He drove onto Main Street and slowed to a crawl. “The inn is getting a complete overhaul. We can talk about the specifics later.”
“Oh, I’m going to be busylater. Very, very busy. But I have time tomorrow morning, say, around eight?”
He shot her a grin. “I like the sound of that.”
He parked in front of an abandoned two-story building across the street from the B&B. “I’ve got something to show you.”
She stepped onto the sidewalk as he rounded the front of the vehicle. With his hand on the small of her back, he guided her to the storefront, unlocked the door, and ushered her inside. When she crossed the threshold and surveyed the spacious room, he held his breath. The empty space had been gutted, cleaned, and painted a bright white.
“This is a great location. Open, lots of windows, good vibe. What’s going in here?”
“The Savannah Morrissette Art Gallery.”
“Oh, my God.” She spun around, her eyes glowing brightly. “Are you serious?”
“Do you like it?”
“Iloveit. It’s amazing!”
He anchored his hands on her shoulders. Touching her felt so damned good. “I’ve been dying to tell you, but wanted your approval first. I’m purchasing the building in both our names. Once we’re up and running, we can feature local artists to support their work, too, if that’s something you want to do.” Pausing, he studied her face. “Thoughts?”
She threw her arms around him and kissed him full-on. He wrapped her in his arms and lifted her off the ground.
When the kiss ended, he set her back down. “So, just to confirm, that’s a yes, right?”
Again, tears welled in her eyes and she brushed away the ones tumbling down her cheeks. “I can’t believe you did this…for me.” With a gentle touch, she swatted his shoulder. “Look at me, I’m a mess. You’ve turned me into a crybaby, Zander King.”
He chuffed out a laugh. “It’s a lot to take in.” Tipping her chin toward him, he brushed his lips to hers. “I did it because…” He swallowed hard. “Because I love you.”
Her beautiful smile relieved him of any concern he had over expressing his feelings. “I love you, too,” she said and kissed him. “There were times over the past two weeks when I wanted to tell you how I felt. I’m glad I waited. In person is much better.”
He stared into her soulful eyes, dropped a tender kiss on her forehead. “I agree. And I’ve got one more surprise, if you can handle it.”
“You’re spoiling me, Zander.”
He trailed his hand down her back. “I love making you happy.”
She stilled. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“We’ll come back tomorrow after meeting with the contractor I hired for the inn. You two can discuss your ideas for this location, too. If you’re interested, I have a few suggestions of my own.”
“I welcome your input.” She kissed his cheek. “Always.”
The sun dipped below the horizon as Zander drove Savannah to his father’s Victorian home in a well-established neighborhood, an easy ten-minute drive from Main Street. After pulling into the driveway, he gestured toward the home. “You want to go inside?”
“Sure.”
Over the past two weeks, he’d been there twice. What had surprised him most was a framed picture on his father’s desk. When Zander had been in second grade, he’d earned straight A’s for the first time. His dad had snapped his picture with his report card. He’d lost both his front baby teeth, and his toothless grin filled his young face. He never knew his dad had saved that snapshot, let alone framed it. As Zander had walked through his dad’s home, he made peace with his past.
Today, however, he was forging a path to his future, one he hoped included Savannah.
After getting out of the vehicle, she grabbed her carry-on bag.
“Let me get that for you,” he said, taking the item. “Do you want your luggage, too?”
“That depends on what you have in mind, Mr. King.” She waggled her brows. “Are we staying or just passing through?”
“Staying.”
