We wandered further down the track and the house came into sight. Emily stopped short, her brow furrowing.
I’d only just finished the last touches with the help of the squad this morning, and Laura had secured a huge red bow to the front door.
“Weird, let’s check it out,” I said, unable to hide my grin, as we went down the slope.
“Diesel,” Emily started as she looked in awe at the place. We’d ripped out all the old-fashioned wood and put a bunch of cathedral windows in, especially the side that overlooked the forested slopes that swept away from the back of the place. As we stopped on the threshold, I opened the door, and then bent and picked Emily up.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
“Carrying my bride across the threshold of her new home,” I said solemnly.
“The home you made?” she asked, her voice soft.
“The home I made for you and the family we’re making,” I said, carrying her inside.
I set her down and followed her as she explored the place. It had started out as a modest remodel and had twisted into a full-scale upgrade. She trailed from the open-plan kitchen and sitting room to the children’s playroom and master bedroom, with all the luxury fittings.
“I admit, I didn’t see the twins thing coming, but we have two spare rooms and a home office, so I guess we have space.” I followed her upstairs. She paused in the doorway of the nursery I’d just finished this morning. It was a pale dove gray with a soft yellow hue. She turned to me in the doorway.
“This isn’t fair, you know. It’s too much, and I’ll never top it.”
I laughed. “I guess you’ll just have to concede then, sweetheart,” I told her. “I’ll let you make it up to me, slowly, again and again.”
She laughed and shoved a hand into her bag. “I don’t know, I just remembered that I might have you beat, after all.”
“What could you possibly have that tops a house, except for finding out that you're giving me twins?”
She pulled her hand out of the bag and handed me a dog-eared pile of papers. I stared at them, the familiar cursive writing tugging my heart right out of my chest to flop on the polished wooden floor.
“Your letters? You kept them?” I couldn’t keep the wonder from my voice. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I guess, despite the time and the difficulties, somewhere deep inside, I never really gave up on you.”
I lunged in and kissed her hard, claiming her with my lips again and again.
“So, do I win?” Emily asked, grinning crazily up at me. This fascinating, infuriating, inspiring woman, who was carrying my children and wearing my ring really thought there was any kind of competition between us. She was light years out of my league, and yet, she loved me, she’d waited for me, and never truly lost faith in me.
“Oh kid, you have no idea. When it comes to you and me, I’m always going to be the winner,” I said against her lips.
She let out a small, fucking adorable cry of outrage. “How’d you figure that?”
“Because I get to have you. I won at life, sweetheart, and that will never change.”
She pouted, but I could tell she was pleased by the compliment, even though it was the understatement of the year. “Well, do I at least get a second prize?” she asked, biting her lip.
“You sure do, whenever and wherever you want it. Let’s go to our new room, and I’ll give it to you. I’ll need you stripped off and spread eagled on the bed in approximately ten seconds, if you have any love for this dress,” I told her, my voice husky, as I fingered the hem, as if I was going to rip it. She laughed and backed down the hall. I followed.
“Ten, nine…” I started, and she shrieked as she turned and ran for the room.
I could listen to the sound of her laugh forever, and I damn well planned to.
* * *