Page 119 of Tulips and Lost Time

“You asked my brother if you could buy a house with me?”

I lift a single, nonchalant shoulder. “I’m buying it for you. Not with you.”

“But I?—”

“A symbol of my love for you.” I move away from the door frame and across the kitchen, taking her shaking hand and tugging her in till her body melts against mine. “I’m not here for a good time, Bear. I’m here for a lifetime.”

“Luc…”

“Come upstairs. I have some stuff I wanna show you.”

“Marc’s not here, like…” She gulps and looks around. “He’s not here right now, is he?”

I bark out a laugh and lead her back the way we came. “Fuck no. I love the dude, but I’m not in a relationship with him. He doesn’t need to be a part of everything we do.”

“And he just…” Her head swivels around as though on a stick. She notices the stair treads. The sconces on the walls. The light fixture. The yellowing wallpaper in some sections. “He knows buying a house with me, or for me, is officially, like… moving in with me?”

“We’ve been sharing a bed for years already.”

“Right. But that was an informal arrangement. No one discussed it, and no one labeled it. Buying a house… that’s…” she exhales a noisy breath. “That’s super official. And he was cool with it?”

“You are damn near thirty years old.” Chuckling, I crest the top step and hold her hand to bring her up beside me. Our future bedroom is to the left, and our child’s future nursery is to the right. It’s so easy to see. So easy to plan a lifetime ahead with the woman who simply makes life worth living.

“You realize he doesn’t get to boss you around anymore, right?” I tug her around and press a smiling kiss to her lips. “He’s married and a dad now. He’s busy with the farm and the cow and the life he’s living where he’s not controlling your every move.”

“You say that, and yet, you sought his opinion on the house.” She drags her bottom lip between her teeth and studies my eyes. “Admit it, Luc, his word still matters.”

“It matters to me because it matters to you.” I kiss her again and savor, tugging her bottom lip from her worrying teeth. “Anything important to you is important to me.”

“I can’t believe how utterly annoying you are. Picking fights and poking me into an argument just for fun. Then you bring me here and remind me exactly how romantic and sweet you are.”

“What can I say?” I slide my hand up and stroke the long column of her neck. “I enjoy seeing you get angry. Turns me on.”

“And then you go ahead and ruin a moment by saying shit like that.” Laughing, she turns on her heels and starts toward the main bedroom door.

So I let her go. I allow her to explore.

Then I hold my breath and wait as she opens the door. Startling with a cry when she finds the ceiling aglow with fairy lights. A thousand tiny bulbs strung up to create the illusion of a night sky.

Tulips fill a hundred vases, creating a rainbow of colors and a smell almost as sweet as the woman who stumbles into the room with her hands over her mouth.

I follow her to the doorway, my eyes on her back while hers are everywhere, all at once. She spies the picture window, filled to the brim with out-of-season flowers that Mitch’s florist sister helped me procure. A massive, brand-new bed sits in the middle, overflowing with luxurious blankets and cloud-like pillows.

While the rest of the house is in complete disrepair, this room has been refinished already. New walls. Plaster. Paint. The carpet was pulled up in the moments I could steal away from Kari’s notice, and the brand-new bed was delivered just this morning.

Because fuck it, we deserve the best.

And we’ll hand wash our dishes for the next few years, since we can’t afford a dishwasher.

“Luc…” Her voice cracks, emotion clogging in her throat and drawing tears to her eyes. But she runs her fingertips along the sheets I’ve already made the bed with. The blanket rolled to the end of the mattress. The tulips laid on top, just two of them, waiting for her.

Then she glances at the bookshelf Marcus built for her by hand.

“Oh my gosh.” Her entire body trembles, her dress moving because of it. “Luc, I don’t…”

She turns my way, so I lower to one knee and dig a hand into my pocket for the ring I’ve held on to for… fuck. A long time.

“Oh my gosh!” she repeats, though this time, it comes on a cry of surprise. “Luc!”

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