24. Gemma
GEMMA
It had been a little over a month since I left Whitmore, and I’d worked every day of it from before dawn until after dark.
The last of the holiday parties was over now, and for the first time since I’d started at Lombard, nobody needed me before noon.
I sat in my corner office, looking out at the view of the bay, thinking about Bas like I did every time I didn’t have a hundred other thoughts taking up all my brain space.
He hadn’t called me, and I hadn’t called him. He’d told me to take the job, and I had. What more was there for us to talk about?
“Ms. Engel?” my administrative assistant announced through the intercom. “I have Mrs. Whelan on the line for you.”
“Edna, how nice to hear from you,” I said, meaning every word. The only person I talked to with any regularity was Izzy, and we both had our hands full—me at Lombard and her with Anais—so our conversations were shorter than either of us would have liked.
“I’m in the city today and was wondering if you had time to meet for lunch.”
If she’d called any other day, I would’ve had to decline. “I’d love to. Where and when?”
“I’m at the Fairmont. Shall we say one o’clock, dear?”
When I told her that would be perfect, she instructed me to let the concierge know when I arrived and I’d be escorted to the penthouse.
When the elevator door opened, Edna was waiting with open arms. “Come with me. Lunch is ready.” She kissed my cheek and led me to a table with the same view I had from my office.
“So. How are you?”
“Good. Busy.”
She studied me. “But how are you, Gemma?”
I knew what she was getting at and wished she wouldn’t.
“Please, Edna, let’s—”
“I saw Sebastian last week. He looks as bad as you do.”
I laughed. “Thanks a lot.”
“Come now, dear. You cannot possibly believe you can hide your true feelings from me.”
“No, I suppose I can’t.”
“So tell me, Gemma, are you happy? Is this everything you wanted?”
I opened my mouth, ready to insist I was, and that having my name on the door of the largest event planning business in the city was everything I wanted. But she would’ve called me out on the lie before I finished the sentence.
“No.”
She took a sip of her wine. “I doubted both. Which raises the obvious question—why are you here and not at Whitmore?”
The words flowed out of me faster than my tears rolled down my cheeks. “Because he didn’t want me. He told me to take the job. To go.”
She handed me a hankie.
“Edna, the man couldn’t get me out of that house fast enough.”
“I see.”
“What would you do if you were me? Show up on his doorstep? Beg him to let me stay? Beg him to want me as much as I want him?”
“Didn’t it occur to you that he couldn’t handle things any differently than he did?
That if he asked and you did stay, it would’ve meant giving up your dream?
” She picked up her fork. “He didn’t want you gone, dear.
He didn’t want to hold you back. Those are very different things, and you of all people should know that. ”
I turned to the window and wiped away my tears.
“I told you two things once in a ladies’ room many months ago. Do you remember what they were?” Edna asked.
“The ones you don’t want to let under your skin are worth their weight in pushed buttons.”
“And the other?”
“That Sebastian lets everyone think he can carry the weight of the world, and he can’t,” I said.
“And what did I say after that?”
“To help him.”
“And instead you’re here, helping Helen Lombard.”
“Edna—”
She reached across and covered my hand with hers. “Why, Gemma? Are the bright lights of the city that much better than those you’d see in Iceland?”
I smiled. “Not even close.”
“Then, you know what to do.”
“I might need a little help with that, because I don’t.”
“Of course you do. First, you return to your office and resign.”
“Edna! You can’t be serious—”
“Let me finish, and of course I am. You don’t need or want this job. You’ve done what you set out to do. You proved how good you are, and you taught Helen a valuable lesson about listening to her employees over her clients. At the very minimum, hearing their side of the story.”
“She’s not going to be happy if I leave.”
“Of course not, but who cares?”
I laughed when she did.
“Go to him. Tell him what you really want in life.”
“I will. This weekend, I’ll—”
“No. Not this weekend. Today.”
“By the time I return to the office, have a conversation with Helen, if she’s even available, then get on the road, it’ll be after dark when I get there.”
“So?” She folded her arms. “What are you waiting for?” she asked when I picked up my fork to take another bite. “Go now.”
Helen Lombard took my resignation better than I expected. She told me the door would always be open, even if it did have one last name on it.
Everything in my office fit in a single box, and this time when I walked out, I did it unescorted. My apartment was less than a block away and took even less time to pack up.
It was dark when I turned in at the gate, but the porch light was on when I pulled up to the house.
The door opened, and Bas stepped out before I turned the engine off.
“Hi.” I climbed out. “I guess you were expecting me.”
He cocked his head. “I wasn’t, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“Were you expecting someone else?” I asked, pointing to the light.
He stepped forward, and so did I.
“It’s been on every night since you left, Gemma.” He put his arms around me.
“Why?”
“If you decided to come home, I wanted you to know I was waiting. Hoping.”
“I’m not here because I failed, Bas. You need to know that. I quit this afternoon, and I’m here because I’m choosing to be. Choosing us. Choosing you.”
“You asked me once why I said I needed you.”
“You never answered.”
He rested his forehead against mine. “Because of this. When you’re in my arms, when we’re this close, I know that no matter what challenges I face—we face—we’ll get through. With you by my side, I can handle anything.”
“Bas—”
He put his hands on my face. “I love you. I should’ve told you that a long time ago.”
“I love you too.”
We kissed, then he led me inside.
“My bags, should I get them?”
“They can wait. There’s something we need to do first.” He took my coat and led me into the library, where the fire was already lit. On the table there was a gift. “That’s for you. I was going to bring it to you on your birthday.”
“It’s on Christmas.”
“I know.” He kissed my cheek. “I made you give it to me in the vineyard.”
He picked the package up and handed it to me.
“Do you want me to open it now?”
“In a minute. There’s something else I need to get.”
He walked over to the glass cabinet and pulled out the case that had been in the bottom of the box of things he’d kept of his parents, under his father’s watch and cap. He stuck it in his pocket, then returned to the sofa.
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait for Christmas?”
He smiled. “I can’t wait another minute, Gem.”
I tore off the paper, which landed on the floor, then lifted the lid of what appeared to be a wine box.
“What is this?” I asked as I pulled it out.
“Read it.”
The label was beautifully designed, with raised foil lettering that I couldn’t read because my eyes were flooded with tears.
“Stop crying, and tell me what it says.”
“Bas, is this—”
“Read it to me.”
“It says, ‘Gem’s Blend.’” I studied him. “But it’s yours, Bas.”
He shook his head. “After you left, I made a decision. The only way I’d make more of this wine is if you came back. Oh, and there was one more thing.”
He reached into his pocket, got down on one knee, and opened the case.
“Gemma Engel, will you marry me? Will you spend your life with me? It can be here or anywhere. All that matters to me is that we’re together.”
“Yes, Sebastian Whitmore, I will marry you. I will spend my life with you, but I have my own request.”
“Tell me,” he said as he slid the ring onto my finger.
“I want our life to be here. At Whitmore. I want to fill the house the way your parents did, and I want to work with you every day, whether it’s in the event center or the vineyard or in the cellars.”
“Done.”
I heard the sound of footsteps above us. “Is someone here?”
“Everyone is.” He turned toward the door. “You can come down now,” he shouted.
Brylee was the first to race into the library, followed by Hux, then Arlow, then Everest.
“Welcome to the family.” Brylee had tears in her eyes when hugged me.
“And welcome home,” Arlow added, hugging me even tighter.
I looked over her shoulder at Bas. “I’m so happy to be home. So very happy.”