Chapter 46
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
florence
Our list
· Visit Harvest Homestead ?
· Arrange followup appointment with ENT ?
· Kiss the pretty blonde ?
· Have one last driving lesson with the lumberjack ?
· Visit site for new project
“You best get used to life as a passenger princess,” I tease and glance at Dex to my right.
He snorts. “No idea what that is, but sure. I’ve wrangled myself into a princess dress enough times for Lottie to not let it taint my masculinity.”
“Oh, I’ve seen the pictures.” I waggle my eyebrows.
My driving test is in a few days, and as much as I love our lessons, I’m excited for this extra splash of independence.
It’s late morning, and after Dex puttered around in the workshop for a few hours, we headed over to the location of the team’s next project. It’s on the other side of town, closer to the bay and the neighborhood we grew up in.
“Turn left here,” Dex instructs from the passenger seat, pointing at the narrow dirt path hidden behind tall pines.
I steer the truck, arms shaking with the vibrations. The trickle of running water sounds through the open window, and our arrival has a mother and baby moose scampering into the thick vegetation.
“Wow. You’d never know this was here.” I marvel at the wide open space revealed at the end of the path.
A few tree stumps remain, but otherwise, it’s clear and flat, dotted with patches of grass chasing the sunshine through the trees.
What’s really breathtaking is the sparkling lake in the foreground and small dock leading to the water. “What’s the acreage?”
“Four point five.” He pats my knee. “Park up here and grab those plans for me. I want to run through the dimensions a final time.”
“Got it.” I reach into the backseat, grab the roll of papers, and join Dex.
Hands resting on his hips, he scans the area, picturing the finished product.
“Vacation home?” I ask and unroll the blueprints.
“Nah. Family home. Four, maybe five bedrooms. Two and a half bath.”
“Are they local to the area?”
“Yeah. They’re local.” There’s an evasive edge to his tone, but it’s forgotten when he links our hands. He talks me through the layout, and slowly, I imagine it.
Open concept. Two stories. A balcony leading from the main bedroom. A mix of pine and cedar timber. Stone chimney.
He draws an invisible circle with his fingers. “This is where the back porch would be. What do you think about a wrap-around?”
“Which way’s west?”
He points behind us.
“It’ll look pretty with the sunset and overlooking the water. Nice spot to relax after a hard day.”
“Agreed. Good eye.” He kisses my temple. “Could you snap some pictures?”
I throw him a salute, tuck the plans under my arm, and pull out my phone. Dex disappears to the truck, and I hear the tarp rustle. I’m aiming the camera when a bulky frame blocks the shot. Hooked through each arm are two wooden Adirondack chairs, his muscles straining with the weight.
“What are you doing?” I laugh.
He carefully lowers them with a grunt and dusts off his jeans. “Setting the scene. Come sit. I need your help to visualize it. The customer is very particular.”
Frowning, I pad over and lower into one seat as he lowers into the other. The plans rest on the ground between us.
“Did you…make these?” I trace the smooth grain on the armrest stained a rich amber-honey.
“Might have.” He winks. “I’m not just a lumberjack.”
“Is this what you’ve been doing in your workshop?” My eyes narrow at him. “What about my bookshelf?”
He picks up my hand. “In due time, Trouble.”
We look out into the forest, the trees swaying with the gentle breeze. A hawk circles overhead. Little critters scamper in the undergrowth. The air is fresh and clean. It’s peaceful. I’m jealous of the family who’ll live here.
“Can you see it?” he asks, voice rough.
“See what?”
“Our future.”
My head whips to the side. He’s already watching me.
“Dex,” I whisper, not wanting to voice my racing thoughts.
“I can.” He smiles softly. “I can see you sitting right here, reading your Kindle with goats, ducks, and any other animals you want at your feet. We’d eat dinner at a dining table big enough for both our families.
A wedding by the lake. I’d carry you to bed and make love to you every night.
Maybe one day, little feet will kick us in the ribs at the crack of dawn, so we’ll have to get a large bed. ”
He unfolds a piece of paper from the pocket of his shirt and holds it up, our list with freshly inked words at the bottom.
Visit site for new project Show Florence our home
My lip quivers, heart hammering. “What about your cabin?”
“That’s a house I built to prove my skills. I want a home.”
He grips the chair’s armrest and drags me across the dirt. I can’t help it: I laugh. It’s wet and shrill and bursting at the seams with happiness.
“A home with you. I bought this plot of land three years ago with no idea what to do with it. Then, I met this wild, beautiful girl who demanded my attention without trying. She gave me reason to believe, proved to me that love doesn’t have to be heard.
” He swallows, eyes shining as he caresses my cheek.
“I know you struggled to find your way at first, and recently, things haven’t gone to plan, but if you’ll let me, I’d like to build you a home where you always feel safe. Somewhere with me.”
I kiss his palm, inhaling the woody scent.
My eyes drift to empty land, and I see it.
“I love the future you’ve painted for us.
Thank you for being patient with me, for guiding me when I got lost.” Cupping the back of his neck, I press our foreheads together.
“Thank you for loving me, Dexter Robert Moore.”
“God, I love you Florence Abigail Sadler.” He kisses me as though he’s scared I’ll disappear. Once upon a time, he believed that. I meet each stroke of his tongue, in awe of this man. The paper crinkles between us, and we pull apart.
“Is that the end of our list?” I ask.
“No. We’ve got a lifetime to add to it.” He plucks a familiar, more weathered list from his pocket. “It’s up to you what we do with this one, though.”
The List of Florence.
I unfold it, and a summer spent with this man comes rushing back.
Dex hands me a pen, silently watching as tears blur my vision.
I check off the last four items—with some amendments.
· Watch a movie at a drive-thru theater ?
· Adopt a pet ?
· Buy my own house Build a home with Dex — pending
· Find a love like my parents Find a love like ours
“Somewhere along the way, I thought life had to be neat, organized, and perfect. But it’s messy and painful and so beautiful when you least expect it.
” I look up at the sky and find a single fluffy cloud.
“It disappointed me when I didn’t receive a letter, but it turns out, my own words were what I needed.
Dad just held my hand along the way. I think he’d be proud of me, but most of all, he’d want me to be proud of myself. And I am.”
Dex rubs circles on my back. “He is, Florence. No matter where he is, he’s proud.”
“Thank you for an unforgettable summer, lumberjack.”
“It’s the first of many, Trouble.”