Page 61 of Burn for Me
She heard the clip-clop of high heels, and then, “Hi Gray. Come on in.”
Kitty stiffened. Who was this woman? And how did she know her husband’s name? But before she could ask, Gray turned to her and covered her eyes with his hand.
“Don’t look until I tell you to,” was all he said. She could hear the excitement in his voice.
He guided her briefly before telling her to stop and close her eyes.
“Are they closed?”
“Yes, they’re closed,” she replied.
“Promise?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, you nutter. Yes, they’re closed.”
Gray laughed. Taking his hand away, he waited a beat before he murmured into her ear, “Open your eyes.”
Kitty did as she was told. She was facing a wide panel of glass windows and sliding doors. But it was the view outside that absolutely took her breath away. Beyond the glass was, quite possibly, the most beautiful garden she’d ever seen. Lush foliage, a sumptuous expanse of emerald green grass, and a sparkling, impossibly blue swimming pool.
It was, however, the generous bank of flower beds bursting with a riot of colourful flowers of all kinds that demanded her attention. She caught her breath when she noticed that a large number of the blooms were carnations. Her father had grown carnations, and a flood of happy childhood memories overtook her. She could imagine a child of her own playing in a garden like this one.
“Oh, my goodness, Gray. What a stunning garden.”
Turning to face him as he stood a little way behind her, the emptiness of the room caught her attention. Looking at Gray, she saw that smile she loved so much spread across his face.
“Welcome home, my love.”
At first, she simply stared at him, unsure she’d heard him correctly.
“Wait– what?”
Taking her face in his hands, he laughed down at her.
“This is our house. I was looking for a gift to give you, to say thank you for the three years of love and joy you’ve brought into my life.”
“So you bought me a house? Bit of a tough act to follow in the years to come, don’t you think?”
Both Gray and the lady they’d met at the house laughed. Until that point, Kitty had completely forgotten they weren’t alone. He turned his body toward the other woman.
“Beth, this is my wife, Kitty. Kitty, this is Beth. She’s the estate agent that’s been assisting me with the house.”
“Hello, Kitty. It’s lovely to finally meet you.”
“Um– Hi, Beth. It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Shall we take a tour of the house then, now that Gray’s wowed you with the back garden?”
Suddenly excited, Kitty grabbed Gray’s hand. Nodding at Beth, she said, “Lead the way.”
Beth took them through the house, pointing out features and points of interest as they went. For once, she was completely silent. Simply took in her surroundings as they went from room to room. Walking into one of the bedrooms, she’d known in an instant it would be the perfect room for a nursery.
After lingering in the room, imagining how it could be, she finally followed Gray and Beth into the master suite. Taking in the beauty of the main bedroom, she allowed her imagination free reign again. In her mind’s eye, she could see the two of them spending summer evenings on the patio outside the French doors leading into that magnificent garden. Or winter evenings cuddled up in front of the fireplace in the corner of the room.
“Well, there you have it.” Beth smiled at Kitty. “What do you think?”
“It’s lovely. Just so much to take in,” Kitty replied.
“Why don’t you have another look around? When you’re done, come find me, and we can finalise the paperwork.”
