Obsession Falls(105)

“Yeah, I’ve been carrying it around with me.”

He paused for a long moment. “I wound up having to propose twice. The first time was a big show. I put a banner on a fire engine, asked her in front of the whole town.”

“I remember hearing about that.”

“It was a cool moment, don’t get me wrong. But when I asked her again, no one else was around. It was just for us. And it was right; it was what we both needed.”

I nodded slowly, thinking that through.

“That’s not very specific advice, but I’d say trust your gut. You know her. If a big show would make her happy, put on a big show. If not, just think about what would be meaningful to her. It doesn’t have to be complicated.”

“Okay. Thanks, Bailey.”

I stood and he offered me his hand. We shook.

“No problem. And congratulations.”

“Thanks. I’ll let you get back to your day.”

“Yeah, I need to go change so I can take over for Grace for a while.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you later.”

I left and said goodbye to Grace and their boys, still turning things over in my mind. Would Audrey want a big show? A banner across Main Street or a full-page ad in the newspaper?

No. Now that I thought about it, that would be the last thing she’d want. Too much of her life in Pinecrest had been for show. She didn’t want to be the center of attention. Not like that.

She’d want something personal. A moment that represented us and our future together.

I got in my truck and that was when it hit me. The future. Our life together.

My girl did need something big, but not for show. She needed more than a ring and the funny thing was, it was like I’d been preparing for this all along.

I just hadn’t realized it until now.





CHAPTER 44





Audrey





The house was oddly quiet.

Josiah had kept Max with him all day while he worked on the remodel next door. The two of them were still over there. I kept expecting them to come home any minute, but Josiah must have been busy finishing some last-minute project and didn’t want to stop until it was done.

The kitchen cabinets and counters were all in and the bathrooms were finished. In fact, as far as I knew, as of yesterday, the entire house was basically done. And I had yet to see it because Josiah had forbidden me to go inside.

He’d said he wanted to show it to me himself and I had to wait until he was ready.

I was dying to see it. I could still remember what it looked like the first time Josiah had taken me on a tour. It had been little more than a beat-up shell. Fortunately for me, I hadn’t been subjected to the smell before they’d done all the demo work. Apparently it had stunk worse than Max after he’d rolled in something gross.

When I’d come home, the landscaping crew had still been hard at work. I glanced out the front window and saw them putting their tools back in their truck. I couldn’t see the whole yard from here, but it was looking great.

Finally, the front door opened and Max dashed inside. He circled around me, then sat with his tail wagging happily.

“Hi, Max. How was your day?”

“He was a good boy.” Josiah came inside and shut the door behind him.

I smiled, relishing the warm feeling that spread through me at Josiah’s subtle smile. He walked straight toward me and wrapped me in his arms.

“I missed you today,” he said.

“I missed you too. What have you guys been up to over there?”

He stepped back and his almost-smile that I loved so much still graced his lips. “Want to see?”

I gasped. “Do I get to see the house? Finally?”

“Yeah. It’s ready.”

I popped up on my tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. “Yes! Show me!”

He took my hand and led me outside. Max followed, bounding along beside us, ready for whatever adventure awaited. Even if it was just going back to the place he’d been two minutes ago. For a dog, everything is fun.

From the front, it looked amazing. The huge dumpster was long gone and instead of weeds and bare patches, the yard was a friendly mix of native plants, decorative rocks, and grass. The pine dotted hill rising behind it gave it a cozy, protected quality.

The outside had been freshly painted just the other day, and of course I’d seen that. We’d decided on sage green with white trim. The new front door had been stained a warm chestnut brown and the contrast complemented the fa?ade perfectly.

Josiah paused with his hand on the door handle. “Ready?”

I was practically bouncing with excitement. “Yes! Oh my gosh, don’t make me wait.”

He opened the door and I gasped.

The once empty, run-down house had been completely transformed. Big, new windows let in lots of light and the warm brown of the antique java hardwood looked incredible. The color palette was neutral without being boring, the walls, floors, and trim coming together to create the perfect backdrop for someone’s dream home.

Instead of leading me deeper into the house, so I could see the kitchen and dining area, he started up the stairs. They were the same wood as the downstairs with a white railing to match the trim. So pretty. The wood continued onto the landing and down the short hallway. We peeked in three of the bedrooms. I could totally picture bunk beds and kids’ toys strewn around. Maybe one for a guest room.