Page 102 of Gracefully Yours

She crossed her arms over her chest, giving me a small pout before turning back to the windshield and watching the freeway pass us by.

There’d been somewhere I’d been wanting to go for a long time, and tonight had been the perfect occasion. Thankfully, when I’d called, there had been a last-minute cancellation, so I could get us in at the last minute.

We parked by the dock, and as we got closer, the name painted on the boat became visible, a surprised expression on Charlotte’s face as she looked over at me.PORTLAND SPIRITit read, the three decks visible complete with a string of lights hung from one end to the other.

“We’re getting on that?” She said, looking mystified.

“Mhm. I got us a table for the dinner cruise. Shall we?” I offered her my arm, feeling rightness surging through my body when she looped hers through mine.

“How’d you pull this off?” She whispered to me as our seater led us to the table.

“I guess I’m just lucky,” I murmured back. Lucky to be here—lucky to have her.

Charlotte smiled back at me as we sat at our little table by the window, able to watch the city lights out the window as we sailed along the river.

Our dinner was exceptional, and we continued the evening on the upper deck, surrounded by the soft glow of the string lights. The chilly air only added to the romantic atmosphere.

As we leaned on the rail, the boat cruised down the Willamette. I intertwined our fingers together, kissing her knuckle.

“Listen, I was thinking earlier and…” I looked her in the eyes. “Do you ever think about going home?”

She blinked at me, a weird expression forming on her face. “What do you mean? This is my home.”

I shook my head. “To California. To your parents.”

“You mean to visit?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” She worried her lips through her teeth. “Like… Together?”

I nodded. “If you want me there. You know I’d go anywhere with you.” Picking up one of our adjoined hands, I kissed the top of her palm.

Her face melted, the tension and worry instantly fading away. “Maybe. I should really bring all the rest of my stuff up here.”

“We don’t have to make plans now, I just thought…”

She cupped my jaw with her hand. “No, it was a good thought. Thank you.”

I kissed her forehead. “You know I’ll always be by your side.”

Charlotte wrapped her arms around me.

“This is just beautiful,” she said, her eyes alight as she looked out over the city.

“Yeah.” I brushed a hair off her cheek. But I didn’t take my eyes off of her, not for a single second. Because she was the most beautiful sight of the night. Of any night.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You never have to thank me,” I repeated. A sentiment that would never stop being true.

Because everything I did—I did it for her.

* * *

“Are we old?”I asked, curled up on the couch at Matthew and Noelle’s house. With a contented sigh, Charlotte snuggled into my lap. The dogs were both running around outside in the yard, and Charlotte cracked an eye open.

She frowned. “No. Why?”

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