Page 145 of Effortless

Camilla shot him a look, but Tom only winked in response. They continued driving until Tom came to the very last lot in the community. One that toted the rawest acreage at a total of four.

Tom pulled the car over. “Do you want to go for a walk with me?”

“To do what, Tom?”

“Look around, I guess.”

“At what, trees?”

He laughed. “City brat.”

“Hey, I did grow up in Newport, thanks.”

“My bad.”

“Mmhmm. And don’t forget it.”

Tom chuckled, and turned off the engine. “Get out of the damn car, Cam.”

He exited the vehicle, and rested his arms on the roof while Camilla peered around once she too was out of the car. She bent down to pick up a couple of wildflowers growing just beyond the newly poured sidewalk.

Tom used her momentary distraction to grab an item out of the back of the car. He palmed the large blue tube, and shifted it from one hand to the other as he rounded the car.

Camilla glanced over her shoulder at him, and spied the item. “Is that … blueprints?”

“Maybe. Care to look inside for me?”

Tom offered the two foot long tube to her. Camilla cocked a single brow high as she plucked the tube from his outstretched hand. She cracked the seal open on the one end, and tipped the tube over to pull out the brand new set of blueprints that had been safely stored inside. Keeping one curious eye on him, she quickly unraveled the blueprints.

He waited, silent and still, as Camilla looked over the document. Plans for a three-level monster of a home. One with marble pillars supporting an overly large entrance, over-sized rooms made for royalty, and a grandiose foyer with not one, but two spiraling staircases leading to the upper levels of the home. Ten bedrooms. Twelve bathrooms. A six-door garage, and an indoor pool.

“Wow,” Camilla said. “This looks amazing, Tom.”

“You think?”

“Yeah, for sure. I love it. When did you have these done up?”

“A couple of months ago.”

After he spoke with her father at that business meeting, he grabbed up the last lot when his father brought the new community to his attention. He had put a rush on the building plans.

Tom wanted to show Camilla something tangible about their future, and that he wanted one with her.

Camilla turned around so that her back was facing Tom. She glanced between the spread out blueprints in her hands, and the raw land up ahead.

“Did you pick a spot for the house, yet?” she asked.

Tom strolled forward, and pulled another item from his inner jacket pocket. Keeping the small box hidden from Camilla’s view as he joined her side, he gestured to the far side of the lot where a small stake was sticking up. It had been painted bright orange so it was easy to see.

“Over there, actually.”

“Why there?”

“Because then our bedroom windows will face the rising sun in the morning. I know you like morning light when you’re getting ready for the day, and whatnot.”

Camilla turned to him with a question burning in her brown eyes, but Tom was already kneeling to the ground. Her gaze darted fast between his grin, and the black velvet box he had popped open. Resting in the middle of his palm, the box held his mother’s engagement ring. The three carat princess cut diamond rested on a crown of smaller diamonds on top of a white gold band.

“I know things are crazy sometimes, and we’re busy a lot,” Tom said.