger. Who loves her family and friends, her job and her patients. You don’t need to wear your hair a certain way or wear layers of makeup or sexy clothes to be attractive to anyone—although the dress you’re wearing now is enough to give me a mild heart attack,” he couldn’t help adding. “You’re lovely and perfect just the way you are, Benny, and I wouldn’t have you change for anything, or anyone. Least of all me.”

Benny had been slack-jawed during his speech, and now, as the room was so quiet—save for a few sniffles and the music thrumming through the windows and walls—she glanced down at the cake, not meeting his eyes.

He looked over at Daisy, who smiled and nodded at him, encouraging him to go on.

The words were there, in his heart and his mind, just waiting to be said. He swallowed and took a step forward, clearing his throat. When he was just inches from Benny, he tipped her face up with his hand. “What I’m trying to say is…I love you. I love and adore you and want to show you each and every day how happy you make me and how good our life is going to be as long as we’re together. Whether we’re here or following your passion on a golf course in Scotland”—he saw her mouth twitch into almost a smile—“or in Africa doing whatever you need to do to save the world, I’ll be there to support you. And love you. Always loving you.”

It was funny, now that he’d finally spoken the words, he found it easier to say and believe in. Now he just hoped Benny believed the words he’d uttered.

Believed that she was
the one
, the only one, for him.

And that he was still the only one for her.

…

Benny had managed to get through most of the past couple of hours by pretending that Henry Ellison didn’t exist and that the gnawing pain in her heart was merely indigestion from too much of Daisy’s guacamole.

The last thing she’d ever expected was for Henry to be standing in her parents’ kitchen while half a dozen pairs of ears listened to each and every word he spoke. Words so wonderful and perfect that she had to be dreaming.

Only…in her dreams she couldn’t see and experience the warmth and humor in those deep brown eyes, or smell the heavenly and seductive scent of Henry’s skin. She wanted nothing more than to kiss that slightly twisting grin right off his face, which with him just inches away would be so easy. But she had her own confession to make first.

“I shouldn’t have said those things. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past few weeks it’s that you have so much to give, so much to share with people. You have a lot more layers under that easy grin and that pretty face than even you know. We both do.”

He lifted his brow up. “Pretty face?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know.” But she smiled, unable to suppress the crazy joy and giddiness that were making her dizzy and breathless. She knew it was crazy to just let all her doubts slip away and accept that this was really happening, that what Henry said was true.

But she also knew that Henry wouldn’t have said any of those things if they weren’t true. He was and had always been honest with her from the start. Often brutally so. And if he was finally ready to accept what was in his heart, what she knew was in hers, then she wouldn’t question it for even a minute.

Because that’s what you do when you love someone.

You trust.

Her arm slipped so easily around his shoulders, and she couldn’t stop the laughter that finally bubbled from her chest. Yes, she Benny Sorensen, ardent member of the cynics-‘r’-us club, believed that she and Henry were going to have their happily-ever-after.

“Say it again.”

He knew what she meant, and his arms wrapped around her waist, that sexy grin of his sliding in place. “I love you. Even when you are cracking nine irons against my skull, I’ll still love you.”

He didn’t hesitate as he pressed his lips to hers. Lips that were sweet and tasted surprisingly like cherries as he crushed her against him.

Someone whooped next to her, and she realized it was Daisy, then another shout rang out that sounded an awful lot like her mother, and she smiled against his mouth.

“I love you, too, you know.”

“I do. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way,” he said and took a step back, keeping his arm firmly wrapped around her waist, “let’s get this cake lit. Because I saw a dance floor out there and it’s calling your name.”

“Oh, no.” She shook her head and laughed, backing away from him playfully. “No, no, no. I don’t dance, I told you. You already suffered one near concussion at my hands—do you want another one?”

He smiled smugly, and her heart tripped again in her chest. “I’ll take my chances.”

…

It was hours later, when the sun had finally sunk in a blazing halo of purples and pinks against the night sky and the twinkle lights that someone had spread around the backyard lit to life, when Henry finally got Benny out onto the dance floor.

Her mom and dad danced seamlessly under the night sky, as did Cruz and Payton, Dominic and Kate, Paul with Daisy, and Natalie and Jenna with each other. Even Morgan and Ella were dancing and having a great time.

As she’d promised Henry, her moves weren’t quite as graceful or seamless, and she stepped on his foot at least eight times. But the moment in his arms was no less thrilling or fun when, despite her objections, he twirled her around until she couldn’t catch her breath from laughing so hard.

Finally a slow song came on, and he pulled her close, his breath tickling the hair around her ear.

“I think dancing is one more thing we can add to that list of things you’re going to need to work on with me.”

His hand squeezed her waist, and he held her impossibly tighter. “There were actually a number of things I thought we might work on together,” he said not so subtly.

She laughed and looked around her. “
Shh
. Someone might hear you.”

He peered around. “I don’t think anyone is even looking at us. In fact, maybe we could sneak away and start that tutorial sooner rather than later.”

A thrill shot through her, and she melted farther into him. “Soon.”

But for now she was just going to enjoy this moment. Here. Now.

With the man who loved her. Exactly as she was.

Epilogue

“You know, I think we should wait a week before we tell anyone,” Benny said, running her fingers across Henry’s belly, smiling as he sucked in and tried not to flinch. One thing she’d learned over the past couple of months was that Henry was surprisingly ticklish. Something that had come in handy a time or two.

He lifted her hand, holding it up so the early September sunlight pouring into his master bedroom glinted across the massive diamond that sat on her left ring finger. “What, are you saying this so you have time to swap this ring out for something better?”

She laughed. “Hardly. You—you did good,” she said and smiled as she stared at the stone and the entire setting. Better than good.

When he’d actually gotten down on one knee last night and asked her to become his wife, she’d cried and laughed with absolute joy and happiness.

Life couldn’t get better than this, she’d thought.

“Is it because you think they’ll question our sanity in getting engaged so soon?”

“Hardly. You remember the track record my family has when it comes to…hasty weddings,” she said, Cruz and Payton’s coming to mind with the win at less than a week. Real or not. Besides, as Henry had put it, once you know who you want to spend the rest of your life with, then there’s no sense in waiting to get that life started. “No, I just wouldn’t want to take anything away from Kate and Dominic’s big news. I mean”—her voice rose several octaves higher—“having a baby! That’s just simply amazing.”

He dropped his arm so that both their hands rested, still entwined, over his heart. “You wouldn’t be taking anything away. You know your family would want to share in this news with us. And maybe I can finally get your brothers to tone down the defense any time we play ball.”

But he was smiling as he said this, especially since she had caught Henry throwing out a few moves of his own the last time, something that had earned a slight smile from even the ever-stoic Cruz. Henry was really enjoying having this new family as much as they were enjoying having a new punching bag.

The alarm, set for seven, went off, and Henry hit it with his free hand.

She breathed in a sigh. “I guess I should probably get in the shower. My day is going to be packed with all of those extra patients.”

Patients that came from Luke’s wide list, since, as of a month ago, he’d decided to go on another stint with Doctors Without Borders and needed to distribute those patients among the rest of the doctors in the practice. Not that she wouldn’t miss him, even if it had been awkward in those initial couple of weeks after their talk, when he learned that Henry might have been more than just a golf instructor after all. But he’d taken it remarkably well and, in fact, had become a good friend.

“Would you like some company?” Henry asked and gave her a devilish grin.

“Not a chance. You’d only make me late,” she said, although she made no move to get up from her cozy spot pressed up against Henry. “Besides, you have your own meeting to get to. Aren’t you presenting the big campaign to the AirPro folks?”

“Not until after lunch. Which, if you recall, I’m having with my sister. Is it safe for me to tell at least her about our engagement?”

“Absolutely.” Benny couldn’t be more excited to make Morgan and Ella a permanent part of her family as well, having spent a lot of time with them both. And Paul, whether he’d admit it or not, was a tiny bit smitten with Ella, which was adorable. “Maybe she and Ella can come for dinner tonight, if they’re free.”

“I’ll let her know.”

They both were quiet, neither making any move to get up.

This was where she always wanted to be. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment. A couple seconds later, Henry was nuzzling her neck and she smiled.

He was really going to make it hard to get up and going.

“You sure you want to go take a shower right now?” he asked.

The swirling in her stomach said no. She hesitated, and Henry pressed his advantage home when he deepened his kiss, knowing just how she’d react.

“Maybe…maybe I might have just a little time after all.”

“Babe, we have all the time in the world.”

And with this man in her life, loving her so sweetly and honestly, she couldn’t ask for anything more.

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