Heat crept into Kiara’s cheeks. “Thank you. You’re as handsome as ever. Our outfits go well together.”
She’d chosen a red satin blouse with long full sleeves that had cuffs at the wrist and a bow at the neck. The bodice was fitted and flared out over the straight black skirt she wore.
As Julian put TJ in his car seat, Kiara pulled on her heeled boots. The diaper bag was fully stocked, sitting on the counter. Once they had their coats on, they transferred everything to the UTV in the garage, then Julian helped Kiara into her seat before sliding behind the wheel.
“Did I tell you that I’ve settled on a car?” Julian asked.
“Really?” They’d talked about getting a vehicle now that Julian was spending more time at the estate. He wanted his own set of wheels.
“When we get home later, I’ll show you the pictures and tell you more about it.”
He’d asked her opinion, but since she knew nothing about cars, she’d deferred to him. Kiara was sure that he’d pick the best vehicle for their family.
As usual, when they arrived at the house, TJ was quickly claimed by someone. Duncan was a little slow that day, so he lost out to Annie.
Julian took Kiara’s hand as they followed the others to the living room. Everyone was there that night except for Benji, who wouldn’t be home until the next week.
Kiara hoped that his heart was healing from the breakup with Amelia. She’d met the girl a couple of times when she’d come to see Annie, who helped design and sew her skating costumes.
Amelia had come across as sweet, if a little reserved. Kiara admired her for going after such a lofty goal as the Olympics, even at the cost of her own heartbreak.
Julian led Kiara to the loveseat and sat down beside her, still holding her hand.
When Kiara glanced at Angie, she was beaming at her. They’d talked about what was happening between Kiara and Julian, and Angie was completely on board with it, so happy that her sister had also found happiness in her life.
And even though Julian hadn’t yet told her he loved her, it was clear that he cared for her, and that was enough for Kiara. She prayed each night that their relationship would always be a positive thing and would be honoring to God. She hoped that Julian wanted the same thing.
Angie had shared about how she and Jude read the Bible and prayed together each day. That wasn’t something that she and Julian had done, but maybe that would come as they both continued to grow in their faith.
“Dinner is served,” Mrs. Stevens announced.
It smelled like they were having roast beef, which Kiara was thrilled about. It was one of her favorite meals.
Once they were standing, Julian offered her his arm. They were the last to leave the living room, while Annie walked ahead of them with Cole, still holding TJ.
“When you get tired of holding him, Annie, just hand him back,” Kiara said.
“I’ll never get tired of him,” Annie told her. “And I’m looking forward to seeing how well Cole does in preparing my plate tonight. We’ll see if he’s learned anything from Julian.”
As they walked into the formal dining room, Kiara’s eyes widened and her steps slowed. The room had previously been decorated for Christmas, but all those decorations had been removed and replaced with different ones.
The room had been turned into a whimsical wonderland with cream-colored glittery tulle intertwined with gold ribbon draped around the windows and other surfaces. The decor on the table carried on the cream and gold-colored theme.
There was a beautiful floral arrangement made of red and cream roses with lots of greenery. Warm-toned fairy lights were woven throughout all the greenery in the room.
It was all so beautiful. And confusing. Until her gaze landed on a pile of presents stacked on a small table set under the window. Was this for her…?
When she looked up at Julian, he smiled at her. “Surprise!”
Everyone joined in with Julian, and Kiara was overwhelmed. She immediately started crying as she realized that these people thought enough of her to not just plan a simple birthday dinner. They’d gone to the trouble of decorating the room, buying her presents, and surprising her.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Julian wrapped his arms around her. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“They're good tears,” Kiara heard Angie say. “She’s just a little overwhelmed.”
“And my hormones are still in an uproar,” Kiara said with a sniff. “Not fair!”
Julian chuckled. “Sorry, my love. I should have taken that into account.”
