Page 92 of The Promises We Broke
"That's what I told him. The Farrington men are pretty hard to resist once you get to know them."
"Speaking from experience?"
Blake's smile turned soft and knowing. "Definitely speaking from experience."
That afternoon, I found Gage at the cottage, working on plans for the final renovations once the house was habitable again. The sight of him bent over architectural drawings, a pencil tucked behind his ear, made my chest tight with affection.
"How's the planning going?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his shoulders from behind.
"Good. Great, actually." He leaned back against me. "I think we can have everything ready by Valentine's Day if the weather cooperates."
"Valentine's Day move-in? That's romantic."
He turned in his chair, pulling me down onto his lap. "I was thinking it would be nice to have our first real dinner party in the house around then. Invite the whole family, show off what we've built together."
"I love that idea." I settled against him, looking over the renovation plans. "It'll be perfect timing. Everything fresh and new for spring."
"Speaking of timing," he said, his arms tightening around me slightly. "I've been thinking about how lucky we are."
"Lucky how?"
"Lucky that we found our way back to each other. Lucky that we're building something real and lasting. Lucky that even when storms literally try to knock us down, we just get stronger."
I turned to face him, seeing something soft and wondering in his expression. "I feel lucky too. Every single day."
"Good," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Because I plan on making sure you keep feeling that way for a very long time."
"Now get into that bedroom, Billie Schulster, and I'm going to show you just how lucky you are." I laughed as he spun me around and slapped my backside.
This was the perfect side of finding the person you were meant to be with. Finding the man your heart belonged to who you thought you'd lost forever.
And as I let him chase me down the hallway, knowing that I had every intention of being caught, I didn't need him to prove to me how lucky I was because I felt it in every inch of my body.
Not that I was going to stop him from showing me right now as well.
Chapter 33
Gage
Christmas morning arrived with the kind of hushed, magical stillness that only came once a year. I'd been awake since three-thirty, too nervous to sleep and going over the list in my head of what I needed to get done. Now I was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching the snow fall softly against our bedroom window and feeling the small velvet box burning a hole in my nightstand drawer.
Today was the day. I was going to ask Billie to marry me.
The thought made my hands shake as I slipped quietly out of bed, careful not to wake her. She looked so peaceful lying there, her dark hair spread across the pillow, one hand tucked under her cheek. Beautiful. Mine. At least, I hoped she'd still be mine after I took the biggest leap of faith in my life.
I left a note on my pillow in case she woke up before I got back, not wanting her to worry that I'd slipped away in the night.
I dressed quickly and grabbed the ring box, checking for the hundredth time that my grandmother's emerald was still there,still perfect, still waiting to find its home on Billie's finger. Then I loaded the truck with everything I'd prepared—candles, a breakfast picnic, blankets, and all the hope my heart could hold.
The renovated house looked perfect in the predawn darkness. We'd finished it just two weeks ago, and it still took my breath away. Our house, the life we'd built together with our own hands. Every room held memories of late nights with my brothers, of pushing to get it finished ahead of schedule, of imagining the life Billie and I would build here together.
I spent an hour arranging candles throughout the living room and kitchen, creating the kind of romantic atmosphere that would make this moment as perfect as Billie deserved. The empty rooms echoed with my footsteps and the rapid beating of my heart. By the time I was finished, the house glowed with warm candlelight, and I couldn't stop pacing.
What if she said no? What if it was too soon? What if I wasn't worth the risk?
My phone buzzed: Merry Christmas, love. Where did you sneak off to?
Good morning, beautiful, I typed back, my fingers trembling. I have a surprise for you. Can you meet me outside in ten minutes?
