Page 155 of Banter & Blushes

Arwyn twisted in her seat to answer Amelie. “Of course. I’ll leave the folder on the kitchen counter. You can look through it whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you!”

I parked the RV in the driveway and hurried outside so I could open the main door on the other side for my ladies and the pups. They greeted me with grins, and after the twins went running off, each holding a Westie on a leash, I held up my hand to block Arwyn’s way.

“Toll, please.” I puckered my lips.

She laughed and leaned down for a kiss.

As our lips met, I caught her around the waist and pirouetted her to the ground in one of those princess lift-and-spin moves my girls loved. Her cheeks pinked as I went in for another kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She smiled and nodded toward the cottage. “Shall we go in?”

“One more kiss. The girls are still walking the dogs.” I spotted them out of the corner of my eye. I’d instructed them earlier to take Laffy and Vennie to the tree line but not go into the woods. “We can let them go in first. More smooch time.”

“I like how you think.” She lifted on her toes, and when our lips connected, a contented sigh rippled through me.

This was going to be the best week ever.

CHAPTER 2

ARWYN

Monday morning, I woke up to a melodic chorus of birdsong through the open window. A slow smile took hold of my lips and spread until they were stretched into a wide grin.

This place washeaven.Salt Mist Cottage was roomy with a cozy vibe and decorated with a vintage seaside theme. Shiplap in the main areas, Victorian wallpaper and fixtures in the bedrooms and loft. The master bath even had a clawfoot tub! And this resort—this resort!It had everything I loved—charm, nature trails, horses, and the ocean. The seafood at dinner last night had been everything the reviews promised and more.

Crane’s Cove was made for romance and nostalgia. Piney Point Road jutted out at the end of the Cliff Walk’s private beach, bisecting the crescent-shaped cove and the town’s marina. From drone pictures, it looked like the top half of a heart.

Living in Colorado my whole life, I’d only seen the ocean a handful of times when my father was working on special assignments. Dad was a soldier turned wildlife photographer, and I loved every moment we’d spent exploring together. He died several years ago, doing what he loved.

I dressed quickly in an ivory cotton top with puffed short sleeves and pulled out a skirt I’d made from thrifted handkerchiefs. When Zaki purchased the RV for the cross-country trek, he’d had the bedroom in the back renovated with a sewing machine console and cabinets for all my supplies. I’d been teaching thegirls how to sew. We were making our dresses for the wedding as we traveled. Just a few more weeks and I’d be Mrs. Zaki Marsch!

Everything was set: a beautiful church in Montreal, a gown made from my mother’s and grandmothers’ dresses, andFrozen-inspired dresses for Isla and Amelie that they’d designed and “helped” me sew. The only thing missing would be my mother. She had a highly classified job with the military overseas and couldn’t get away, but she said she’d try to stream in if she could.

It’d been that way since I was six. Mom was brilliant, spoke several languages, and was an intimidating figure with her trademark tight auburn bun, cat-eye glasses, and stern expression. I missed her, of course, but she was saving the world.

Humming to myself as I twisted my hair up into a loose bun, I was thankful to the birds. The extra minutes before the alarm trilled gave me more time to run through and visualize today’s plans. I pulled tendrils over my ears and twisted them around my fingers. My diamond daisy engagement ring caught the sunlight streaming in and reflected on the mirror.

Once I was ready, I left the room and tiptoed up to the second-floor loft, glad that the shag-covered steps were new and didn’t squeak. Water pooled in my eyes as I took in Zaki on the pullout sofa and the girls in their bunks, still adorably asleep. Laffy and Vennie snoozed at their feet. The girls’ beds had drawer steps to access the top bunk, which the dogs loved to climb but refused to descend.

My family,I thought.How had they become my whole world so fully and quickly?

Zaki held the sheet at his waist, his biceps peeking out from a thin white cotton tee. He was smiling, and I wondered if he was pretending to be asleep for the girls’ benefit. Stubble poked up around his trim auburn beard, turning my thoughts to our good-night kiss, when it lightly scraped my skin. His unruly ginger hair, which I’d discovered had become quite untamable in the summer humidity, lent him an extra air of boyishness. And those blue eyes—fathomless.

In the top bunk, Amelie was tangled in a mess of covers, her arms straight up next to her head. On the bottom, Isla was tucked in exactly as I’d left her the night before. I’d be surprised if she’d moved an inch.

“Psst.”

The Westies’ heads popped up. I shushed them and turned back to Zaki, who’d opened his eyes and was waving me over. I crossed over to him, and he caught hold of my hand, tugging me closer. I sat on the mattress, and his arms closed around me, pulling me down until my head rested on his massive chest.

“Good morning,” he whispered into my hair. “Don’t wake them up just yet.” His low, rumbly morning voice held just a touch of British accent, which made me all swoony.

“Not a chance if this is the alternative,” I whispered back. “I can’t wait to marry you and wake up in your arms every morning.”

“I can’t either. Remember that thought later, okay?”

I raised my head and studied his face. “What are you up to? You better not be planning any pranks, Zaki Marsch!”

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