“Still wish we hadn’t left the house?”
“No,” I blurted out with eagerness. “Will you let me go inside this time?”
“If memory serves, I think it was you who passed on the invitation.” He lifted an eyebrow at me.
“I was overwhelmed by everything,” I said with honesty.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you don’t need to apologize for anything. It was all me. I was sad and felt weighed down at the time because I was finally facing the past. It was tough and took a lot out of me, but it was also necessary. It was healing, cathartic even.”
“And now?”
“Now, I’m beyond ready to see what you’ve built and designed.” I’d been to the lake house twice and had yet to set a foot inside. Both times, it had felt like the safest decision, but now I was excited and feeling rather impatient to see how the vision had come to life.
“I’ll admit, I hired some help to speed up the process.”
“Oh?”
“Do you think you’d be up for picking out all the furniture soon?”
“Me?” I squeaked.
“Of course, you. This will be your home just as much as it’s mine.”
“Jaxon.”
“Lily,” he drawled teasingly. “It obviously won’t happen today or tomorrow, but one day, hopefully in the not-so-distant future, we can move out of our places and into here. Or you cankeep your place in Rockwood, so it makes commuting between your shifts easier.”
“You’ve got this all planned out, huh?”
“I might have allowed myself to daydream a smidge.”
“Same, if I’m being honest.”
“I like that we’re on the same page.” His hand squeezed mine. “So, shop until your heart’s content. I’ll give you my credit card; there’s no budget.”
“What! No.” I sucked in a jagged breath. “I can’t do that.”
“Lily, I know we haven’t talked about finances, and any student loans you may or may not have, but please, I want to do this for you. I’ve done nothing but save and invest my money, so you don’t have to worry. Yes, I designed the home, but I want you to decorate it and choose any finishing touches you’d like. I want you to fill the place with all your plant babies, but I’m not going to lie, I hope you’ll share your secrets and dreams with me rather than them.”
I couldn’t contain my laughter. “You’re seriously jealous of my plants, aren’t you?”
“Nah, I just . . . I want every piece of you. Your heart, your soul, your?—”
“You’ve already got it, silly man.”
Jaxon turned off the main road and drove through the dense trees that lined the driveway.
“Honey, we’re home,” he sing-songed with a cheeky smirk, before pulling my attention away from him and toward the beautiful two-story home that was all lit up by the exterior lights.
Jaxon parked at the base of the stairs and turned off the engine. “Are you ready?” he asked, placing a tender kiss on the palm of my hand.
“Yes.” My body vibrated with readiness while his eyes heldmine, charged with the weight of the last decade, almost disbelieving that we were here and that this was really happening.
He then moved with a sudden, impatient energy, climbing out of the car and rounding the engine before I could even react and reach for the door handle.
“Such a gentleman,” I murmured, placing one hand in his and using the other to lift the silky fabric of my gown.
