‘I love you, Spencer.’
With one look, he could see the sincerity deep within her eyes. A strong awareness of their attachment flooded him, overwhelming his senses.
Beth leaned into him, curling her arms around his back. ‘I just want our family,’ she whispered, her voice mingling with the gentle movement of the leaves in a nearby tree.
He dipped his head so his chin rested on her mousey hair, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he held her. They were his family because together they had made it so, not some test or need for company. They had helped each other, grown together, and fallen in love.
Her embrace tightened slightly as she raised her chin to face him.
‘I believe you,’ he said softly, meaning every word. Somehow, some way, he just knew. ‘I promise, I believe you.’
Beth was staring at him, face relaxed, eyes gentle. Her hand curled around the back of his neck, lowering him slowly towards her mouth, and Spencer’s heart cradled hers as their lips met.
Their soft, gentle kiss quickly heated, causing them to stumble into the fence. They laughed as they straightened, then Spencer gestured towards the house.
‘What do you think, Beth? It’s affordable. Just needs some love.’
She snuggled under his arm as she looked up the pathway. ‘Can we peek through the windows?’
‘Sure. I’ve already been inside with the estate agent I saw putting up the sign. It’s definitely a project, but not too much of one.’
‘Let me put Archie in his pram, then we can walk around.’
Spencer helped set up the pram, then opened the small gate in need of new hinges.
Archie stirred but soon settled again as soon as Beth started to push him along.
The front door was pale blue and the framework chipped, but it still held a welcome.
Beth peered through a small square window and cooed. ‘Oh, Spence, do you really think we could live somewhere like this?’
‘Yeah, we can put in an offer if you’re ready now, but if not, we’ll make a home wherever we end up in the future.’ He glanced up from the pram to see her smile.
‘Let’s have a nosey round the back.’
He followed her along a side path in need of a good groom, then scanned the garden while she looked through the pane in the back door to take in the kitchen. All sorts went through his mind. A shed, greenhouse, perhaps a pergola, maybe a parterre. No doubt Lottie would come over with her green fingers and get stuck in. He imagined some raised beds along one fence, filled with herbs or vegetables.
Beth grabbed his arm, making him jump out of his daydream. ‘I want us to put in the offer.’
He grinned. ‘Yeah, you sure? This is the first house we’ve viewed.’
‘It made you stop and take a look and bring me here. It’s where you looked me in the eyes and told me you believed in me. Everything feels right. I know it’s old and in need of repair, just like us, but—’
‘Oi, cheek!’ He tickled her ribs, and Beth squirmed away. ‘We’re not old yet.’
‘No, we’re not, so let’s take this on while we’re fit enough to deal with it all.’
Spencer laughed. ‘Well, I was thinking we’d hire some experts to do most jobs.’
Beth squealed, clapping her hands in front of her chest. ‘Ooh, Spence, I haven’t told you. I have an interview for a new job tomorrow. It’s fewer hours and better pay, and best of all, less stress, as I won’t be working with a lot of children.’
‘That’s great.’ He lightly tapped her chin. ‘Looks like we’re on a new road.’
‘Maybe we were always on the same road, and this is just the part where we get to walk it together.’
‘In that case, this is definitely the best part of the journey.’
Beth nodded. ‘The company makes all the difference, doesn’t it?’
