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Lotsof roses, if I had to guess.
“Pyotr,” I say around a light laugh. “Come on, where are you taking me?”
“Just a few more steps,” he promises me, his voice a low chuckle in my ear.
“This isn’t going to end up being a hike, is it? It’d be cruel to force your pregnant wife to march a long distance when she’s only a few weeks away from her due date.”
“Trust me, lyubimaya. I would never do that to you.”
“Are we there yet?”
“Yes, we are.”
I have to blink a few times once his hands fall away, too stunned at what lies before us for my brain to comprehend what’s going on. We’re facing a field under a pergola in which every square inch is covered in vases full of freshly cut roses. It’s practically a sea of red petals, the sweet floral scent filling my nose.
But what captures my attention isn’t the thoughtful display, but the grey Trakehner waiting patiently by a nearby post. My eyes immediately swell with tears, my elated heart practically seizing in my chest.
“Polina!” I all but shriek, rushing over to my long-lost mare.
I pat her nuzzle and stroke her mane. I honestly never thought I’d see her again. It’s been almost a year since I was forced to leave her. I’m so grateful Violetta didn’t go through with her promise to sell Polina for horse meat.
I turn back to Pyotr and find him smiling. “How did you… When did…Oh my God!”
“Are you happy?”
“Happy? Pyotr, I’m over the moon!”
“I’m sorry it took so long,” he says. “I wanted to surprise you earlier, but it turns out there’s a lot of paperwork when it comes to transporting animals of the equine variety.”
I can’t stop myself from smiling. “I’m really curious to know what your search history looks like.”
He chuckles. “Don’t ask.”
“Do you want to pet her?”
Pyotr steps forward cautiously, eyeing Polina suspiciously. “She’s not going to bite my fingers off, is she?”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Not as long as you’re careful.” I take my husband’s hand and bring it up to Polina’s neck, showing him how to pet her just the way she likes. “Thank you, Pyotr. This is honestly so amazing.”
“Don’t thank me just yet. I have something else planned for you.”
“You mean there’smore?”
He gestures behind him toward a table I hadn’t noticed. It’s covered in little tea lights, their flames flickering against the inky black of the evening sky. A bottle of sparkling apple juice and two dinner plates have been set on the table.
Like a gentleman, Pyotr pulls out my chair and helps me take a seat. I’m smiling so hard my cheeks are starting to hurt.
As he pours me a glass of apple juice, I ask, “So, what’s the occasion?”
“Do I need an occasion to spoil my wife?”
“I suppose not. It’s just that it’s so out of the blue.”
“Once the baby arrives, we won’t have a lot of time with just the two of us,” he says gently. “So I figured why not?”
“Well, consider me pleasantly surprised.”
When he smiles at me, there’s nothing but adoration in his dark eyes. I wish I never had to blink so I could savor his expression forever. Pyotr is the only man I’ve ever loved, and grand gestures like these remind me he’s not all scowls and business. My husband is a loving man, and I have no doubt he’ll also be a doting father. I savor every single one of his smiles, especially the ones for me and me alone.
