The Swede

by Maureen Smith

  “Congratulations, you two!” they called out with glowing smiles.

  Viggo and Scarlett grinned at them, then at each other.

  “When did you plan this?” she asked wonderingly.

  His grin broadened. “Before we got here.”

  “What?” she gasped.

  Laughing, he rose to his feet, pulling her up with him. Before she could ask more questions, he took her hand and began leading her down the aisle.

  “C’mon,” he said with a mysterious twinkle in his eyes. “I want to show you something.”

  * * *

  After accepting hugs and congratulations from his family and a bunch of tourists, they left the castle and headed for the islands that formed the Stockholm archipelago. That was all Viggo would tell her about their destination. Nothing more.

  They’d been in the car less than five minutes when Scarlett’s phone rang. Even before she pulled it out of her handbag, she knew her mother was calling. “I swear this woman has some sort of radar,” she joked.

  “Actually,” Viggo said, “she knew I was proposing today. Your whole family knew. So did Reid.”

  Scarlett gaped at him. “Really?”

  He grinned. “Before we left home, I went to your father and asked for your hand in marriage. ”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Totally.” He nodded to her ringing phone. “You should probably get that.”

  Laughing, Scarlett put her mother on speaker. “Hey, Ma. It’s three o’clock in the morning over there. What’re you doing up?”

  “I couldn’t sleep.” She sounded wired and giddy. “Do you have some news to share?”

  “News?” Scarlett winked at Viggo, signaling him to play along. “What news?”

  There was a pause. “Didn’t something happen this morning? Something big?”

  “Oh. That.” Scarlett sighed. “Viggo asked me to marry him—”

  Her mother squealed.

  “—but I turned him down.”

  “WHAT!”

  It was all Scarlett could do not to laugh. “C’mon, Ma. How many times have I told you that I’m not interested in getting married?”

  “But, Scarlett, you love him!”

  “What’s love got to do with it?” she quipped.

  Viggo moaned pathetically, “She broke my heart, Mrs. Warner.”

  “Scarlett!” Her mom was losing it.

  Scarlett could no longer hold back her laughter. “Calm down, Ma! We’re just messing with you.” She smiled at Viggo. “I’m pleased to inform you that The Swede and I are now engaged.”

  Her mother’s ecstatic scream was loud enough to shatter the windows. “Congratulations, you two lovebirds!”

  They laughed warmly and thanked her.

  “I’m so happy for both of you!” she gushed excitedly. “I just wish I could have been there to see the proposal! I bet it was romantic!”

  “It was.” Scarlett reached over to stroke Viggo’s jaw. “It was unbelievably romantic. Symbolic, too. We first saw each other on a Wednesday, and he proposed on a Wednesday.”

  A dreamy sigh floated through the phone. “Did she cry, Viggo?”

  He grinned at Scarlett. “A little.”

  She laughed. “It was more than a little.”

  Her mom chortled gleefully. “I wish I could have seen you!”

  “There was a camera set up in the cathedral,” Viggo told her, grinning at Scarlett’s surprised look. “We’ll send the video to you.”

  “Please do!” Sherise begged. “I can’t wait to see it! And I can’t wait to meet your family, Viggo.”

  “They said the same thing.” He grinned. “Whether or not my team makes it to the finals, my whole family is coming to Denver the first week of June. So everyone will meet at that time.”

  “Wonderful! Looking forward to it!”

  Scarlett could picture her mother beaming from ear to ear, practically floating on air. It made her grin. “I know everyone already knew that Viggo was proposing, but I’ll call Nadia and Lennox in a few hours to give them the deets. So don’t steal my thunder, Ma.”

  “I won’t,” she promised. “But don’t wait too long. You know I’m bursting at the seams over here.”

  “I know you are.” Scarlett chuckled. “Anyway, we’re on the road so I’ll call you later. Go back to bed.”

  “Back? I never went!” She giggled. “I’m about to wake your father up and tell him the marvelous news. Then I’m going to call Pop Pop in Virginia. You know your anthem performance made him cry. He spoke very highly of you too, Viggo. I don’t know what impressed him more—your hockey playing or your fighting skills.”

  Viggo laughed.

  Scarlett just grinned and shook her head. “Love you, Ma.”

  “Love you too, baby.” Her voice came through the phone like a warm hug. “Welcome to the family, Viggo.”

  He smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Warner. It’s a privilege.”

  “Aww.” She melted.

  So did Scarlett. “We’ll be home tomorrow, Ma.”

  “Okay, baby. You two have a safe flight.”

  “Thank you.” Scarlett thumbed the screen and ended the call, then leaned over and smooched Viggo’s cheek. “Jag älskar dig.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart.” He grinned at her. “Your Swedish keeps getting better and better.”

  “Of course,” she quipped with a grin. “I was Swedish in a past life, remember?”

  He laughed. “Of course.”

  Settling back into her seat, she mused aloud, “Speaking of past lives, I had the weirdest feeling of déjà vu when I was standing outside the cathedral. It felt like I’d been there before.”

  “Yeah?” A smile touched Viggo’s lips. “The first time we made love, you jokingly suggested that we met in a past life. Maybe we really did. Maybe we got married in that cathedral.”

  “Holy shit.” Scarlett laughed, rubbing her arms through her coat. “You just gave me goosebumps.”

  He laughed, his eyes resting on her face. “I love the idea of us being time-traveling soul mates. It’d be a great story to share with our children someday.”

  “It would,” she agreed, smiling at him.

  Something like hope flickered in his eyes before he swallowed and returned his attention to the highway.

  Since getting back together, their lives had been a whirlwind. So they hadn’t had much time to talk more in depth about their future. About their hopes and expectations. But that would soon change.

  Smiling, Scarlett reached over and touched Viggo’s cheek. “When did you remember the night we first saw each other? When did it hit you?”

  “Well,” he began with a grin, “I had major déjà vu when I saw you sitting in the stands at the Chicago game.”

  “I remember.” She laughed. “After you scored a goal, you pointed at me and winked just like you did that night six years ago. As you skated away, you did a double take.”

  He laughed. “Yeah. That was wild. I thought I was losing my damn mind,” he said, switching lanes. “But it finally hit me on Saturday night when we played Tampa Bay.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.” He grinned. “It happened right when you stepped up to the mic to sing the national anthem. You had that big spotlight on you, and I swear it was like God just smacked me upside the head and shouted, ‘Okay, you big dope. Now do you remember her?”

  Scarlett let out a delighted peal of laughter, clapping her hands together. “Is that why you were staring at me with that super intense look?”

  “That was one of the reasons.” He grinned at her. “Recognizing you from that night totally floored me. I was so damn excited to have the mystery solved, I wanted to skate right up to you, grab you and kiss the hell out of you. Honestly, babe, I’m kinda glad you sat in the owner’s box that night, because I might have been distracted if you were sitting anywhere near the ice.”

  Scarlett laughed, silly tears pricking her eyes. “I was beginning to think you would neve
r remember.”

  “I’m sorry.” His voice softened. “I wish you’d told me a long time ago.”

  “I’m glad I didn’t,” she said feelingly. “It was better this way. So much more meaningful.”

  He smiled, reached over and gently squeezed her knee, sending heated little tingles up her leg. When she smiled at him, he winked before returning his hand to the steering wheel.

  As they traveled deeper into the archipelago, Scarlett stared out the window at the rolling pastoral countryside. “So where exactly are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  She turned her head, caught his mysterious smile and grinned. “You’re just full of surprises today, aren’t you? When did you tell your family you were planning to propose to me?”

  “I told Rikard before we left Denver. The others found out on Monday after breakfast. I gathered them together while you were taking a shower.” He chuckled. “They were so excited, especially my mom. She squealed so loud I thought you would hear her.”

  Scarlett laughed. “I didn’t. But even if I had, I wouldn’t have known what she was squealing about.”

  “True.” He grinned. “I knew it was risky to tell Svea. She’s never been very good at keeping secrets. Astrid said she almost spilled the beans when you guys went to lunch that day. Apparently she made some comment about having a rock star in the family?”

  Scarlett grinned. “I didn’t even catch that.”

  “Good,” he grunted. “I woulda strangled her if she’d ruined the surprise.”

  “And what a surprise it was.” Scarlett stared down at the sparkling diamonds on her finger. The center stone was huge without being gaudy. “I can’t believe you got me a pink diamond ring.”

  Viggo gave her a sideways grin. “I don’t care how much you love hockey and rock ’n’ roll. There’s a girly girl hiding inside you, and she went a little nuts when she saw that pink ring.”

  Scarlett burst out laughing. It was scary how quickly he’d figured her out.

  “So,” he said casually, tapping the steering wheel, “what’d you think of the castle?”

  “It’s amazing! It looks like an enchanted castle, like something out of a fairy—” She broke off, blushing with embarrassment.

  Viggo grinned. “And there she is.”

  “Who?”

  “Your inner girly girl.”

  She groaned and covered her face with her hands, which made him laugh.

  “So…wanna get married there?”

  She uncovered her face and stared at him. “At the castle?”

  “Yeah. You feeling it?”

  She laughed. “Are you kidding? Having a wedding there would be so freaking romantic!”

  Viggo grinned, looking relieved. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  She gave him a soft smile. “Rikard told me you have a lot of happy memories there. I can’t think of a more perfect place for us to start our lives together.”

  His eyes gentled before he reached over and skimmed his knuckles down her cheek.

  She caught his hand and brought it to her lips, watching his face as she kissed each broad finger.

  His gaze went from tender to hungry. When she unconsciously crossed her legs, he gave her an appreciative perusal that left her tingling before his eyes returned to the road.

  “You look beautiful, by the way,” he said huskily. “You were wearing the same color the night we met at the engagement party.”

  “I was.” She smiled at him. “Is that why Svea told me to wear this cream dress?”

  “Yeah.” He eyed her knee-high boots and grinned wickedly. “I want you to keep those on when I make love to you later.”

  Heat curled through her belly. “Yes, Mr. Sandström.”

  An hour later, he drove through a picturesque village with cobblestone streets and quaint wooden houses surrounded by dense hills and forests dusted with snow. Scarlett gazed out the window with mounting curiosity and excitement.

  After following a scenic shoreline for several miles and turning onto a secluded road, they finally reached their destination: an exquisitely charming two-story cottage by the sea.

  “Oh my goodness.” Scarlett’s voice was barely above a whisper. She felt awestruck.

  As Viggo swung into the drive and pulled all the way up to the house, her face was practically glued to the window. “Is this your family’s summer cottage?”

  “No.” He turned off the engine. “It’s ours.”

  “What?” She whipped her head around to stare at him. “You…you bought this place?”

  “I did.” He flashed her a smile, then got out and came around to open the door for her.

  She stepped out slowly, never taking her eyes off the storybook red cottage with white trim. Flanked by large trees and framed against the backdrop of the glittering sea, it looked like a picture postcard.

  “Oh, Viggo…” She breathed out a sigh.

  He watched her, enjoying her reaction. “I love my family’s cottage, and I can’t wait to share it with you this summer. But I wanted a place of my own.” His voice softened. “A place just for us.”

  Her insides melted into a gooey puddle. “Oh, Viggo,” she whispered again. It was all she could say.

  He smiled and took her hand. “C’mon, baby. Let’s go inside.”

  As they climbed the front steps together, Scarlett noticed that the landscaping around the cottage was as immaculate as the rest of the property. When she glanced up and down the secluded road, she couldn’t see any other houses between the thick trees.

  “Where’s our closest neighbor?”

  “About half a mile down the road,” Viggo answered. “I met them on Monday. They’re pretty cool. They bought their cottage as a summer home several years ago. They loved the town so much, they now live here year-round.”

  “Wow. What an endorsement.”

  “I know.” He smiled. “They invited us over for a barbecue when we come back this summer.”

  Scarlett grinned. “New friends. Yay.”

  Chuckling, Viggo unlocked the front door and pushed it open, then paused.

  She gave him a curious look. “What?”

  “I’m sorry. I know we’re not married yet, but dammit, I have to do this.” He swept her up into his arms and carried her through the door, grinning at her joyous peal of laughter.

  As they crossed the threshold, she looked around in awe and breathed, “Oh my God…” She trailed off, taking in the cozy scene before her.

  There was a large red-and-white checked blanket spread on the floor in front of the crackling fireplace. A picnic basket sat in the middle with a bottle of champagne peeking out of the top.

  “I thought we could christen the place with a winter picnic,” Viggo drawled.

  “Oh, baby, that’s so romantic,” Scarlett cooed, leaning forward to kiss him softly.

  He grinned, nipping her bottom lip. “I figured I should feed you before I devour you.”

  She laughed, nipping him right back. “Is that why you brought me all the way out here? To devour me?”

  His eyes gleamed. “Since you refused to let us check into a hotel after the big family dinner tonight, I came up with another solution.”

  “How resourceful of you.” She grinned. “Before you have your way with me, at least let me explore our lovely cottage.”

  “That seems reasonable.” He grinned and set her on her feet, watching as she swept an appreciative gaze over the golden pine floors and crisp whitewashed walls. The cottage was flooded with natural light from all the windows, and the sea view from every angle was breathtaking.

  Viggo tucked his hands into his pockets. “I told my Realtor to find us a place that was a little further from the mainland so we could enjoy a longer drive up here.”

  “Good idea,” Scarlett enthused. “That was such a gorgeous, relaxing drive.”

  “It’s even better in the summer.”

  “I believe you.” Almost giddy with delight, she wandered into the smal
l dining room to admire the chair-high wainscoting. The cottage was chock-full of charm and beauty.

  “There are three bedrooms and a loft on the second floor,” Viggo told her. “We also have an indoor bathroom.”

  She grinned over her shoulder. “No roughing it outdoors?”

  “Nah.” He chuckled. “You’ll get to experience the outhouse at the family cottage. I didn’t want to scare you off.”

  “I don’t even think that’s possible.”

  Grinning, he followed her through the archway into the kitchen. It was small but airy and bright with white cupboards and rustic touches that made her sigh. When she looked out the window over the sink and saw the frost-covered garden, she beamed with pleasure. The garden would be spectacular in the summer with the flowers bursting into bloom.

  “So what do you think?”

  Scarlett turned from the window and let out an ecstatic squeal. Then she rushed over and jumped into Viggo’s arms, making him laugh as she showered his face with kisses.

  “It’s absolutely perfect,” she said breathlessly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “It already feels like home.”

  He smiled into her eyes. “I was hoping you’d feel that way.”

  “I do,” she gushed. “It’s so warm and cozy and romantic!”

  He nuzzled her lips softly with his. “I hope you don’t mind that it’s empty. You seem to really like traditional Swedish décor. But just in case you wanted something different, I left the cottage unfurnished so we could decorate it together, put our own stamp on it.”

  “Thank you,” she said appreciatively. “You totally made the right call.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.” She beamed, looking around excitedly. “I can’t wait to decorate this place. It’s gonna be awesome!”

  “I have no doubt.” Grinning broadly, Viggo set her down again and playfully swatted her ass.

  She laughed and grabbed his hand, tugging him outside to the wraparound deck that looked out over the sea.

  “Ohhh,” she breathed in amazement. “Look at this view…wow…”

  Viggo came up beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She smiled and leaned against him, enjoying the warmth of his body as a cold, salty breeze washed over them, carrying the scent of sea and snow. The cottage was located on a cliff that led down to a private dock.