Page 66 of Close to My Heart

I’d only lived in the big house, then the smaller one by myself. Both felt empty to me, even when the mansion was filled with staff and guests. The estate and my last name were bigger than me.

Living with Wes and doing these normal, everyday things with him was nice. His house was bigger than mine yet cozier somehow. Maybe it was the wood floors and paneling or the cool white marble in the kitchen. Or it was the fact that Wes lived here?

It wasn’t a museum or a showcase. I scanned the wall between the kitchen and the living room where framed photos of his family hung. I’d seen them a billion times, but they never got old.

I loved the smiling ones, the goofy ones, the ones where clearly one child wasn’t cooperating, the exasperation on his mom’s and dad’s faces. It was life.

The slider opened. “The steak is done. I’m just waiting on the potatoes. Want to eat outside? I fired up the heaters and fireplace.”

I smiled at Wes, and his answering grin filled me with warmth. “That sounds perfect.”

Wes moved close so that his arm brushed my shoulder. “You were looking at the family photos?”

“You look so happy.” Our family photographs were done by a professional and were stiff. There were no candid shots.

“We were before Mom died, and we got there after, but it took time. Back then, we never considered that we’d lose her.”

“I’m sorry you did.” I curled my hand around his.

“It shaped our family moving forward. Teddy changed schools to live closer and help Dad. I supported him in that. Fiona seemed to move further away emotionally by staying gone. We tried to help Jameson find his way. Then Daphne found her place in the kitchen. She loved to cook and bake.”

My brow furrowed as I considered him. He rarely talked to me about this time in his life. “And you?”

He glanced down at me. “I helped Teddy.”

“What was your role if Teddy was another father figure for you and your siblings?”

“I gave him a hand. Kept the peace.” Wes’s expression was grim.

Was Wes the one who stood in Teddy’s shadow, helping out, being a good kid but never standing out? I wasn’t sure if that was something to note about him.

Wes lifted our joined hands to see the rings sparkling on my finger. “This is the first time I did something that wasn’t expected. A fake wedding to a friend is something Jameson would do.”

“Marrying me was unexpected?” I asked, wanting to encourage him to keep talking.

“I’ve always done what was expected. Go to college. Go into law enforcement. Help my siblings and the farm. But it was a good decision. I’ll always help you.”

I kissed his cheek, not sure how I felt about his admission but sensing I knew him better than I thought I did.

My stomach rumbled.

Wes grinned. “Let’s eat. You worked up an appetite.”

I was sore and tired in a way I wasn’t when working on the estate. It felt good to be in nature. I wondered, if we stayed married, would hiking and kayaking be something we’d do often?

Did I want that? Would I like it? There was only one way to find out. This honeymoon plan of staying home and taking advantage of the outdoors and Wes’s passions was one way to find out.

We sat at the table with the heaters on high and the fire blazing in the new fireplace, eating the dinner we’d prepared together. We didn’t talk much other than to comment on something we’d seen on the hike: a fox, a particular bird we wanted to look up to identify.

After we cleaned up, Wes asked, “You want to try out the new hot tub? I haven’t had an opportunity to take off the cover since it was built.”

“I’d love to. Do we need bathing suits?” I asked him, knowing the neighbors couldn’t see us.

Wes grinned. “Not on our honeymoon.”

I was excited to do something else that was outside of my comfort zone. I’d never gone skinny-dipping or done anything so risky. There was always my family’s reputation to consider, and I was used to falling in line, doing what was expected. When I was with Wes, I could let go of that and just be. It was freeing.

Outside, Wes removed the cover, and we stripped off our clothes, dipped our toes in the water before easing our bodies in.

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