Brian grinned. "That's fine, we can pick up some steaks and have them stay for dinner. I want to tell Owen too."
Bill helped Brian load the desk and two bookcases into the trailer, wrapping them in the quilted blankets so they didn't get scuffed. Once they were loaded and secure, we waved goodbye and headed home. Home. We really had made the place a home since I'd moved in. Brian and I had gone furniture shopping, filling the house with things we both liked, adding bedroom furniture to the other three bedrooms, so when family came to visit, they could stay with us. In fact, my parents were coming to visit for Thanksgiving and would be arriving in the morning. Picking up the desk and bookcases were the final pieces we'd been waiting on.
When we pulled into the driveway, Owen was waiting for us on the front porch. He jogged down the front steps to meet us. "Hi, you two."
"Have you been waiting long? You could have gone inside," Brian said as he opened the door.
"Just got here, figured you were on your way."
"Yeah, we stopped to pick up some steaks, thought we'd throw them on the grill while the girls fix the sides."
"Girls? Plural?"
I laughed. "Ellie's coming over."
Owen raised his brows. "I see. Planned a party without telling me? What's the occasion?"
I blushed. "You'll just have to wait till dinner."
"So, there is an occasion?"
"Come on, help me get these things inside, would you?"
I went up to the house and opened the door. After putting the steaks in the fridge, I held the door while they lugged the desk, which was actually a bit on the heavy side, into the house and up the stairs to the curved room. Brian and Owen settled it in the perfect spot and then while they went down to get the bookcases, I maneuvered my new cushy desk chair into place. We'd put a transparent, plastic office mat, cut to fit the space, under the desk and chair, so that the chair rolled properly. I also thought that it would be easier to clean if I — for some weird reason — managed to spill anything.
I added my laptop and picture frames to the desk, along with a vase of flowers, red roses that Brian had given me the day before. I directed the boys to place the bookcases on either side of the curved window. On the walls, I had hung a large wipe board and a large bulletin board that I could pin things to. The wipe board was clean at the moment, but I knew once I started my new book, it, and the bulletin board would be filled.
The doorbell rang and I hopped up from putting my books on the shelves of one of the bookcases. "That must be Ellie." I skipped down the stairs and opened the door. "Hi, come in."
"Jane, this place… it's awesome." She looked around the livingroom, smiling.
"Thanks, I mean, it's not like I can take credit for it, Brian bought it a long time ago." I shrugged. "Come on, I'll give you the tour."
After showing her around, she helped me finish setting up my office. The guys had gone down to get the steaks ready, marinating them or something, they had said.
"I think you are going to love writing here. Just look at this view," Ellie exclaimed.
"I know, it was the first thing I said too when Brian asked me to move in," I snickered.
Ellie laughed. "So, you moved in for the view?"
"Well, the view is a bonus, but I moved in to be with Brian." I grinned.
Once my office was complete, we went down to the kitchen and started on the sides: fried potatoes, and green beans, along with yeast dinner rolls. Brian came in and kissed my neck as he grabbed the steaks and he and Owen went out to the grill.
"Isn't it too cold to grill?"
I looked at her and laughed. "According to Brian, it is never too cold to grill." I grinned and set the oven for the rolls. "Besides, if he grills, it's less cooking that I have to do."
Ellie laughed. "Makes sense."
Half an hour later, we were all gathered around the table, and Brian said, "Jane and I have an announcement."
"You're pregnant!" Owen exclaimed, a gleeful smile on his lips.
"What?" I blinked at him.
"You're not?" He frowned.
"No," I shook my head and held up my left hand. I'd had the ring in my pocket since we'd left Bill's Custom Woodworks. "We're engaged."
Ellie squealed and leaned over and hugged me. "Congratulations!"
"Oh hey, that's even better! Wedding first, then you can make me an uncle!" Owen joined in. "Congratulations, brother!"
Brian chuckled, lifted my hand, and kissed it. "Thank you," we both replied.
"And you'll have to wait a while on the uncle part," Brian added. "Jane has another book to write first."