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“I’m so glad to be able to come back in here,” she said. “I … Oh my God, Lee!”
That made him laugh. The fact that she called him Lee told him how pleased she was.
“What did you …? How did you …? It’s …” She turned to him with a big smile on her face and tears in her eyes. “It’s so beautiful. How did you know?”
He looked up at the new art on the wall. It was a five-by-five print of a bluebell wood.
She went closer to it and touched it. “Is it a photo?”
“It is. A photograph printed on canvas.”
Her hand came up to cover her mouth. “I’ve been there. This is in the New Forest, in Hampshire. I was only little. We went to stay with one of Arthur’s friends, Robert. He’s a lovely man. He and his wife, Doreen, have a little dog – a Briard – her name is Mollie. They are the best memory I have of my childhood; they’re such lovely people. They took me out to see the bluebell woods, and I fell in love with them – I thought it was magical.” Her smile faded. “And I haven’t even kept in touch with them.”
Bentley wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “They’re doing fine. They send their love.”
Two fat teardrops rolled down her cheeks, but she was smiling. “They are? You’ve spoken to them?” She looked back at the picture. “Is that how you got this?”
Bentley nodded happily. “Your mom told me about the bluebells, and she told me about Robert. I managed to track him down and get in touch with him. When I told him what I wanted and why I wanted it, he was only too happy to help.”
She looked at the picture again with wonder in her eyes. “Thank you. It’s beautiful. You’re amazing. No one’s ever done anything like that for me.”
“You’d better get used to it, Lizzie.”
She picked up on his use of her name and shot him a quick smile. “I’d be happy to. But I should warn you that you should probably get used to finding me hanging out in your office even more now, looking at this.”
“That’s exactly what I’m hoping for. Except for one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“This isn’t my office anymore.”
She gave him a puzzled look.
“That’s part of the new contract. When we enter into that contract, this office becomes yours.”
~ ~ ~
Alyssa’s mind was racing. She couldn’t believe that Bentley had managed to get that picture of one of her very favorite places in the world from a man who was one of her very favorite people in the world and hang it here in his office for her.
She shook her head at him. “I’ll work wherever you want me to.”
He shook his head with a smile. His eyes were an intense blue; he looked so pleased with himself, and she didn’t think she’d ever seen him look more handsome.
“It’s not just about where you work. It’s about so much more than that.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Do you think we need to talk about this contract then?” she asked with a smile.
He looked as serious as she’d ever seen him when he nodded. He sucked in a deep breath and took hold of one of her hands.
“I do. You see, I’m not talking about a contract for you to work at DuPont Wineries.”
She just stared at him. She didn’t understand.
He let out a short laugh. “Of course, you’ll have one of those. We’ll hammer out the details. But this is way more important than that.”
She still didn’t understand what he meant until he tightened his grip on her hand and got down on one knee before her.
“Oh my gosh! Bentley!”
