Page 110 of Jacob

“Because it’s more exciting this way. C’mon, shoo.” I hold the door open and beckon her to step out the door.

“Okay, big guy.” She rolls her eyes, pulling the collar of her jacket around her neck.

It snowed overnight. Not much, but enough for it to leave a blanket over the ground. It’s chilly today, but the sun is shining and it’s already started to melt the snowfall.

Pulling into the entrance of Dubock Castle, I drive slowly down the orange gravel driveway.

“Oh, do we have wedding things to do?” From the passenger seat, she turns to look at me with a wrinkled brow.

“Not today, no.” I pull up outside the arched entrance.

“You can’t park here; you need to park in the visitors’ spots around the back.” She hooks her finger, instructing me to park around the corner.

I ignore her, click open the door and get out of my car.

She ducks down, looking at me through the gap of the open driver’s door. “Jacob?”

I smile, close the door, and walk around to her side to usher her out of the car.

“What are we doing here? Why are you acting weird?” She takes my hand when I hold it out for her to take.

She mutters something under her breath I don’t quite catch.

“Sorry, what was that?”

Sounding exasperated, she says, “You got me all excited. I thought we were going to look at a house first. To make a new fresh start together.” She lets go of my hand and stands in front of the car.

“You’re adorable when you’re annoyed. Do you know that?”

She rolls her eyes at me again. “Whatever. Right, let’s meet the wedding planner and do what we need to do,thenview the property you want me to see.”

I point at the castle, standing like a sandstone giant to my side. “This is it.”

“What?” She cranes her neck to look up at the ancient structure.

“This is our new home.”

“What?” she shrieks, snapping her head around to look at me.

“I bought Dubock Castle.”

Her mouth falls open. She looks at the castle, then me, then back at the castle.

She shuts her mouth, but it falls open again. “Oh, my God, you’re insane.” She holds her hands over her heart. “You bought a castle for us to live in?” Her eyes pool with tears.

“Yes.” I nod enthusiastically.

“But we have our wedding booked here? Was it for sale? What will we do now?”

I close the space between us and pull her into my arms. “Now, we have the wedding inourhouse. The owner decided it was time to sell. They don’t want to do events anymore, and he can’t afford to maintain or upgrade it without doing events. Our wedding was the last one he planned to fulfill and then he was putting it up for sale. I just happened to ask at the right time. It needs a little renovation to modernize it, but this is where we will live forever, together, married, in a castle and we’re gonna have lots of babies.”

“Just two. Not lots.”

“Okay, just two. Girls? Little princesses?”

“Boys. Princes.”

“Okay.” I plant a soft kiss on her lips.

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