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“Wow, that’s … wow.” Rian exhales on a whistle. “This is good then, yes?”
“It is.”
Her expression is soft and hopeful, which is reassuring. “So does that mean you’re staying here? In the Hamptons, I mean?”
I feel like a bobble head with all the nodding. “Yeah. I, uh, put my penthouse on the market.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Oh? When?”
“A few weeks ago. It’s already sold, which brings me to the thing I did that I don’t want you to get mad at me for.” I turn my head and clear my throat. “So I know you said you didn’t need the Mission Mansion.”
Rian’s eyebrows furrow as confusion turns to understanding and then disbelief. “Tell me you did not buy the Mansion.” And there’s the anger I was expecting.
Rian likes to do things on her own. She’s strong and independent and fierce, which is why I’m so hopelessly in love with her. Buying her the Mansion and presenting it as a gift was never going to fly, so I had to figure out how to frame it so she gets that it’s not a gift—well, not exactly. “I can’t tell you that.”
She purses her lips. “You can’t buy me a mansion, Pierce.”
“I don’t think the bank is going to give me a refund.” I raise my hands when she opens her mouth. “Just hear me out before you get upset. Or more upset. I didn’t buy it just for you. I mean, yeah, you’re clearly one of the reasons I bought it, but it’s more than that. Selling my penthouse freed up a lot of money, and I need a project and a place to live, especially now that you’ve sold this one.” I motion to the deck we’re currently sitting on.
“So you thought you needed more than eight thousand square feet of rundown living space?”
“It’s a smart move, Rian. I can fix it and live in it, and when it’s done, if you decide you don’t want me to keep it, then I can sell it and probably get twice what I paid for it. But if you decide maybe you don’t want to get rid of it, then we could turn it into a B and B like you talked about. Like we talked about. It could be ours, and we could do it together.”
I can’t read her expression, and it’s unnerving. I take her hand in mine and lick my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. God, I really hope she’s ready for this. “Look, Rian, this has been the best summer of my life, particularly the past month. Being here with you, working on this project with you, being part of it, this is what I want. I have all the things I love right here, and I don’t want to give that up, and I didn’t want you to have to give up a dream if you didn’t have to.”
“That’s a lot of money to spend on my dream.”
“Well, it can be our dream now, can’t it?”
A hint of a smile appears. “What about Lawson?”
“He knows this is my plan and that I wanted to do this on my own.”
“And he’s okay with that?”
“He has plenty to keep him busy.”
Rian props her chin on her fist. “I can’t just leave Marley.”
“I talked to her too.”
Rian’s eyes flare. “What?”
“I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. She thinks it’s smart too. It’s a huge house; there are plenty of outbuildings. There are lots of options. We don’t have to settle on any one decision right now.”
“Wait. So Marley already knows you bought the Mansion?”
“She knew I was going to put in an offer.”
“I can’t believe she didn’t tell me!”
“Well, to be fair, I asked her not to, and there really wasn’t a guarantee that I was going to get it, so…”
Rian huffs a laugh. “You know, most boyfriends buy their girlfriends flowers and jewelry, not mansions.”
“I did the flowers thing, so I got that part right. I think we both know I’m not most boyfriends, and like I said, I needed a project. Besides, this seemed like a pretty foolproof way to get you to move in with me.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “You’re a little crazy, you know that?”
“Crazy in love with you.” I kiss her, but pull back before either one of us can deepen it. “So that’s a yes, right? You and me. Nightly snuggles, waking up beside each other every morning. Cinnamon roll French toast. Me driving you nuts. Naked Sundays. You in?”
She smiles up at me, eyes soft and warm. “How can I say no to that?”
“I told you we had something, didn’t I?” I stand and hold out a hand.
“You did. Many, many times.” Rian slips her palm in mine and lets me pull her up.
I tug her toward the house. “Come on, it’s almost Sunday, we should get a head-start on the naked part.”
EPILOGUE
CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH SURPRISES
PIERCE
One year later
“Can we make a quick stop on the way home? I just remembered a few things we need.”
“Sure.” Rian looks up from her phone, head tipped a little to the side. “Everything okay?”
“Yup. Yes. Everything’s fine.”
Her eyes narrow the tiniest bit. I suck at keeping secrets. Especially from Rian.
“Are you sure? Because you’ve been all kinds of sketch today.”
“I haven’t been sketch today.” I most definitely have.
I’ve been trying to get Rian home all afternoon, but it’s been stop after stop in little antiques shops to pick up whatever decorative thing she falls in love with. Rian sometimes likes to take a hundred dollars with her and see how far she can make it go. Today the trunk of the Tesla is full of her kitschy, fun treasures for the Mission Mansion, which we converted into a bed-and-breakfast as planned. We also live on the property, in one of the newly renovated outbuildings. The past year has been incredible, and I’m hoping to make the rest of the ones ahead of us just as amazing.
“You’re all…” She gestures at me. “Sketch.”
“You’re imagining things.” I keep my eyes on the road because if I look directly at her, there’s a good chance I’m going to give myself away and then my whole plan will go up in flames.
“I don’t think I am, but if you’re committed to pretending you’re not being all weird today, then have at it.”
I grin, despite the way my stomach is all knotted up and how sweaty my palms are. I turn right into the parking lot.
Rian frowns as she takes in our location. “What are we doing here?”
“I need a few things.” I pull into an empty spot by the front doors.
“From here? Why not stop somewhere closer to home?”
“Because here has what I need and it’s on the way.” I open the driver’s side door, expecting her to do the same, except she just sits there. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
“I figured I could wait in the car.”
She sure isn’t making this easy for me. “I could use your help.”
I get another arched brow, but she unbuckles her seat belt. I pat my jacket pocket, making sure I have my wallet and the other important and necessary item. When we get inside the store, I grab a cart and hand Rian a basket. As expected, she heads directly for the cereal aisle, as if drawn to it by some invisible, magnetic force.
“Hey, I thought I’d make cinnamon roll French toast tomorrow morning. Can you head over to the bakery aisle and get what we need for that?”
