Page 73 of Sweet Home

And then, with a flash of courage she didn’t know she had, she went up on her toes and pressed her lips to his, giving him an answer that she knew would leave no doubt.

West held perfectly still for a second and she almost wondered if she’d made a mistake. But then he was holding her close, kissing her back with an unleashed passion that took her breath away.

“Dulcie,” he murmured after a moment, pulling back as if he were afraid of what he might do next if he didn’t stop.

She smiled up at him, her heart pounding as the impossible happiness of her new life laid itself out in front of her.

Can this even be real?

“What are you thinking, princess?” West asked, his dark eyes twinkling as he smiled back.

“I keep wondering lately if I’m dreaming,” she admitted truthfully.

“Well get used to it,” he told her. “Because I’m going to make it my business to make all your dreams come true.”

23

DULCIE

The next few days unfolded so happily that it was all Dulcie could do to stop herself from singing and dancing through the house.

Tag and Charlotte had brought over a twin bed from their place and put it in the guest room so that Dulcie and Delphine could stay together. West had offered her the other spare bedroom upstairs, but Dulcie just wanted her sister close, at least for the first few days while she got settled.

Having Delphine back was like a dream come true. They had spent the last few nights catching up, laughing and talking for hours about everything that had happened so far and all their plans.

And when Dulcie told her sister, heart in her mouth, that she and West were going to be seeing each other, Delphine had been so happy.

“He’s super cute for an old guy,” she said. “And he obviously loves you.”

“Obviously?” Dulcie asked.

“He fought for me to come here,” Delphine said. “Even though he knew it meant that he’d have to share you now.”

She never would have said it, but Dulcie had thought the same thing in the days after West’s declaration. She also appreciated that he had brought her sister home to her before confessing his feelings. It meant that there was no way for him to think that she was only returning his affections as a way to get her sister back.

“The more I get to know him, the more I realize how lucky I am,” Dulcie said happily. “But having you here is great for Elizabeth, too. She’s been having so much fun.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. If Dulcie had brought the little girl out of her shell, Delphine was running with her into the ocean. The two of them played around the farm all day, visited the library together when the family went to town, and spread board games across the dining room table in the evenings. Delphine was even encouraging Elizabeth to play soccer with the other kids her age at the community recreation group in the springtime.

West kept telling Dulcie privately how impressed he was by Delphine’s patience with Elizabeth. But Dulcie understood completely why Delphine loved taking Elizabeth under her wing and seeing the world through the younger girl’s eyes. It was just how Dulcie had always felt about her little sister. And it was nice to see her catching up on some of the childhood fun she’d missed.

Meanwhile, Dulcie and West tried to find a few quiet moments here and there to spend together. They had gone for a morning walk on the farm each day, and lastnight, they’d had a cup of tea together while the girls were playing a guessing game.

Dulcie found it both frustrating and a relief that they never had real privacy. The kiss they shared the night West told her he loved her still made her heart pound whenever she thought of it. But at the end of the day, she didn’t want to be tempted to do anything she wouldn’t be proud of. After all, she was a role model for both Delphine and Elizabeth now.

But growing closer with West and seeing his handsome face, even in her dreams, was killing her.

On Christmas Eve morning, he suggested that they go on a real date. His mom would be coming over to make one last batch of Christmas cookies, so the girls would have supervision and plenty to do.

“But it’s Christmas Eve,” she reminded him. “Nothing will be open.”

“Something will be,” he’d said with a mysterious half-smile.

She had happily agreed, wondering what in the world he had up his sleeve, but trusting him to surprise her in a good way.

Now that the time had come, she felt excited and a little nervous.

“What aboutthis?” Elizabeth asked excitedly, tugging a fluffy Christmas sweater covered in little Santa Claus faces out of the closet Dulcie and Delphine shared. “I think it’s the nicest one you have.”

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