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“I wish you had.” The truth, simple but loaded with trouble if it had come to pass, flies from my mouth, too fast to stop.
He takes my hand and entwines our fingers. “Me too.”
Oliver’s warm, soft lips graze my knuckles while his gaze takes in everything around us, finally landing on the partially drawn curtains. “Do you have a balcony?”
“Uh-huh.”
He springs to his feet and drags me to the door. “Let’s see.”
The latch is unlocked, door opened, and my sock-covered feet hit the cold deck before I can protest. I shiver. “Oliver, it’s chilly.”
“A little.” He drops my hand and heads back inside. “I’ll fix that.”
“What are you doing?”
I watch him gather pillows, the comforter, and additional blankets. He beams at me, his arms loaded with bedding.
My heart stops.
Everything around us fades away except the two of us. My ears fill with the steady pounding of my heart as I’m taken back to our childhood. To all the times Oliver and I trudged across my backyard with pillows, sleeping bags, and snacks to sleep in the treehouse Pop built for me. And of course, it became Percy’s as well once she came along.
In slow motion, as if we’ve traveled back in time, he pushes the loungers together and drapes the bedding across them. I can’t help but think we’re in the treehouse. Only, we aren’t.
“Wren, come here.” His voice is throaty and full of tenderness.
His arm shoots out, hand reaching for mine, and I don’t hesitate to go to him. He guides me onto the bedding and slides in next to me.
He wraps me in his arms and angles my head onto his chest and says, “I like it out here. It reminds me of the treehouse.”
“Me too.”
“Only thing is there’s no roof. Although it isn’t supposed to rain tonight so we should be good.”
“We’re going to sleep out here?” I lift my head and gaze through the glass sliding door into my bedroom. “It’s warmer in there and my bed is really comfy.”
He chuckles and slides down until we’re almost face-to-face. “We practically spent every night of our summers sleeping outside in the treehouse.”
“True. But we were also much younger and it was summer.”
“Hey, Tyler, what happened to your sense of adventure?” His nose, a little chilled, nuzzles into the crook of my neck and causes me to shudder.
I scoff and pull back to look at him. “I know how to have fun and adventure with the best of them. If we’re sleeping out here, let me go get changed…” I twist to get up but he holds me in place, not saying anything. “Hey, Twist, I need to put on my parka.”
He barks out a laugh and clambers to his feet. His hands latch onto my waist and bring me with him. We amble inside to get ready for bed.
Once inside, he picks up the duffel bag he brought from beside my bed and pulls some clothes out of it. I’m more impressed with his forethought than worried about his intentions. This is Oliver.
After we dress in warmer clothes and brush our teeth, we venture back outside. It’s darker and somewhat cooler, and the blankets where we once lay are now ice cold.
Oliver leaves the sliding door open a touch in case either the dog or cat want to brave the outside before slipping underneath the blanket beside me. My animals stare at us like we’re fools from their oversized bed at the foot of mine.
“Thanks for agreeing to sleep outside.” He kisses my cheek and slides an arm around my shoulders.
“I’m glad you’re here and we’re doing this. It’s a beautiful night.” I gaze up at the starry sky and it’s all true.
I am thrilled to have Oliver in my house and neither rain nor snow would stop me from being out here on my balcony with him.
“It sure is.” He doesn’t look up. His gaze remains fixed on me, and I snuggle into him.
