“I hate when you call me that.”
“Liar.” He smacked her ass before slipping around her and heading straight for the fridge. He’d started leaving a six-pack of his favorite beer at her place, and he no longer asked her if she wanted a glass of wine—the answer was always,alwaysyes, so he’d taken to just pouring her one when he grabbed his fix.
She murmured her thanks when he handed her a glass full of her favorite red. “So, you got finished early and figured you’d just stop by?”
“Actually…I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Her brows hit her hairline. She could count on one hand how many times someone had surprised her and still have about four fingers left. “Is that surprise in your pants? Because I gotta tell you, your pickup lines need a little work.”
He barked out a laugh and wrapped his arm around her neck, tugging her into him and pressing a kiss to her temple. “Maybe later, if you’re lucky.”
If tonight was like every other night he came by when the girls were gone, there were nomaybes about it.
“My surprise is outside?” she asked as he led her to the front door. The sun was just setting, making the temperature dip slightly. She shivered as the wind kissed her bare legs, the hem of her dress ruffling in the breeze, and Nash tucked her farther into his side. “I’m not rollin’ around in the grass with you. It’s too chilly.”
“I’ll make sure you stay warm.”
“I just bet you will.”
He chuckled under his breath, held open the screen door for her, and ushered her out onto her new, beautifully done porch. He really had done an amazing job restoring it to pristine condition. She loved to sit out here on the steps after the girls went to bed with a glass of wine and just…be. The grasshoppers and whippoorwills were like her own personal lullaby. On nights like that, there was nothing better than her little secluded piece of heaven, and she could hardly remember the time when she’d hated this place.
“So, what’s my surprise? Do I have to go diggin’ for it, or are you—”
“Quit your sassin’ and look, princess.” With hands on her shoulders, Nash turned her to the right.
“What—” Her breath caught. There, hanging at the far side of her porch, was a swing. A beautifully ornate, obviously custom swing that, even if it had come straight from her dreams, couldn’t have been any more perfect. Enough cushions and pillows topped the piece that she wanted to fall into it and never leave. “Nash…”
“Do you like it? I sorta guessed on the details based on the design specifics you have me do for our clients, but I—”
“You made it?” Rory looked at him over her shoulder.
“Well, not the cushions, obviously, but…” He shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal that he’d custom-built something for her—something she hadn’t ever even asked for—just to make her happy.
She knew he did work like that—she’d requested it multiple times for clients—but she’d never dreamed he’d make something forher.
“When you were workin’ on Grace and Bill’s place, you mentioned how much you loved porch swings. No big deal.”
No big deal? Um. No. It was a huge deal. She’d consulted on Grace and Bill’s house last year. Before she and Nash had officially started working together, when she’d just been coming in behind him and finessing some of the design details as a favor for family friends. She didn’t even remember mentioning it, let alone discussing it at length enough to warrant him making it just for her.
She turned to him, rested a hand on his chest, and looked up into his eyes. “To me, it’s a big deal. I can’t believe you did this. When on earth did you have time?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I did a little here and there, whenever I had a spare minute. I took measurements when I replaced the boards, and then drilled the holes while you were gone.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You wanna try it out?”
“Yes.” Before the word even slipped out, she stepped toward it. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as the scent of pine hit her nose. It was one of her favorites because it smelled like new beginnings.
And that was exactly what this was, wasn’t it?
A breeze kicked up, the leaves rustling in the trees, and she shivered again.
“Cold?” he asked.
“A little. I’ll go grab—”
“You’ll go sit.I’llgo grab.” Without another word, he slipped back into the house as she settled on the deep seat of the swing.
She tucked one foot under her and pushed off with the other, closing her eyes at the peacefulness of sitting out here and listening to nothing but nature. No road noise, no neighbors, just grasshoppers and the sounds of the wind through the leaves.
Nash draped a blanket over her lap before handing her the glass of wine. He settled next to her on the swing, setting his beer bottle on his knee and tucking her into his side. “So how’d I do?”
