Page 68 of Gracefully Yours

“You’re home.”

I looked up, darting my eyes away from Daniel’s face, my eyes trailing down his tight white t-shirt and gray sweatpants as he stood at the top of the stairs.

Home.The word settled into my heart. I was home, wasn’t I?

This, here, with him… It was home now.

Giving him a small smile, I set my purse on the side table in the entryway before reaching down to shuck my heels off. I should have taken them off after I left the venue, given that it was December and the walk to my car had beenfreezing,but I hadn’t wanted to stop.

As soon as I got the all clear sign from my sister and the presents were open, I escaped the bridal shower.

When I looked up, heels discarded on the ground and brushing out my white satin dress, Daniel was in front of me.

“Hi.” I swallowed roughly.

“Hey.” He gave me a tight smile. “How was today? Was your mom on her best behavior?”

I shrugged. “It was fine. Nothing too crazy to report.”

Surprisingly, for once, it had been a good day. Maybe because my girls had kept me supplied with champagne, and then we’d hidden away while my mom and her crew tore the building down. And the back of my car was full of gifts. Some that I’d decided my husband-to-be did not need to see—ever. I’d been scarred enough that I’d had to open them in front of my mom. The lingerie wasn’t even the worst of it.

“I made dinner, if you want to join.”

“Okay.” I looked down at my dress. Knowing him, it was something that would stain my pretty white dress. “I’ll just go shower and change, and then I’ll be back down.”

“Take your time,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “You know where to find me.”

Once I removed my makeup and untangled my hair, I changed into a sports bra and my go-to black leggings, along with a roomy dance sweatshirt. Whipping my wet hair up into a loose bun, I made my way downstairs.

“Something smells amazing,” I groaned. Sure, I’d eaten at the bridal shower, but most of it hadn’t been gluten-free. The fact that my own mother didn’t even remember my dietary needs, but Daniel always made sure I could eat, honestly flabbergasted me.

“What’s for dinner?” I asked, following my nose to the kitchen, finding Daniel frying white corn tortillas on the stove.

“Tacos.” He grinned. “Hopefully that’s good with you?”

I could have cried with happiness. “Yum. Sounds perfect.”

He finished cooking the tortillas, and after we’d both loaded up the shells and filled our plates, we sat down in the dining room, digging into our meals. I’d always liked them with just meat, cheese, and lettuce, but he’d also made a side of rice and beans.

“This is delicious,” I moaned after the first bite of the taco, all the flavors exploding on my tongue. I quickly demolished the first one and started on my second.

He chuckled, watching me scarf down more tacos than I wanted to count. I was hungry, and he’d never once judged me for how much food I could shovel in.

“So…”

I gulped down a glass of juice as he finished his rice, settling his fork back down on his plate.

“So?” I raised an eyebrow.

“That’s it? Nothing on your mind?”

“No.”

“You sure?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Nope.” I shoveled another bite into my mouth.

“Charlotte.” He groaned. “You’re killing me.”

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