Page 61 of Written with Love

Chapter Eighteen

The next few days flew by quickly. While Juliette spent her days focused on filming the crews, he worked on emptying the basement with the help of Palmer.

In the evenings, while Juliette edited footage, he continued to work on his project in his newly put together office.

All he was missing was a comfortable sofa and a large rug.

Juliette had surprised him with a painting of the lighthouse in oil by Alison Jordan, Iian’s famous wife. Her paintings were highly sought after and, from the looks of it, this one was one of a kind. It fit perfectly above the new mantel.

Juliette had helped him turn every newly remodeled space into a home. She hung some other paintings that she’d found in the barn on the walls. Magically, somehow, most of them matched the colors they had picked out.

They had dragged the nicer furniture into each room when it was completed and had even gone shopping for new mattresses for the bedrooms.

Since he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with the rest of the basement, he used it as storage for the furniture they planned on using in the rest of the place.

Some of the more distressed pieces they had sold to Lilly and Riley down at Classy and Sassy. He’d traded a few pieces for other items they needed, like a very large mirror that he hung in their bathroom above the double sinks.

Juliette had moved one of mirrors they’d replaced into the powder room and another to the top of the stairs.

She even filled a couple old vases she found with fresh flowers from the flower garden he hadn’t known was tucked behind the barn.

The place not only looked like home but it smelled like it. Even now, as he worked on his laptop, the warm, rich smell of baking cookies floated into his office.

A half an hour later she walked in with a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a large glass of almond milk. After the first bite, he blurted out, “Marry me.”

She chuckled and then placed a kiss on his lips. “Okay.”

“Really?” He perked up.

“Sure.” She squeezed his shoulder. “I will the moment you find me the Ocean’s Heart.” She looked at her hand and sighed. “Or did you forget that you promised someone else you’d find it?”

He pulled her into his lap and kissed her. “For you, anything.”

“What are you working on?” she asked when she pulled back.

He quickly shut his computer screen before she could get a look at it. “Something I don’t want to share with you just yet.”

“Okay.” She pouted slightly. “When it’s done?” He nodded in agreement. “When will that be?” she asked.

“Soon.” He kissed her again and then took another bite of his cookie. “Best cookies I’ve ever had.”

She laughed. “I told you. Oh.” She pulled back and pulled a locket out from under her shirt. “I found this in my things the other day.”

He looked down at it and ran his fingers over the gold locket. “It’s pretty.”

She shifted on his lap and opened it. “I found this when I was twelve.” Her eyes met his. “In the rose garden just outside that window.” She motioned to his windows. “Read this. I thought you could use it for… whatever.” She smiled as she opened the locket and handed him a very small piece of paper.

He read the text out loud.

“Where the tides carry our laughter and the wind holds our secrets, love will always remain—tucked away where the earth meets the sea. Love H.”

His eyes jerked up to hers. “Wow, this is… thanks.” He set the love note down by his computer and kissed her. “Are you done for the night?” he asked her, wanting to take her into the bedroom.

“No, I was going to head into the restaurant. Sophia isn’t feeling well, and she asked me to cover her shift tonight.”

He groaned softly. “Then I have a few more hours I can work.” He motioned to the computer. “Let me know when you get there and when you’re on your way home.” He kissed her again and then let her crawl out of his lap.

“I’ll set the alarm when I leave,” she told him. She left and he opened his laptop and got back to work on his secret project.