Page 95 of Visions of You

The sky twinkledwith a million stars, and the Milky Way was vivid above as Gabe led me by the hand across the pool deck behind the Big House. We’d just finished dinner at Orchid, the resort’s fine dining restaurant. I’d loved my grilled snapper entrée, though Gabe had frowned at his own, mumbling that Alfonso, the chef, was resting on his laurels.

Earlier today, I’d been surprised when Gabe snuck up on me. I’d been in the compressor room, adding tanks to be refilled when he came up behind me and pulled me tight against his chest.

He nibbled my earlobe. “Let’s go out for dinner tonight at Orchid. After all the family time we’ve had the past few days, I want you all to myself for a while.”

That sounded like heaven to me. After the get-together at Maia and Wyatt’s yesterday, I could do with a date night. I made anappreciative hum as I turned around in his arms and laced my fingers behind his neck. “That sounds fantastic. I imagine you can get us a table on short notice?”

“I know the owner. I can pull some strings.” He tugged slightly on my bikini tie behind my neck but didn’t actually untie the knot.

I laughed. “Hold onto that thought, buster.”

As we approached the bluff, Gabe let go of my hand and pulled out his phone, activating the flashlight. As we were walking home after dinner, he’d asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful night or setting, so of course I said yes. Hailey was having dinner at the Big House, so we didn’t need to worry about her just yet. I glanced at the three-story structure in the background.

We can pick her up on our way back.

Gabe led me down the stone staircase, and a smile stretched my lips. “Ah. A little walk on the beach?”

“It’s a perfect night to visit the Cove.”

We hadn’t been there since the night we made love on the beach, so I wasn’t about to argue with him. I wore a form-fitting black dress with spaghetti straps, which hampered my movement slightly. Gabe kept the flashlight aimed at the stairs, so I had plenty of illumination, and he kept a tight hold on my hand to steady me.

I’d thought about asking him to dress in a suit, since the only other time I’d seen him in one he’d been soaking wet. But after I removed his suit from the dryer the morning following that momentous night, he’d tossed his tie in the trash, grumbling how much he hated wearing them. So I kept silent and had to admit there was plenty to admire with him wearing gray slacks and a long-sleeved white shirt, open at the neck.

We reached the bottom of the staircase and stepped around the rocks and onto the soft sand. I slipped off my sandals and left them at the base of the stairs. The night was very calm, and the ocean hardly made a sound as it swept ashore. A three-quarter moon rose in the east and lit the water with a ghostly hue.

I breathed a dreamy sigh. “Look at that ocean.”

Gabe laughed softly. “If I know you, you want to get your feet wet. Go ahead.”

I tossed a grin over my shoulder as I trotted to the shore ten feet away. With a deep inhale of the bracing air, I closed my eyes as the warm water washed over my bare feet. I soaked it all in.

Everything.

My new home. My new man. My newlife.

I reopened my eyes to memorize the magical setting. The air was nearly silent around us, undisturbed by anything but nature.

Until a low rumble sounded behind me, accompanied by a soft glow.

I spun around and my breath froze in my lungs. The magical night had just amplified a thousand-fold.

Two strands of party lights crisscrossed ten feet above the white sand, anchored on top of four tall poles pounded into the ground. The hum was a portable generator Gabe was rising from. He tapped an icon on his phone and set it on top of the generator before holding a hand toward me.

As I ran back toward him, crossing the sand under the lights, “Fields of Gold”—the original version—began playing all around me. I reached out and clasped his hand as he pulled me against his chest.

A gentle smile lit his face. “Dance with me, beautiful woman?”

I laughed, completely awestruck, as we fell into a swaying rhythm. The overhead lights danced in his dark eyes as he clasped my waist. I circled my arms around his neck, the warm air caressing my shoulders. We fell into an easy motion—no fancy moves this time. We just swayed together to the music.

I was torn between staring into Gabe’s eyes and taking in the magical setting around us. “I can’t believe you did this!”

His smile faded somewhat as he raised a hand to brush my arm. “Are you cold? You’ve got goose bumps.”

I rose onto my toes to kiss him. “I’m not cold in the slightest. I’m just stunned.”

He pulled me tighter, wrapping both arms around my waist. “I wanted to do something special to celebrate what we’ve become.”

“A family.”

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