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I laugh. “Will you just wait? I have a surprise for you.”

“Really?” She gasps. “I love surprises.” She plops the rest of the cookie in her mouth before clasping her hands in front of her face. She wiggles in her seat like an excited child, and it makes me smile.

I follow the directions I had programmed into my phone and lead us up a winding road through the Appalachian Mountains.

I’ve always seen pictures of this part of Tennessee but have never visited. It’s always been somewhere I wanted to check out. Most of my adult life has been spent working, and my childhood wasn’t one of ski trips to mountain areas. It was one of survival.

Loving Lexi has brought this new zest for life. I find myself wanting to do more, not only for her but for us.

“Oh, this is a legit surprise,” she gleams, looking out the passenger window to the rolling, tree-covered hills to the side of the road.

As we draw closer to our destination, I explain. “I knew you’d say yes to moving in…”

“Oh, did ya now? That confident, huh?”

“Actually, yes,” I say with a smug smile. “So I figured we’d pack you up, leave your parents’ house, and drive back. As a little birthday surprise, I thought it’d be cool to rent a house in the mountains to just be together and celebrate your birthday and our new life together.”

“Oh, my gosh. That’s so sweet.”

“Yeah, we have it for three more days.”

“Wait.” She whips her head toward me. “When were we supposed to get here?”

“I made the reservation for the day after your birthday.”

She sighs, leaning her head back against the seat. “But instead, we spent two whole days playing Christmas with my parents.”

“It’s fine.” I smile. “That was important, too. Plus, we still have a few days here. I hope it’s as incredible as it looked online. A deck overlooks the mountains with a hot tub, heated pool, and a fireplace. Very romantic,” I wag a brow.

She presses her hands to her chest. “You’re just so sweet. That sounds perfect,” she says before her voice lowers into a seductive purr, “and we can do a lot in three days.”

“Yes, we can. And there you go with that positivity.”

She chuckles. “I am known for my constant positive outlook on life.”

I pull into the rental’s driveway, and the online pictures weren’t exaggerating. If anything, it’s even nicer in person.

“Wow, that’s gorgeous.” Lexi leans forward in her seat, tilting her head to look up at the grand home.

It’s a huge home—able to sleep sixteen comfortably, according to its description—but it has a charm to it that makes it feel cozy. The exterior is covered in faded gray cedar shake siding, white trim, and natural wood accent beams. It has an English summer cottage feel to it. Nestled in the midst of all this nature, it’s pretty incredible.

I shut off the car, and Lexi steps out. “Oh my gosh. I want to live here.”

Walking over to the front of the car, I wrap my arm around her waist. “Well, I’m going to need a lot more than a fireman’s salary to afford a place like this.”

She taps my chest with the palm of her hand. “Yeah, you work on that. I mean, I’m unemployed, so I’m of no use,” she teases.

“Very true,” I scoff.

Leaning over, I kiss the top of her head before retrieving our overnight bags from the car.

Inside, the house is every bit as beautiful. I’m pleased with the last-minute find. I imagine a place like this has no problem booking year-round.

We make our way onto the back deck.

Lexi gasps at the view. The deck was built where the hill drops off, so as we stand at its edge, it feels like we’re floating above the hills below. As far as the eye can see are rolling hills. Most of the autumn-colored leaves have fallen from the branches, but a few handfuls of treetops color the landscape with burnt orange, red, and yellow. Evergreens are mixed throughout, creating a beautiful patchwork quilt of color.

“Seriously, we need to live here. You need a new job. Maybe invent something, like…something with technology? That’s always a big moneymaker. Right?”

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