Stone’s arm slid around Mae’s waist as she pressed her hand to his chest.
“This… this house is yours?”
He shook his head, knowing he was being purposefully vague, but wanting to watch her as she pieced it all together.
“I know it’s presumptuous to say,” he whispered. “But I’m going to say it anyway. Welcome home, Mae.”
Her eyes went wide. “What? What is all this?”
“This is the start of our forever. You told me I needed to show you I was serious. That things really did change, in my mind. And they have. But nothing has changed in my heart. Because you have always been the constant there. I’ve always loved you. The future I’ve always wanted was with you. So,about a month after you left, I bought this. And I’ve been working on it ever since.”
“A house?” Her voice shook, eyes glistening with fresh tears.
“A home. For us. For our future family.”
“I… I don’t know what to say. I thought we were just going to have sex, and now there’s all this…” Mae laughed, leaning into his touch as he wiped away a tear.
“I mean, our home does need to be christened,” Stone winked.
“Let me see it first. Show me everything.”
He smiled as she bounced on her toes before taking off to the front porch.
“Oh my god! There’s a porch swing! And it wraps around… does it go all the way?” Her wide, excited eyes turned to him.
“Yep. There’s actually a swing on the back as well, right off the kitchen.”
His foot hit the top step and she launched herself into his arms. “I don’t need to see anything else. It’s perfect.” Her lips pressed against his cheek. “How far away are the closest neighbors?”
“About half a mile, why?”
“Let’s christen the porch first.”
“Mae,” Stone laughed, but his pants were growing uncomfortably tight as she wiggled and giggled against him.
“You alright there, Sailor?”
“I’m just fine. Come on. You’ve got to at least see a few rooms inside before I take you to bed.”
“Okay,” she pouted, her bottom lip sticking out. He leaned forward and nipped it with his teeth.
“Behave. I have more good surprises inside.”
He showed her the living room and the small study he’d turned into a library. The dining room with a table big enoughto fit all of their friends and the kids around it. And the kitchen, which he’d completely remodeled to look like a little nonna lived there. One who really loved sunshine yellow and lots of lemons.
“This is perfect,” Mae sighed, leaning into him. “It’s all exactly what I would have picked.”
He watched as her hand ran across the counter, stopping at the small cardboard box. He might have thought ahead for the morning, but now he was worried she would see it as too forward, and not a sweet gesture like he’d planned it to be.
“Powdered doughnuts?” She chuckled, and then he watched her eyes go wide.
“Your favorite.”
“Were you… I mean… back home…”
A growl ricocheted through his chest. “Home is here, Michaela. Right here. This house. You and me. Silver Springs. Got it?”
She nodded, her hands pushing into his back as she pulled him closer.
