no hurry to end the game. They had all afternoon, a bottle of bubbly and a basket full of food—which from here looked to contain all her favorite delicacies. He had gone to a lot of trouble for this picnic. Soon she would be asking him a question—one that could change their lives.
“It’s my answer.”
“Five points to the lady in the sexy blouse.”
“I don’t want points. I want a kiss.”
“Raising the stakes, are we?” Dark eyes gleaming, he leaned across two feet of blanket and kissed her. Only their lips touched. His mouth was firm and bold and tasted deliciously of contrasts—warm and slightly salty from the sun and the olives, cool and sweet from the champagne.
He left her breathless and wanting more. More kisses, more laughter, more tenderness. More time together. More certainty in their relationship. “What’s your next question?”
He spread perfectly ripe brie on a cracker and offered it to her. “Don’t you want to ask me anything?”
“Why are we here?”
“Ah, one of life’s age-old questions. I presume you’re speaking metaphysically—”
She threw a pillow at him. “You know what I mean. Why here and not in a park?”
His teasing smile faded, and his expression grew intent and serious. He might have been about to reply or he might have been going to put her off, but she would never know because Billy woke up and started crying.
“Good timing, old man.” Darcy unclipped him from his harness and pulled him out. “Does he need to be fed?”
“No, I fed and changed him before we left. He should be good for another hour at least. I think he’s starting to teethe.” She reached for her oversize handbag. “I have a teething ring in here somewhere.”
Darcy laid Billy on the blanket. “Is that better, mate? Were you folded up too long in that car seat?” He turned to Emma. “Isn’t he a bit young to be teething? I thought I read that teeth don’t come in until they’re about six months old.”
“That’s the average age but some start earlier.” She dragged out her wallet, hairbrush, keys, index cards. “You either have a phenomenal memory or you’ve bought your own baby books.”
“I went online to some baby sites.” Billy stopped crying and rolled over, reaching for the things Emma had taken out of her purse. “Hey, buddy, those are your mum’s cards.” Darcy tried to take them off him.
“I’ll get them.” Emma lunged for the cards. Too late. Billy clung to the cards and the elastic band that held them loosely together slipped off. They tumbled to the blanket. Billy picked one up and put the corner in his mouth. “Give that to me, sweetie.”
While she tugged the card out of his tight little fist Darcy gathered the rest together. “Don’t look at those,” Emma ordered desperately. “They’re just study cards for an exam.”
“What class is this for? ‘I know all your favorite meals and can cook them the way you like them.’”
Her cheeks flamed. “Stop, please, just stop.”
He glanced at Emma. “‘I love the way you sleep with your lips slightly parted? It makes me want to kiss you.’ Who does that? Are you seeing someone else?”
“No, you idiot. You sleep with your mouth open.” She was the idiot. Hearing her words aloud made them sound ridiculous. Snatching the cards out of his hand she shoved them back in her purse and gave the teething ring to Billy. She felt like such a fool.
“Emma.” Darcy’s voice was impossibly gentle. His hand touched her bare knee. “You are the most organized person I’ve ever known, but this is bizarre, even for you. Why did you write those cards?”
“Because I love you,” she said fiercely. Her eyes shimmered, but she forced herself to look at him. “I wanted to tell you all the many different ways I love you. I wanted to give you reasons to love me. I wanted to ask you to marry me—again. I didn’t want to forget a single thing I intended to say because if you said no then, I would always kick myself that I’d gone about it wrong, or hadn’t been persuasive enough, or hadn’t said the right thing.” She dropped her gaze, unable to bear the astonishment in his. “It was a dumb idea.”
“It’s incredibly sweet. And the answer is yes.”
“I beg your pardon?” She needed to hear it again, have it confirmed.
“Yes, I will marry you.” Darcy scooted across the blanket and wrapped her in his arms. He laughed, exulted, and pressed kisses over