I reach for her hand and lace her fingers through mine. “I know. That’s why we’re going there.”
“We can’t swim, though. It’s too cold.”
“We won’t be swimming.”
“So what…”
“Patience, Olive.”
“I think I’ve proven I’ve got plenty of that, J. I waited for you for a long time. Years. You should get a medal in endurance too.”
“What kind of endurance?”
Her cheeks flush. “The bedroom kind is definitely in the running. Although that’s not what I meant.”
I chuckle as I pull into the parking lot and drive around the lake. When I park, I hop out and then open the passenger door for Olivia. I help her down and tell her to stay right there. She puts her hands into the deep pockets of her winter coat and waits while I climb into the back of the truck.
“Okay.” I come back to her with a big bag over my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“What are we doing?” Her eyes narrow.
Olivia doesn’t love surprises. I can’t say I blame her after all the unplanned ups and downs our relationship has taken over the years. But she’s going to like today’s surprise.
I put my free hand on the small of her back and guide her down the wooded path. “You’ll see, babe.”
We walk for over a mile to a spot Olivia’s never been before.
“And I thought I’d been everywhere in Liberty Falls,” she says in a low tone. “But this, this is…an abandoned house?”
The farmhouse in front of us is dilapidated and has clearly seen better years. But it has a homey charm to it that I felt the first time I laid eyes on it.
Olivia seems to feel the same way. She starts walking toward it without hesitation.
The lake borders one side of the property, but the other side has miles of forest behind it.
“It’s so beautiful I could cry,” she says in nearly a whisper.
Living in suburbia has been choking her off. She’s been wanting more land and more quiet. She told me all of this late one night, after hours of lovemaking, while we were lying tangled up in a mess of bed sheets and nothing else. I told her that I wanted that too. It felt like a confession of the heart, another secret we had been afraid to voice.
“I can’t believe I’ve never seen this place before,” she says.
I study her face. “I thought we could spend the night here together. Do you want to look inside?”
“Can we?”
“Sure. Nobody’s living here right now.” I lead her up the steps and turn the doorknob.
“Oh, I love this place inside, too!” She spins around, taking in the country kitchen, the awesome reading nook by the bay window, and the cozy living room with a picture window looking out at the lake. “This is amazing, J.”
“I love it, too.” My eyes find hers. “Do you want it to be ours?”
She gestures around the house. “This—is for sale?”
“Was. For Sale.” I zero in on her blue eyes with my green ones. “I bought it. For us.”
“You”—she shakes her head in confusion—“I don’t understand. How could you afford it? And what about my bonus? I was planning to use it toward our down payment.”
“You can use it to help with the renovations if you’d like. Clearly the place needs a little work before we move in.” I drop to my knee, and Olivia covers her mouth with her hands. “I love you, Olivia Graham. This moment is something I’ve dreamed about my whole life. Will you marry me and live in this farmhouse with me?”
