Chapter 07

To Meg’s surprise, the evening with Rachel in the restaurant went very well. Ben took the whole time  care of his daughter and Rachel enjoyed Ben’s attention.

On the journey back to the hotel, Rachel fell a sleep in the car and Ben carried her back into the apartment.

In the nursery Meg carefully undressed Rachel and changed her into her night gown, without waking her up. Then Ben laid Rachel into her bed and kissed her forehead.

“Sleep well, little angel”, he whispered.

Quiet Meg and Ben left the room.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Meg offered.

“Yes, I would like a cup”, Ben nodded and followed Meg into the kitchen.

Meg started the coffee machine and when she turned around, she almost bumped into Ben, who was standing just behind her.

A little bit embarrassed Meg lowered her eyes. “Thank you for the nice evening Ben. Rachel really enjoyed it.”

Ben smiled “And you? Did you enjoy it too?”

Meg looked at Ben, which has stepped one more step near to Meg. “Yes, I enjoyed the evening a lot too.” 

Ben lifted his hand up and stroked Meg’s cheek. “You know the evening don’t have to end now.” Slowly he bent down his head and stroked with his lips tenderly over Meg’s mouth. When he felt, that Meg slowly opened her lips, he deepened the kiss. 

When they finally parted, Ben smiled. “I have waited for this all evening long.”

Meg put her hand on her racing heart. “Ben I don’t know if this is right.” 

Ben put his hand under Meg’s chin and lifted it up, so that she had to look at him. “Didn’t the kiss mean anything to you?”

“But exact this makes me fear”, Meg explained.

“Why?” Ben wanted to know. 

“Ben you must leave tomorrow and will return back to Sunset Beach and who knows if we will ever meet again.”

“But I don’t leave for Sunset Beach tomorrow”, Ben explained.

“But what will be with your business in Sunset Beach?” Meg wanted to know.

“Gregory can take care of the Liberty Corporation without me. He already guessed that I would stay here, after I met you again. And my friend Mark will take care of the nightclub and the internet café.”

Meg was still a little bit unsure. “Why? Why would you like to stay?”

“Because you and Rachel mean a lot to me and I want to spend more time with you”, Ben explained and bent forward to kiss Meg once more.

With passion Meg answered the kiss. 

Breathless Ben leant his forehead against Meg’s forehead. “Does that mean that you are happy, that I will stay here?”

Meg nodded and switched the coffee machine off. “Yes.”

“Good”, Ben smiled and pulled Meg again into his arms to kiss her. 

When they broke apart again, Ben moaned. “Meg you don’t know, how often I have dreamt to hold you in my arms again and to kiss you and to love you.”

Meg smiled. “Maybe I know, because I longed for you so much.”

“I love you, Meg Cumming. I have fallen in love with you from the first moment”, Ben explained.

Meg put her arms around Ben’s neck. “Why don’t you just show me, how much you love me?”

“You don’t need to ask twice for this.” Ben lifted her up into his arms “Where is your bedroom?”

“Just a cross to Rachel’s room”, Meg smiled.

Chapter 08

Days after days went by and turned into weeks. Like Ben had promised, he hadn’t returned to Sunset Beach yet. Ben, Meg and Rachel had spent a lot of time together and even when Meg had to work, Ben spent a lot time with his daughter.

Now it was the morning of the 17^th December and the three were sitting at the kitchen table for breakfast.

“Can you take off the afternoon?” Ben wanted to know from Meg.

“I guess so”, Meg nodded “Do you have any plans?”

Ben smiled “Yes, today it’s my birthday.”

“Your birthday is today? Why haven’t you told me that before? Now I don’t have a present for you.”

First Ben stroked Rachel tenderly thru her hair and looked then at Meg. “This year I’ve already gotten more than I ever dared to dream of. I have found you again and I got a wonderful daughter too.” 

“Oh Ben”, Meg sighed “although you could have told me earlier.” 

“I could have, but as closer my birthday moved, as closer the day I have to leave again moved too. At last at the 20^th December I need to be back in Sunset Beach.” 

Meg swallowed “Already?” 

Ben pulled Meg into his lap. “Why do you and Rachel come with me to Sunset Beach?”

Meg looked at Ben “Ben you know, it’s not that easy. I have a job here.”

“I am sure, that Gregory is already looking for someone, who can take on your job here”, Ben explained.

“But he doesn’t know, if I will go to Sunset Beach or not”, Meg objected.

Ben smiled “But he knows me and he knows how obstinate I can be.”

“I don’t know Ben…”

Ben silenced Meg with a kiss. “Promise me, that you at last to think about it.” 

“Okay”, Meg nodded “I will think about it. But now I have to hurry, that I come into my office. Otherwise I can’t take the afternoon off.”

 “Okay”, Ben nodded “Do you think, Monica could babysit Rachel tonight? I would like to go out with you tonight.”  

Meg smiled. “I am sure she will. But just ask her, when she comes in a moment.”

 “Okay” Ben kissed Meg.

 “Mmm”, moaned Meg “I would like to stay here, but I can’t this morning. I have an important meeting soon.”

 “To bad, but Rachel and I have already a few plans anyway”, Ben smiled secretly.

 “What kind of plans?” Meg wanted to know.

 Ben grinned “Well, we have a date with Santa Claus.”

Meg lifted her eyebrows up. “I hope you won’t buy more stuff for Rachel. She got already a lot from you.”

 “But I still have a lot to catch up”, Ben explained.

 “Ben I...” Meg started, but Ben silenced her again with a kiss.

 “I am sorry, I didn’t want to make you feel guilty.”

 “It’s okay Ben”, Meg nodded and looked at her watch. “Now I need really to hurry. Have a great time you both.”

 “See you in the afternoon”, Ben smiled and looked after Meg, when she left the kitchen.

Chapter 09

In the afternoon Meg, Ben and Rachel had a lot fun. In the morning Meg had, as soon as she was in her office, ordered a big birthday cake from the hotel kitchen and had surprised Ben with the cake in the afternoon.

After they have eaten a lot cake, Meg and Ben played with Rachel until she almost fell asleep. Together they got their daughter ready for bed and as soon as Rachel hit the pillow, she was asleep.

After that, Meg and Ben got ready for their night off. Like Meg guessed, Monica had agreed to stay with Rachel at home. What Ben exactly had planed, Meg didn’t know, he only told her, that they would go out for dinner.

She had chosen an elegant, blue silk dress and had her hair swept up. With admiring eyes Ben looked at Meg.

“You look fantastic.”

“Thank you”, Meg smiled “but you look great too in your dark suit.”

Ben put his hand on Meg’s arm “Are you ready to leave?”

Meg took her purse and nodded “Yes we can leave.”

They said bye to Monica and left the apartment. Ben led Meg outside the hotel, where a limousine was waiting for them.

Impressed Meg smiled at Ben “Did you order this?”

Ben nodded “Yes, because this evening shall become quite special for us.”

They got in and the limousine drove off. A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of the most expensive and best restaurant of the whole town.

Surprised Meg looked at Ben “We will have our dinner here?”

“Yes, I have booked a table for us”, Ben nodded.

“Just so? Usually there is a long waiting list”, Meg answered.

Ben smiled “If you know the right people, there isn’t any problem.” 

Ben helped Meg to get out and they entered the restaurant. A waiter led them to a table in a corner.

Meg looked around in the elegant restaurant. “I never thought I would eat here one day.”

Ben smiled “You should always only get the best.”

He ordered a bottle of Champagne and when it was served, he raised his glass and looked Meg deep into her eyes. 

“To us and may this evening only be one of a lot more.”

Meg took her glass too. “To us.”

Because the menu was written in French, Meg let Ben chose and order the dinner for them. Soon the dinner was served along with a wine, which Ben had ordered too. Both enjoyed the good meal and wine.

The hours went quickly by. When they got up to leave the restaurant, Meg swayed a little bit.

“Ops, I guess, I had a little bit to much of the wine.”

Ben smiled. “Then I will better order us a cab.”

Meg shook her head. “No, better not. I would like to walk a little bit and I guess the fresh air will be good for me.”

“Are you sure?” Ben wanted to know.

“Yes I am”, Meg smiled “I just need to freshen myself up a little bit.”

“Okay”, Ben nodded.

A few minutes later, Meg returned from the restroom. “Now we can leave.”

“Good”, Ben put his arm around Meg’s waist and led her outside. 

Although it was almost midnight, there were still a lot people in the streets. Of course, this wasn’t unusual for Las Vegas, because the city always starts to wake to life in the night. Meg noticed very quickly, that she was a little bit dizzy from the Champagne and wine and she leant against Ben. 

“Do you really want to walk back?” Ben asked worried once more again.

Meg nodded “Yes, I am sure, the fresh air will be good for me.”

“Okay”, Ben agreed “but if it doesn’t work, let me know it.”

Meg smiled at Ben “It isn’t that far to the hotel.”

Arm in arm the both started to work. They were quiet for a while, but suddenly Meg started to giggle. 

“What’s so funny?” Ben wanted to know.

“Well, I already live so long in Las Vegas here, but in the whole time I still wasn’t inside of one of the weddings chapels here”, Meg explained and pointed at one of the chapels, were they just walked along.

Ben grinned. “Really? That we should change at once.”

“Ben what have you in your mind?” Meg wanted to know, when Ben led her to the entrance from the chapel.

“We will look into this chapel now”, he explained.

“Ben we can’t do that”, Meg objected.

“Why not?”

“Because we will maybe disturbing a wedding”, Meg said.

 “We will be very quiet”, Ben answered and pulled Meg with him inside the chapel.

Chapter 10

Ben laid next to Meg, which was still sleeping. He smiled, when he looked at her and couldn’t resist, to stroke a hair strand out of her face.

Slowly Meg opened her eyes and smiled at Ben. “Good morning.”

“Good morning”, Ben answered smiling. “How are you today, Mrs. Evans?”

Megs eyes widened. “So it wasn’t just a dream?”

“That we got married last night?” Ben shook his head. “No, that wasn’t a dream.”

Meg looked at the small gold ring on her finger. “We really did it then?”

She closed her eyes and at once her memories about the last night returned. 

Ben and Meg had entered the little wedding chapel, where a young couple just got married. Quiet they sat down in the last bench and watched the ceremony. When the bride and groom sealed their marriage with a kiss, Ben reached for Meg’s hand.

“Meg will you marry me?”

Surprised Meg looked at Ben. “I can imagine very well marrying you one day.”

Ben shook his head. “No, I mean here and now. Will you marry me tonight?”

“You really mean this seriously, don’t you?”

Ben nodded “Yes I love you and Rachel and I would like to become a family with you both. I want to see Rachel grow up and I want to wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life.”

The next Meg could remember was, that she and Ben was standing in front of the minister and got married.

Ben got Meg back out of her thoughts, by taking her hand and kissing the palm. “Later you will get another ring from me.”

Meg smiled “This ring will be just enough. I don’t need any jewels as a sign, that you love me.”

Ben kissed Meg tenderly. “Then you don’t regret that you married me?”

Meg shook her head “No even if the whole was rushed a little bit, I have the feeling that we belong together.”

“That’s good”, Ben kissed Meg again. “Just after the breakfast, I will call Gregory and then I will help you to pack your things.”

“Pack my things?”

Ben nodded “Of course or did you really expect that I would leave you and Rachel back here in Las Vegas?”

“But I can’t just leave here”, Meg objected.

“Don’t worry about this, we will find a solution for every thing”, Ben answered.

“Okay, but now I should get up and start with the breakfast.”

Ben pulled Meg back into his arms “Well, I got another idea.”

“Like what?” Meg wanted to know.

“We could order the breakfast in the hotel kitchen and enjoy it here in our bed”, Ben suggested.

“But Ben, what shall the staff think then?” Meg objected.

Ben smiled “That you are a happy women and will spend a good time with your husband.”

“But nobody knows that we are married.” Meg looked at Ben.

“What do you think, how fast it will go around in the hotel?” Ben wanted to know.

“I guess, very fast, as soon someone get to know it.” 

A ringing at the door interrupted them. When Meg wanted to get up but Ben held her back and got up himself.

“I will get it”, Ben said and put his robe on, before he left the bedroom.

Relaxed Meg laid back. Although every thing happened very quickly, she had the feeling, that everything was right.

The bedroom door opened and Ben pushed a trolley into the room.

“What is that?” Meg wanted to know.

“Our breakfast”, Ben answered.

“But we only just talked about it”, Meg objected.

Ben grinned “Well, when you still was sleeping, I ordered the breakfast for us.”

Meg smiled. “I get the feeling that in our marriage I need to prepare myself for some surprises.”

Ben placed the trolley next to the bed. Then he opened a bottle Champagne, poured two glasses and handed one of them to Meg.

“Champagne for breakfast?” Meg looked at Ben.

Ben sat down next to Meg. “Well, last night we didn’t get the chance for a toast.”

Meg smiled. “Okay” 

Ben raised his glass. “To us. To our love here and now and to our future together.”

“To us”, Meg answered and took a sip of the Champagne. “Oh, what’s that?” She has discovered something in her glass.

“This is for you”, Ben answered.

Meg fished a ring with a large diamond out of the glass. “Oh Ben, where did you get it so fast from?”

Ben smiled “A few days ago, I saw it by the hotel jeweller. Earlier I called there and asked to send it up.”

“Ben you are just unbelievable”, Meg smiled and put the ring on her finger. “And they just accepted that?”

“Why not? I just explained that I need the ring for my wife”, Ben explained.

Meg laughed “Well I guess before noon everyone in this hotel will know, that we are married.”

                                                             “I think so too, Mrs. Evans”, Ben nodded. “And now let’s have                                                                               breakfast, we will have a lot to do today.”

Chapter 11

Meg still couldn’t believe it. She was in Sunset Beach. In the last two days, everything was like in a dream. And right now they drove with Ben’s car through the Christmassy adorned Sunset Beach.

“I can’t wait to see your house”, Meg interrupted the silence.

“Our house”, Ben corrected her. “And if you don’t like it, we will look for a new house.”

“I am sure, that I will like it”, Meg answered.

“Well, we will get to know it soon”, Ben stopped the car in a driveway.

“This is your house?” Meg looked at the red sandstone building. “It’s wonderful and so close to the beach.”

“Yes, the view over the ocean is overwhelming. Because of it, I had bought the house”, Ben explained.

Meg opened the car door. “Let’s go inside. I hardly can wait.”

Ben got out and took Rachel out of her safety seat. Then they walked up the driveway and Ben unlocked the door. When Meg wanted to enter the house, Ben stopped her.

“Just a moment”, he entered the house and put Rachel down at the floor. Then he returned to Meg and swiped her into his arms.

“What are you doing?” Meg wanted to know.

Ben smiled “I carry my wife over the threshold.”

With Meg in his arms, he entered the house. He kissed her, before he put her down. “Welcome home, Mrs. Evans.”

“Thank you”, Meg smiled and looked around.

“Come, I will show you everything”, Ben lifted Rachel again up and took then Meg’s hand. First he led her into the living room. 

Meg was surprised, because in the middle of the living room stood a big Christmas tree. “Ben, where does the tree come from? You weren’t at home for weeks.”

Ben smiled. “I have instructed my friend Mark to do it. You will get to know him later in the Deep.”

“I am looking forward to meet all your friends.”

Ben looked at his watch. “Well, it’s to bad, but we don’t have the time to look at it without to hurry. But we need to be in the Deep in one and a half hour and I guess, you would like to take a shower before, wouldn’t you?”

Meg nodded “Yes that would be great.”

“Good, then I will just show you Rachel’s room and then our bedroom”, Ben explained and led Meg into the first floor of the house.

“Until now it was a guestroom, but I think we could change it into a nursery for Rachel”, Ben explained when he led Meg into a room.

“A nice, bright room”, Meg said. “I guess Rachel will like it here.”

“I think so too”, Ben nodded. “After the holidays, we will buy new furniture for our little princess.” 

Then Ben led Meg into the big bedroom. It was furnished very tastefully and Meg liked it at once.

“This is our bedroom. Of course you can change here whatever you like”, Ben said.

 Meg shook her head. “I don’t need to change anything. I like it.”

“I am glad, that you like it”, Ben smiled and kissed Meg. “You can still look around a little bit, during I will get our suitcase from the car. I am sorry, that we need to hurry so much, but the Christmas party for the homeless children is a tradition in the Deep and I need to be there.”

 Meg nodded. “Don’t worry, I understand this.” Then she looked after Ben, when he left the room. She took Rachel into her arms and hugged her. “This is our new home now, Rachel.”

Chapter 12

„So, this is the Deep”, Ben stopped the car in front of the night club.

Meg sighed “Now I am a little bit nervous. What will your friends say, when you suddenly shows up here with a wife and a daughter?”

Ben bent over and kissed Meg tenderly on her lips. “They will be happy for me and you they will love.”

Meg smiled. “Okay, if you think so.”

They got out and Ben took Rachel in his arms. Then he led Meg into the nightclub. This one was Christmassy decorated and a big Christmas tree stood in the middle of the dance floor. A big table was set up, where a lot people could take place. Behind the bar stood a young man and when he noticed Ben, he walked forward to Ben at once. 

“Ben there you are finally”, he greeted Ben.

“Hello Mark, is everything all right here?” Ben wanted to know.

Mark nodded. “Of course.”

“Good, I knew I could count on you”, Ben nodded.

Before they could talk more, the door opened and a group of young people entered the nightclub.

“Hello Ben, you are finally back”, a blond man greeted Ben. 

“Well, I wouldn’t miss this party, Casey”, Ben nodded. “Vanessa, Rae, Gabi and Michael great that you will help again too.”

“It’s a matter of honour”, Michael answered.

“Hey my dream prince”, someone called from the door.

Ben turned around “Hi Bette, nice to see you.”

“Nice to see you”, Bette answered and pinched Ben into his cheek. “What kept you so long in Las Vegas?”

Ben smiled. “That’s easy explained. May I introduce my wife Meg and my daughter Rachel to you all?”

Stunned everybody looked at Ben.

“You are married?” Bette was the first, how got her voice back.

“Ben please tell me, that this is a joke”, called a loud voice from the door.

“Annie it isn’t a joke. Meg and I got married three days ago in Las Vegas.” 

Angry Annie looked at Meg. “You little slut, you have thought you can quite easily wind Ben around your finger.”

“Annie I don’t tolerate, that you speak with my wife in this way”, Ben stepped in.

“But Ben, what are you thinking? She just wanted a father for her child”, Annie objected. 

“Rachel is my daughter. Meg and I met already in New York a while back”, Ben explained. “But then we lost each other and now I finally found her again in Las Vegas.”

“Annie calm down please”, Bette stepped in now too. “Take a look at the little girl and you can see that she is Ben’s daughter.”

“How can you do that to me?” Annie wanted to know. “You know, I love you.”

“Annie we have already talked about this a lot. I like to be your friend, but I don’t love you. If you can’t accept this, I need to ask you to leave.”

Furious Annie turned around and left the nightclub.

Meg looked a little bit puzzled after her and Bette put her hand comforting on Meg’s arm. “Don’t worry, Annie got a lot temperament, but she will calm down soon. I know my niece.”

“Thank you”, Meg smiled. “I know, it must be a shock for you all, that Ben suddenly returned with a wife and a daughter.”

“It’s not a shock for us, Muffin”, Bette smiled. “We all are happy for you both.”

The others nodded all agreeing.

Soon the whole nightclub was filled with children, which were all very hungry. Unnoticed Casey walked up into Ben’s office in the meantime, to change into the Santa dress. When he now came down the stairs as Santa Claus, Rachel looked shocked at him.

She turned around and ran toward Ben. “Daddy!”

Ben caught his daughter and hugged her. “Don’t worry, I am here.”

Then he looked at Meg and whispered. “Did you hear that? She called me daddy for the first time.”

Meg nodded and smiled. “Yes, she loves you and feels safe with you, like me.”

Ben kissed Meg. “Thank you, you both are the best Christmas gift I could ask for.”

****The end****