My fingers weave through his thick mane of hair. “Remember? We have to thank Jed.”
My nipple slips from Henry’s mouth as he tips his head back and bellows with laughter.
CHAPTER 25
“Grab your hat and mitts. It’ll be cold.”
“Where are we going again?” Violet jams her foot into her boot.
“To show you the house your great-grandfather built, and then I thought we could go and cut some wood.” Henry slides on his red and black plaid jacket.
She frowns. “Don’t you have people for that?”
“Yes. And today one of them is named Violet. Start making your way down the path toward the main lodge. I’ll catch up in a minute.”
She rolls her eyes as she tugs open the penthouse cabin’s door. “What are the chances I’m going to get eaten by a bear?”
“Slim to none. You make too much damn noise. Now get out.”
She grins, pulling the door behind her.
I lay the garment bag with my wedding dress across the dining table. Emmanuelle has designed me a masterpiece. It is neither puffy nor plain nor too heavy but molds to my body in all the right places and is layered with the most exquisite lace. I can’t wait for Henry to see it. “You’re taking her to that spot where you took me that first time?” Before I had any clue about his intentions to hire me as his assistant.
“Yes.” Henry’s gaze rolls over Penthouse Cabin Three—the only one with two bedrooms. It’s almost identical in style to Penthouse Cabin One. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
I slip my arms around his waist, falling into him. It feels so good to be back in Alaska. “I’ll stay here and feed the fire. Jill and I have a bunch of last-minute things to go over for the wedding, anyway.” Almost everything is taken care of, save for a few changes to account for minor glitches like half-spoiled strawberries and a shortage of white tulips. Mama, Daddy, and the rest of our guests arrive the day after tomorrow, but Henry and I wanted a couple of nights alone with Violet at Wolf Cove before we’re pulled in twenty directions, with no time for each other.
Besides, I think this is a conversation best had between father and daughter.
“Don’t worry.” I smile up at his handsome face. “It’s going to be fine.”
His jaw tenses. “Maybe I should wait until after the wedding?”
“As we’re leaving for our honeymoon?” I shake my head. Howard is home now and improving with daily therapy and help from a nurse Henry hired. According to the doctor, he’ll make a near-full recovery, which is fantastic news. But the reality is they’ll both be eighty-five this year, and the struggles will only get worse.
Henry and I sat down with them one day when Violet was out with friends and broached the subject of their granddaughter moving to Manhattan to live with us. I mean, it’s the next logical step. We text every day, and we’ve seen her nearly every weekend since Christmas—either her coming into the city or us driving out. The reality is, Violet’s as big a part of our lives as we are of hers.
Gayle and Howard weren’t surprised, and when Gayle cried, she promised it was with delighted tears. She’s been so afraid of becoming a burden for their granddaughter, who has a whole life ahead of her and shouldn’t be saddled with taking care of her ailing grandparents, especially after what she faced with Audrey.
“She won’t have to worry about Gayle and Howard anymore. You’ve found a wonderful place for them to move to, way nicer than the one they were waiting for before they pulled their names off the list.” When we brought Gayle to see the assisted living home, I’m not sure her mouth was closed for more than a minute total, too busy hanging open in awe as we toured the one-bedroom suite they would move into, complete with a fireplace and a private garden, and then the many on-site facilities, including a therapy pool, an art studio, and a library. Of course she insisted they couldn’t afford it and they didn’t need this type of luxury. Henry would have none of it and told her to consider it fair trade for Audrey raising the perfect daughter for him.
My heart melted for the thousandth time for this man that day. He continues to amaze me with his generosity and thoughtfulness.
Henry frowns. “And if she says no?”
“She’s going to say yes.”
“How do you know?”
I stretch onto my tiptoes to kiss him. “Because how could anyone say no to you?”
I hear their boots stomping on the doormat outside before the telltale beeps of someone entering the code. The door swings open.