Family Man

marriage. Her eyes widened in outrage. “I haven't heard the question.”
    “You know damn well what the question is. Are you going to marry me or not?”
    Katy tossed down her napkin. “Luke Gilchrist, that is a disgraceful way to ask a woman to marry you. You should be ashamed of yourself. I expected more from a Gilchrist.”
    “Yeah? What did you expect?”
    “Roses and champagne. Maybe a moonlight stroll on the beach—heck, I don't know. I'm not the dramatic one around here.” Katy glowered at him. “I'll tell you something else. I resent the implication that I don't deserve a full-dress proposal. Where are the hearts and flowers? Why aren't you on your knees? You think I'm not worth the effort?”
    “Effort?” Luke was incensed. “You don't think I put any effort into this?” He indicated the mushy pasta and the bowl of wet spinach with a sweeping gesture of his hand. “I slaved for hours under that tyrant Dalton. He was supposed to teach me how to make a gourmet meal. Today I spent all afternoon in the kitchen busting my ass to produce this dinner. And this is the thanks I get?”
    Katy was intrigued. “You really don't know how to cook, do you?”
    “I don't know any Gilchrists who can cook. At least not the kind of cooking you mean. But I sure as hell made an effort. And I want some credit for it.”
    “You did a wonderful job, Luke.”
    “Don't pat me on the head. Just tell me whether or not you're going to marry me so we can get on to the soufflé.”
    “Okay. I'll marry you.”
    Luke looked stunned. “You mean it?”
    “Yes. But I would like to point out for the record that you have no right to accuse the Gilchrist chefs of being temperamental. You're worse than any of them.”
    “Say it again.”
    “I'll marry you.”
    The frustration and uncertainty vanished from Luke's eyes in an instant. “My God, I don't believe it. I'm going to give Benedict Dalton a raise.”
    He surged out of his chair, reached down, and pulled Katy to her feet. He swung her around in a triumphant circle and carried her over to the couch.
    Katy was torn between laughter and desire as he put her down on the cushions. Luke sprawled on top of her, green fire blazing in his eyes.
    “You won't be sorry, Katy.” Luke framed her face between his palms. “I swear it. I know you think we don't have anything in common, and I know you think Gilchrists are severely dysfunctional, but we can make our marriage work.”
    Katy smiled. She was aware of a deep sense of happiness welling up inside her. “I never said Gilchrists were severely dysfunctional.”
    “Good. Because we do have a few strong points, you know.”
    She wrapped her arms around his neck. Her smile curved into a teasing grin. “Such as?”
    “We're faithful, for one thing.”
    Katy stopped laughing at him. She searched his eyes for a moment. “You've got a point. You Gilchrists are as intense and passionate about your marriages as you are about everything else.”
    “Damn right. My mother and father were committed to each other until the day they died. I never once cheated on Ariel. And look at Maureen and Hayden. They're still together, too. The only divorce in the crowd has been Eden's, and I think it's safe to say there were a few extenuating circumstances.”
    “And your grandmother never remarried.”
    Luke's mouth twisted. “Justine was married to Gilchrist, Inc. And she's definitely been faithful to the company.”
    “She had another passion, too,” Katy said slowly. “She told me this afternoon that she secretly loved my grandfather.”
    Luke frowned. “She said that?”
    “Yes.”
    “If she had a secret passion for Quinnell, he definitely came in number two on her list. But it would explain a few things.”
    “Such as her desire to see your father marry my mother?”
    Luke nodded. His gaze turned reflective for a few seconds, as if he were analyzing something or putting the pieces of a puzzle together in his mind. Then he smiled his slow, beguiling smile. “Katy, I don't want to talk about the past tonight.”
    “What do you want to talk about?”
    “The future.” He bent his head and kissed her throat. “I've spent the last three years living in no-man's-land. The worst of it was that I didn't even feel any desire to escape. And then you landed on my doorstep and started lecturing me about my responsibilities. You forced me out into the future again.”
    Katy giggled softly. “You were extremely annoyed, and I thought your