Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Try to look surprised. Your housemates are really invested in this party. So’s Ginny. She’s downstairs, helping Yolanda and JoJo put together the biggest charcuterie board I’ve ever seen.”
“I love the fact that she’s become such close friends with those two.”
“Me, too.”
After he replaced his wet T-shirt with a dry one, he playfully pushed me onto my back on the bed. I was grinning as he climbed on top of me and kissed me. Then he dropped onto the mattress, and I rolled onto my side facing him and whispered, “I love you so much, Mal.”
“I love you, too. With all my heart.” He kissed me again and said, “Which is why there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“What do you think about moving in together? We already spend every night together, either here or at my hotel, but I want to make it official.”
“I was getting ready to ask you the same thing! As much as I love it here, you and I need a place of our own.”
“We do. That’s why I want to buy us a house. After all that time living in hotels, I’m ready for a home, someplace where we can put down roots.”
“That would be amazing. I’d love to find one with a space we could turn into a cozy writing studio, for the two of us. And of course, we’d need a music room, for a piano and your other instruments.”
“Definitely.”
“What’s on your wish list?”
“A big kitchen,” he said, “so we can cook together.”
“You don’t cook.”
“I know, but you can teach me. We should make sure it has a yard too, for the dog.”
I flashed him a smile and joked, “We don’t have a dog, unless that’s what’s in that little gift bag.”
“We’re definitely getting a dog, since we both love them.” We sat up, and he handed me the bag. “This isn’t a dog, as it turns out. It goes with the theme of your party, but I wanted to give it to you in private.”
I pulled the tissue paper out of the bag and opened the box inside. It contained the same beautiful pen he’d tried to give me when we first met. “You kept it.”
“Of course I did. I also had it engraved.”
I picked up the pen and read the inscription, which said: To Daniel, my favorite author. I love you, and I believe in you. Mal.
I threw my arms around him and whispered, “This is so special. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, baby.”
“When did you have it engraved?”
“The week after we got back from Canada. Then I decided to hold on to it and give it to you when you published your first book, to mark the occasion.”
A lump formed in my throat. “But we were so new then, as a couple. Plus, I hadn’t done anything yet with my writing. You didn’t know if I would.”
“Yes, I did. Like it says in the inscription, I believe in you. I believe in us, too. I always have, and I always will.”
As we held each other, I could see it all so clearly—our future home, the life we were going to build, and so much love. Mal and I were going to write such a beautiful story together.
The End