Page 60 of Falling Stars (Wild at Heart #2)
MAVERICK
“Is this really necessary?” Bay asks as she touches the bandana wrapped around her eyes.
“Yes. Now stop whining.” I pat her ass. “The surprise is better this way. Any idea what it is?” I can’t believe my plan worked out, but I’m starting to learn that when things are meant to be, they fit together like puzzle pieces.
She shakes her head. “We only drove a few minutes, and that wasn’t long enough to go into town. Are we having a picnic?”
“Nope.” Not today at least, but as I look across the horizon, I imagine we’ll have a few picnics here.
Baylee takes a few more guesses. They’re all wrong, of course. I chuckle as I stand behind her.
We don’t have a lot of time. Paige is watching Leo while he naps. Bay didn’t want to leave him, which is understandable given what he went through, but Bay eventually agreed that leaving him with Paige felt safe. So here we are.
I lean close and whisper, “This isn’t a done deal yet, but I’m hoping we can close quickly.” I turn her in my arms and remove her blindfold. “What do you think? ”
She blinks into the bright sun. That adorable crinkle forms between her brows. “Are we at the Three Oaks Farm?”
“Yup.”
“I thought they were selling this place.”
“They are.” I dangle some keys in front of her eyes. “Care for a tour?”
“Mav,” she says slowly. “Why do you have the keys to the Ferguson farm?”
“It won’t belong to the Fergusons for long.
You see, when you talked about wanting to live in a house, something with some land, I realized I did too.
The condo is great, and it’ll bring in good rental income, but I was thinking you and I might do better in a place like this.
Rhett said he’ll give us a chunk of land too, but I didn’t want to wait around to build a house. ”
She swallows. “Are you saying… are you saying that you’re buying this?”
“I like to think that we’re buying it—you and I. ’Cause someday, what’s mine will be yours and vice versa. Now, if you don’t like it, we don’t have to?—”
She flings her arms around my neck. “I love it! Oh my God! Are you serious?”
Laughing, I pick her up and swing her around.
Shit, I’m probably not ready for that yet, but fuck it.
I don’t have to rehab for football anymore.
I squeeze her tight and ignore the pinch in my shoulder and the minor wave of dizziness that follows.
“I wanna build a home with you, Bay. We can fill up these bedrooms with our babies and laughter. What do you say?”
“Yes! Let’s do it!”
“I remembered you liked this house, and since it’s basically across the street from Paige, I figured it was a no-brainer. There’s even a casita in the back if your mom wants to visit. Or, hell, she can move in if she wants. There’s enough room.”
After I unlock the front door, I lace my fingers through hers and give her the grand tour. “Some of this is outdated, but I thought it would be fun to renovate the house together, take it room by room.”
“We don’t have to renovate. I love the old farmhouse vibe.”
I chuckle. “You might feel differently when you see the wallpaper in the master bathroom.”
After we tour all the rooms, we stand on the back porch.
Crickets hum in the background as a cool breeze blows through.
I point out the tree where we can put up a swing.
I ask her if she’d like a garden or chickens.
There’s a small barn where we can house a couple of horses.
And out back? There’s a world of possibilities for what we can do with the rest of our land.
As we stand together, surveying the property, there’s nothing I’d love to do more than drop to one knee and pop the question. I realize we haven’t been back in each other’s lives very long, but when you know, you know. And Baylee’s it for me.
Except she’s had a tough week, and I don’t wanna overwhelm her.
But that proposal? It’s coming.