Every community had a temperature and there was a certain type of energy created by the people who lived there and the values they held close. It was why some expensive places such as the house she grew up in felt cold no matter how beautiful it was.
The Bluff was warm. It was where she wanted to be.
“I want one.”
“A house?” he clarified.
“Yes, with a porch and a big backyard.”
“In the Bluff?”
“Yes, babe.”
He didn’t tease her or call her ass spoiled. Nina’s family probably owned a house in the Hamptons already, but he’d never be welcomed there. He nodded once, as if she had just told him they needed milk from the store.
“Okay.”
Nina looked over. “You can’t just say yes to everything.”
“I can when I mean it,” he said seriously.
Nina could see their summer house vividly already.
Weekend mornings on the porch with coffee and books.
Jio up early making the grits that he’d finally mastered.
Ephrem visiting with books in tow.
Danyelle falling asleep in a guest room after swearing she was just resting her eyes.
Peaches showing up loud and underdressed for whatever elegant event Nina had planned.
Maybe children one day, running barefoot across a lawn, belonging to a place before they understood what belonging meant….
The thought came so suddenly that Nina placed a hand on her stomach without realizing it again.
His eyes dropped to her hand for the briefest second before returning to the road. He didn't say anything, but he was going to keep his promise. He had sworn he wouldn't bring up the pregnancy test again after she threatened to throw the entire unopened box at his head. He’d kept his promise verbally, but his actions were the opposite.
No wine.
No champagne.
No smoking.
No heavy bags.
No sushi.
No undercooked eggs.
No caffeine after a certain hour because he claimed it made her anxious, which may have been true but was still none of his business. He watched her on the stairs like she was ninety years old. Opened doors before she reached them. Made sure ginger ale appeared everywhere she went. He treated her like porcelain and had the nerve to act confused when she accused him of treating her like a baby.
The worst part was that she was loving it all. Things had silently changed between the two.
Finally, they approached the estate where the wedding was being held. Nina saw the gates before anything else. Black iron framed by stone pillars, both topped with lanterns that hadn’tyet been lit. Beyond them, the driveway led them through a manicured lawn lined with the most gorgeous bushels in blue, white, and purple.
When the house became visible, her breath was snatched by its beauty.
