Page 77 of Maxwell

“Is she all right now?” Benicio asked.

“She’s fine.”

Benicio fluffed the pillows and lay down on his back, and Rose settled against him, one hand resting on his chest. Some days he couldn’t believe he was back in his home with the love of his life, and he vowed he would never do anything to jeopardize this type of happiness again.

He lay down in comfortable silence for a while before broaching the topic uppermost in his mind. “Did you make a decision about the venue for the engagement party?”

Rose didn’t answer right away, which meant she was about to disagree with him.

“I don’t want an engagement party.”

“We need to have an engagement party, mi amor. Our friends and family want to celebrate with us.”

“We don’t need to have an engagement party, and people can celebrate with us at the wedding and reception.” He heard the obstinance in her voice.

“Do not be difficult.”

“I’m not the one being difficult.”

“Yes, you are. Think of how much fun it will be to have all our friends and family celebrate with us.” His voice gentled. “It is one day out of the rest of our lives.” He kissed her forehead.

“I hate when you’re being reasonable. You make me sound like an emotional old fool,” Rose grumbled.

“You are never an emotional old fool,” Benicio said.

The room became quiet, and he waited for a moment, but he wasn’t known for his patience. “Well?” he prompted.

She sighed, her breath stirring the hairs on his bare chest. “We could have the party here, I guess,” she said reluctantly.

They had a sunroom at the back of the house which they used to host large parties. They called it the party room.

Benicio smiled. “You have made the right decision,” he said with satisfaction.

She huffed out a sound that sounded somewhat like a laugh. Lifting onto her elbow, she looked down at him in the darkness.

“How many people are you thinking of inviting?”

“I am putting together a modest list.”

“Define modest, Ben.”

“Family, of course.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

“Close friends, and perhaps a handful of people I have done business with over the span of thirty or so years.”

“Oh my goodness.”

He rolled onto his side. “Many of these people are like family. You know that.”

“We only have so much space to accommodate guests, otherwise, we’ll have to move to a different venue. Rent a ballroom, maybe.”

“If we must...” He shrugged.

She pursed her lips at him. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Give me anything I want.”