He drove to Arden and picked up a set of keys.Then he continued to the park to meet Vanessa.His heart skipped a beat as he watched her exit the vehicle.Emily ran to him with a bright smile, her new doll clutched in one hand.He scooped her into his arms and held her tight while his eyes met Vanessa’s.
Damn.He was already getting choked up.
Instead of waiting her turn, Vanessa joined the hug and squished the little girl between them.Emily loved it, but probably not as much as Paul did.When they broke apart, Emily gave him a bracelet she’d made out of painted macaroni shells and yellow yarn.She told a story about a friend in preschool while she tied it to his wrist.
“Can I go on the slide, Mommy?”she asked abruptly.
“Sure.”
Emily left her doll with Paul for safekeeping rather than bringing it along.He tucked Libby into the pocket of his jacket.Vanessa slid her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.He pressed his lips to her hair and breathed in her honey-sunshine scent.
Heaven.
“I love you,” he said idly.
“Still?”
“Always.”
She nuzzled his neck, which drove him crazy.“This town doesn’t have a hotel.”
“I know.I have a surprise for you.”
Her hand went still on his back.“What kind of surprise?”
Paul remembered how she’d reacted when her father had surprised her with a room for Emily.It wasn’t the sort of thing he could spring on her without warning.That was why he’d asked to meet at the park first.“Let’s sit down.”
She chose a bench with a view of Emily, her face troubled.He settled next to her and grasped her hand in his.“I’m looking at a rental property.”
“Where?”
“A few miles from here.It’s a small ranch house, only two bedrooms, but it sits on five acres and the price is right.The current owner is an old lady who can’t do the upkeep.She wants a handyman to stay on site and take care of it.”
“You’re going to rent a house in Arden?”
“Only if you like it.”
“What about your job?”
“I’ll commute to work.”
“Why don’t you want to live in San Angelo?”
He lifted her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles.“It’s too far away from you.Also, I find that city life has lost its appeal.”
“Since when?”
He tried to pinpoint the moment his mind had changed.“I had a lot of time to think when I was hiding out in Katy.I spent every evening staring at the horizon, contemplating my future.I got nostalgic for the ranch I grew up on.I had this recurring fantasy about buying a piece of land with you, maybe taking care of some baby animals.”
“Babyanimals?”
He smiled at her emphasis.“Emily wants a kitten.We can start there.”
“You want children.”
“I think I do, yeah.”
“With me?”
