31. Natalie
31
NATALIE
I closed my eyes and leaned into the salty sea breeze, my face turned up towards the sun. I’d become a damn good first mate.
It was sort of crazy that I’d been afraid of going out on the boat, because now I absolutely loved it. It probably helped that James had hired a swim coach to help me get over my fear of the water. Now, instead of being petrified of the deep blue, it actually seemed peaceful and welcoming. I loved the feeling of weightlessness when I swam.
It was just one of my many walls that James had managed to crumble. Slowly, gently, and with so much love.
But I wasn’t the only one who’d changed. I glanced back to where James was checking a sail rigging. The man looked…peaceful. Unbothered. It was still a shock to the system to see that sparkle in his eyes. The man who used to meet life wearing a perma-furrow frequently looked positively delighted these days.
Well, at least when he was with me. I knew the bosshole was still alive and well inside of him, lurking, ready to rage. But that side of him rarely came out of the cave anymore, thankfully.
So much had changed in the months since we’d reunited. I’d worried that things would slowly go back to the way they were in the before times, but James had remained true to his word. The man could actually leave work at the end of the day and truly leave work . He didn’t even check his emails! Once he got home it was all about the two of us. In a way it felt like I gave James an excuse to get out and actually enjoy his life. Those afternoon meetings that stretched into the evening hours were a thing of the past because the man had plans . But not the glitterati stuff that was typical for someone in his position, like restaurant openings and Broadway shows. Instead, our focus was living life to the fullest with the people we loved. That meant plenty of time cuddled up on the couch watching reality shows in his media room, but also getting out and connecting with family. Kathleen and Teddy had gotten into ballroom dancing, so we always made a point to go to their recitals. We had a standing monthly brunch date with Christopher and Julia. And Steph and her photographer boyfriend, Brendan, came over for game nights that made me laugh until my sides hurt. James had finally learned to prioritize what really mattered, like taking time off on a beautiful day to go sailing and make love, like today.
I was slowly getting used to our unexpected excursions. I think James enjoyed catching me off guard. Today we’d finished up second interviews with two candidates for Clint’s position and the minute the last candidate had walked out of the room, James had turned to me with a devilish smile and said we were taking the afternoon off. Even though I had half a dozen designs to complete, I knew better than to argue with him.
I mean, I had to let the guy be the boss occasionally.
“What are you looking at?” James called to me.
I turned to him. “Miles and miles of absolutely nothing, and it’s perfect.”
He grinned as he made his way to where I was standing. “Isn’t this the best?”
“It’s everything.”
I leaned back against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me.
“I’ve got a question for you,” James whispered in my ear. “But you have to promise not to get mad at me.”
I craned my neck to look up at him, frowning. “Is this work related?”
“Uh, yes?”
I sighed and pulled my phone from my back pocket to glance at the time. We had a mutual agreement that we could only talk business between the hours of 8-5, whether we were in the office or not. “It’s four forty-five, so you’ve got fifteen minutes.”
“Come sit,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me to the bench. “It’s sort of a big deal.”
I settled in and crossed my legs, snapping my fingers at him, which I knew drove him crazy. “Let’s get this over with.”
He ignored my wise-assness. “I want you to pick Clint’s replacement.”
My mouth dropped open. “No way.”
“Way,” he replied. “I’ve picked a frontrunner between Erica and Todd, but I’m leaving the final decision up to you. No one knows the team better than you at this point, and hell, you’ve done the job, and you know what it takes. So…who’s your favorite?”
I had to literally bite my tongue to keep from blurting out the idea I’d been batting around in my head for ages.
“What?” James asked, because he could read in my expression that something was up. It drove me crazy that he knew me so well.
I cleared my throat. “I definitely have a favorite. The best person for the job is…” I paused before I said it, worried that he was going to shoot me down immediately.
He gave my knee a gentle push. “C’mon, this isn’t The Bachelor . Just say it.”
“Christopher,” I blurted out.
His mouth turned down immediately. “Oh, I don’t think?—”
“I’m sorry.” I held up my hand and interrupted him. “But in this scenario it doesn’t matter what you think, because I know . He’s ready, James, but he’s too proud to ask to come back.”
Christopher and I had continued our offline work together, and he’d been dropping hints about wanting to step back into his old role. Nothing overt, but now that he was emotionally steady again, I could tell he really missed being in the office. And I also knew that he would never make the move for fear of his little brother denying him the chance. But not because he didn’t deserve it. James would be afraid that he couldn’t handle the pressure. I knew better.
“Seriously?” James finally asked.
I was shocked that he didn’t come back at me with a list of reasons why it was a bad idea. But maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised. This was the new and improved James, willing to let me have a say.
“Seriously. He’s ready. Better than ever, actually.”
He exhaled slowly and stared out at the horizon. “You’re sure about this?”
“James…come on. You know I wouldn’t make this decision lightly. I’m one hundred percent sure.”
I held my breath.
“Okay, then. Make the offer, whenever you’re ready.”
I shook my head. There was one last piece of the puzzle. “Nope. It has to come from you. He won’t believe that it’s a genuine offer unless you’re the one to make it.”
James nodded slowly. “You’re right. Okay, tomorrow, then.”
I beamed at him. The man had always been decisive, and I loved it when it worked in my favor.
“There’s one last thing I want to talk about with you,” he said. “How much time do I have?”
I glanced at my phone, feeling grumbly because I had no desire to work on projections or seasonal expansion lines with him as the sun was sinking. Plus, he was looking so damn good in the golden hour light, and I was feeling randy, as usual.
“Five minutes.”
“Perfect.” He rubbed his hands together. “I know it’s sort of a touchy subject, but I want to revisit the deconstruction show.”
I flinched at the memory of the night when everything had gone to hell between us. “Do we have to?”
“Stay with me, I have a feeling you’re going to like this. So, obviously you know that our finale gown was a hit, even if it didn’t get presented in the way we’d planned.”
I noticed that he didn’t mention the reason why, but he never uttered Heidi’s name in my presence.
“Yeah, and?” I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling preemptively defensive.
“Bernie has wanted to do a bridal line for ages, but I’ve been against it. I always thought that it would be too much, you know? Now that I’ve seen the reaction to the finale gown?—”
“Which wasn’t even my best design,” I interrupted.
“Exactly,” he continued. “But people still went wild for it. So how would you feel about launching it? The Branson bridal line.”
I frowned. “ Me ?”
“Yup. I’d want you to head up the division,” he said with a grin.
“No way,” I shot back immediately. “I don’t want to be a boss. I’m done with that.”
James laughed at me. “Yeah, trust me, I know that. I’d want you to be the head of design, but in a one hundred percent creative capacity. I’m envisioning high end couture stuff. Just a couple dozen bespoke gowns per season.”
My heart swelled at the thought of it. I loved every bit of designing for Branson, but the chance to launch my own line, with my singular vision, was a dream come true. Instead of adhering to the corporate vibe, I could create my own vision from the ground up. I’d craft dresses for the traditional girlie-girl brides, as well as more cutting-edge stuff for women like me, who might like a touch of black or navy mixed in with their virginal white.
“What do you think?” James asked.
“I think it’s the best idea I’ve ever heard,” I exclaimed. “Yes, yes, yes!”
I jumped into his arms and covered his face with kisses. The offer meant that James truly understood what was important to me. Creativity, independence, and a chance to bring all of the dreams in my trusty old sketchbook to life.
I rested my head against his chest, and he circled his arms around me.
“One last thing,” he murmured as he planted a kiss on the top of my head.
“James, no ,” I complained, pummeling him with soft punches. “It’s after five, we’re done, okay? No more work talk.”
“C’mon, give me one more minute!” He laughed, trying to hold me down. “Because I have the best idea to launch the new direction. A singular dress, the dress of your dreams, worn by the perfect spokesmodel.”
I paused and cocked my head. “Skyler?”
James shook his head, then slid me off his lap. I watched in shock as he went down on one knee in front of me.
“No. You .”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen, then held it out to me. “Will you marry me, Natalie Reynolds?”
I stared at James in shock as tears flooded my eyes.
He smiled up at me. “I can wait down here as long as you need. Just say make sure to eventually say yes.”
It took me a few seconds to put together that this was my real life. I collapsed into his arms in a full-on weep, because never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we’d find our way to this moment.
“ Yes , James,” I sobbed. “Yes, forever.”
He stroked my hair as we embraced. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
James held me until I could finally collect myself enough to look at the ring. I gave him my hand and he slipped it on. “Emerald-cut diamond with a diamond-encrusted platinum band, right? Isn’t that what you said you wanted?”
I sniffled as I examined the gorgeous thing. “But…this isn’t the one from Tiffany’s. It’s huge , James!”
He laughed. “You know I like things bigger and better. I called my friend at Veritique and told him what I needed, then coordinated with his designers to hash out the specifics. It’s one of a kind, just for you.”
We sat on the teak floorboards, holding one another as the light faded.
“I hope you know that you’re not just marrying me,” James finally said softly. “You’re marrying into a dynasty. Bernie, my mom, Christopher…they’re all part of the package. You sure you’re okay with that?”
Silent tears spilled down my cheeks at the thought of it. “Don’t you know that’s all I’ve ever wanted?” I whispered shakily. “To be a part of a family?”
He squeezed me closer to his chest. “Well, you’ve got one. And maybe one day…” He trailed off.
“What?” I asked. I wiped my tears away and leaned back to look into his eyes. “Say it.”
“Maybe,” he murmured, “if we’re extra lucky, we’ll be able to add our own branches to the old family tree.”
I didn’t answer him with words. I couldn’t, because I was about to burst from the strangest mixture of happiness, excitement, and yes, a tiny bit of fear of the unknown. Instead of trying to find the right thing to say, I kissed him, deep and full of promise. I wanted to show him with my body exactly how much I loved him. How much I loved us .
We both knew what was going to come next. We’d find the sweetest release in one another’s arms today, and thanks to the ring on my finger, forever.