AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘I already am,’ Luce murmured. He’d made the right choice. It had taken him a couple of days, maybe, but he’d chosen to stay, to fight. Chosen responsibility and grown-up life over running away like a teenager. ‘So, what was the plan?’
‘We tackled work first, because I was so worried about making the same mistakes Dad did. I offered to quit, but Seb had a better plan. I’m going to keep developing our new hotel line—family-friendly, boutique business hotels—but I’m going to get help to do it. You can come with me, whenever you want, and we’ll structure it so I’m not away more than two weeks in every month.’
Luce blinked. ‘So—wait. You want to be with me—with us—when you’re in the country?’
Ben grinned and pulled her up the rest of the stairs. ‘I love you, Luce. I want to be with you all the time. Did I miss that part out?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, I do. I want to be a real family with you. And I know now what a real family needs.’
‘What’s that?’
‘A home. Or, in our case, several.’ He threw open a door off the landing and Luce looked in to see sunny yellow walls and boxes of nursery furniture piled in the centre of the room. ‘I’d hoped to get at least the crib put together before you arrived. Painting took longer than I remembered.’
Luce bit her lip. ‘You want us to live here?’ That would mean leaving Dolly—and Tom and Mum. Leaving Cardiff. Leaving her job. Giving up everything she loved. Would he really ask her to do that?
‘Sometimes.’ Ben wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. ‘I figure we’ll fix up your Cardiff house and live there most of the time. I mean, I don’t imagine you’re going to want to suddenly give up your home and your work or anything, but we can spend summers here at the château.’
Hope flared up inside her. Maybe he did understand after all. ‘And any time we need a weekend to get away from it all we can go to the cottage?’
‘Exactly.’
Ben smiled down at her and Luce tried to remember if she’d ever seen him looking so happy. She didn’t think so. Not even after making love.
It all sounded perfect. More than she’d ever hoped or dreamed for. To be with him, just their little family, all the time. Except... ‘I told you Dolly moved in, right?’
‘I don’t care. As long as I get to be with you. Besides, we might need a babysitter.’
Luce laughed. ‘Very true.’
‘So you’ll do it?’ Ben asked. ‘You’ll take the chance that I’ve changed? Grown up?’
Luce smiled up at him. ‘I love you, you idiot. Of course I will.’
Ben lowered his lips to hers and kissed her softly. ‘That’s okay, then.’
‘Well, seeing the château did make a bit of a difference. And I like the idea of homes in two countries...’
Ben shook his head. ‘That’s what I realised. These buildings aren’t home. You are. You and our baby. That’s home to me.’
Luce’s shoulders relaxed as she tucked her head against his chest. That was what she’d needed to hear.
Things weren’t just going to be okay any more, she knew. Their life together would be magnificent.
