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“What was it you said a few minutes ago about not being too quick to say you understand something before you actually do?”
She cocked her head and smirked.“Yes?”
“I’m not opposed to leaving London.Not at all, actually.”
“Would you like to take a look at it?”
“Love to.When?”
“I don’t know.Whenever it’s convenient.”
I looked at my watch.“Would an hour from now be considered convenient?”
George beamed.“You really want to go now?”
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.Well, except take you back to bed, of course.”
“Rest assured there are beds at Woburn House.Several, in fact.”
My eyes opened wide.“Woburn House?”
George put her hand on mine.“Yes, although not to be confused with Woburn Castle.”
“I’m familiar with both.”
“If you’d rather not?—”
I stood and pulled her up with me.“I’d rather.”
Once again, George beamed, melting my heart.
23
GEORGE
I’d spent years wanting to be with Z, and now that we were together—as brief as it was thus far—it seemed…easy.The sex alone was mind-blowing.It was more than that, though.We just got on.
I was reminded of something my mum had said to me years ago.I was a teenager at the time, fresh out of a breakup and quite melancholy about it.
She sat me down and told me a story about when she met my father.She said she realized quite quickly that every other relationship she’d been in was a struggle.I clearly remembered her saying that from their first date, things between her and my father were the opposite.She no longer felt the push and pull she’d experienced previously.“This is the part I want you to heed, Leighton.Relationships are work, yes, but they shouldn’t feel like a constant battle of wits.”
I recalled thinking my mum was quite naive or perhaps not looking at her relationship with my father realistically.Thinking back on it, though, I’d never seen the two in a heated argument.What I’d witnessed were discussions.Some had ended in agreeing to disagree, but they were always respectful.
Perhaps for Z and me, it was more the maturity that came with age.Maybe it was that we’d spent so much time pining for each other that we appreciated every moment.
When Z asked me to marry him, he’d prefaced it by saying I may find what he was about to say premature.I hadn’t.Not in the slightest.When he’d asked, I didn’t hesitate to tell him I’d marry him.Even now, it felt so natural, so perfect—so right.
Time would tell, of course, but whenever I looked into his eyes, I saw love.
“You’re deep in thought,” he said, reaching over to cover my hand with his on our drive to Woburn House.
“Thinking about how happy I am.”
He grinned, brought my hand to his lips, and kissed my palm.“As am I.Brilliantly so.”He cleared his throat.“There is one thing I want to discuss with you.It’s about Christmas.”
I turned to face him.“Go on.”
“I’d planned to spend it at the ranch in Texas.Quint and Decker both live there with their families.Actually, Decker’s ranch is adjacent, but I digress.It’s something we talked about several weeks ago.Wren and Wilder intend to bring Katherine.It will be the first time we’re all together as a family in several years.”
