Page 145 of Reckless Harmony

“You really want to marry me?” she asked.

“I really do,” he said.

She grinned at him. “Everyone will think we’re crazy.”

“Probably,” he said. “I don’t care. Do you?”

“No,” she said.

He squeezed her gently. “Do you want to renovate the house before or after we get married?”

“You hate this house, Isaac,” she said.

“I don’t hate it,” he said. “But I would very much like to have a shower that fits the both of us, a kitchen that doesn’t look like the eighties threw up all over it, and a front door that can’t be kicked in by a miniature donkey with a grudge.”

Rayna laughed so hard that it woke up Bea in the living room. She wandered into the kitchen, sniffing the air and her tail wagging happily when she smelled Isaac’s scent. She squeezed between them and sat on Isaac’s feet, staring blindly up with a happy grin on her face.

“Hi, Bea,” Isaac said before bending and giving her a few gentle pets. “I’ve missed you, sweetheart.”

Rayna cupped Isaac’s face, making him look at her. “You would be okay with living in this house with me?”

“Yes,” he said. “I want you to be happy, baby. That’s all that matters to me.”

She hugged him hard, her heart overflowing with joy and a love so deep she felt nearly faint from it. “I love you so much, Isaac.”

“I love you too,” he said.

She leaned back so she could see his face. “I think we should tear the house down and build a new one.”

He blinked at her. “Baby, no. You love this house.”

“I do,” she said, “but with everything that happened, I realized that as much as I love the house, it isn’t the building that matters. What matters is how it made me feel to buy the property, to accomplish something I never thought possible, you know? So, tearing down the house doesn’t feel like a defeat. It feels right to start fresh with you. This house did what it was meant to do - it gave me a sense of security and a feeling of home. Now, I’m ready to move on.”

Isaac kissed her. “I just want you to be happy, Rayna.”

“I know, and I want you to be happy. So, let’s build a house together.”

“Yeah?” The hopeful look on his face was adorable.

“Yeah,” she said.

He hugged her tight. “Thank God. This house is way too small for all of us.”

“All of us?” she said.

“We need the extra room for Molly and her babies.”

“What?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m officially adopting Molly and the boys,” he said.

“All three of them?”

He nodded. “Yes. They’re my babies, Rayna. If you’re marrying me, I come with four cats. There is no negotiating on this.”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of trying to convince you otherwise. I guess we’re a four cat family now. Well,” she glanced at Freddie, who walked into the kitchen with impeccable timing, “make that five.”

“Pretty sure Freddie will be living with Hollis before the month is up,” Isaac said with a grin.

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