Flirting with Felicity (23 page)

She couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “I’d be an idiot
to refuse you, wouldn’t I?”

“I’d have to say yes.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll marry you.” The moment she said
the words, an incredible sense of rightness came over her. Before she could say
anything more her father, her employees, and her friends spilled out of a room
that was normally used for catering purposes.

Tears burned at the back of Felicity’s eyes and finally
spilled over as everyone she cared about came to congratulate her and Blake.
Each person who came to greet her offered her a rose, until she held a huge
bouquet in her hands.

The heady scent of roses filled the room, making her dizzy
with a kaleidoscope of happiness, contentment, and love. The emotions tumbled
through her, bringing joy one moment, awe the next. Her heart surged with
humility and pleasure and hope for a future with the man she loved.

When her arms were full, the guests laid flowers at her feet,
until she was surrounded by a sea of fragrant petals and greens. Through
tear-filled eyes, Felicity looked up at Blake when he, too, came to stand
before her.

“Why?” she asked, not bothering to disguise the joy that rode
through her.

“You said you liked roses better than any flower,” Blake
replied. He reached for her hands, folding them in his. “I love you, Felicity,
for now and for always. I don’t want you to give up your dreams. I simply want
a chance to share them with you.”

“My dreams are here in Seattle. What about your job . . . the
hotels . . .”

“I can do my job just as easily from Seattle as I can
anywhere in the world. The only thing I require is you.”

For endless seconds she stared at everyone gathered around
before returning her gaze to Blake. Her heart leaped. Never had she felt as
loved as she did right now. And in that moment every fear of loneliness she’d
ever had slipped away, never to return.

“Felicity?” Blake asked, placing a finger under her chin, he
brought her gaze back to his. “Marry me right here, right now, in front of our
friends and family?”

She could only nod as her heart filled to overflowing.

In a sea of roses, they stood together and joined their
lives. She stared down at the ring he’d slipped on her finger, laughing and
crying at the same time. The center diamond was absurdly big and surrounded by
a ring of smaller diamonds. The ring was dazzling, no doubt expensive, and very
bright. “It’s so big. You shouldn’t have . . . We could feed a small country
with the money you spent on this ring.”

He grinned. “We’ll keep that as an option if we need it
someday.” He pulled her close as the minister stepped before them. “I wanted
the world to know you’re mine. You are mine, aren’t you, Felicity?”

“Always.”

The word had barely settled between them when he kissed her
firmly, telling her more clearly than words how fervently he loved her in
return. She savored the moment as the scent of roses surrounded her, and
wondered exactly when her dreams had become reality.

One year later, on the anniversary of Vern’s death,
Felicity opened the door of the high-tech mansion she shared with Blake and her
father in the Madison Park area of Seattle. A lanky deliveryman handed her two
slim envelopes, one addressed to her, one addressed to Blake. She thanked him,
abstractedly, as she noted the unmistakable handwriting on the labels even
though a forwarding sticker had been slapped over part of the address.

“Blake?” Felicity called as she headed toward the room where
she’d left him only moments ago.

“What’s wrong?” In three strides Blake was in front of her,
standing so close she could smell his woodsy cologne and see the bright blue of
his eyes. She had to tip her head back to look up at him, finding comfort in
the certainty of his gaze.

“These arrived. They were postmarked two days ago in Seattle.”
She held out the envelope addressed to him and could tell the moment he
recognized his uncle’s unmistakable script.

“He wouldn’t?”

Felicity’s heart raced. “We won’t know unless we open them.”

In unison they broke the seals. Felicity reached inside and
removed another smaller envelope. She broke that seal and pulled out a single
sheet of stationery with the Bancroft Hotel crest at the top.

Blake followed her example.

“What does yours say?” Felicity was almost afraid to ask what
mischief Vern had sent them from the grave.

Blake’s expression softened as he read the message. “The
future I wanted for you is here. I apologize for my methods, but I learned long
ago that you were not one to take advice, mine or anyone else’s. I did love you
in my own odd way, and as I grew older, I didn’t know how to mend the rift
between us. I want you to be happy and to carry on the Bancroft name.” Blake
paused and smiled. Contentment shone in his eyes. “And yours?”

“If there’s one thing I know about my nephew, he never could
resist a challenge. I hope he’ll challenge you for the rest of your long and
happy lives.” She looked up to meet Blake’s smiling gaze. “He planned this all
along. He gave me the hotel so that it would lead us to each other.”

Sorrow shadowed her husband’s eyes as he set his note aside
and took her in his arms. “My only regret is that my uncle didn’t live to see
he got exactly what he wanted.” Blake’s hand slid to her abdomen, to the barely
discernable bump there. Inside her, deep inside, something fluttered.
Life.
They’d found out a month ago that they were expecting.

Felicity covered Blake’s hand with her own and offered him a
smile filled with all the love in her heart. “He knows. I’m certain of that.”

“In his own strange way, he did all this to see us happy,”
Blake said, bringing his lips to hers in a heart-melting kiss that communicated
his love.

When she surfaced from the seductive pull of his lips,
Felicity reached out and took his hands. She laced his fingers through her own.
“I’m so grateful Vern brought you to me through the ownership of the Bancroft
Hotel.” Which they now both shared.

Braised Celery with Onion,
Pancetta, and Tomatoes

2 pounds celery

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups onion, sliced very thin

2/3 cup pancetta, cut into strips

3/4 cup plum tomatoes, either fresh or canned, coarsely
chopped with their juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Cut off the celery’s leafy tops, saving the leaves
for another use, and detach all the stalks from their base. Use a peeler to
pare away most of the strings, and cut the stalks into three-inch pieces
(cutting on the diagonal looks nice). Set aside.

Put the oil and onion in a pan and sauté over medium heat.
Cook and stir the onion until it wilts completely and becomes a light gold
color. Add the pancetta strips.

After a few minutes, when the pancetta strips lose their flat
white uncooked color and become translucent, add the tomatoes with their
juices, the celery, salt, and pepper, and toss thoroughly to coat well. Adjust
heat to cook at a steady simmer, and put a cover over the pan. After fifteen
minutes, check the celery. It should cook until it feels tender when prodded
with a fork. The longer you cook the celery, the softer and sweeter it becomes.
If, while cooking, the pan juices become insufficient, refresh the celery
mixture with two to three tablespoons of water. Or, if the pan juices are too
watery, uncover, raise the heat, and boil the juices away.

The Bancroft Peach Bellini

2 ripe peaches, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 bottle chilled Prosecco sparkling wine

Directions

Place the peaches, lemon juice, and sugar in the
bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth.
Press the mixture through a sieve, and discard the peach solids in the sieve.
Place two tablespoons of the peach puree into each champagne glass and fill
with cold Prosecco. Serve immediately.

Hawaiian BBQ Short Ribs

1 package pork spare ribs

4 tablespoons of your favorite brand of dry rib rub

1 cup light brown sugar

2 cups Welch’s Essentials Orange, Pineapple, Apple Juice
Cocktail

1 16-ounce can chunked pineapple, with its juice

4 tablespoons light yellow mustard

1 cup Hawaiian BBQ sauce

Directions

Sprinkle both sides of the spare ribs with dry
rib rub and light brown sugar. Marinate in foil for almost twenty-four hours.

When the meat is finished marinating, prepare the grill, and
add a pot of water to keep the air inside the grill moist. Cook the ribs for
three hours on indirect heat, uncovered. Flip meat occasionally.

Next, lay the ribs on two layers of foil and pour the
pineapple juice over the top. Add pineapple chunks. Finally moisten with the
orange, pineapple, and apple juice cocktail. Wrap tightly and cook for two more
hours.

Remove the ribs from the foil. Reserve the pineapple and some
juice. Coat the ribs with the yellow mustard and Hawaiian BBQ sauce, and let it
cook for one more hour, directly on the grill. Turn the meat occasionally.

Serve decorated with the reserved pineapple.

Huli Huli Chicken

3 to 4 pounds chicken wings, thighs, and breast pieces

1/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate

1/3 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger or a pinch of fresh ginger

1 to 2 drops Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Wash chicken parts and pat dry with paper towels.
Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl, and brush the mixture over the chicken
parts. Grill over barbecue for about forty minutes. Turn and baste with the sauce
until the chicken is done. Serves ten to twelve people.

Felicity’s Macaroni and Cheese

4 cups (1 pound) elbow macaroni

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups milk

1/2 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups grated cheddar, plus 1 cup in big chunks

1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted
water until done, about five to seven minutes. Drain and toss it with two
tablespoons of butter; set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a large baking dish with one tablespoon of butter, and
set it aside. Mince the onion, and crush the garlic cloves. Pour the milk into
a saucepan, and add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and mustard. Warm over
medium-low heat until the milk starts to steam, about ten minutes. Remove from
the heat, and let the flavors infuse while you make the roux.

In a large pot over medium heat, add two tablespoons butter
and the flour. Cook, stirring, for about two to three minutes; don’t let the
roux color. Remove the bay leaf from the infused milk and add to the roux,
whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring often, for about five
minutes until the sauce is thick. Remove from the heat and add one half of the
grated cheddar, one half of the sharp white cheddar, and one half of the parmesan;
stir until it is melted and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and
pepper.

Pour this mixture over the macaroni, add the chunks of cheddar,
and mix until well blended; put this in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the
remaining cheeses evenly over the top. Bake until the top is golden and crusty,
about twenty-five to thirty minutes.