The terrace is L-shaped, and I take her hand and lead her around the corner. I've set up two beanbags and a rug. A bottle of champagne sits in a cooler, already on ice.
Alana gasps when she sees it. "Amos! How did you get all this up here?"
I chuckle. "Easy."
It was far from easy, lugging those beanbags up the wooden stairs. But I wanted this to be special.
I pop open the champagne and pour us two glasses.
"To us," I say. "To the rest of our lives."
We clink glasses, and I take a sip. It's too sweet for my taste. I'm more of a beer man, but tonight I want everything to be perfect for Alana.
"How did you keep this all secret?" she asks.
I set my champagne down and sink into one of the beanbags, patting the place next to me. Alana comes and sits on my lap, and I wrap my arm around her, my hand resting on her thigh.
"I've been waiting for you for the last six months," I tell her. "And I've not been idle. The military was always my purpose in life. I couldn't imagine anything past being a SEAL. And then Sam came into my life. And you came into my life. And you gave me a new purpose."
I tap my chest, just above my heart.
"We can make a difference here, Alana. I kept an eye out for places that might work. This one's rundown, but it's huge. I couldn't have afforded it if it didn't need so much work. But I figure Joel and the guys owe me a few favors. Paige will do the garden for us."
She raises her eyebrows. "Paige?"
"She's a landscaper. And she's already got ideas."
I stand and walk to the railing, and Alana joins me as we look down on the backyard.
"That big oak is perfect for a fort. We can put the trampoline in that corner. I'm thinking a few veggie beds too. Gardening's a good skill for kids to learn, right? There's already an apple tree, and we could plant more fruit trees. Show the kids where their food comes from.
"All the rooms need painting, and a few repairs are needed. But mostly, it's just work. Three levels will take some time. But we'll start with the rooms we need and work our way through. Furniture might be sparse at first, but between what I've got and what you've got, we'll fill this place out."
I glance back at her. "I figure for the first year, we just get Sam and Kyra settled. Once the house is ready, and they feel comfortable, that's when we start taking other kids in."
Alana puts her wineglass down on the small table and takes my hands in hers.
"You've got a big heart, Amos. I loved you already. But now? You're a saint."
She looks so pretty in the moonlight with her eyes shining up at me. I lean in and capture her lips in mine. It's a slow kiss. Exploratory. A kiss we've waited a long time for. A kiss that shoots through my body, making me hungry for more.
My hands grip her hips, and with our lips still joined, I walk her backwards to the beanbags. She sinks into one, and I sink to my knees before her. My arms are around her waist and hers slide around my neck.
"Do you think you'll be happy here?" I ask.
She grins. "Amos, I'd be happy anywhere with you. But here? This will be beyond happiness."
I kiss the corner of her mouth and move my lips down her jawline, over her throat, to the soft part behind her ear. She lets out a moan that drives me wild.
"I've waited a long time for this."
"I know," she says. "Thank you for being patient."
"I'd wait a lifetime for you."
I slide my hands up her top and pull her t-shirt off. There's a fleece blanket by the bean bag, and I wrap it around her shoulders.
"Thank you," she murmurs. "I'm quite hot though."
