‘You want children as well?’ Jess said, still in a state of shock.
‘Hell, yes. As many as you want. And if I know you, Jess, that will be more than one or two.’
‘Yes, I’d like a big family,’ she confessed. ‘So when did you tell your mother about us?’
‘Last night. I stayed at her apartment in Bondi. I flew in late, you see, too late to come up here. Though in the end, I stayed up even later, telling Mum everything. Then, would you believe it, I slept in. Didn’t make it up to the coast till after lunch. Like I already told you, when you didn’t answer your phone I rang Murphy’s Hire Car and your mum answered.’
Jess was still a bit dumbstruck by everything Ben had done for her. ‘I hope Mum was nice to you.’
‘Very nice. So was your dad, after I asked him for your hand in marriage.’
‘You actually asked Dad for my hand in marriage?’
‘I wanted to do everything right, Jess. I didn’t want anything to go wrong this time.’
‘Oh, Ben, you make me feel awful.’
He frowned. ‘Why awful?’
‘Because you’ve done everything for me and I’ve done nothing for you.’
Done nothing? Ben looked at this wonderful girl whom he loved and he thought of all the things she’d done. Firstly and most importantly, she’d loved him back, not for his money but for himself—Ben the man, not the heir to billions. She’d also made him see what was important in life. Not fame and fortune but family and community. Not a high-flying social life but a simpler life, full of fun and friends and children. Oh yes, he couldn’t wait to have children with Jess. What a lucky man he’d been the day he’d rung Murphy’s Hire Car and met her.
But Ben knew if he said all that she’d be embarrassed. So he just smiled and said, ‘Happiness is not nothing, Jess. You make me happy, my darling.’
‘Oh,’ she said, and looked like she was going to cry again.
‘No more tears, Jess. You can cry on our wedding day, if you like, but not today. Today is for rejoicing. Now, drink up your coffee and we’ll go buy you an engagement ring. There must be a decent jewellery store here somewhere.’
Half an hour later, the third finger of Jess’s left hand was sporting a diamond solitaire engagement ring set in white gold, not as large and expensive as one Ben would have chosen.
‘It’s not how much it costs, Ben,’ she’d told him firmly when she’d made her choice. ‘But the sentiment behind it. Besides, I wouldn’t like to make my very nice sisters-in law envious. They don’t have engagement rings with diamonds the size of Ayer’s Rock.’
Ben lifted his eyes to the ceiling. ‘Fine. But don’t go thinking I intend to buy a house with any constraints on it. I aim to have everything you and I want in it.’
‘Fair enough,’ Jess said, thinking to herself that that was fine by her. She wasn’t a jewellery person but she’d always wanted a truly great house.
‘Okay,’ Ben said. ‘Now that the ring business is all sorted out, take me along to that Fab Fashions store you used to work in.’
‘But why?’ she asked, puzzled. ‘You don’t own it any more.’
‘Ah, but you’re wrong there. When I sold Dad’s company, that’s the one asset I arranged to keep—the Fab Fashions chain. Dad’s partners were only too happy to let me have it for nothing. They all consider it a right lemon, but I reckon that with your advice we could make a go of it. So what do you think, Jess? Can you help me out here?’
Jess’s heart swelled with happiness. What an incredibly thoughtful man Ben was! And very clever. He knew exactly the way to her heart. And she told him so.
He grinned. ‘Andy always said that no one should get between me and the goal post.’
She smiled. It wasn’t every day that a girl liked being called a goal post.
‘Does Andy know about your dad dying?’ she asked on a more serious note.
‘Not yet. They’re still on their honeymoon. But they get back next week. Perhaps we could drive up and visit them one weekend soon, now that we’re engaged. Stay in that nice little cottage for a night or two before they knock it down. Andy’s planning on building a family home on that site in the New Year. Till then, they’re living in the main house.’
Jess’s heartbeat had quickened at the mention of the cottage, which immediately evoked the most wickedly exciting memories.
‘That would be nice,’ she said rather blandly. Wow, what an understatement! She could hardly wait.
He gave her a narrow-eyed look. Then he laughed. ‘You don’t fool me, Jess Murphy. You liked those fun and games as much as I did.’
‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘But I think they should be kept for special occasions, not an every-day event. I like the way you made love to me that night in New York, Ben. I thought you liked it too.’
‘I did. Very much so. Okay, we’ll keep the fun and games for special occasions, and weekends in nicely private cottages. Now, take me to Fab Fashions.’
* * *
Helen was surprised when Jess walked in on the arm of the most handsome man she’d ever seen. He reminded her of a young Brad Pitt.
‘Hello, Helen,’ Jess said, looking oddly sheepish. ‘This is Benjamin De Silva, the American businessman who took over Fab Fashions.’
‘Please call me Ben,’ the American said and extended his hand. ‘Jess has been telling me about the difficulties you’ve encountered since my order came through for you to make a profit before Christmas or be closed.’
Helen shook his hand whilst wondering what on earth was going on here.
‘I just wanted to personally deliver a new order to you. There will be no closing down, and come the New Year there will be huge changes to Fab Fashions. A new name and brand-new stock, plus an extensive advertising campaign to go with it. Till then, I’d like you to put all of your current stock on sale at fifty-percent off. Get rid of it all. Oh, and one more thing—Jess has just agreed to become my wife.’
Jess was still smiling when Ben steered her out of the shopping centre ten minutes later.
‘Did you see the look on Helen’s face when you said we were engaged?’ she said.
‘She did seem a little shocked.’
‘Shocked? She couldn’t speak for a full minute and that’s not like Helen at all.’
‘Well, she soon made up for it. What do you think of her idea of stocking more accessories for the clothes?’
‘It’s a good one. Ladies love accessories. We already had a few bits of jewellery, but that could be increased, and I think some scarves, handbags and even shoes could do well.’
‘We’ll have to invite her to the wedding,’ Ben said. ‘She’s nice.’
‘She is. And so is her husband.’
‘Then we’ll invite them both.’
Jess’s heart swelled with pride at the man by her side. He’d changed in so many ways. Still a ‘take charge’ kind of man, but she liked that about him. Still charming too. But there was more sincerity behind his charm. More depth of feeling.
‘So, where have you parked your car?’ she asked once they were out on the pavement. ‘You do have a car this time, don’t you?’
‘Yes, I rented one till I knew whether I was going to actually buy a car or a plot in Wamberal Cemetery in anticipation of my throwing myself off a cliff after you turned me down again.’