Page 29 of The Engagement
Mack gives me a look that’s bordering on exasperation. “I’m sure.”
“Haley sure looked happy today,” I note. “She and Philip danced up a storm.”
“I noticed,” he says dryly, sounding less than enthused.
I laugh. “You can’t go back on your word now. You told them they could date.”
Since Mack had given them his blessing to date, Philip and Haley came to the wedding together, and they left together, right before we did. Philip will be the one to drive her back to her mom’s house.
“Phil’s a good guy,” he says begrudgingly, “and I trust him with my daughter. If I didn’t, they wouldn’t be dating—ever.”
We arrive back at our apartment building and head upstairs to change out of our wedding clothes and pack our bags. I call Layla to let her know we’ll be leaving tonight, and I explain our change of plans. She and Jason will stop by our apartment twice a day to feed Lizzie and give her fresh water and cuddles.
We pack our bags and carry them to the door. Lizzie follows, rubbing our ankles and purring loudly. Feeling bad we’re about to leave her again, I pick her up and nuzzle her furry face. “We won’t be gone too long, sweetie,” I tell her. “Aunt Layla and Uncle Jason will take good care of you, I promise.” I almost choke up when I realize this is the first time we’ve ever left Lizzie for any extended period of time.
“She’ll be fine, honey,” Mack says as he gently takes Lizzie from my arms and sets her on the floor. She scampers away and jumps on the back of the sofa. “It’s late. We need to get going.”
Before I know it, we’re on the road again, heading back to our honeymoon destination. When we arrive at the estate, it’s dark outside. The circular drive and the front of the house are well lit with strategically placed landscape lighting. Mack parks in the first spot by the front door. All the other vehicles are gone. Even Shane and Beth’s.
“Looks like we have the place to ourselves,” Mack says as he opens his door and hops out.
While he’s getting our luggage out of the back of the SUV, the front door opens and out walks Elly with a welcoming smile on her face.
She clasps her hands together. “I’m so happy you’re honeymooning here. We don’t often have company, so having you here will be a real treat for me.”
Mack carries our suitcases inside.
“I’ve prepared a suite for you upstairs,” Elly says as she leads the way up the curved staircase and down a long hallway. She stops at the second door on the right. “This is one of my favorite rooms.” She opens the door wide and motions for us to enter. “You have a lovely view of the lake from your balcony.”
The balcony drapes are wide open, as are the glass doors. There’s a gentle breeze coming in through the screen door.
“Please make yourselves at home. The closet is over there, and the private bathroom is through that door. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. Now, do you know when you’d like to have breakfast?”
“Oh, please don’t go to any trouble for us,” I say. “We can make our own breakfast if you don’t mind us using the kitchen.”
“Don’t be silly, dear,” Elly says. “Of course I’ll make your breakfasts. I’ll be making all of your meals. Tomorrow, if you like, we can sit down and plan a menu for the entire week.”
We end up suggesting something basic for breakfast in the morning—eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee.
“How about nine o’clock?” I suggest. As it’s my honeymoon, I plan to sleep in.
She gives us a card with her mobile number on it. “If you need anything at any time, day or night, just send me a text. I’ll get it.” And then she leaves us to settle in.
We unpack first, hanging our clothes in the closet and putting our underwear and socks in the dresser drawers. When Mack’s not looking, I slip my newly purchased pajamas into a drawer. Our toiletries go in the bathroom.
Once all that’s done, I check out the centerpiece of the room—a four-poster, king-size bed. There are lots of pillows propped up against the tall mahogany headboard. The mattress is covered in cream-colored sheets and a bluish-gray comforter with a faded floral pattern on it.
The bed is so tall I have to use a wooden stepstool to climb up onto it. I lay back and spread my arms wide. “Best honeymoon ever!”
Mack smiles as he joins me on the bed. “You’re very easy to please, you know that?”
“I’m sorry.” I frown. “No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t bear the thought of going to a crowded hotel filled with strangers.”
He shifts to face me. “I understand, honey.” He cups one side of my face and leans in to kiss me. “Now, tell me what’s on the agenda for this evening? What would you like to do?”
My stomach does a little somersault. This is ourwedding night. Our first time together as husband and wife. It’s not like we haven’t had sex before. We have, plenty of times. But for some reason, tonight feels different.
Special.
