“Never thought I’d find myself here,” Cassie confessed, squeezing his arm lightly.
“Life has a funny way of surprising us,” Andy replied, gazing down at her with a warmth that made her heart flutter.
“Indeed, it does,” she whispered back, leaning into him slightly, feeling the strength of his presence.
With a deep breath, they stepped out into the night together, the door closing behind them with a soft click. The anticipation of what lay ahead hung between them. Cassie felt for the first time that her future was filled with love and promise. It felt good.
Andy drove them to the small home he’d built, and he waited to hear something negative about it. It wasn’t the home he’d dreamed of, and he was sure it wasn’t the home she’d always wanted, but it was theirs.
He sent her inside while he unhitched the horses.
Cassie wandered into the house and looked around, realizing it was all basically one room, but she didn’t mind. There was a kitchen area, a space for sitting, and a bed. What more did sheneed? Back in Massachusetts, she’d shared the floor with some of the other young women who were too old to take up the precious beds meant for the children.
When Andy joined her, she smiled at him. “It’s perfect.”
He gaped at her for a moment, but then smiled, enfolding her in his arms. “It’s a perfect place to start,” he agreed.
