Page 124 of For the Promise

I squeeze her shoulder. “You’ll find your happy-ever-after someday.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’ve dated every man on this island who is age appropriate and some who weren’t. I think I’m done.”

“You never know what the future will bring.”

“I do. The future will bring us upstairs to view the bedrooms.”

I follow her up the stairs and quickly tour the five bedrooms. Besides the one small bedroom, they’re all a good size. Plus, there are three bathrooms. Two bedrooms have attached bathrooms while the remaining two bedrooms share a Jack and Jill bathroom.

“It’s perfect,” I tell Jade as we walk down the stairs where Jaxon is waiting for us in the kitchen.

“You want to put in an offer?”

I glance at Jaxon. “Asking price plus ten percent to start,” he says.

“I’ll make up the offer and let you know how the buyers respond. Lock up when you leave.” Jade waves as she shuts the door behind her.

I make my way to Jaxon and he pulls me into his arms. “Do you want to tour the upstairs bedrooms?”

“Later. First, I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise? We just bought a house. Isn’t that enough of a surprise?”

He hands me a gift bag. “I enjoy surprising you.”

“What is it, nerd boy?”

He growls. “Do not get me all horny. I am not having sex in this house until we own it.”

I waggle my eyebrows. “But once we do, we’ll have sex in every room?”

“As often as you wish.” He presses his lips to mine but when I try to deepen the kiss, he retreats.

“Open your present.”

I remove a bottle of whiskey from the bag and read the label. “Cherry Tidings.”

“It’s the holiday whiskey I was working on when you inspired me to add the cherry flavor.”

“You named it after me?”

He brushes the hair off my forehead. “Of course, I did. Without your inspiration, this whiskey wouldn’t exist.”

“You’re really killing it at being the best boyfriend ever.”

“Husband,” he corrects.

“I love you, husband of mine.”

“And I love you, Petal.”

I never thought lying to my ex to stop him from stealing from me would lead me to love, but here I am. Standing in my new house, I plan to make a home with the man I love.

His phone beeps with a message. “It’s not you. I’ll ignore it.”

But then my phone beeps with a message. “Go ahead. I know you have to answer.”

I’ve been going to therapy to deal with the trauma of losing my parents and the aftermath with Alan, but I haven’t managed to ‘cure’ my impulse to answer every message and every call yet.

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