Page 114 of You and Me, For Real
The cute house probably has two rooms, plenty for me and perhaps a roommate if needed for rent. Or perhaps a visitor, should one inparticularwant to come and stay with me. Though, I have a hard time imagining Griffin shrinking his larger-than-McMansion life to this...for me. Then again, maybe he isn’t factoring himself in this scenario, and this is meant solely for me, without him. My heart lurches at the thought, hesitant to even consider that situation.
I spin, turning my back to the cottage. In the distance, there’s a wide ranch-style stucco home with a large back porch supported by thick wooden beams. The two houses are contained within a wooden farm-grade fence. Both sit a good distance apart, allowing for privacy, with the fence marking them as within the same property.
My mind whirs to life with ideas and possibilities. The spacious landscape would allow dogs to run free while staying contained. “Can we see inside the houses?”
“Absolutely. I told the real estate agent to meet us here”—he glances at his watch—“in about ten minutes. They’re probably parked in front of the property.”
As if on cue, lights illuminate within the ranch home’s windows.
I squeal. “This is amazing! I love it already.” I clutch his arm and peck his cheek.
He chuckles, his shoulders relaxing. “I hoped you’d say that.”
I drag him toward the big house. “Come on, come on. Let’s go!”
His laughter trails behind me.
Half an hour later,we’ve seen the entire property—both the ranch home and the cottage at the back of the property. And it’s official.
I’m in love.
Not just with the property, but also with the man who took the time to research and find this place for me.
We settle onto the picnic blanket Griffin secretly brought, along with an entire picnic spread. I sip from a glass of wine. The sun sets in the distance—far, far in the distance, over the mountains. The space—absent of buildings, traffic, and smog—takes my breath away. I can’t help but imagine watching the sunset over and over at this very property. I’m both giddy and apprehensive at the possibility.
Griffin unpacks a smorgasbord of cured meats, cheeses, and fruits from the insulated basket. “Since the property has been empty for a while, I’m betting we could get a pretty good deal on it.”
I take a bite of one of the cheeses. “Yeah, but how do we know we’ll make enough from the gala? What if they have an offer before then? The gala isn’t for another two weeks.”
“I could loan it to you?”
I shake my head. “Absolutely not. I couldn’t ask that of you. And I wouldn’t.” I poke his chest. “Get that out of your head right now.”
He smiles but rubs his pectoral like I’ve done some real damage. “You know it wouldn’t be a burden. In case you hadn’t heard, I’m kind of a big deal.”
I lean over the tray of food, resting my weight on both my hands, getting close to his face. “I know. You’re a big deal tome. And still, I won’t ask that of you.” I kiss his lips and whisper, “But thank you for the gesture.”
His lips quirk. “You’re welcome.” His voice has a tinge of surprise to it.
“What?”
He brushes crumbs from his lap. “Nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. You have a look.”
He smirks. “A look, huh? How so?”
“Like you want to say something, but feel as though you can’t or shouldn’t.”
He tilts his head and studies me, then brushes a thumb along my jaw. “I don’t deserve you, you know that?”
I shrug, leaning into his touch. “Of course you do. You’re kind, generous, funny, talented— and also happen to be pretty good-looking, but that’s just icing on the cake.”
His thumb travels from my jaw to my chin. He leans in. “Thank you.”
He leans across the space between us and kisses me with such a slow gentleness, it’s as though he’s trying to convey a message solely through his lips. He pushes our smorgasbord away and scoots closer to me. We slowly ease into lying on the blanket. His fingers trace along my neck down to my collarbone and back up, tangling into my hair.
I wrap my arm around his waist, our bare feet and legs intertwining as we draw closer. His heart vibrates against mine. His cedar scent envelops me in comfortable familiarity.
