The scathing retort that Lauren had been about to give her father had died on her lips, however, when Robert had added gently, “He’s a fine man, missy. One I’m very proud to welcome to our family. And even though he’s a quiet one, I think you may have finally met your match. Ben’s not afraid of you, you know, and you won’t be able to bully or charm him into doing everything your way. With your Ben, still waters definitely run deep.”

After sharing the news of their very sudden engagement with those closest to them, things had happened very, very quickly after that. Ben had stayed with Lauren at Maddy’s place for a few days until he’d been able to sign the lease on a modest, partially furnished place of his own. He’d had to make a very awkward phone call to Elle to arrange the pick-up of his things, a task that Chris and George had been enlisted to help him with. Lauren had considered it to be in rather bad taste to enter Elle’s house under the circumstances, and had contented herself instead with helping Ben to unpack at the other end.

And it was when she began to unload a box filled with books, files, and other items that had previously been kept in his home office that her hand had closed over a framed sketch – a sketch that she recognized as the one she’d rather carelessly drawn of him six years ago.

“My God,” she’d breathed. “You kept it. All this time. And had it framed, too.”

“This is one of my most cherished possessions,” he’d told her with a kiss. “It’s always been the first thing I packed when I had to move, and the first thing I hung on the wall when I unpacked. It was the only thing I had to remind me of you, after all. Well, this and a couple of hundred photos, that is.”

In recounting the story of what had really happened the night he’d left Elle, Ben had rather sheepishly revealed the secret stash of photos he’d kept of Lauren all these years. She had prodded him to show her the whole album, gasping with surprise when she’d noticed that at least a couple of dozen shots were much more recent, and she had half-jokingly accused him of being a stalker. But when she’d come across the dozen or so nude and semi-nude shots of herself, instead of being angry as he had assumed she would be, Lauren had grinned wickedly instead.

“So it was this particular photo Elle was looking at when you caught her snooping?” she asked, pointing to the photo in question.

Ben had nodded. “That’s the one. And as you can see it, uh, doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”

“I can see that,” she’d agreed lazily. “And I’m glad you kept it. Glad that the snoopy, nosy bitch came face to face with my, uh, nakedness. She deserves it after threatening to get me fired. Not to mention lying to my face about the two of you getting engaged.”

“Why didn’t you just ask me at the time if it was true?” he’d inquired.

Lauren had shrugged. “Maybe because I didn’t really want to know the truth. Or let you know how much it would have devastated me if the answer had been yes.”

Ben had taken her in his arms then. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to marry,” he’d murmured against her hair. “The only one I’ve ever loved. So let’s forget about Elle, hmm? She was a mistake I made when I was lonely and vulnerable. And I’m just guessing you made one or two – or more – of the same mistakes yourself.”

“Not as many as you might think,” she’d insisted. “I could count those mistakes on one hand and still have fingers left over. And God help me, but I’m not even sure I can remember their names or faces now. Because the only face I could ever see was yours.”

They had agreed then to never again discuss Elle, or how desperately unhappy both of them had been during the years apart. Especially since they had a wedding to plan in a very, very short amount of time.

Ben had flown out to California with her, more than a little nervous at the thought of meeting her parents again – and this time not as Lauren’s boss but as her fiancé. But his worries had been for naught, because the McKinnons had welcomed him into their home as though he’d been part of their family for years. Julia and Nathan had been down for the weekend, too, and the pair of them had confessed they’d done a bit of matchmaking during their visit to New York a few weeks earlier.

Nathan had chuckled in recollection. “After all, it was payback time, Lauren. If it hadn’t been for your devious little manipulations that first day I met you, Julia and I might never have gotten back together. So I might have dropped a few hints to Ben that night at dinner, just enough to get him thinking. Looks like my machinations had the desired outcome, though. So we’re even now – sis.”

Nathan’s good-natured jibe hadn’t stopped Lauren from smacking him on the side of his head, with Julia shaking her head in exasperation.

“I think it’s a good thing that Mom and Dad never had a son,” Julia had declared. “Because Lauren would have been merciless towards him, if the way she treats Nathan is any indication.”

“Nah.” Lauren had waved a hand in dismissal, just before giving Nathan an affectionate smooch on the cheek. “It’s just that he’s such an easy target, you know? But I think he’s a keeper, Jules.”

Julia had smiled at her twin knowingly. “Just like Ben is, hmm? I finally figured it out, you know. Like you told me I would the night before my wedding. I put all the clues together, and right before we flew out to New York, all the pieces finally clicked into place. And I knew he was the one.”

Lauren had rolled her eyes. “Jesus, it took you that long to figure it out? I think Mom and Dad should write to Cornell so they can get a refund for your tuition, because you’re nowhere near as smart as I thought you were, Jules.”

But the twins’ good-natured ribbing of the other came to an abrupt halt when Natalie reminded everyone they had just over a month to plan a wedding – a wedding that would fortunately be a simple affair with fewer than fifty people in attendance.

Ben’s head had been spinning by the time the weekend had ended, for between Lauren, Julia, and their parents, the entire wedding had been organized in the space of seventy two hours or so. Natalie had arranged for the catering, wedding cake, and decorations; Robert the music, drinks, and extra tables and chairs; Julia the invitations, flowers, and what Lauren had caustically referred to as “half a dozen little girly touches”. Robert’s brother Malcolm had offered to do the photography, while Chris would be video taping the ceremony for them.

Lauren, meanwhile, had taken Ben with her to a very unique little shop in Big Sur where they’d chosen their rings, and she had also made a call to the minister who would be marrying them.

“Actually, he’s really more of a shaman,” she’d informed Ben blithely, and had then disappeared into another room before explaining further. It had been left up to Natalie to reassure him that this particular shaman was well known locally, and would not be showing up to the wedding in full Native American ceremonial garb or something similar.

They’d had to return to New York far too soon, but not before they had spent three magical nights alone at the cabin. Ben had fought hard to keep his emotions under control the first time he’d crossed the threshold of the place where he had spent the happiest weeks of his life. His hand had gripped the door jamb while looking around the great room, nodding in satisfaction to note that nothing had changed in six years.

“Home,” he had stated simply.

Lauren had nodded in agreement. “Always.”

She had moved in with him upon their return to New York, and had been the one to suggest that they consider renting the place out to vacationers via a service like Airbnb once Ben took Karl’s job over in January.

“After all,” she’d pointed out, “we’ll really only need this place for a week or two at a time. Our real home will be back in California.”