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“It’s so soon.” Like him, I was whispering, terrified that if I spoke too loudly, I’d discover this was all a dream.
Next to me, he shrugged before tugging me closer. “And yet not nearly soon enough.”
“True.” It had been a whirlwind month for sure, but in other ways, this moment had been years in the making. And I couldn’t deny the truth in my own heart. “I love you too. Maybe it’s not too soon. But it’s still scary.”
“Terrifying.” He gave a strained chuckle. “I wanted to tell you all week. Couldn’t find the right words.”
“I think you just did.” I stretched to kiss his cheek. “You said you want to make my dreams come true. You really want to help me work on this house?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’ve got years in construction know-how itching for a project like this. There’s only so much I can do to my place. But more than that, I want to see the inside of this house, and I want you to tell me stories about your grandparents. And I want to hear all your design specifications for everything.”
“I’ve got a few ideas.”
“I know you do.” He laughed knowingly. “A project like this where I don’t have to make all the decisions on my own, that sounds nice.”
“My very own contractor I could boss around certainly has its appeal.” The wind whipped around us, but my insides had never been toastier. Paul kissed my head again before moving toward the For Sale sign and removing all the white papers from the box. “What are you doing?”
“Shh.” He put a finger to his lips. “You don’t need a bidding war. Call first thing. Heck, text tonight. A lot of realtors don’t sleep or take New Year’s off.”
“You’re really serious about doing this.” I shook my head. His eyes were gleaming and the spring in his step as he returned to my side certainly looked genuine.
“I’m all in, Gideon.” Standing in front of me, fist full of papers, he gazed deep into my eyes. “I don’t know how else to tell you. I don’t care about it being too soon or moving too fast. Life is short.”
“I know.” I reached out to cup his face with my gloved hand. “I’m in too. I’m terrified. I worry this will slip away. But I’m in.”
“It’s not going to slip away if we both hold it tight.” He leaned into my hand, the pressure of his chin a welcome reminder this wasn’t a dream. This was real life, and I couldn’t let this chance pass me by simply because I was scared.
“Let’s go for it.” Dropping my hand, I strode away from him, each step seeming to carry me closer to the real dream, which was him. The exact details were murky, but that was okay. There would be time enough to work out questions like who would live where and when. What mattered most was a future together. But the house sure would be nice, so to that end, I quickly stashed the For Sale sign behind an overgrown hedge.
“That’s rather devious.” Paul grinned at me.
“I love you.” I said the words stronger now, more definitively. If Paul, who had been through so much, could find his way back to hope and be this brave, then so could I.
“Good.” He kissed me soundly on the mouth before resuming our trek toward our houses. “It’s freezing. You better love me enough to warm me up before you start in with your list-making.”
“This project is going to need a new spreadsheet.” My voice was teasing, but my growing enthusiasm also shone through. “Maybe multiple ones. With colors.”
“Gideon…” Paul warned.
“But the list can wait.” I took his hand as we neared our driveway and swung it. “First things first.”
“Gideon?” Paul used my hand to pull me flush against him.
“Yeah?” I was breathless from a lot more than the cold.
“I really can’t wait to see your plan. I mean it. I want all your dreams to come true.”
“Our plan,” I corrected him. “If you’re all in on doing it together, it needs to be our plan. Not just mine. Not just you doing me a favor. Or me bossing you around. Both of us. Together. Our plan.”
“I like that.” His voice was as soft as his expression as he claimed me for a tender kiss unlike any that had come before it. More than the meeting of lips, this was a promise. Behind us, our houses sparkled, lights still up. Tomorrow, we’d finally get around to taking the decorations down. Or not. We had a future to plan.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
It’s that time of year again! Make sure you see Gideon about our lighting theme of Home for the Holidays and to get on the schedule for manning the donations tent. And we’re trying to beat the snow! Contact Paul Frost about next weekend’s cleanup effort for the green space. We got a donation of donuts, so come hungry! ~Cheryl Bridges posted to the What’s Up Neighbor App
Paul
“Hark the herald angels sing…” Music filtered out of the open bedroom window. I paused, lighting hooks in one hand, roll of clear lights in the other, feet straddling two sections of roof.
