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“I’m here,” she said from behind him.
He turned to find her standing there, the room key in her trembling hand. “I got on the wrong elevator and I…” She started to cry.
He was there in an instant, wrapping her in his arms and quickly ushering her inside to sit on the bed. Blake went down on his knees in front of her.
“What aren’t you telling me, Darla?” he said gently, brushing tears from her eyes. “What is it that you think I can’t handle?”
She inhaled and let it out. “It’s not that you can’t handle it. It’s that you might think I need you to handle it, or that you might think I want something from you because of it. And I don’t. I just need to tell you so it’s not this grinding secret wearing on my nerves. I…I have it handled.”
That one statement stabbed him in the heart all over again. “I made you feel like you couldn’t come to me over this Lara thing, didn’t I?”
“At first, no. At first, I just thought it was too soon to tell you,” she said. “It’s a lot of baggage. I didn’t want that muddling up where we were—or weren’t—headed together. Then, when I was close to telling you, there was the Lara thing, and I thought you might think I had an agenda of some sort. Sometimes I think I should have just told you from the beginning, it wouldn’t have grown into such a big issue.”
“Tell me now.”
She gave a quick nod. “My parents got behind on their bank note for the ranch and they didn’t tell me until it was pretty close to too late. I negotiated a ridiculous payment plan to catch them up and told them I was making enough money to cover it.”
Another lightbulb went off for Blake. “You’re not getting paid well for this show.” She shook her head. “Being on a competing network and having the ability to keep my daytime show and film on set meant compromise. SAG minimum wage with a balloon payment bonus if the studio options me for season two. They have to make that decision before the fifth live show.”
He leaned back on his heels. “Wait. What? SAG freaking minimum wage? Who the hell is your agent?”
“That’s not common in this situation?”
“Ah, no.” Blake was furious. “You have to do something about this. I’ll help you.”
Fifteen minutes later Darla had fired her agent and hired Blake’s—a well-known industry profession.
Her new agent guaranteed her a better contract as soon as he could contact the studio.
He set the phone on the bed and settled his hands on Darla’s knees. “Next problem,” Blake said. “How much to catch your parents’ note up completely?”
She shook her head. “No. No, I’m—”
He leaned in and kissed her, his lips pressing hers and lingering before he whispered, “Marry me. Then it’s our money anyway.”
“What?” she blurted, pulling back to stare at him. “Did you…do you…?”
“Yes and yes. And that’s the same answer I hope you give me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silk pouch he’d hidden there for just the right moment. He removed the sapphire diamond ring and showed it to her. “Unique, just like the woman. This isn’t spontaneous, Darla, brought on by some big new revelation. This is planned. This is thought out. You are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you, Darla James, be my wife?”
“Yes. Yes.” She threw her arms around him and hugged him. “Yes. Absolutely.”
Blake held her tightly. His woman, his wife-to-be. “No more secrets. We’re in this for whatever life throws our way, good or bad, okay?”
“No more secrets,” she promised.
He leaned in and took her hand, staring into the beautiful green eyes he planned to get lost in for an eternity. “Shall we seal this deal officially?”
She laughed. “Oh, yes.”
He slipped the ring onto her finger.
Epilogue
FOUR MONTHS LATER, on a beautifulsparkling fall day, Darla and Blake were married in her parents Colorado ranchhouse. Theyd been offered money to televise the event, and theyd declined. Themedia frenzy over their rumored engagement had not only created huge ratings for Stepping Up, it had created a media frenzy theydidnt want at their wedding.
Now, with all the guests gone, Darla was still riding cloudnine as she and Blake loaded the SUV theyd rented for the short drive to Aspenfor their honeymoon. Watching one of the contestants shed fought for win theshow had been exciting for Darla, especially since the young dancer had scored arole on a new television drama based around a dance team.
Blake slammed the trunk shut. I think were all set.His cellphone rang and he snatched it from his belt. Its our agent.
Darla leaned against the truck, eager to hear what Jack had tosay about their contract negotiations with the studio.
