Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
It’s the most charming backyard I’ve ever seen. All of this. Van did all of this for me.
“Nanny cooked dinner before she left,” Van admits, his eyes glinting caramel soft, his smile even softer and a little sheepish. “I’m bollocks in the kitchen, so it’s a good thing she did. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and asparagus spears. All I have to do is heat it up.”
“Is there a matching gravy?”
“Oh yes. You betcha. Can’t forget the gravy.”
My heart swells. This is better than any five-star place, swanky club, or even a hotel room scattered with rose petals and little towel animals. This isn’t token. It’s special. It’s us. “I’ll help you heat it up.” My voice shakes just a little, wavering with emotion.
“Oh no,” Van insists. He walks around and pulls out a chair from the table. “Have a seat, my lady. Let me take care of everything.”
My god, I think I’ve waited my entire life to hear those words. I sit, feeling like a princess, and that feeling never fades. Van brings out two plates a few minutes later. I have to say, Nanny has outdone herself, but then again, Nanny always outdoes herself. She’s more than magic in the kitchen. She’s magic at a lot of things. My heart swells, knowing how excited she would be to be a part of making this night special for Van and me.
Van knows me, and he’s poured gravy liberally over everything. Be still my heart.
The first bite makes my mouth sing, and it’s a song of pure delight. My taste buds are practically tap dancing as I make my way through the best roast beef, the fluffiest mashed potatoes, and the most succulent asparagus that ever existed.
Van meets my eyes after I’m practically scraping my plate and contemplating picking it up and licking it—and no, I’m not going to do that because I’m supposed to be classy right now. He clears his throat, and I can sense one heck of a hard truth coming. I brace for it, scared that this is the end before we even get to start, and he’s going to try and bolt again because he’s scared, and this is a lot.
“I have to be honest, Remi, I’m not sure I can do the whole marriage and getting my heart stomped all over thing again. I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and I’m always going to have the souvenir T-shirt hanging in my closet.”
“Whoa.” As soon as I laugh, the deep line digging in between Van’s brows disappears. It clearly wasn’t the reaction he was expecting. I’m not at all hurt about him telling me his honest feelings, even if he’s a bit panicked and is jumping to all the conclusions. “We’ve known each other again for five minutes, so don’t worry. I’m not ready for a ring or a T-shirt. I’m just ready for this first date.” I relax back into my chair, savoring the way the flickering candlelight brings out the gold flecks in Van’s eyes. “I’m not ready to jump ahead five or ten years, not even in my mind. I’m just here with you, and it’s wonderful. I want to enjoy that. We both know that since my journals exposed me, there isn’t any pretending that I haven’t dreamed of this moment for a long time. I didn’t realize that what I was really waiting for was the exact time when I can just bask in a single moment, savor it, and enjoy it.” I wriggle my brows. “You’re the moment, Van.”
He shakes his head and scoffs, an amazed, incredulous kind of scoff. “I’m no weatherman, but there’s a hundred percent chance I don’t deserve you and that I’m a total imbecile.”
“No, you just needed to get some nerves out of the way and get some very real concerns off your chest.”
“Can I still savor the moment too?”
“Absolutely. Savor away.”
We both sit back and just study each other, and it’s not creepy at all. It’s a nice moment. It’s one of those that wraps around you and holds you tightly, and you feel absolutely safe and secure. I’ll remember exactly how Van looked with the colors of the sunset reflected in his chestnut hair, the gold in his eyes twinkling, and the soft curve of his lips as they’re turned up in a contemplative smile. I’ll remember his golden burnished skin, the black of his T-shirt, and the way he crosses his arms over his chest, which brings all of him into the starkest of definition. He is beauty defined. He’s that whole word made real.
“If this moment were gravy, it would be….”
Van laughs and breaks out of his thoughts. “It would be something extra special. One of Nanny’s one-of-a-kind creations. One that has yet to be made. The one lone container in the freezer. The one gravy in a sea of gravy.”