“Doreen’s right, you know. This all looks so good.”
Jake tightened his grip on her hand. “We’ve worked bloody hard to make it so.” A newly constructed stone wall separated the road from the farmhouse, and on the other side of it, saplings grew up, tall and willowy. By the time they reached maturity, there would be a line of dense green foliage.
“Every time I see inside the house, I can’t help but be impressed,” he added.
Emily snorted. “Isn’t that a little egotistical? I mean, seeing as it’s your handiwork.”
He released her hand and smacked her on the arm. “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about how you kept the period look of the place, right down to the bathrooms. You had a vision of what you wanted to achieve, and you stuck to your guns.”
“Do you think they’d be proud of what we accomplished?” There were times when Emily swore there was a presence in the house. It wasn’t a creepy sensation, more a warmth that stole over her.
Jake retook her hand and squeezed it. “I’m sure of it.” After a moment’s pause, he continued. “I got the photos back just now.”
“Oh? How do they look?”
“Amazing. I can’t wait to upload them to the site. Once that’s done, we’re truly ready for business.” They reached the end of the road, where a car park took up one side, its surface covered in sand-colored gravel. To the other side was the tunnel, woven from strips of willow, creating a natural archway through which to reach the lake.
As always, Emily’s heart soared to see what Jake had created. The deck beside the still waters was exactly as she’d envisaged it, with pergolas from which dripped wisteria, its supports covered with climbing roses that twisted around the wooden posts. In front of the deck was the graveled surface where chairs would be laid out.
The tree stood firm, a wooden bench constructed around its girth. It was still a peaceful spot. Emily often came down there to sit beneath its branches and stare out over the calm, untroubled surface of the water. There were other memories too, of a hot August night the previous year, when they’d decided to go for a moonlight swim. Making love under the stars had been a first for both of them, but an experience they’d repeated often since then.
“It’s so beautiful,” she murmured as she climbed the two steps onto the raised desk, and gazed out over the water that reflected the perfect, unbroken hue of the sky.
Jake joined her. “It is,” he agreed. “And would you believe, we haven’t even started yet, and we have our first tentative booking.”
“Really? Why tentative?”
Jake chuckled. “Well, apparently, he hasn’t asked her yet.”
Emily laughed. “Isn’t that what you call putting the cart before the horse? Why doesn’t he just bite the bullet and ask her?” When Jake didn’t respond, she turned to face him. “I mean—” The words died in her throat when she saw him on one knee, a ring box held out in one hand.
Jake smiled. “Okay, that’s good advice. Will you marry me?”
Adrenaline spiked through her, leaving her tingling all over. She fought to find something eloquent, something sparkling or witty. In the end, there was only one response that would come. “Yes.” She held out her left hand, and Jake slipped the ring onto her finger. She stared at it, her throat tight. It was a single band of yellow gold, set with a diamond that sparkled in the morning sunlight.
Jake leaped to his feet, and took her in his arms. “God, I love you.”
She leaned into his embrace, letting his scent fill her senses, the earthy notes of his cologne, the faint scent of his shampoo, the fresh cotton smell of his white shirt. “I should hope so, seeing as you’ve just asked me to marry you.” She cupped his nape and drew him into a kiss. “I love you too,” she murmured against his lips.
Jake pulled back and stared at her, his eyes shining. “So, how soon do you want to do this?”
Emily grinned. “That depends. How fast can we get a license?”
Jake frowned. “Wait a minute. What about your family?”
“What about them?” Emily blinked. “I thought you were marrying me, not my family.”
Jake took a step back. “And having spent a year getting to know all about them, they’re going to expect a big wedding, and those sorts of things take a while to plan.”
Emily shook her head. “Oh no. If my mother has anything to do with this, it will end up being some huge affair in a cathedral, with an Archbishop, a choir, half the county invited…” She took a deep breath. “They get an invitation, and that’s all. Besides, I’d rather we got married in Fairdown, in the village church, with all our friends, your brothers, your dad… With people who’ve known me as a child, who watched me grow up.” She swallowed. “With people who knew Jane and Clare.” Emily smiled. “I have a feeling they’ll be there too.”
Jake laughed softly. “I don’t doubt that for a second.” He pulled her back into his arms and held her, kissing her cheeks, her forehead, and finally her lips. When he broke the kiss, Jake muttered, “There is one more thing we need to consider.”
“What’s that?” Emily didn’t want to move from that spot. She wanted to etch this moment into her memory, to remember it always.
“The small but not insignificant detail of where we’re going to live.”
Emily straightened. “Oh. That.”
Jake nodded. “Yes, that. We can’t live in my cottage, because it’s so small, you have to step outside to change your mind. And we can’t live in the barn. Okay, so you’ve managed, but you must admit, it’s not really big enough for two. And it is a little… basic. It’s been all right for the nights when I’ve stayed over, but all the time? We just wouldn’t cope.” He gave her another tender kiss. “And I for one am getting tired of spending nights away from you.”
“Then we buy a house,” Emily said simply.
Jake nodded slowly. “Yes, that’s one option.”
She stared at him. “You mean, there’s another?”
Jake pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolled across the screen, then held it out for her to see.
Emily peered at the image, and caught her breath. “Oh, that’s lovely. Where is it?” She was looking at a house with a central gable, most of which was taken up by tall, elegant windows. The wide roof sloped down to provide two porches.
“It isn’t anywhere—yet.” Jake pointed farther away, to where the wood rose up, its tall, dark green trees reflected in the lake. It was a quiet spot at the farthest point of the land that came with the house. “But how about there? The wood as a backdrop, with lawns and gardens that lead down to the lake, with a jetty and a summerhouse…”
The idea filled Emily with a sense of quiet rapture. “You want to build us a house?”
Jake snickered. “I couldn’t do it on my own, but yeah, that’s the general idea.” He pocketed his phone and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Well? What do you think?”
Emily pressed her cheek to his, and sighed. “It sounds like a beautiful dream.”
Jake kissed her hair. “Then let me be the one to make your dream come true.”
Maybe she imagined it, but Emily could have sworn that borne on the warm breeze that ruffled her hair, was a faint, happy sigh.
Or was that two?
The End
A note from Kathryn Greenway
Thank you for purchasing – or borrowing?? – this book. This is a new departure for me, and I’m very excited by it. After spending six years writing about men who love men, you can imagine how nervous I am to be stepping out of my comfort zone!
If you enjoyed Pulled by a Dream, please consider leaving a review on Amazon? Every review, large or small, helps to spread the word, and as I’m now a very tiny fish in a VERY large ocean of romance writers, I’m starting all over again. Your support is invaluable.
I’m already looking forward to writing the next book in the trilogy, which will be Simon’s story. I’ll share news about how it’s progressing on Facebook.
&nb
sp; You’ll find ways to follow what I get up to on the next page.
Thank you for joining me on this new and exciting journey.
About the author
Kathryn Greenway lives on the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of the UK, in a typical English village where there are few secrets, and everyone knows everyone else.
She writes romance in different genres, and under different pen names, but her goal is always the same - to reach that Happily Ever After.
Pulled by a Dream is Kathryn’s debut novel, although under another pen name she is a bestselling author in other genres.
Where to find her:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kathryn-Greenway/e/B0795VY3TM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathrynGreenwayAuthor/
Website: https://www.kathryngreenway.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KGreenwayauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kgreenwayauthor/
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