Page 71 of Shea's Hero

And no, I didn’t answer the door when the deliveries came. I have a feeling I won’t be doing that for a while. When the distinctive delivery truck stopped by yesterday, I was working remotely from Blade and Arrow, so I asked Nora if she’d mind grabbing the packages for me.

And of course, lovely Nora didn’t mind, especially when I explained my plan. She just smiled and said, “I think it sounds like a fantastic idea, Shea. I’m sure Oliver will love it.”

So really, there’s no reason to be nervous.

Except. Now that I’m rushing around to get everything arranged before Oliver gets out of the shower, I’m suddenly second guessing myself. Now I’m wondering if I should have stuck with something more traditional, like a romantic dinner ordered from his favorite restaurant, finished off with champagne and strawberries and a full-body massage with that special oil.

That sounds pretty nice, actually. And I’ll definitely have to plan that next, complete with the new dress I just ordered with the back that dips so low I wouldn’t dare wear it out in public. And maybe some of that honey-flavored edible dust I spotted when I was reordering the massage oil, complete with a little feather duster. I can imagine dusting it all over Oliver’s body, watching his muscles tense as I brush the feathers across them, hearing that sexy growl he makes that drives me absolutely wild…

“Shea, I was thinking about pizza tonight.” Oliver’s voice drifts down the hall and into the living room. “How does that sound?” His voice pitches up hopefully. “And maybe we could watch that new docuseries about the Cold War?”

Crap. How did I not notice the shower was off?

Because I’ve been distracted by trying to get everything set up in the twenty minutes it takes Oliver to clean up after work, and also making myself a little crazy second guessing myself. That’s why.

Picking up my pace, I race around the living room, making final adjustments. Then I dart into the kitchen to double check that all the ingredients for our special dinner are prepped and ready.

Just as I dash back into the living room, I hear Oliver’s concerned voice say, “Shea? If you want to do something else, that’s fine. I don’t have to watch the docuseries. It’s okay.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” I call back. “The docuseries sounds great.”

Well. Maybe not great. But after all the horror movies Oliver’s watched with me without complaint, watching a dull series about the Cold War is only fair. Just not tonight.

“Are you sure?” His voice moves closer. “Because it was just an idea. I know you don’t like that kind of thing. But I thought I could give you a back rub while we watch, to make it more?—”

He walks into the living room and comes to an abrupt stop just inside the doorway. His eyes widen. “Shea?”

Steeling myself against my ridiculous nerves, I spread my arms and say brightly, “Surprise!”

Wide-eyed, he looks around the room, taking everything in. “Shea,” he repeats. “Is this what I think it is?”

I give him an overly bright smile. “Well. If you think it’s my attempt to create a mini golf course at home, then yes. It is.”

Does it look like the old course we used to visit in McLean? No. Not even close. Over the River Mini Golf had elaborate obstacles and decor, complete with a little forest to putt through, a Big Bad Wolf replica that would eat your ball and make you start all over, and at the end, a miniature White House for the final shot. It was considered the hardest mini golf course in the entire DC area, and people would drive for hours just to visit it.

But I tried. I found a set of silicone putting holes and set them up around the room and created my own little obstacles to go along with them. By the first hole, I have a piece of thick astroturf to use as the rough. At the third, I made a little maze out of cardboard blocks. And at the end, the pièce de résistance, a large stuffed wolf overseeing the final hole.

Oliver starts to walk around the living room, slowing beside each hole to inspect it. As he gets to the seventh hole, set deep within a forest of small Christmas trees, he turns to look at me. His voice is disbelieving. “Shea. It’s just like the seventh hole at Over the River.”

“I know.” Crossing the room to meet him, I loop my arm around his waist. “I thought… well. It might be fun to have our own mini golf course right here.”

“How did you ever think of this?”

Meeting his gaze, I reply, “I know how much you—we—loved going mini golfing. Maybe we can’t go out to one, but I thought maybe I could make one. It’s not the same, of course. Maybe it’s a little silly?—”

“Shea.” It’s rough with emotion. His arms come around me, hugging me tightly against his chest. “This isn’t silly at all. It’s wonderful.” Casting another look around the room, he asks, “How did you get all this set up so quickly? I wasn’t in the shower that long.”

“Well, I planned a lot of it in advance. Sketched out where everything was going to go, got everything unpackaged and stashed in the basement, fluffed the little trees… so it was just a matter of laying it all out.”

“This is just—” Oliver brushes a soft kiss across my lips. “Amazing. I would never have expected it.”

Stepping out of the hug, I take his hand and lead him into the kitchen. “I have a special dinner, too, kind of inspired by the same thing. You know how whenever we’d go mini-golfing,we’d always hit up the food trucks after? And your favorite truck was?—”

“The Cheesy Chef.” He grins. “Those were the best grilled cheeses I’ve ever had.” A dreamy expression moves across his face. “The Mushroom Madness was so good. And the Buffalo n’ Blue. I think that one was my favorite.”

“I don’t think mine will be quite as good,” I say as I pull the refrigerator door open. Gesturing at the stacks of ingredients inside—including three different kinds of meats, five different cheeses, and a carton of portobello mushrooms—I add, “But I got everything to make them. So I thought after golf, we could have a grilled cheese fest. Then we could watch that docuseries, if you want…”

Oliver stares at me, an inscrutable look in his eyes. My heart skitters nervously again.

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