Page 81 of Crazy in Love

“The universe.” He waved his hands majestically toward the sky.

She laughed. “I told you a vision board worked.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t already know this was coming. Didn’t you read your horoscope this morning?”

“I gave up on that nonsense.”

His eyebrows jumped to his hairline. “Really?”

“Mostly.” She smiled. “Wait.Youread my horoscope? What does it say?”

“Something about one of your dreams becoming a reality today.”

“That’s an understatement.”

He stuck the key in the lock and used his shoulder to shove open the front door. A bat flew out, missing her head by inches. She screamed.

“You all right?”

“Yeah.” She surveyed the entryway and front room. “It’s beautiful,” she said reverently.

“Are we looking at the same place?” he asked. “It’s filthy and falling apart.” A chunk of brick fell from the fireplace mantel, proving his point with perfect timing.

“Look past all that.” She walked in farther. “Check out the crown molding, the wood floors, the spiral staircase. The bones are amazing. It’s a diamond in the rough. But with a little elbow grease and spit shine, it will be magnificent.”

“Sort of like me?”

“No. You are already magnificent.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I can’t believe you bought it.”

“I can’t believe I bought it without looking at it first,” he mumbled.

“Really? That’s not a very Walker thing to do.”

“Tell me about it. I did have Tess come by and check it out. She warned me it was in terrible condition, but didn’t prepare me for this.”

“Tess?” Faith took a step back. “Wait a minute. Did you tell Tess you were on MatchMe? Trying to set up a date?”

He shrugged. “You weren’t answering me. I needed some help.”

“Ah. I should have known something was up when she kept pushing it. So she knows about all this?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I plan to rent a place nearby. We can do the renovations together. When it’s ready—ifwe’reready—we can move in.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Aren’t home improvement projects like the number one catalyst for fights and breakups?”

“Good point.” He laughed.

“We could come up with a safe word,” she suggested. “In case things get too intense. How about cantaloupe?”

“Now that I’m actually seeing it, I’m not sure my fixer-upper skills are up to par for a project like this anyway. Let’s just hire a contractor and be done with it.”

She couldn’t stop smiling. “You are making all of my dreams come true.” On the verge of happy tears, she hugged him again. “I can’t believe you did all this. Went to all this trouble. It’s unbelievable!”

He pulled back to look at her. “You once told me you wanted someone to be stupid, over-the-top, insanely in love with you. Well, I am, Faith. I’m crazy in love with you.”

EPILOGUE—Eight months later

Today will be hectic, dear Libra. But also full of joy. Friends and family will play an important role. Stay away from water.

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