She also slept all night in the chair.
The clock on the nightstand told her she had over two hours before she needed to leave for work. She considered moving to the bed and trying to go back to sleep, but the moment her thoughts stirred, rest slipped from her grasp.
I might as well get up.
She slipped out of bed and padded downstairs, moving quietly through the expansive kitchen. Everything about this loft was impressive—overwhelming, even—but right now, she just wanted coffee.
Openingthe cabinet, she found a bag of grounds and inhaled deeply.What on earth…She wrinkled her nose. It smelled rancid, almost like cat pee.
She could go back upstairs and use that coffee maker, but that meant passing Bryce’s room—and she had no idea if he was a light sleeper.
More than coffee, she wanted some time alone.
Grabbing a throw blanket from the couch, she tucked her Bible under her arm and stepped out onto the deck.
The crisp mountain air wrapped around her, cold enough to send a shiver through her body, but she welcomed it. She settled into a plush lounge chair near the hot tub, where the deck walls provided enough privacy to feel tucked away. Another smart remote let her turn on the fire pit and dim the soft outdoor lighting, casting a warm glow over the space.
She curled deeper into the blanket and exhaled slowly, her breath visible in the cool morning air. The sun had yet to make an appearance, and she wasn’t awake enough to start reading.
So, for a while, she just sat—wrapped in stillness, staring into the darkness.
No overthinking. No worrying.
Just being.
Bryce joined her about half an hour later, stepping onto the deck just as she finished reading the second chapter of Ephesians.
He didn’t say a word—just kissed the top of her head and set a fresh cup of coffee on the table beside her before lowering
himself onto the ground, leaning back against her chair.
Beth’s eyes lingered on his damp waves of hair. He must have showered before coming outside.
Her fingers twitched with the urge to run through the dark locks. Instead, she wrapped both hands around the warm mug he had brought her, savoring the strong, dark brew before turning back to her Bible.
She may have been looking at her Bible, but her focus was still on the man who was slowly capturing her heart, wondering what he was thinking.
The silence between them was peaceful.
After reading the entirety of Psalm 51, Bryce stretched out his legs with a quiet groan as his back popped. Leaning his head against the edge of her chair, he turned slightly—only to find Beth asleep.
Her breathing was deep and even, her face relaxed. Even in sleep, she kept a firm grip on her coffee mug, holding it as if it were a lifeline.
Bryce shook his head, amused.
Rather than waking her, he repositioned another lounge chair beside hers and sank into it, settling in to enjoy the view.
But his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Lizzy.
Their conversation from last night lingered in his mind, and that was why he had chosen to start his morning with Psalm 51—a passage of repentance, cleansing, and renewal.
It also led him to this moment of quiet reflection.
Beth wasn’t just pretty. She wasn’t just kind or witty or the woman he had accidentally married.
She was different.
