“Not when all I could think about was binding you to me. I said I would follow you if you tried to go—I meant that. If you want to go to some big city to take photos or move to the suburbs in Crystal Cove, I will go, Sami,” I whisper softly, reaching across the table to steal a fry. I don’t want the damn fry; I want to take her hand that is dunking her fry in deep puddles of ketchup. And I do. And she lets me.
“What would ever make you think we should go anywhere but here? I love it here. The best summers of my life were here, that is why I came back to get my bearings. I knew I could find myself and what I wanted here,” she replies, popping her fry in her mouth as she grins big and bold, “and I did. I found you. Or, well, I guess you found me..”
“You ask me to do it and we leave tomorrow. Whatever you need. Whatever you want from me, babydoll. That is what I do now. Give you what you need and make some puppy palaces,” I tease with a grin.
Sami watches me for a minute before she gives that nod. Short and sweet, my babydoll. I start to tug her from the booth, wanting to get her home. There is more I need to say to her—and I cannot do it here.
“Ah, ah, pretty face,” she tsks at me, nodding at her fries.
“Right. You wanted a grease cheeseburger and fries. You got it, babydoll. Enjoy, and hell, let me get the same,” I call to the waitress I know has been eavesdropping. She flushes and nods, rushing to put the order in.
“Yes. We need a goddamn cheeseburger and some fucking fries!”
Chapter Ten
Sami
Ah, I am living my best life.
Belly full of cheesy, tasty cheeseburger and perfectly crisp fries, I am headed back up the mountain with my man. Snuggled up against his side, I turn up the radio to let some nineties rap fill the cab. He chuckles and raps along, surprising me before I join in too.
By the time we reach the cabin, we are a retro mess, singing grunge and rapping between power ballads. We are perfect for each other is what I am saying. Who else have I ever had so much fun with? No one. And no one else has ever looked at me the way he does. As if he sees our future when he looks at me—one that features the two of us together for good.
“Why so quiet babydoll?” he asks as he pulls up in front of the cabin.
We sit there for a moment, music gone and the night quiet. I glance up at his cabin and sigh. “I was thinking. About how much I love it here and how glad I am I came back. How lucky I am that you found me out there that night. And kept me.”
Shepard grins at me, his bright crooked grin lighting up the darkness. I move close, pressing my face against his neck as he sighs deeply. I will forever be thankful for that storm hitting when it did. Any later, I would have been up the hill at my cabin, and we might not have met.
“Kept you is right,” he teases, reaching over to brush the curtain of my hair out of my face, “come with me, babydoll. I have something I want to show you.”
His grin overtakes his entire handsome face and my heart thuds. How could this man ever doubt his beauty? Sure, he looks hard and can be gruff, but his soul...his heart, they are so bright and beautiful. They shine through all the rest. Nodding, I take his hand and let him help me from the truck.
He leads me past the cabin and through the yard, out towards his workshop. I see a light glows inside and I frown. When he showed me his workshop and the adorable little houses he builds there, I was shocked at how pristine and organized it was. My lumberjack is a bit of a neat freak.
“Is someone here?” I wonder, recalling he said his friend Landon sometimes used the workshop for surprise projects for his wife.
“Just us, babydoll. I was terrified today,” his voice is low as he bows his head, “watching you walk away from me made me consider how I would handle losing you for real. And the truth is, I don’t think I could. Not with what you mean to me. I don’t think I could stand it to be without you now,” he admits as he pushes the door open, and the light goes out.
Blinking in the darkness, my heart thunders as I let him lead me further into the wide workshop. I can smell fresh cut wood and glue. And film developer? A fist twists in my chest and my breathing becomes rapid. My pulse hums and I think he must hear my heart pounding.
“Open your eyes, Sami,” his voice is raw and I sense how important this is moment is for him.
Slowly, I blink them open and instead of seeing his shop with the little houses and his tools, I see red. The entire shop is dark besides a glow of red from a single light. Tears fill my eyes when I see the new bench along one wall, a few feet from his workspace. Film developers and trays for chemicals to develop photos. Off to one side, a develop line hangs, waiting for negatives to become beautiful photos.
“A dark room. You put together a dark room. How? I was gone for a few hours,” I laugh the words, covering my mouth as it trembles, my tears already falling.
“Babydoll, I get things done fast. Knew what you needed so I cashed in some favors. For your project. The working class one. Take your photos wherever you need to. Up with the landing crew, or down in Driftwood. Develop them here, right alongside me while I create too.”
Turning in the glowing light that casts dark shadows over the room, I stare at him. Could he be any more perfect? His grin flashes in the crimson light and I can tell he is proud of himself. He should be, this is amazing. I have not had my own dark room before. And never one where I can work next to the man I love.
“Oh, Shepard,” I murmur, shaking my head at how amazing he is.
“I love you, Sami. I am in love with you, and it is the biggest, brightest, and boldest thing I ever felt. I love you.”
Throwing myself at him, I wind my arms around his broad shoulders and press my lips to his. “I love you too. This is perfect. You, pretty face, you are perfect. I am so lucky. I love you.”
Shepard kisses me softly but pulls back, framing my face in his big, rough hands as he takes a deep breath. “I said that I want everything from you, and I meant it. I want a future together, baby. I hope I got you pregnant by now, but I will keep going until I do,” he warns with a sly grin, “after you give me a baby, we will start all over again. I want you for the rest of my life. I love you so much. I want you to be my wife, Sami. Will you marry me?”