“Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?” Lily asked. Danielle had just finished explaining what had happened since discovering the truth about Zara. She sat on the arm of the sofa next to Walt. “We were here for breakfast this morning, and you never said a thing.”
“I didn’t want you to worry, Lily, and frankly, I figured this way you would just act naturally, which is really what we needed you to do.”
“So all of that about Heather being upset with you was made up?” Ian asked Chris.
“Oh, I’m always mad at Chris for one thing or another,” Heather teased.
“I wasn’t going to have her stuff envelopes on Christmas Eve. I’m not that jerky of a boss.”
Heather flashed Chris a smile and said, “If I want to be totally honest, Chris isn’t a jerky boss at all. I love working for the foundation—working for Chris—and where else can I bring my cat to work?”
“That cat came in pretty handy, if you ask me!” Danielle said. “In fact, Bella’s getting some catnip from Santa!”
“Is Noah really your brother?” Ian asked.
“We’re going to take a DNA test to verify it, but he and Zara are fairly certain he is.”
Lily looked over to Chris. “Did they really leave?”
Chris shook his head. “No, we thought it best if Noah was out of the way when all this was going down, so he’s over at my house with Hunny and Zara. I’m going to see if he wants to stay with me for the rest of his Christmas vacation so we can get to know each other better.”
“But what do you think?” Ian asked Chris. “Is the DNA test just a formality?”
Marie shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m the only one who noticed the resemblance.”
Danielle looked to Marie and smiled. “If I remember correctly, you thought Noah looked familiar, but you didn’t say who he looked like.”
“Who are you talking to?” Lily asked. “Eva or Marie?”
“Marie,” Danielle explained. “She noticed Noah looked familiar when he arrived.”
Walt grabbed Danielle and pulled her off the arm of the sofa onto his lap and hugged her. “It terrifies me to imagine what could have happened.” Danielle turned around in his lap, now sitting sideways, and hugged him.
Lily, who sat between Walt and Ian on the sofa, chuckled. “Looks like you’re both serious about this officially dating thing.”
“Pretty much.” Danielle laughed, hugging Walt again.
Eva, who hovered in the corner on an imaginary chair, smiled at the couple. “They do look right together,” she mused. “The Universe does know what it’s doing.”
“One good thing came out of this,” Walt said, his arms still around Danielle as she rested her head against his shoulder. “Danielle and I get the house to ourselves through the New Year now that Simon and Loyd are locked up, and Chris has invited Noah to stay with him.”
Chris raised his glass in salute to Walt. “It’s the least I can do for you guys basically saving my life. And I also appreciate you kicking those two SOBs on their butts.”
Walt nodded at Chris. “Like I said, my pleasure.”
Lily stood up and grabbed Ian’s hand, pulling him to his feet. “We need to get back home. We have a Christmas Eve party to host, and people are going to start showing up in about an hour.”
Danielle whispered something into Walt’s ear. He nodded. She jumped to her feet, and just as Ian and Lily started for the door, she yelled, “Wait! I have something I need to tell you all.”
They all turned to face Danielle and Walt.
“Walt and I have decided we aren’t going to start dating,” Danielle said.
Heather frowned and looked to Walt, who remained sitting on the sofa. “So what was that all about?”
“What do you mean you’re not going to date? You two are obviously crazy about each other,” Lily said.
Chris sat back in his chair and glanced from Danielle to Walt. “I think what Danielle is trying to say, they aren’t going to date because they’re already married.”
Both Danielle and Walt looked to Chris in surprise. “How did you know?” Danielle asked.
Danielle then looked to Marie, who shook her head. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Married? You’re married?” Lily asked.
Danielle nodded and held up her right hand with the gold ring. She slipped the ring off her right hand and put it on her left.
“You didn’t tell me!” Lily cried.
“I’m sorry, Lily.”
Lily didn’t get angry; instead, she ran over to Danielle and threw her arms around her, giving her a tight hug. She then hugged Walt.
“But you can’t tell anyone yet,” Danielle said.
“You want to keep it a secret?” Lily frowned.
“I think I understand,” Ian said. “People are just getting used to the idea of Walt and Danielle, and considering the reality they believe is not the reality that is, I don’t blame them for rolling this out slowly.”
“We weren’t going to say anything to anyone for a while,” Danielle explained. “But I just didn’t want to keep it from you anymore. All of you have always been there for me—for Walt. You’re our closest friends.”
Lily narrowed her eyes and studied Danielle. “Just how long have you two been married?”
Danielle flashed a guilty smile at Lily. “Almost seven months.”
“Seven months!” they all shouted.
Danielle shrugged.
“What are you going to do?” Lily asked. “Just start telling people one day you’re married?”
“We’re going to have a wedding,” Walt said. “Here, in Marlow House, like you and Ian.”
“When?” Lily asked.
Danielle looked down at her hand and slipped the ring off her left hand and placed it back on her right one. “We figured we would date for a few months and then announce our engagement.”
“Valentine’s Day,” Lily said.
Danielle frowned at Lily. “Valentine’s Day what?”
“Shoot for a Valentine’s Day wedding. It’s not like you’ll need a long engagement, which would seem silly since you’re living under the same roof anyway.”
Danielle looked to Walt and cringed. “That’s less than two months away, do you think it’s too soon?”
He smiled and shook his head. “I think a Valentine’s Day wedding would be perfect. Considering all that’s happened since Clint’s accident, I have a feeling people might be able to understand a whirlwind engagement.”
“A wedding!” Lily squealed.
“You have to keep it to yourself for now,” Danielle reminded her. “Of course, I want you to be my maid of honor.”
“Yes! I will be honored!” Lily hugged Danielle again.
When the hug ended, Danielle looked at Heather and asked, “I’d love for you to be one of my bridesmaids, Heather.”
“Me?” Heather frowned, pointing to herself.
“Of course. I consider you one of my closest friends.”
Heather grinned. “Gee, thanks, Danielle. I would love to be in your wedding.”
Ian glanced at his watch. “Congratulations, you two, but Lily and I should probably get going. Before we tackle a Valentine’s Day wedding, let’s take care of Christmas.”
Ten minutes later, Walt and Danielle stood at the front doorway of Marlow House, saying goodbye to their friends—whom they would be seeing within an hour across the street at the open house. Chris was the last to say goodbye.
“Thanks again. I’m so sorry I put you through this,” Chris told Danielle. He looked to Walt and said, “And you too. I know you must have been worried about Danielle.”
“Chris, I understand the desire to have a connection with family, even family members that you’re estranged from,” Danielle said.
“And now you’ve found your brother,” Walt reminded him.
Chris smiled. “He found me.”
“I do want to ask you something before you leave,” Walt said.
“What?”
“Would you be my best man?” Walt asked.
Startled, Chris stared at Walt. “Me? I’d think you would have asked Ian.”
Walt shook his head. “Of all my male friends—the ones alive today—you’re the one I’ve known the longest.”
“You met Ian before you met me,” Chris reminded him.
“But he hadn’t met me.”
Chris smiled. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
Walt nodded.
Chris’s smile broadened and he held out his hand. “I would be honored.”
Danielle stood by quietly and watched as the two men shook hands.
“That was sweet of you,” Danielle told Walt after they closed the front door. They were the only ones left in Marlow House, aside from Max. Even Marie and Eva had left—with Eva going to Chris’s house, and Marie following Lily and Ian across the street for the party.
“He just seemed like the right choice.” Walt draped one arm over Danielle’s shoulder, and together they turned from the now closed front door.
“And to think you used to have issues with Chris. I always knew you liked him.”
Walt chuckled as they continued down the hall. “Now that we’re married, Chris doesn’t seem to annoy me like he used to.”
They paused a moment at the open door leading to the downstairs bedroom. “At least we don’t have to clean out the rooms Loyd and Simon used. The chief’s men took all their stuff,” Danielle said. “And I imagine Noah will stop by here later to get the rest of his things if he takes Chris’s offer to stay with him.”
“He’d better take Chris’s offer, or Chris can forget being my best man.”
Danielle laughed. “Let’s go upstairs and get ready for the party.”
When they reached the staircase, they paused a moment and looked up toward the second floor.
“I think Simon lied to me,” Walt said.
Danielle glanced at Walt. “Well, he tried to murder me. But what do you mean he lied to you?”
“He told me It’s a Wonderful Life was one of his favorite movies. I don’t think that’s true.”
“Uh, yeah. I have to agree. Simon seems more like a Krampus sort of guy.”
“What’s Krampus?”
“It’s a Christmas horror movie.”
“A Christmas horror movie? That doesn’t seem very Christmassy,” Walt noted.
“Neither is almost getting poisoned on Christmas Eve.”
Walt nodded. “True.”
They started up the stairs.
“It’s kind of nice being in the house—just you and me,” Danielle mused. “It feels like our home—not your house or mine, but both of ours.”
“I agree.” He looked at her inquisitively. “You aren’t considering closing the B and B, are you?”
Danielle looked up to Walt and shrugged. “I still enjoy it—but if it was something you wanted me to do, I wouldn’t be opposed to seriously considering your wishes.”
Walt laughed and kissed Danielle’s nose.
“What?” She frowned. “You didn’t think I would take your feelings into consideration?”
Walt chuckled and shook his head. “No, it isn’t that. Rather the opposite. Where I came from—”
“You came from here,” Danielle reminded him.
Walt grinned. “I’m referencing time not place. Where I came from, a wife didn’t consider her husband’s wishes—she simply acquiesced.”
Danielle arched her brows. “Really now, did Angela simply go along with all your demands?”
“Angela? Oh no.” Walt chuckled. “But then, Angela plotted to kill me.”
“Yeah, well, if you thought you were always going to get your way because you’re a man, I might have to kill you myself.”
Walt patted her backside good-naturedly. “I suppose for my own safety it’s a good thing I would rather be married to a woman who doesn’t expect me to do her thinking for her.”
“Plus it would be boring. But seriously, I wouldn’t be opposed to closing the B and B if you hate it.”
“I don’t hate it,” Walt said. “I’ve actually enjoyed meeting many of the guests—some, like Chris’s uncles, I could have done without. But what about you? Are you finding it isn’t what you want to do anymore? You mentioned how you enjoyed having the house to ourselves.”
“I still enjoy the business. And I do enjoy having the house to ourselves. One doesn’t discount the other. In fact, running Marlow House as a bed and breakfast, it doesn’t just afford me the opportunity to meet new people, it makes me appreciate my home even more when I don’t have to share it with strangers.”
“And then there is the baking without guests staying here,” Walt reminded her. “It would be a lose-lose situation. I would either gain a ridiculous amount of weight—or if you decided to hang up your apron, I’d be deprived. After going almost a hundred years without chocolate cake—and having tasted your chocolate cake—I’m not ready to give that up.”