Long Hard Road (Crestwood Valley)

31. Madison

Six Months Later

“From the perspective of a woman who has been almost kidnapped, can I just say that the blindfolded perp walk is a bit extreme?” I blinked against the thick fabric as my feet shuffled forward.

Nate was behind me, chest at my back and hands firmly gripping my arms. “Just trust me, angel. You are going to love this.”

“I usually do whenever you get out a blindfold,” I joked.

“Mind out of the gutter, babe.” He squeezed my arms and pulled me to a stop. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

This had become a regular occurrence since moving into Nate’s house. Every week or two he had some new surprise for me. Most of the time, I would stumble upon it as I went through my daily routine. The espresso machine he bought for me when he learned that I loved lattes just appeared in our kitchen on a random Tuesday morning. A jewelry box he built for me when he saw me putting my jewelry in a plastic container in a drawer had been placed on my dresser without any fanfare. New cubbies in the mudroom for us to put our shoes in because I tripped over his boots one night coming inside after dark. Those had appeared less than a day later.

This surprise was different. For the last six months, anytime he had some free time, Nate had been disappearing into the only room of the house that wasn’t finished. He had been keeping the door locked to prevent me for sneaking a peek once I found out it was a room that he was working on for me. My birthday was tomorrow and he’d just come storming into our bedroom ten minutes ago, tugging me out of bed just as I was about to fall asleep.

If he hadn’t looked so damn sexy with his week-old beard and gray sweatpants low on his hips, I would’ve fought harder to resist. Instead, I’d gamely let him tie a blindfold over my eyes and lead me downstairs and through the house. I figured out quickly that we were headed to the mystery room, but Nate insisted I had to keep the blindfold on or it would ruin the surprise.

“I’m ready, Sullivan. Impress me.”

The blindfold fell away and I was staring at the same closed wood door I’d been passing for the last six months. “It’s…nice.”

“Would you like to make any last guesses about what’s on the other side of the door?” His thumbs slipped under the straps of my camisole.

“It’s not one of those erotic sex rooms is it? With whips and chains hanging from the ceiling.” I yelped when he pinched one of my nipples.

“You can’t even handle a nipple pinch, babe. I don’t think you’re ready for whips and chains.” He pressed a kiss to my neck. “Go on. Open the door.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I pushed open the sliding door and nearly fainted when I saw what was inside. “Oh my god. Nate.” I pressed a hand to my heart and stepped into the room. It was so much better than anything I had imagined.

The three interior walls were made of floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases. They were the same beautiful wood as our kitchen cabinets. Each wall also had its own rolling ladder, every book lover’s dream. The wall across from the door had a fireplace right in the middle of the bookcases. It was currently casting the room in a warm glow. The fourth wall was composed of a window that spanned almost the entire width and came to rest above a cozy window seat covered in plush pillows. I could imagine curling up there for hours to read my books.

“You didn’t… Nate…” For someone who loved getting lost in words, I suddenly couldn’t string any together.

“The fireplace is electric. I didn’t think wood burning would be a smart idea inside a library where there will be so much kindling. I went ahead and put your books on those shelves, but you can reorganize them however you want. And over here…” He stepped past me and went to one of the bookshelves flanking the fireplace. “I added some new books. For the future.”

I stepped next to him and scanned the titles. “Children’s books?” My heart had never felt so full. “It’s good to be prepared.”

“Some of these were mine when I was a kid.” He ran his finger over the worn spine of a Roald Dahl book. “I can’t wait to read them to our kids.”

“Well, you’re going to have to wait a little while.” I wrapped my arms around him and felt tears forming in my eyes. “For about eight months.”

“Eight months?” His eyebrows came together in an adorable wrinkle. “But… We… Are you…” Now I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t string together words.

“Remember that morning I ate three of Amelia’s cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then immediately threw up?” I grimaced at the memory. I hadn’t been able to eat one of her rolls since. “I also threw up my birth control, apparently. I’m pregnant, Nate.”

“Pregnant?” He looked so confused that I started to wonder if no one had explained to him how babies were made. Then the most beautiful smile transformed his face into an expression of complete joy. “We’re going to have a baby?”

“We are,” I confirmed, taking one of his hands and placing it on my stomach. “You’re going to be a dad, honey. The absolute best dad.”

“And here I thought I was the one surprising you tonight.” He scooped me up and I wrapped my legs around his hips while he squeezed me tight against his chest. “I love you, Madison. And I love our baby so much already.”

“Me too.” I brushed my nose against his and added, “Until my last breath.”

He looked into my eyes as if he was planning to get lost there forever. “For seventy years or more.”