by Taylor Dean
“I . . .” I have no idea what to say. I think I’m in shock. “You . . .” Again, I can’t put together a sentence.
He studies my face, waiting for me to respond, and I see the worry in his eyes.
It’s then I realize he still has no idea how I feel. I mean, he obviously knows I like him or else I wouldn’t have freaked out over him and Mia. But I can see his anxiety in the way his eyes narrow, as if the anticipation is killing him.
“Have I scared you away?” he asks. I hear a slight tremor in his voice and I realize he really is unsure about my response.
“No, I’m not scared. I love you too, so much. I . . .”
I can’t finish my sentence because his lips are on mine and suddenly I know everything is going to work out between us.
CHAPTER
Twenty-one
STONY REVS THE engine of his truck and speeds past a slow moving tractor, then slips back into his correct lane effortlessly as we head back to Roby.
It’s been a couple of weeks since the moment we declared our love to one another and each day just seems to get better and better. Not a day passes that he doesn’t look me directly in the eyes and say, “I love you, Spencer.”
I believe him. Wholeheartedly.
He chose me. I’m still a little thunderstruck by it, but I’ll take it—and never let go, because I choose him as well. I’m crazy for him and it’s the most exhilarating feeling in the world.
I shift in my seat. My stomach is rebelling against the amount of food I just put into it.
“You okay?” Stony questions.
“Yeah. Your mom’s cooking, it’s killing me. I think I don’t need to eat for the next week.”
“Welcome to my life. How about we go for a walk when we get home and exercise it off?”
Home. Yes, his home is now my home. We both know going for a walk is code for, let’s find someplace pretty and kiss for an hour. I’m not complaining. I love our romantic interludes. The motorhome is far too confining and tempting. We go on a lot of walks. “Sounds like a plan.” I smile at him and he winks at me before turning his attention back to the road. I breathe in and out deeply. “Your mom’s cooking is so good. I have no one to blame for my overly full stomach except for myself.”
“I feel your pain.”
Stony reaches out and holds my hand. “Mom’s announcement was interesting.”
“It was.” I knew he’d bring it up sooner or later.
“And?”
“I feel bad that Mia felt she had to leave.” We haven’t heard from Mia at all. I guess I assumed she’d put up a bit of a fight. Instead, she has respectfully given Stony space. We haven’t avoided going to Caroline’s house either. Still, we haven’t heard a peep from her or seen so much as a glance of her.
I suppose I thought of Mia as the villain of the piece, but I was mistaken. In hindsight, I should have known better. Stony wouldn’t have stayed with someone who was an awful person for so many years. It’s not in his nature and I should’ve connected those dots long ago. I have an odd sort of respect for Mia. She made a huge mistake, but her behavior ever since has been above reproach.
“I think it’s the best thing for her. Mia needs a fresh start,” Stony adds.
“She does. Moving to Galveston will give her one.”
When Caroline stated that Mia had moved to Galveston, the room was silent for a full minute. I think we were all processing the news.
“Tell me what you’re thinking. Please, Spencer.”
“It was probably the best decision for all concerned. We all need a little distance, and time to heal.”
“Agreed.”
It’s been two weeks since Mia arrived home from jail. Stony could have gone to Mia at any time if he wanted to. We’ve been very honest and upfront with each other about the entire situation. For me, this could have been a time of suspicion and mistrust. I feel like I should have been filled with misgivings and doubt.
Instead the opposite has occurred. I feel loved and adored by a man who knows exactly what he wants.
And he wants me.
“Honestly, I’m not worried about Mia interfering with our relationship anymore, whether she’s here or in Galveston. I gotta say, the confidence I felt after your mom broke the news took me by surprise. Not because Mia’s gone, because I realized I felt that confidence long before she left.” Stony’s complete and total love has given me the assurance I need and has erased any and all insecurity.
Stony squeezes my hand. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Don’t want it to come between us again.”
I breathe in and out deeply. Even if Mia had stayed, I would have had no reason to be concerned. Stony is committed to me and I know it. He has proven himself to me over the past couple weeks. It really has been as though a weight has been lifted off of him. He’s a little more relaxed, a little less intense, and our relationship has a new level of comfort. I didn’t realize just how much guilt he felt while Mia was in jail. I can’t explain it, but he just acts and looks like a happy man now. The light in his eyes is a little brighter and the furrow between his brows has relaxed. The difference in him is marked. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still Stony and I have no expectations of that ever changing. Nor do I want him to change. I love him just how he is.
We pull up to Stony’s homestead and he parks the truck.
“Back to Camelot,” I mumble, letting the peace of the area comfort me. “Time for a little more happily-ever-aftering.”
“Excuse me?” Stony looks over at me.
Oops. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. “Nothing.”
“No, what did you just say? Did . . . did you just call our home Camelot?”
Our home. I can’t help but sigh. I love this man. “Yes, I did. I think of this place as our Camelot. I know it’s silly, don’t laugh at me. It’s your fault, you put the thought in my head by quoting from the musical. Besides, this house just seems like the perfect place for happily-ever-aftering, you know?”
Stony simply stares at me and even though he’s a man of few words, I think I actually rendered him speechless.
“Sorry, I won’t call it Camelot if you don’t want me to.”
He continues to stare at me with wide eyes. “Don’t move.” He exits the car and makes his way to my door. He opens it and promptly pulls me to his chest. I can tell he’s overcome with emotion. He hugs me so tightly, I feel like I can’t breathe. I think he’s flattered, and perhaps the most pleased I’ve ever seen him.
“I love you, Spencer Elliott. I love you.”
The feeling is entirely mutual.
With his arms still around me, he backs up slightly until we’re face to face. “Gotta say this. From that first moment my eyes landed on you,” he shakes his head, “Had the strangest feeling, a feeling like . . . I already knew you, like I’d met you before. Sounds crazy, huh? Somehow . . . I knew you were gonna change my life. Even then . . . I knew I was going to fall in love with you. I knew it. And throughout every single day we’ve spent together, that has proven to be true. I fall in love with you just a little bit more every day. Deeper and deeper. More and more.”
His lips meet mine and he kisses me sweetly. And I wonder if there is anything better in life than the love between a man and a woman.
I doubt it.
CHAPTER
Twenty-two
I GRAB STONY’S keys from his dresser and my list from the kitchen counter. Then I head out the motorhome door. I find Stony inside the house, working on the stairway railing.
The house is looking more and more beautiful every day. It really is a work of art. Stony has some serious talent when it comes to designing a home.
“Stony, I’m heading out. Do you need me to pick up anything for you?”
Stony pauses. “Hmmmmm . . . until we decide on paint colors for the downstairs bedrooms, I think I’m good.”
“Okay. I’ll probably be three or four hours. I have several errands to run.”
“All right.
” He stops what he’s doing to approach and give me a sweet goodbye kiss. “Be safe.”
“I will. I’ll miss you.” We often do the errands together, but Stony has a lot he wants to get done, so it’s a solo trip for me today. As I leave Stony calls to me.
“Spencer?”
“Yes?” I turn.
“I love you.”
I smile. “I love you too. See you tonight.”
As I walk out to the truck, I remind myself that we really should take a trip to Lubbock and pick up my car. We just haven’t gotten around to it. That’s okay. Stony taught me how to drive his big black truck. It’s a beast of a vehicle, but I really don’t mind driving it. It’s parking and backing out that I struggle with. The spatial awareness with a truck is very different than with a car. Especially since I’m used to driving my economy Nissan. Stony trusts me with his truck though and tells me I’m a good driver. Still, I miss my small and swift car. Driving the truck reminds me of trying to run with six inch heels on. Driving my Nissan is like running with my Nikes on. Huge difference.
The thing is, at this point I’m not sure it’s worth the trip to go and get my Nissan. I only have four more weeks until nursing school starts. Why bother?
I climb in the truck with an ache in my heart. I idle for a few moments as I stare at Stony’s property and amazing house. I can’t even begin to imagine leaving this place. It would be akin to ripping my heart out.
I pull out and head down the road. My thoughts turn to a few days ago as Stony and I painted the upstairs master suite. We chose a calming light gray for the walls. We plan to hang sheer white drapes on the windows. It’s going to be a remarkable room, a veritable love nest. I’m in love with it and I’m in love with the idea of sharing it with Stony.
But will that happen? I mean, he consults me on every single detail about the house and we decide everything together. We talk as if we will one day share the house as though it’s a given. Yet, he’s never mentioned marriage again.
I’m being silly to question it. I know exactly where we are headed. I don’t need it spelled out for me. It’s only been two months since the day we declared our love for each other and we’ve only known each other for three. We can’t rush into marriage. Life is perfect and I don’t want to ruin it by forcing life changing decisions upon us before we’re ready.
However, time feels as though it’s running out since I leave for nursing school soon. As we were painting the master suite the other day and I was battling with visions of the two of us together in that amazing room, I mentioned it to Stony and his reaction baffled me.
“Do you realize,” I said, “that nursing school starts in just four weeks? I wish time would slow down.”
In my peripheral vision, I noticed that he went completely still. I stopped painting and looked over at him. He just stood there staring at me with concerned eyes and a furrowed brow. He said nothing.
“Your paint roller is dripping,” I told him.
He resumed painting, but he was quieter than usual that evening. I guess I was too. The thought of leaving him feels me with dread. I think we both know what we want to happen, but we’re hesitating, unsure if it’s too soon.
I turn onto the highway that will take me to Sweetwater, and sigh loudly. I don’t want to leave. Not at all. I want to stay with Stony. I’ve been searching for him my entire life. Now that I’ve found him, I can’t let him go.
I know he loves me. I have no doubt of it. He tells me so every day. I feel the same. My love for him grows every single moment we’re together.
I’m not the same person I was when I stumbled onto Stony’s property. That person had never experienced love and had no idea what she was missing.
Now I know and I don’t want to live without it ever again.
I don’t want to spend our time together feeling sad and wondering about our future. I need to enjoy the remaining time I have with him. I know he’s including me in his future plans. I just don’t know when those plans will come to fruition. It’s weighing on me and I wish I could forget about it and just go with the flow.
Once in Sweetwater, I set my mind on my errands. I stop at an office supply store and pick up printer ink, envelopes, pencils, and stamps. I stop at my favorite cosmetics store and purchase a new eye shadow palette and a fresh shade of lipstick. The shoe store is next, where I grab myself a new pair of tennies. The dirt on the property overcame my last pair and they have died a tragic death. I’ll be glad when the landscaping is in. It’ll make a huge difference
My last stop is the grocery store where I pick up just as many items as the motorhome will hold. I like being stocked up but it’s tough with a limited amount of storage space. I can’t wait to stock the house and not have to make so many trips into town.
Wait. Will I be the one stocking the house? I hate that I don’t know.
Stony and I need more time together. It’s as simple as that. Important life decisions can’t be forced. My departure date is putting pressure on both of us. I don’t want to make choices out of desperation. I want everything to be for the right reasons.
Truth be told, I’m ready to marry him today. I’m just not sure how he feels about it.
I think it’s time for us to have a frank discussion. I need to tell him exactly how I’m feeling and find out where his head is at too. Communication between us has been so good. We need to keep it that way. We let the whole Mia situation come between us due to miscommunication. I can’t let that happen again.
I load the truck and head back home toward Roby. I don’t want to pressure Stony, but if he’s asking me what color to paint the master bedroom, I think we can safely talk future plans with a little more clarity. A long separation while I attend nursing school will be tough on us and I don’t know if we can survive it. I mean, I know our love will endure, but I think I’ll go crazy without him for so long. In other words, I won’t survive it.
I return home with a heavy heart. Dusk has just fallen as I pull onto the gravel road that leads to Stony’s place. I squint my eyes at a glow in the distance. It looks like a surprisingly bright and glimmering show of lights. I’m not sure what it is, but as I draw near, my eyes grow wide.
Stony’s property is strung with thousands of lights, draped from the roof of the house to the tall fence posts. It’s quite the sight.
The gate is firmly closed and Stony always leaves it open for me, awaiting my return. I sit there in shock as I wonder what is going on. Then the gate slowly opens and there’s Stony, ready to greet me. He’s wearing jeans and a tucked in dress shirt, as if he’s dressed for a special occasion.
He’s been letting his hair grow out and . . . wow. Just wow. When a stray hair falls on his forehead, I melt.
This surprise can only mean one thing and my heart starts pounding in my chest. This tells me our thoughts have been on the same wavelength.
For a moment, I feel a hitch in my throat at the similarities between now and his past experience. But this is entirely different circumstances. There is not one candle in sight and the girl is totally on board. He must know that. The ending is guaranteed to be a happy one. This is Stony’s idea of romance and I’m floored by his efforts. I love that he did this for ME. Cait’s husband’s idea of romance is the football game and a take-out order of honey barbeque wings.
I win.
I gasp as I see the property. It’s a sparkling oasis, glittering like a magical haven. The best Christmas lights I’ve ever seen hardly rival the sight before my eyes. He’s turned his yard into an enchanted wonderland. How did he do this so fast? He must’ve started the minute I pulled away.
He motions for me to drive in, so I do. He greets me at the car door and helps me out of the truck. Romantic classical music meets my ears. I think he must have speakers set up around the property.
“Welcome home, Spencer,” he says as the lights sparkle in his eyes. He kisses me lightly on the lips.
“What is all this?” I am under his spell and can hardly string two w
ords together.
“Come with me.” He takes my hand, then pauses. “Anything frozen or refrigerated?”
Ah, business first. “Yes.” I hand him the two cooler bags I used for the trip home and he carries them as he leads me to the beautifully set outdoor table, just outside the motorhome.
“Have a seat. I’ll put these away and be right back.” He takes my hand, leans down and kisses it softly. “Don’t move.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” I sit down at the table and take a deep breath as I stare at my surroundings. Oh my. Stony has gone to a great deal of effort to make this night perfect. The lights, the music, the ambiance. He has succeeded. It’s so perfect, I can barely hold back tears.
The newly paved sidewalks that meander around the property look charming under the lights, even though the landscaping is not complete. It doesn’t matter. The cloak of darkness and the twinkling lights hide the unfinished projects and stacks of building supplies—and make the yard look like a paradise. I’m in awe of him.
When Stony joins me, he’s holding two plates. “In memory of the first meal we ever shared together.”
He places scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and orange slices in front of me. I laugh out loud. It’s identical to the breakfast he made for me that very first morning when I woke up in his motorhome. Even a pitcher of water is on the table.
“This is incredible, Stony. Thank you. What a wonderful thing to come home to.”
“Did I surprise you?”
“Yes, you certainly did. I love it.”
He nods. “I know you must be hungry. Let’s eat.”
Small talk accompanies our meal, but it’s obvious other things are consuming our thoughts. My stomach is so fluttery, I can hardly eat. Stony is different tonight. He’s speaking in complete sentences and his eyes have hardly left my face. When I look at him, he stares into my eyes intensely. I’m hard pressed to look away. It’s like all that emotion locked away inside of him has been freed and it’s all directed at me. I’m stunned.