Page 28 of Maid for Daddy
He brings me back to the house and walks straight to the elevator. He pulls the crank on the door, and we descend to the basement level. The ballroom. I haven’t been down here since the first time he showed it to me. I remember what it felt like to dance with him, not knowing then how he felt about me.
The elevator stops and a delicious scent catches in my nose. It’s food. Why would Sherry have brought our lunch to the ballroom? I step out and see that one of the buffet tables is covered with plates of hot food. There’s a bottle of champagne and two glasses on a round dining table. The chairs are dressed in white silk covers that match the tablecloth.
“What is this all about?”
“Don’t you like it?”
“It’s nice and the food smells amazing, but why are we eating down here?”
“The last time this room was used was New Year’s Eve the year before my mother passed. Many years ago, my mother and father were married right here in this room. Now it’s just a relic from the past.”
“That’s sad. It’s so beautiful. People should see it.”
He pours two glasses of champagne and places one in my hand.
“That’s why we’re down here. I called Sherry and asked her to set it up for me. I’ve been thinking about something ever since you arrived. You brought new life into this house and into me. My only remaining family is incarcerated and, let’s be honest, yours should be. We may not be able to host a big party here now, but I want that to change. I want us to breathe new life into this room too.”
“What are you saying?”
He goes down on one knee, making my breath hitch. “I want to have baby showers and birthdays, graduation and Christmas parties like my family did when I was a kid. I want you by my side as our children use this room to celebrate the milestones in their lives. Marry me so we can get started on that. Samantha, will you marry me?”
I nearly drop my glass as his words dance inside my head. Marry him? Have his children? There’s nothing in this world that would make me happier. He removes a ring box from his pocket and opens it, revealing a gorgeous diamond ring inside. He takes my hand and looks up into my eyes.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
He slides the ring onto my finger and rises to his feet. “I love you, baby girl. I love you with all my heart and soul.”
“I love you too, Daddy. You make me the happiest girl in the world.”
EPILOGUE
STEPHEN
Five years have passed since Samantha did me the honor of becoming my wife. Tonight, as she sits in her rocking chair nursing our son, Shawn, with the moonlight dancing across her face, I look at her and smile because she hasn’t changed one bit. Three kids later, she’s still the sexiest and most beautiful girl in the world.
She puts the baby in his crib, and we slip out of the nursery. The manor is silent, but the echoes of the kids’ laughter still charge the air with positive energy. Everything about this place feels different now.
We sneak down the stairs and out to the veranda for our nightly dip in the pool. Samantha strips down and stands naked under the stars. I wrap my arms around her, and she unbuttons my shirt.
“Remember the first time you invited me out here to swim?”
“Yes, it was the first time you were ever in a heated pool,” I say, winking at her.
“It was my first time doing a lot of things, Daddy.” She smiles.
Samantha helps me out of my clothes, and I lead her into the water. I secure my arms beneath hers and float across the surface with her on top of me.
“It’s beautiful tonight.”
“Was it a long day for you, baby girl?”
“It was but not because of the kids. They were perfect angels today. I was busy working on something for you.”
“For me? What did you work on for me?”
“It’s a surprise. It’s your birthday tomorrow, remember?”
“I thought we were going to skip that this year?”