“Oh, shit. I almost forgot. This is for you.” I reach into the console and pull out the new phone, handing it to her.
“What’s this?” Her delight makes my heart lift.
“Your new phone. It even works.”
“What?! Fancy.” She reaches over and squeezes my thigh. “Seriously? This is awesome!”
“Anywhere you want in Orchard Cove, you, Sierra Daniels, can now connect to the outside world.”
“Revolutionary,” she quips. Then: “You did this for me?”
I give her a look. “Woman.” Does she not know by now?
I’d do anything for you.
No. Maybe she doesn’t.
Good thing we have the rest of our lives for me to show her.
“I got it a few days ago,” I confess. “You know, when I was deep in thehow do I convince her to stay without actually asking her to stay because I’m too chickenphase.”
“Well, this is amazing,” she says dreamily. “Although ... it was actually kinda nice being disconnected so much. And just having some space. To take a break from worrying what other people think, and justlive.”
“Good.”
“But thank you, so much, for the phone. This is so thoughtful.”
She slides it into her purse and undoes her seat belt, just as we turn onto Honeymoon Lane. She leans over to me. “Thank you,” she murmurs, nuzzling the hair behind my ear and inhaling my scent. Then she kisses my neck, sending warmth down my spine.
“You’re welcome. And if you miss the city ...” I glance at her, worried that she will. “I’ll take you back to visit, any time. And we can go to Seattle, see my sister. We’ll get overpriced coffee and do that hot-yoga torture thing and go shopping at a mall.”
She snickers. “Can’t wait.”
We turn into Sea Haven Orchard, then take the fork in the drive. I pull up to the private gate and stop to get out, so I can open it and we can drive through. But Sierra follows me out.
“Wait,” she says. She jumps up into my arms and wraps her legs around my waist, and I catch her, pressing her back against the truck.
The truck is still running. “Sweet City Woman” is still playing. Somewhere, I hear my brother’s dog barking happily. Sierra kisses me with passion and hunger and a promise that takes my breath away.
And I couldn’t really ask for anything more.
Then she looks up into my eyes.
“I just wanted to tell you. The memories I have with Grandpa Alex, in the garage, listening to music ... that was the best, warmest, truest feeling ofhomeI’ve ever known. Until now.”
Her words hit me right in the heart.
I rest my forehead against hers and take a breath, overcome with emotion. I don’t even know if she understands ...
“Did you know,” I say, my voice rough, “that is probably the most beautiful thing you could ever say to me?”
“Yeah? How about this ...” she says softly. “I love you, Mason Grant.”
Chapter 26
Sierra
Summer swirls by in a wonderful blur of moving and organizing, settling into my new life in Orchard Cove, and wedding preparations.
