She gifted me a soft, genuine smile. One I’d cherish and remember every time I heard this song. Now our song.
When we arrived in Sandee, Dakota became increasingly more tense. Her body language turning rigid. We pulled through the gates leading into the Goodall farm, but her gaze was stretched out over me and peering through my side where our land bordered her family’s.
I didn’t say anything. Couldn’t think of a single word that would put her at ease. Just kept driving until we hit the fork in the road. To the right was my home. Straight on, the main house where my parents and my grandad lived along with the other primary buildings and bunk housing where many of our single or unwedded workers lived free of charge. To the left were my sister’s and brother’s houses.
I turned to the right and followed the road until it met the circular drive in front of my house. Just to the left was my own personal garage and workshop. I pulled in front of the house so Dakota could get the full effect.
Before I could fully turn off the engine and get around the Ford F150, she’d already exited the vehicle and stood looking at the pristine pale yellow two-story farmhouse with white trim and olive-green window shutters. The entire thing was surrounded by a white wooden enclosed porch that fenced the house perimeter, giving a full three-sixty-degree view of the land if you walked the entire thing. That way, we could watch the sun rise and set out on our porch.
“You own all this?” she gasped, her long fingers covering her lips as awe blanketed her features beautifully.
“We own this,” I reminded her.
“It’s beautiful, and my favorite color,” she whispered, taking it all in.
I know, I wanted to say, but didn’t. Not ready to share how very long I’d had my eye on Dakota as my future wife. The Marriage Auction had just made what I thought was a lofty goal unbelievably reachable. And here she stood, looking at our home.
I came up behind her and put my hands to her shoulders as she continued to gawk.
“It’s empty aside from my bedroom, and a rustic farm table in the kitchen. I haven’t lived in it long. Barely a month. I was waiting for you,” I admitted, wrapping my arms around her chest and pressing my cheek to hers.
“For me?” She gulped, a hint of fear entering her tone. But still, she leaned into my hold, resting her back against my chest more fully.
I inhaled her wildflower mixed with country scent, allowing it to coat my soul with her essence.
“For my wife.” I changed gears, knowing she was nowhere near ready to hear how very much I’d pined for her all these years. Hoped it would be her I stood next to as I entered my forever home.
With a flourish, I scooped her up and into my arms.
She cried out and kicked her legs. “What in the world! Put me down, you brute!”
“Time to carry you over the threshold!” I grinned and stomped up the few steps it took to get to the olive-green painted door.
I pushed it open and carried her in.
“Honey, we’re home!” I hollered through the empty house, then looked down into her eyes and did what I’d wanted to do my entire life.
I kissed my wife in the home I’d built for us.
Episode 29
Twenty Questions
ERIK
Savannah was quiet on the drive to the airport and through the process of checking in, security, and entering the jet. I wanted to give her the space she needed to come to terms with her sister’s marriage, and the fact that she and her sister were separating for an undetermined length of time.
I gestured to one of the big reclining leather seats and she moved past me to sit down and buckle in. I sat in the seat directly opposite her so I could have an unhindered view of her gorgeous face.
“This…” She looked around the cabin. “It’s pretty spectacular. You own it?”
I nodded. “My business does, and I own the business. So, yeah.”
“That’s pretty awesome. What is it that you do?” She clasped her hands in her lap, her attention now on me.
Having this woman’s attention felt like the sun had just come out on a dark and dank day. It filled me with light, and most of all, it gave me a sense of purpose.
“I own Johansen Brewing Company. We sell… ”
“Beer. Holy moly! You own one of the biggest beer empires worldwide. I learned all about it in my statistics class back in college. One of the college football players did a paper on you for his mid-term and shared it with the class. It was incredible. You started small, with one brewhouse that grew a profit, which you sold to buy a bigger company that earned you quadruple profits before you took that money to create your own brand. Then it sold like hotcakes because your products are hailed as top-quality brews.” She smiled wide. “I can’t believe you own something so colossal.”