AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Connor? Earth to Connor,” Rebecca's voice snapped me back to reality.
“Sorry, babe. Just got lost in thought for a second.” I grinned at her as she rolled her eyes playfully.
“My handsome daydreamer,” she said, leaning in for a quick kiss before getting up from the table.
As I watched her walk away, my heart swelled with anticipation. I had a surprise planned for her, one that I hoped would cement our bond even more. The details were top-secret, of course. I wanted to see her face light up with the same joy that filled me every time I thought about our future together.
“Hey, why don't you go relax in the living room for a bit? I'll clean up around here,” I suggested, hoping to buy myself some time to finalize my preparations.
“Seriously?” she asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. “Did aliens abduct you in the wilderness and replace you with a new version?”
“I’ll never tell,” I shot back with a wink. “Consider it just my way of saying thanks for all the amazing things you do for me.”
“Wow, thank you,” she said her voice laced with suspicion. “But don't think this gets you out of helping with the laundry later.”
“Deal,” I called after her, my excitement growing by the second.
As soon as Rebecca was out of sight, I texted the cleaning service I’d hired.
“Is it ready?” I texted. I continued washing the dishes while I waited for a response.
My heart jumped into my throat when the screen lit up with the response indicating it was ready to go. Every detail had to be perfect if I wanted to pull off this surprise without a hitch. My heart raced at the thought of her reaction—would she love it as much as I hoped? There was only one way to find out.
“Great, thanks!” I texted back.
A few months ago, the Shadow Lodge had gone up for sale. Sure, it had had some roof issues, and the lack of plumbing had scared away most buyers. But beneath all that, it certainly had potential.
When I’d first seen the listing, I’d mentioned it to Becca. The memory made me smile.
“Connor, are you out of your mind?” She choked on her sip of wine.
“Maybe,” I admitted with a grin. “Come on, babe. It’s kind of symbolic, don't you think? The little cabin that brought us together. We can turn it into a nice home."
"You really think we can turn that dump into something amazing?" she asked skeptically, taking another sip of her wine.
“Absolutely,” I replied confidently. “We'll make it a place where we can build our future.”
“I think we should keep looking,” she said. While I loved Becca, she sometimes needed persuasion to see the potential of things.
The lodge kept popping up in my mind. I couldn’t let it go. I had a hefty inheritance from my grandmother that I’d been sitting on for years. I called the realtor, and after some negotiation, I managed to buy the cabin for a steal. With more than enough money saved, I poured my heart and soul into renovating the place, determined to make it perfect for us.
It was risky buying a home in secret from my wife, but it was a gift. That made it okay, right? Besides, if Becca didn’t love it, we could turn it into a vacation rental or sell it for a profit. But I had a feeling she would love it.
I dried my hands, slipped my phone back into my pocket, and grabbed the picnic basket I’d packed with a blindfold, some wine and cheese, and Becca’s favorite dessert.
I found her in the living room. She looked up as soon as I walked over.
“What’s in the basket,” she asked.
Fuck she was too observant. “It’s a surprise,” I said. “But it requires a short drive and a blindfold.”
Her expression changed from interest to wariness in a matter of seconds. “Um, yes to the drive, no to the blindfold.”
She followed me outside, attempting to sneak a peek into the basket. Being at least five inches taller, it wasn’t too hard to keep it out of her eyesight. We stopped outside the door of my truck.
"Okay, babe, trust me on this one," I said, fastening the blindfold around her eyes. She shivered. “I promise, it's worth it.” I guided her into her seat and shut the door.
"Connor, if you're taking me out into the middle of nowhere to test my wilderness skills, I swear I will impress you with my new knowledge and then kill you," she threatened half-jokingly, her voice wavering slightly.
