A Heart's Design
Page 26
On the flip side, she noted the forwarded address, and a small smile tugged at her lips. Next to the address was a barely legible, one line, note in familiar handwriting. “The Strand Humanitarian Project going strong.”
“Another one?”
She dropped the postcard back onto the pile and covered Jase’s arms as they snaked around her from behind. He brushed her hair away from her neck, placing a soft kiss below her ear.
The sweet touch demanded she lean in. “Yep. That makes eight postcards in eight months from eight different places around the world.”
“Very cool.”
She wiped at a smudge near the bottom left corner where Eric had scribbled his name. He hadn’t said good-bye in person, and it was better that way. She wouldn’t have known what to say. Still didn’t. But she did like knowing he was okay. And that he was out there doing something important. “It is cool.”
“So…”
She laughed at the way he drew the word out.
“I have a surprise for you.”
“Season tickets to the theatre?”
He laughed. “The grand opening is still months away.”
“And here I thought there’d be perks to being engaged to the owner.”
He squeezed her ribs, making her squeal before tightening his hold on her. “You’re the architect in charge. Well, one of the architects. Definitely the best looking.”
She smirked as he spun her around and took both of her hands in his. He traced the band of her engagement ring, and the same thrill filled her as the day he’d slipped it on her finger. She could hardly wait another week to say “I do.”
“You mentioned a surprise?” She lifted an eyebrow, biting back a grin.
“Yes. Yes, I did.”
Without another word, he pulled her through the great room, with its large windows and grand fireplace, its stone work as breathtaking as she’d envisioned it all those months ago. He held open the door to the sweeping covered deck, retaking her hand as they passed the oversized teak swing they’d installed the day before—the last piece to their perfect outdoor spot.
When he led her down the steps to the grassy clearing, she squeezed his hand. “Where are we going?”
He didn’t stop, only smiled and walked a little quicker. “You’ll see.”
She laughed, trying to keep up, though her mind whirled with curiosity and a giant dose of anticipation.
He didn’t stop when they reached the base of the hill, where the aspen showed off their full summer foliage, but her steps faltered as he started up an obscure path. He gave her hand a soft tug, and she obeyed, her heartbeat as quick as the hummingbird darting between the wild flowers next to them.
The flutters in her stomach increased as a familiar tree came into view. As if in tight formation, wooden steps marched up the trunk until they disappeared into the leaves. She peeked back at him with a thousand questions, but the reflection of excitement, hope, and peace in his smile and eyes brushed them away.
Taking his outstretched hand, she let him help her up the first step, and like a child on Christmas morning, that strange mix of eagerness and reverence pushed her onward. Soon, directly above her was a trapdoor. With his nod, she pushed the door open and climbed up inside.
And then she gasped.
Hundreds and hundreds of twinkling lights were strung around the little room. They dipped from one wall to the other, outlining the three windows as well as a built-in bookcase.
“When did you…” She watched as he pulled himself into the room and stood, the ceiling barely allowing his full height.
“Do you like it?”
A laugh fell from her lips though moisture tickled the corners of her eyes. Stretching out her hand, she ran her fingers across the spines of the books lining the little bookcase’s shelves, and then she pulled one out. A children’s book. She held it close as she took in other details she hadn’t seen at first. A small, painted table and chairs in one corner, a giant beanbag in another next to a toy chest.
She spun, needing to see his face, his eyes, but her throat was too thick to speak.
His hands circled her waist, and he hugged her close. “My wedding gift to you.”
With the fresh scent of pine and fresh-cut wood, with the amber lights, and the warm touch of the man she loved, her heart pressed against everything inside her. “My wish?”
He nodded. “My promise to you of a family of your own.”
The smile pulling at his lips had her rising up on her toes, where she lost herself in a kiss she’d never tire of. His fingers slipped into her hair as he cradled her face between his hands. He pressed his forehead to hers, his voice only a whisper. “Of our own.”
A word about the author…
Natalee Cooper has lived most of her life along the Wasatch Front, and with Utah’s gorgeous, diverse land, it’s not surprising she loves it there.
She is the lucky mom of three and wifey to her favorite person on the entire planet. She suffers book hangovers more than is healthy and loves chocolate-covered cinnamon bears, Mexican hot chocolate, and snuggling around a campfire with her family. If she’s not typing away on her laptop or hanging with her fam, she can often be found in the kitchen, where she loves to bake.
Natalee loves making connections on social media and attending writing conferences as well as sneaking away to writing retreats. One day she’d love to travel across Europe, but in the meantime, exploring fun little getaways in the States is great too. (Getaway spots that may or may not appear in her books!)
http://nataleecooper.com
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