AllFreeNovel
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She’s a vision, dressed in a black sweater and jeans, both from the closet in the guestroom in our apartment. All she packed for this weekend’s getaway were clothing pieces she’s had for years.
She’s been mindful of the brand representations she takes on. Since most of her time the past few weeks has been devoted to working as a contract ASL interpreter with Dr. Morgan and a colleague of his and spending time learning the inner workings of the restaurant with Marti, she’s cut back on her posting schedule.
“No,” I answer her honestly, even though she took the trip to California with me and caught me tearing up a time or two.
That was because I’d stumbled on a few belongings of my dad’s that are now proudly displayed in our apartment in New York. I brought a stone carving that he loved with us on this trip to start making our condo that overlooks Long Island Sound feel more like our home away from home.
“Romy is coming to Dominick’s wedding,” I tell her. “Dominick’s glad to have her working for Modica, so he wants her there.”
“It’s less than a week now until they get married.” She smiles. “I can’t wait to go back to Howerton House to the spot where you proposed.”
“We’ll dance the night away.” I smirk. “I’ll try and stay upright and keep my shoes on.”
“You do you, Daniel.” She wiggles her hips. “I’ll join right in because that’s what Lawtons do.”
I stop to tilt her chin up to kiss her lips.
“I’ll take another,” she whispers when we part. “Just like the first one.”
I deliver as requested with an extra tug on her bottom lip with my teeth.
“I love kissing you,” she confesses. “You have to be the best kisser on the planet.”
I take the compliment with a smile before I wrap an arm around her waist. With my free hand, I point toward the dock. “Something is waiting for us by the water.”
Her gaze follows the path of my finger. “What is it?”
“That officially belongs to you, baby.”
She looks at me before she glances at the sailboat with Leif aboard. It’s the same boat we were on when we shared our first kiss. “What belongs to me?”
I take her hand and lead her down the path toward the dock, all while she shifts her gaze from me to the boat that awaits us.
As we near, Leif raises a hand in greeting. “Mr. and Mrs. Lawton! It’s good to see you both.”
We’ve seen Leif twice since our second wedding. A ride on the boat has been a staple of our trips here, but today is different.
It’s taken some time and a fair bit of negotiation with my client, who owned the sailboat, but today, I can finally give my wife the gift I’ve longed to since our first honeymoon.
“Are you ready to board?” Leif asks.
I grin at him. “One minute, and we’ll be set.”
He nods before he wanders off to grant us an extra moment of privacy on the dock.
“What’s going on?” Gina tugs on the front of the gray sweater I’m wearing. “Daniel, tell me.”
“You have given me the greatest gift a man could ever wish for, Gina,” I say with emotion lacing my tone. “This is a small way of showing you how much you mean to me.”
I skirt around her to grab the bottle of champagne encased in gold mesh netting sitting on the dock. I extend a hand, offering it to her.
She glances at it before her brows pinch together in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
I take a step to the left, hoping she’ll follow. She does.
I grab her hand to wrap it around the neck of the bottle before I cover it with mine. “It’s time to christen your new boat, Mrs. Lawton.”
“This is our boat?” Her hand jumps to cover her mouth. “We can’t smash that against the boat, Daniel. That has to be a bad idea.”
