Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
“Hey,” he said with a warm smile. “Thought I’d give these a sanding down and a fresh coat of paint. They were pretty rough and I don’t want you getting any splinters.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Every day I appreciate a little more how much it must have driven you up the wall to have to sit still and let yourself heal after the accident. You were really quite restrained.”
“That your way of asking why I wasn’t still in bed this morning?”
“I may have woken in a somewhat amorous mood.”
He gazed up at me, squinting against the bright midmorning light. “Sorry I missed it. Make it up to you later?”
“Sure.”
His smile...ugh. So beautiful.
“I cleared out some more space in the wardrobe for you.”
His smile turned into a bigger grin. “You’re giving up some of your wardrobe space for me? I’m beginning to think you really do like me.”
“I’m not going to lie,” I said. “It hurt. But then I remembered I have the whole closet in the spare room as well. Fair is fair. I figure you’re entitled to a quarter of the clothing storage in the house. Just don’t push for any more.”
He laughed. “That’s my girl. Such a giver.”
“How’s your hand this morning?”
A shadow crossed his face. There and gone in an instant. “It’s fine. You okay?”
“There’s a couple of small bruises. I took a picture of them just in case he tries anything.”
“Fucker,” he muttered.
“Fucker who is now out of our lives.” Which made it time to change the subject. “Are you hungry? What would you like for breakfast?”
“Yeah. I’m starving. How about pancakes?”
“You got it. I’ll get started on them as soon as I finish this.” I took another sip of coffee. Then I took a deep breath and said, “I do love you, you know?”
“I know,” he replied, casual as can be.
Huh.
“Wait a minute, Han Solo. That was a rhetorical question. You’re supposed to be shocked and stunned at such an admission.” My brows descended, but my smile was wide. “How exactly do you know? Was it the wardrobe space that gave it away?”
“Something like that.”
The happiness in his eyes made my toes curl and heart skip a beat. “Lars. Tell me. What gave it away?”
“Well, I’ve been pretty much all-in since the inevitable thing. Just wasn’t sure of my ability to convince you.”
“It’s not like you to doubt yourself.”
“Maybe it unnerved me...how much you mattered,” he said. “But then you kept giving me signs. Like setting the table for a romantic dinner after saying you didn’t want to date me. It made me hope that deep down you were all-in too. You just needed to feel safe enough to trust me and tell me. And that was going to take time.”
“Okay.”
“Come here, Susie.”
I set aside the coffee cup and walked across the grass to him. His warm hand curled around one of my bare thighs as I leaned down to kiss him. The sweet press of our lips like a promise. In all honesty, I could see me happily kissing this man for a good long time to come. The rest of my life even. And what a beautiful life that would be.
For some reason, Kat the cat was watching us and purring. Guess she was a fan of love.
“You still going to burn the divorce certificate?” he asked.
“I think so.”
“Okay,” he murmured. “Say it again.”
“I love you.”
“Good,” he said, and smacked me on the ass. “Go make me breakfast. Please.”
“You got it. Though there was one thing I was going to ask you.”
“Hmm?”
“Will you marry me?”
His whole body seemed to stop with a jolt. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.”
“Susie...” Lars got to his feet. He stood staring down at me with a serious face. “Is this about the talk last night about playing those games when I was little? Because I can live without getting to be the groom in real life.”
“I think it’s about a variety of things, actually.”
“Such as?” he asked. “Because you were pretty adamant about not getting married.”
“I was. That’s true. But then it occurred to me that maybe life isn’t about always playing it safe.”
His rough fingers rubbed comforting circles on the outside of my thigh.
“Marriage is important to you, Lars.” He opened his mouth to speak but I put a finger to his lips. “Let me finish. You’ve always seen it as part of your great journey through life. And I want to give that to you. Because I trust you enough to take the risk.”
His gaze remained worried.
“Listen to me. The truth is, I want to give this to you much more than I distrust the institution. Thus proving forever more that my love for you is greater than your love for me. Please say yes.”
“This is a competition?”
“Absolutely.”
“It saddens me how full of crap you are, Princess. Since it’s obvious that I love you more.”