Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
“Okay,” I told him. “I’ve showed you the hot tub and the pool, but I haven’t showed you my favorite part of my backyard yet.” I grabbed a big, old blanket from the linen closet, draping it over my arm.
As we headed outside, Jamie hummed. “This is still my favorite thing about Southern California,” he said. “It’s still winter, and we can go on a nighttime stroll. Try doing this in Colorado.”
“If we wore ski gear, we could do it in Colorado.”
Jamie snorted. “I kind of miss my marshmallow days. I really fell in love with Colorado.”
“I love it there, too.”
I took his hand in mine, taking him past the glowing blue light of my pool. We rounded the deck and went onto the small stone path that led behind a cluster of trees, tucking downward toward the edge of the yard.
“Wow,” Jamie said softly. “I didn’t even know this part of the yard went on further.”
“Just a little bit,” I said. “It’s tucked away back here, like my own little oasis in the middle of the city.”
The path zigzagged just a little, past palm trees, acacias, and coral trees. Little lights dotted the edges of the path until we found the small, oval-shaped clearing of grass, surrounded by trees, shrubs, and flowers. One edge of the grassy area was clear of foliage on the back end, and a little view of the lights of the city below shone through.
“Holy shit,” Jamie murmured as he saw the view, taking in the sights of the city below. “I can’t believe you didn’t show me this when I first visited.”
“I was too busy doing other things with you,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Doing things to you, and with you, and all over you…”
He hummed, turning to press a slow kiss to my lips. I turned and spread the blanket onto the grass, smoothing it out so we could sit.
“Okay, so you’re not Batman, but you’re still very cool,” Jamie said, looking down at the view of the city lights again. “You have your own little private view of Los Angeles.”
“And I don’t come up here nearly enough,” I said as we both sat down on the blanket.
“Why the hell not?”
My heart clenched for a moment, an unexpected mix of emotions rolling through me. “Because of that tree, mostly,” I said, pointing toward one that was on the edge of the grass. “It’s one of the oldest trees on this property. Some kind of oak. I used to think a treehouse would go great in that tree.”
“A treehouse would be amazing in that tree,” Jamie agreed.
“I used to think about adopting kids, and having a custom treehouse built right there. The kind of thing that used to captivate me as a kid.”
“Why’d you stop thinking about it?”
I glanced downward. “Obvious reasons.”
“Parker,” Jamie said, his voice bitter. “Fucking Parker.”
I pulled in a deep breath, the scent of fresh grass in the air. “It just seemed like it was completely off the table, after all of the shit that went down. I knew I didn’t want to raise kids alone, even if I had the means to do it. I just always pictured doing it with someone. In a true partnership, you know?”
The air between us felt charged now, and I knew it was my fault. Without even meaning to, I’d brought up a capital-B Big Subject, and I couldn’t take the words back now.
But Jamie just scooted over on the blanket, leaning against me and resting his head on my shoulder.
“I understand,” he said softly. “It really would be a great treehouse tree, though. Maybe one day there really will be little kiddos around here, taking in the view and climbing up the coolest treehouse ever. Lucky as hell kids, by the way.”
My heart settled quickly. Of course Jamie understood. And he hadn’t made anything awkward, even though he and I were a long, long ways away from starting to talk about serious things like kids.
“Thank you,” I told him, reaching over to put an arm around him and running my fingers through his impossibly soft hair.
“You know you can talk to me about anything,” he offered. “Even stuff that might seem off-limits. I trust you, Landry.”
“I trust you, too,” I told him. “I do want to talk about anything and everything with you, but for the first time in my life, I don’t feel rushed. I don’t feel like I have to speed to some finish line and check off a bunch of life goal boxes with you.”
“I was thinking that same thing earlier tonight,” Jamie mused. “When you said you were my boyfriend I could have melted into a puddle right there. But in my heart, I already knew.”
My heart did a little backflip. “Exactly.”
A breeze moved through the air, rustling the leaves in the trees. Jamie and I rested back onto the blanket, looking up at the stars—or what we could see of the stars, here in LA.