A stitch of grief because of what was lost here and the gutting thought of the near tragedy that Cash and the guys had stopped.
But this was also the place where Cash and I had rediscovered each other. Where he’d fallen in love with my children. Where our futures had aligned.
And we were going to live in that future together.
“Oh wow,” Addy wheezed.
“I told you it was going to be the biggest in the world and we got some stairs in there, because I worked on ’em with my Daddy Cash because I’ve got all the skills.”
Colin frantically unbuckled as he said it, standing up behind Cash and holding onto the back of his headrest as he peered out. “Do you like it, Mom?”
My heart stretched full. “I love it.”
“Iwuvit, too, and I need to see it!” Eva pushed at her straps.
Cash let go of a low laugh as he killed the engine and opened his door. “Well, what my little Eva wants, my little Eva gets.”
“That’s ’cause youwuvme,wight, my BigGwumpyDaddy?”
He opened her door. Affection pouring out. “That’s right,” he said, words gruff and low and filled with so much meaning. He unbuckled her and swung her into his arms. “Come on, let’s go check this thing out.”
Addy and Colin scrambled out the opposite door while I fumbled out on my side, gratitude and awe thick in my throat as I took in the cabin.
It was similar in style to the one that had sat there previously.
Simple.
Cozy.
Warm.
Taking up basically the same amount of area, though now, the roof pitched high into the trees. The second story stacked on top, three shuttered dormer windows peeking out from the roofline, a chimney off to the side.
The porch quaint and covering the entire front portion.
I’d been there many times over the last year as Cash and the guys worked to reconstruct what had been destroyed in that fire, though I hadn’t visited in two months. Cash insisting that he wanted the finishing touches to be a surprise.
We had the plot for my organic garden picked out, and I’d already reserved the open shop space next to Moonflower and Ivy Threads to open my market.
Cash set Eva onto her feet, and the kids went running toward the porch.
“It’s the best house I’ve ever seen,” Eva proclaimed as she scrambled up the steps.
“That’s because our daddy made sure it was special for us,” Addy told her.
“And me. I did a whole lot of work, and you can’t be forgettin’ that.” Colin jumped across the planks toward the front door.
While I stood there with my heart trying to rupture from my chest.
Cash eased up from behind, wrapping me in those strong, massive arms. The scent of him invaded. The woods and leather. “What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful, Cash. So beautiful, I can hardly believe this is our home.”
He buried his face in my neck. “Only the best for my girl. She once told me she needed at least three rooms in that dream cabin, but I figured we’d go ahead and double it.”
I could feel his lips stretch into a smile against the sensitive flesh as he began to sway me back and forth.
“Because we each get our own room, right, Daddy?” Addy called. “I already picked mine and Auntie Raven said she’s going to help me paint it.”
