Aunt DeeDee pulled me back to meet my eyes. “Cherish this time with him, Pops. That boy, he loves you. You’d have to be blind to not see it.”
“I will,” I whispered.
DeeDee moved to the door. “We’re here for two nights. I’ll be with Tristan in his suite. Call my cell if you need anything. I’ll only be minutes away.”
“Okay,” I replied.
Turning, I drank in the splendor of the room. Its ceilings were so high that I had to bend my head back just to see the pattern in the white plaster. The room was so big that it would dwarf most people’s houses. I walked to the window and beheld a panoramic view of all of New York.
And I breathed.
I breathed as my gaze fell upon the familiar sights that I had only ever seen in pictures or on film: the Empire State Building, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, the Flatiron Building, Freedom Tower…
There was so much to see that my heart raced in anticipation. This was where I was meant to have lived my life. I would have been at home here. Blossom Grove would have been my roots; New York would have been my wings.
And Rune Kristiansen would forever have been my love. By my side through it all.
Noticing a door to my left, I walked over and pushed down the handle. I gasped as a cold breeze hit me, then I truly let myself take in the sight.
A garden.
An outdoor terrace with winter flowers, benches and, better still, the view. Zipping up my coat to keep warm, I stepped out into the coldness. Flurries of light snowflakes settled on my hair. Needing to feel them on my face, I tipped my head back. Cold flakes landed on my eyelashes, tickling my eyes.
I laughed as my face grew damp. Then I walked forward, running my hands over the glistening evergreens until I was standing at the wall that offered a panorama of Manhattan on a plate.
I breathed in, letting the cold air fill my bones. Suddenly, warm arms were around my waist and Rune’s chin rested on my shoulder. “You like it, baby?” Rune asked softly. His voice was barely above a whisper so as not to intrude into our little haven of tranquility.
I shook my head in disbelief and turned back slightly until I faced him. “I can’t believe you’ve done all this,” I replied. “I can’t believe you’ve given me this.” I pointed to the sprawling city below. “You’ve given me New York.”
Rune kissed my cheek. “It’s late, and we have lots to do tomorrow. I want to make sure you’re rested enough to see everything I have planned.”
A thought sprang into my mind. “Rune?”
“Ja?”
“Can I take you somewhere tomorrow too?”
He frowned, creasing his forehead. “Of course,” he agreed. I could see him searching my eyes, trying to discover what I was up to. But he didn’t question me. And I was happy about that. He’d refuse if he knew ahead of time.
“Good,” I said proudly and smiled to myself. Yes, he had given me this trip. Yes, he had things planned. But I wanted to show him something, to remind him of his dreams. Dreams he could still achieve even after I was gone.
“You need to sleep,Poppymin,” Rune said and lowered his mouth to kiss my neck.
I threaded my hand through his. “With you beside me in bed.”
I felt him nod against my neck, before kissing it one more time. “I’ve run you a bath and I’ve ordered food. You bathe, then we’ll eat, then we’ll sleep.”
I turned in his arms and lifted onto my tiptoes to place my hands on his cheeks. They were cold. “I love you, Rune,” I said softly. I said it often. And I always felt it with my whole heart. I wanted him to know, at all times, how much I adored him.
Rune sighed, and kissed me slowly. “I love you too,Poppymin,” he said against my lips, barely breaking away.
Then he led me inside where I bathed. We ate. And then we slept.
I lay in his arms in the center of a huge four-poster bed. With his warm breath drifting across my face. His bright blue eyes watching my every move.
I fell asleep, cradled in his embrace, with a smile both in my heart and on my lips.
Poppy