to the house, turned around, then headed toward the village. She looked down at the ring on her finger briefly—it was rather hard to miss, actually—then at Derrick. He was simply watching her, a small smile on his face.
“What?” she asked.
“Thank you for saying yes.”
“Like I would have said no.”
He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “You might have.”
“Come on, didn’t you do more research than that?”
He took her hand, kissed it, then put it back on the wheel. “You give me too much credit. That’s why I was pacing like a caged animal for the past two hours wondering if you would change your mind at the last minute and drive somewhere else. The fact that you didn’t hurry led to my anguish.”
She smiled. “Had to keep you guessing somehow.”
“Heaven help me.”
She laughed a little because she was happy for him, happy for herself, and their lives were stretching out in front of them with treasures to be found and procured. So many good things already in their lives and so many wonderful things to look forward to.
She could hardly wait to make a list.
Epilogue
Derrick paced along the hallway on the bottom level of his flat, from the front door to the kitchen and back again. Nervousness wasn’t in his nature, not truly, but then again, this was something big. Very big. Very important to someone he loved very much.
He heard her coming just as he’d touched the door again. He turned and watched as his wife came down the stairs. It should have been less gobsmacking than it was, that sight. He’d been married to her for six months, after all, and should have been accustomed enough to the sight of her.
Fresh-faced Yank that she was, a girl who had to spend a certain amount of time in Scotland every fortnight or she began to wilt.
He wasn’t sure he was equal to telling her just how much he loved her.
So he decided he would take matters into his own hands and show her—
He ran into her hand as she stood on the bottom step.
“Not on your life.”
He frowned. “I was just going to kiss you.”
“No, you weren’t just going to kiss me and, no, you can’t hug me, either. You’ll wrinkle my suit.”
“It could be put back on the hanger temporarily.”
She blew her hair out of her eyes. “Derrick, really. I’m close to throwing up.”
“That’s why I’m here to distract you,” he said. He smiled pleasantly. “Altruistic, as usual.”
“Self-serving, as usual,” she said, but she smiled as she said it. “If I get through this evening without puking all over his gallery floor, then we’ll talk. Right now, I just need to go get this over with.”
“All right,” he said with a sigh. He pulled his earbud out of his pocket, taped a mic to his cheek, then leaned forward and carefully kissed her on the cheek before he turned his phone on.
“Got you,” Oliver said.
“Here as well,” Peter said. “Rufus in front in three.”
Derrick looked at Samantha to find she was gaping at him. “What?” he asked in surprise.
“Are you taking the lads with us?”
“Of course. Where’s the sport otherwise?”
“Sport,” she said, with hardly any sound to her voice. “Sport?”
“Samantha, my love, you’re about to go to a gallery opening featuring your art. Your brother has knelt in front of you and begged you to give him exclusive rights to sell your paintings and we forced him to reduce his fee to an obscenely low ten percent. I’m in a suit. What more do you want?”
“What are Oliver and Peter planning on doing?” she wheezed.
“Making sure no one fingers anything hanging on the wall and taking copious notes of all the compliments heaped upon your lovely head. What else?”
“Laxatives in Gavin’s foie gras?”
“Caught that,” Oliver said. “Brilliant idea.”
Derrick smiled. “I’m sure they’ll be on their best behavior. You look lovely. I imagine Rufus is outside.”
She stopped him with her hand on his arm. “Do I really look okay?”
“Lovely,” Oliver chimed in.
“Gorgeous,” Peter agreed.
“Shut up, the both of you,” Derrick suggested. He looked at Samantha. “You’re stunning and your carriage awaits. Shall we?”
She took a deep breath, took his arm, then nodded. He locked up behind them, then opened the door for her to get in the back of Cameron’s black Mercedes. Rufus congratulated her on her upcoming success, then got them out into traffic with a minimum of fuss.
Derrick held her hand, then shifted so he could look at her. She was still looking a little