Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“What time is your meeting?” Beck asked.
“Not until five-thirty. The shop closes at six.”
Beck looked around. “How many more do you have to make?”
“Not many more. Why?”
He wore a sexy smirk as he asked, “Can you slip away for an hour or so? I have something I want to show you. It’s a surprise.”
“A surprise! You know how I love those.”
Laughing, Beck nodded. “I do.”
The door to the workshop opened again, and Mackenzie walked in. She looked as if she’d just come back from a spa. Her cheeks were flushed, she wore a huge smile, and there was…something different about her. My mother and father walked in after her.
“It’s a busy day in here today.” Beck chuckled.
“What brings you guys by?” I asked, catching a glimpse of Emily, who was clearly trying to keep something to herself.
Mackenzie walked over to Bradly, who put his arm around her.
“Well, sis, we were hoping to talk to you about getting some flowers for a small get-together.”
My eyes scanned everyone, and I couldn’t help but notice how my mother seemed to be blinking back tears.
“What kind of get-together?” I asked.
Mackenzie held out her hand—and I saw the stunning round diamond solitaire on her finger. My hands covered my mouth to muffle the scream I let out at the same time Emily did.
Jerking my eyes to my brother, then back to Mackenzie, I yelled, “You’re getting married?!”
She laughed and nodded. I threw myself at my brother, then hugged my future sister-in-law after Emily stepped away, wiping tears from her eyes.
“My God! It’s about damn time!” I said, as I punched my brother on the shoulder.
Everyone laughed.
“When are we thinking of doing this?” I asked.
Bradly exhaled. “Not to sound like we don’t want a memorable wedding, but we’d like to make it rather quick, and then go on a honeymoon to Italy for about a month.”
My eyes went wide. “A month!”
Bradly gazed at Mackenzie, who was simply glowing. “I promised Mackenzie a trip to Italy.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away shyly.
“Just tell me and Emily what you guys want, and we’ll take care of everything.”
“Yes! The flowers are a done deal,” Emily added.
Mackenzie asked her sister, “Would you stand up with me as my bridesmaid?”
Emily started to cry again. “Yes, of course, I will!”
We spent the next few minutes talking about the wedding. Bradly and Mackenzie wanted to hold the ceremony in the barn on the farm, where they’d first met. It would be family only. They wanted to keep it as low-key as possible, with Mackenzie just buying a wedding gown off the rack, which was going to make Morgan have a heart attack.
“Can I be in the room when you tell Morgan about your dress? Please?” I asked.
Mackenzie giggled. “I’ll do you one better; you can actually tell her. I don’t even want to see the look on her face when she finds out.”
After some more planning, Beck took my hand and asked if we could slip away. I quickly said my goodbyes to everyone and followed Beck out to the Ford F-250 he’d bought not long after moving to Montana.
Before I got in, he handed me an eye mask.
Looking at the mask, then back to him in confusion, I asked, “What in the world is this for?”
“Surprise, remember?”
I giggled and allowed him to put it on me, then help me into the truck. Once he got in, I asked, “Do I get a hint?”
“No.”
“Beck! Come on.”
He laughed. “No, Avery. You need to wait. It will be worth it, I promise.”
It felt like Beck drove around forever before I heard the crunch of a gravel road. “Okay, we’re not in town.”
“No, we are not,” he said, turning off his truck.
I waited for him to come to my side. He opened the door and helped me out. “Let me get your jacket, since it’s a little chilly outside.”
Holding my arms out, I let Beck put the light jacket on me.
“Okay, now let me guide you, since the ground is a bit uneven.”
I could feel a bubble of excitement building up. Beck’s last surprise had been the workshop, and that had been a pretty massive surprise. I couldn’t imagine anything bigger than that.
He stood behind me and I fought the urge to lean against his body. Warm breath tickled the area under my ear as he whispered, “Are you ready, sweetheart?”
Bouncing on my toes, I nodded. “Yes! Take it off!”
I could feel his hands on the mask, then he started to lift it. When it was off, it took a second for my eyes to adjust…and I stared at the sight in front of me.
“Welcome to our future home, Avery.”
My eyes went wide as I took in the huge, surveyed area of what was clearly going to be a house.
“Our home?” I whispered, my shaky fingertips touching my mouth as my eyes scanned the area. “You put it in the spot your father wanted to build a house for your mother.”