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Bailey nodded. “Lots of wood in this one, so I hope you like it!”
“Oh, definitely. It’s so warm and welcoming!” Morgan laced her fingers with mine and we walked from the open foyer to the large living room.
Bailey walked ahead of us, pointing out its features. “It’s big enough for a sectional sofa, as you can see. The living and dining rooms are all one open space, but you could make this another sitting area if you wanted to, since the kitchen is big enough for a small dining table.”
“I like the idea of doing a separate little sitting area,” Morgan said as we walked farther into the house.
Large, plank-wood floors ran throughout. The crown molding was also wood, adding to the warm feeling of the house.
“Now,” Bailey said, “the kitchen is my favorite part. Knotty alder wood for all the cabinets and a farm-style sink. Look at all this room!”
I nodded. “It’s a big kitchen, for sure.”
“The cabinets are stunning,” Morgan agreed. “And the granite’s just as beautiful.”
We toured the rest of the house with its three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. Everything about the place was stunning, and I could tell Morgan really liked it.
“It’s a three-minute drive to the boutique for you, Morgan, and about fifteen minutes to Ryan’s horse farm.”
Morgan and I had been staying at my place over the barn at my parents’ ranch. The only time she’d gone back into the apartment over the boutique was to pack up all her things. Rose mentioned that once she was out of school, she’d be interested in renting it. I think Lincoln was honestly hoping we would stay in the guest house for good, but my folks’ ranch was closer to town than the Shaw’s place.
“And they’re open to going month to month after the first year’s lease is up?” I asked.
Bailey nodded. “Yes. I told the homeowners you were in the process of looking for land and were going to have a house built at some point. They are more than happy to accommodate that. And if you want to get a dog, they’re fine with that as well. The lawn is a great size for it. And I don’t have to mention the view of the valley and the Bitterroot Mountains.”
Morgan looked at me and smiled. “Do you like it?”
I nodded. “I do. I like it a lot. It’s a lot of room, but I’d rather have more than we need than not enough.”
Bouncing on her toes, Morgan asked, “So it’s a yes?”
I grinned at how excited she was. “It’s a yes.”
Morgan threw her arms around my neck and squealed in delight. I couldn’t help but laugh. I loved seeing my carefree girl back again. I’d missed her.
Bailey smiled. “I assume I can tell the owners you want to take the house?”
“Yes!” we said in unison.
“Wonderful! Let’s get back to the office and draw up the lease. Once everything is all set, you can move in anytime.”
Morgan spun around and gave me the biggest grin I’d ever seen. If I could put that same look on her face every day for the rest of our lives, I would be the happiest man in the world.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
MORGAN
Everyone in the design studio was buzzing with excitement. We were T-minus three weeks until Georgiana and Blayze’s wedding, and today was the last day of fittings for the bridesmaids’ dresses that I’d designed.
Rose, Lily, Avery, and Lady Mary—or simply Mary, as we called her—were all busy getting changed.
“We’re coming out!” Avery, the youngest of the group, shouted.
My mother, Kaylee, Timberlynn, and Merit all sat on the sofa and chairs as they waited for their daughters. Since I’d asked them to send Lily out first, Timberlynn stood and came to stand next to me.
“I’m so excited to see these dresses!” she exclaimed as she hugged me—then gasped at the sight of her daughter. Lily went to school at Montana State and had been gone all summer for a study abroad program in Europe, so it was nice having her back home. At least until she headed back to Bozeman for school at the end of summer.
“Oh my goodness,” Timberlynn whispered as a chorus of oohhs and ahhhs came from behind me.
“Lily Hope, you look breathtaking,” Grams said from the doorway, and everyone turned to see her walking into the room.
“Stella! You made it,” Lincoln said, standing to hug my grandmother.
“I’m sorry I was late. Did I miss anyone?”
“Nope,” I said as I turned Lily so she could look at herself in the mirrors.
Smiling, she said, “It makes me look like I have boobs!”
Laughter erupted while I adjusted the cutout maxi dress. Georgiana had picked out a blush chiffon fabric with a tiny sage green and pink flower pattern. It wasn’t overbearing at all with the pattern only adding to the beauty of the dress. When I’d suggested making one of the dresses with an exposed midriff, Georgiana had loved the idea. The bodice of Lily’s dress had spaghetti straps, with the front middle attached to the full-length shirred skirt, allowing a bit of her midriff to show. Her lower back was exposed, giving the dress a bit of a sexy vibe.
