Page 71 of Seen Knot Heard

Smirking, he leaves me alone for the rest of the meal, for which I’m both grateful and disappointed.

When the dinner winds down, the men exchange secretive glances.

Dominic stands from his chair and claps his hands together. “Who’s ready for a surprise?”

Quinn turns into a cyclone of excitement as she scrambles off the bench. “Me, me, me!”

Nathaniel rises with a chuckle. “Uncle Dom, lead the way.”

Blake catches my hand, helping me over the bench, and the rest of us follow as Dominic races Quinn up the stairs.

I lean into Blake. “So, you’re finally letting us in on the big secret?”

He just winks, teasing to the very end.

Upstairs, we enter the family quarters to hear Quinn squealing at the top of her lungs and bouncing up and down in front of a door with an enormous bow on it.

“Chloe!” She whips around, pigtails swinging, and points. “Uncle Dom says there’s a surprise behind this door for me!”

Thinking I know what this has all been about, I grin. “Then you should open it.”

Quinn tugs on Dominic’s pant leg. “Can I? Can I?”

“It’s your present.” He motions to the door. “Go right ahead.”

Quinn grasps the knob and flings open the door. As soon as she dashes inside, her delighted squeals fill the air again.

Curious to see what all the fuss has been about, I peek through the door. A plush cream rug covers the floor, and a soft, pastel rainbow circles three of the walls, with a forest mural on the fourth. In the corner, a treehouse-style reading nook stands tall, its wooden frame wrapped in twinkling fairy lights that cast a warm, inviting glow.

A twin-sized bed sits on the other side of the room, with a dog bed of almost equal proportion beside it.

Quinn spins around in circles, her little hands clasped together as she takes in every detail. “It’s like a fairy tale!”

My throat tightens with emotion as I watch her explore her new space. The guys have outdone themselves, creating a haven sprung directly from Quinn’s imagination.

Colorful pillows and blankets fill the treehouse, the perfect spot for snuggling up with a book. A small table and chairs sit beneath it, ready for tea parties and art projects, while a cozy window seat overlooks the front yard.

I reach out for Blake’s hand. “You guys did an amazing job.”

He squeezes my fingers and leans closer. “We’re not done yet. We have one more surprise waiting. This one for you.”

My brow wrinkles in confusion. “For me?”

While Quinn explores her room, the others hang back as Blake leads me out of her room and back toward the family room. Before we reach it, he stops in front of another door.

This one doesn’t have a dramatic bow on it, but it sends my pulse racing with excitement all the same.

Blake nudges me. “Go on.”

My hand shakes as I reach for the knob and, with a gentle push, the doors swing inward, revealing a room painted in pale blue, the color reminding me of a clear summer sky.

A canopy bed sits in the center of the room, its white, gauzy curtains rustling in the gentle breeze from the open windows. Soft pillows and a fluffy comforter cover the bed, and I spot what I’ve come to think of as my quilts resting at the foot of the bed frame. A gorgeous bouquet of pink and white flowers sits on the nightstand, filling the room with a welcoming fragrance.

I step into the room and see the reading nook with white, built-in bookcases. Tears well up when I see the display of gifts fans gave me at my last book signing. A padded chair placed next to a gas fireplace invites me to curl up with a blanket, and a small, round table sits beside it with my eReader resting on top.

The window in this room sits in a small alcove overlooking the back lawn, with a writing desk beneath it.

I drift over to it, my fingers trailing over my lucky troll doll, the piece of rose quartz, and a stack of fresh notebooks. They had arranged it the same way I did down in Cabin One.

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