I nod. He wouldn’t. I know that. The pub is a cute brick house right across from the Caledonian Canal. We enter, and a couple with matching silver hair waves from the corner. Miles waves back and squeezes my hand.
“Miles Casey,” the woman says, adjusting her heavy cardigan. “As I live and breathe.”
Miles holds out his hand to shake, but the woman pulls him into a hug.
The older man with her laughs. “Let the boy go, Isla.”
We all laugh at this. Introductions are made around, and we all order pints. After a good fifteen minutes pass, I start wondering what we are doing here. Who are these people to Miles? I’m just about to ask how they all met, when Isla pulls out a set of keys, the bright-yellow keychain catching the light shimmering through the windows, and passes them across the table.
“Here ye are. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have over the years.”
My mind is trying to sort through what’s going on, but I can’t quite catch up. I look at Miles. His smile is luminous. He hands me the keys. I look down at them in my hand, a glittery sunshine hanging off the chain along with two small house keys. “Miles?”
“I bought you a house.”
Isla nods. “Paid a pretty penny for it, too.”
The older gentleman finishes his beer and stands. “Come on. Let’s give these two some privacy. It’s not every day a man buys a woman a house.”
We say our goodbyes, and Miles walks them out, thanking them the whole way out the door.
He comes back and sits.
I’m still in shock. “You bought me a house?”
“More specifically, I bought you Somewhere Only We Know.”
My heart blooms. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever stayed. I picture Miles and me making dinner, starting a fire, gazing out at the stars while snuggled up on the couch. But he keeps saying he bought it forme,so maybe he doesn’t plan on being there a whole lot. My face must look as confused as I feel.
Miles reaches out and smooths the wrinkle in my brow.“There’s quite a bit of land that comes with the house. We could probably build an addition, or I was thinking we could build another, smaller house as a writing office for you. There’s room for a garden, too. I thought… Well, I was hoping…we could stay there together when I’m in Scotland. I’ll still have to go back and forth for work, and you’ve made it clear that Scotland is your home. I don’t want to try to change you. I just want to be with you, whatever that looks like for us. I love you, Skye.”
The last words sink into my skin, like submerging myself in a hot bubble bath. I sigh and close my eyes. “Would you mind saying that last part again?”
I hear Miles move in his chair, and then his breath is hot on my ear. “I love you, Skye Ainslie.”
I open my eyes and turn my face to Miles and kiss him.
When we part, I say, “I’m more open to the idea of travel than I was before.”
“You are?”
I nod and look down at the keys. I hold them up and jangle them. “Let’s go now.”
Miles nods. “I have one last scene to shoot for the film, not tomorrow but the next day, so we’ll have to be at the castle by then.”
“Sure, but then if we want, we can go right back?”
Miles nods.
A warm smile melts over my face like butter on toast.
The sun is settingby the time we make it to our new house. I get out of the car, and Miles sweeps me off my feet and carries me over the threshold, with some complicated one-handed juggling to unlock the door.
We hardly even shut the front door before we tear each other’s clothes off, the sky awash in pink light out the windows behind us.
Miles runs his hands down my back and whispers in my ear, “I love you.”
I can’t hear it enough. It’s as rich and decadent as a form-fitting ball gown but also feels as cozy and everyday as my softest blue sweater. I try explaining this to Miles as I’m lying on the rug in front of the wood stove, the throw blanket from the couch wrapped around my shoulders. Miles is making a fire, and I’m trying not to take over.
