Page 198 of Burning Ember
“Ember.”
“Yeah,” I answer. “That’s me. Ember Pierce.”
She studies me for a moment and dips her chin. “Jett Rhines. But people just call me Ivy.”
Endings are bitter and sweet like the scent of a garden.
EMBER
The truck stops and I hear Will giggle with excitement. I can’t see her because there’s a blindfold over my eyes. But I hear everything, even when Mav opens his door, and then shuts it.
A few seconds later, my door opens and he reaches over me to remove my seat belt. He takes hold of my hands.
“I still don’t see why if we’re going to an art exhibit, I need to be blindfolded.”
“Because it’s a special exhibit. You’re not peeking are you?” he whispers into my ear. I open my mouth to answer, but his teeth nip my earlobe and my mouth falls closed. Shockwaves of pleasure skate down my body.
“This is so not fair.”
“Shhh,” he replies and gives me a chaste kiss.
After he pulls me from the truck, he takes one of my hands and Will takes the other. They walk me ten steps before they let go and Mav moves behind me. He unknots the bandana around my eyes, and it falls away.
“Oh, my God! Is it . . .” I spin around and take in Mav’s pleased expression. “You did it. You rebuilt it?”
He grabs my hips and pulls me closer. “Not exactly. I had to make a few changes so it would better fit the family that’s gonna be livin’ in it. Changed the design some, because they’re not from around here. Made a few rooms bigger, the master, and the office. I also extended out the kitchen, dining room area, and added a shop in the back.”
“Oh.” Trying to cover up the disappointment that immediately hits me, I ask, “Is she okay to go in there?” Will walks to the front door and opens it without knocking.
“Yeah. They haven’t moved in yet. She was here with me last week when I had to come check on things, so she knows her way around.”
“So you sold it already?”
“It sold right away. Got a really good deal on it too. Do you like it?”
Masking the sour feeling swirling in my chest, I reply, “I love it.” I turn in his arms and take in the beautiful house. It’s springtime now and bright colored flowers fill the flowerbeds. It was one of the first things I noticed, because it reminded me of home. But really the home itself is eye-catching. It’s two stories high, and is mostly a sand-colored stucco. A few of the walls have a more modern look with the small stone slabs, which are a mixture of colors, browns, reds, tans, and off-white. The red accents match the cherry wood of the lavish front door and the wood of the garage doors. Even the windows add a little something extra to make it stand out. It’s a perfect blend of the southwestern adobe style you see around here with the layered box design, but it also reminds me of the opulent homes in San Diego that you usually see by the ocean.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.
“Come on, let’s go see the inside.” He grabs my hand and proceeds to give me a tour. Takes me through the upstairs first, the bedrooms, the bathrooms. We pass Will playing in what looks to be a little girl’s room that’s painted purple and has a window seat overflowing with pillows and stuffed animals. Mav continues to pull me forward before I can inspect it further. He shows me the master bedroom, and the space is enormous. Big enough for two king beds and then some. Next he leads me through a door that is attached to the master bedroom. I’m anticipating a bathroom, but when he walks me into a nursery, my feet stop moving.
Because the first thing I see is the baby blue and white alphabet block wall, and the tree with a door in the trunk, and branches that are shelved with kid’s books. There’s also a moon light over a white crib with a familiar blue bedding. Throughout the room I see it all, the dresser, rocking chair, changing table, and bassinet—all things I’ve picked out in catalogs for our baby. Things he told me he would buy, and have shipped to our house a little closer to my due date.
“Mav?”
His arms circle me. His hands rest on my belly, which isn’t very big for me being six and a half months along, but it’s growing day by day. “Do you still love it?” he asks. I open my mouth a couple of times and then close it. “Because it’s yours and mine and Will’s.”
Shocked speechless, my eyes burn with tears as they run over every item. The sailboats and the stuffed animals, the stocked shelf dresser and photo frames waiting to be filled.
“You weren’t really heading to the clubhouse everyday were you?”
He chuckles and I feel him smile as his lips press behind my ear. “Nope.”
“And Will’s already been here. Seen this?”
“Yes, I had an important question to ask her. She also picked out what color of paint she wanted in her room and her bedding and things. And then we went shoppin’ for a playset for the backyard.”
“Mav.”
