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"You don't have to." She said swiftly.
"I want to clear the air between us." A smile touched his lips. "Afterwards, I want us to plan our wedding. We could get married in June unless you want something big."
Her heart leaped at that. "I just want you, and June is fine."
"Good." He bent to kiss her, and the conversation was impossible for a few minutes. "Enough for now." He ended the kiss and had to try and settle his emotions. "I was young; we both were when we got married. She was sweet and innocent, or I thought she was.
My parents died when I was eighteen, and a cousin of my mother's raised me. I was just starting college, and I was devastated. It took me a long time to come to grips with the loss.
My dad had a little business, nothing much, a motel doing reasonably well. With the insurance money, I finished college and realized that I had a penchant for doing business, and that was what I focused on when I was studying."
He bent his head to kiss her again. "When I left college, I sold the motel and bought an B&B in that area, and it took off like a rocket.
I started investing in small companies. I would fix them up and then sell them for a profit. I was in the middle of buying a hotel when I met Janice. She was the manager at the time, and we met several times to talk about the streamlining of the business."
His hand drifted to cup her cheek. "We started seeing each other, and shortly after, we got married.
At first, we were happy together. She would be interested in the business, and then when I started making money, she decided to stop working." His hand drifted to her stomach. "I was hell-bent on making the business a success, and I started staying at the office later and later, sometimes not coming home."
"That's no excuse for her to cheat."
He smiled at her. "You are biased."
"Damn right, I am." She told him fiercely. "She could have spoken to you about it."
"She did, several times."
"She could have cornered you at the office and insisted you stayed. She did not love you enough."
He simply stared at her and felt the humility pouring through him. "I love you."
"Repeat it." She whispered achingly.
"I love you, Delores. I have never loved anyone like I love you, and it will take some getting used to."
Pulling his head down, she kissed him, the passion spiraling out of control until they realized that there would be no more conversation, at least not for now.
*****
There was a flurry of excitement when the news hit the media and their various acquaintances and friends that they were a couple. Deacon insisted on her hiring a wedding planner to take care of the details.
"You have enough on your plate, and I want to be there for your next appointment," He told her firmly. The ceremony would be small, just her friends and several of his family members.
Both Angeline and Sara ragged her about it.
“You secretive bitch!” Angeline exclaimed as they entered the living room, bearing bottles of non-alcoholic wines. “A wedding and a baby? How could you keep that from us?”
“It was complicated.” She grinned at them, eyes shining. She was practically living with Deacon and was about to sell the house. Two weeks before the wedding, she invited the girls over for a drink and gossip. Lori was on her way over as well.
Deacon had gone to his club and would return later to pick her up. He had given her a stunning white gold diamond engagement ring that she adored.
"Complicated or not- Wow!" Sara snatched her left hand. "Look at the rock! Oh honey, I am so happy for you."
"I am not," Angeline announced. "I hate you. I have seen how the man looks at you as if he wants to gobble you up. How did you get him to be so gooey over you?"
"It's a secret." She laughed and waved them over to the opposite sofa. "I am fiercely in love with him, guys, and it makes me jittery. And he loves me. It's slow because he still has issues, but we are getting there."
The front door opened, and within minutes, Lori came in with a pastry box. "Strawberry shortcake and grapes." She beamed at them. "I am told you have a craving."
