31. SUMMER BEACH #2
“I do indeed, and welcome back, young lady.” He took my hand in both of his, shaking it gently. “Perhaps you can knock some sense into that head of his.”
“It’s great to see you again, Gus.” It was impossible not to adore him as he stood there beaming at us. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“I hope it was all good things.” He grinned over his shoulder as we climbed into the Jaguar. Gus sang the praises of the car as he and Karson talked nonstop.
Karson snuck a peek at me and we shared a knowing smirk. It really would make the perfect retirement gift.
The car slowed to a crawl along a street overlooking a beautiful beach. On one side, nothing but sand, blue water, and on the other, a row of magnificent homes.
And not a store in sight.
“Why are we stopping here? I thought we were going shopping,” I said, glancing at Karson.
“You’ll see,” he replied cryptically as I watched curiously. “No spoilers.” He pretended to zip his lips shut before turning away.
I lowered the window enough to catch the salty air on my face as I took in the scenes unfolding around us.
On one side of the street, a group around our age walked barefoot toward the café on the corner, surfboards tucked beneath their arms as they laughed and dripped seawater across the pavement.
On the other side, a mowing service trimmed the grass outside one of the beautiful homes overlooking the vast blue sea…
Next door, a group of kids sang happy birthday as they bounced on the trampoline in the front yard.
“Wow, what a beautiful place this is,” I cried out. “Look at these homes. And that view!”
Gus drove slowly up the street as I turned toward Karson. “But seriously, why are we here? Is there some underground shopping center for you crazy billionaires?” I poked his ribs.
With a confidant smile, he took my hand in his, pressing his lips together in silence.
“That’s all you’re going to give me? A cute smile and silence?” I whacked him lightly on the bicep. “Gus, help me out here,” I pleaded. “Where are we going?”
“Sorry, Ivy, my lips are sealed.” Gus flashed me a grin as the car slowed. “But here we are.” He pulled the Jaguar into the driveway of a huge white Hamptons-style house.
“Oh?” I took in the elegant facade and the gum tree towering in the front yard. “Are you friends with the owner or something?” We stepped out of the car.
“Let the shopping begin, Ivy Lawrence,” Karson said, pointing to the glorious home. “If you like it… it’s yours.”
“Wh… what?” I looked from Karson to the house and back again. “I thought we were going clothes shopping… you want to buy a house?” The grand white home towered before us, almost too beautiful to be real. “We can’t just buy a house, especially one like that, can we?”
“This is just a quick stop in Summer Beach before we head off.” Karson chuckled. “But, yes, we can buy a house. And not just any house.”
I was anchored to the spot as he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.
“A home. For us.” His voice softened as he pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Just like we talked about, but only if you want to.”
My hands trembled. “I, I honestly don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” He squeezed my hand softly. “And if you don’t like it, there are others.”
Surely my life cannot be this wonderful.
“So, let me get this straight. This”—I pointed at the house—“could be ours. For real?”
“Only if you want it to be.” A spark lit up his eyes.
“I do. It’s amazing.” I threw my arms around him. “And the best surprise ever,” I breathed.
We followed the stone walkway and, fingers entwined, strolled toward the vibrant turquoise door beneath the porch. “I think I’m in love,” I whispered.
Karson pulled me closer, pressing his lips to mine. “I know I am,” he replied as I brushed the back of my hand across his cheek.
The turquoise waves crashed on the sand across the street, and I pictured myself at sunrise, surfboard beneath my arm, racing across the beach toward the water.
My pulse quickened as I took a few steps up the path. “This is the one.”
“Are you sure? You haven’t even seen inside yet,” he grinned.
“I don’t need to. I mean… look at it.” I beamed. “I. Love. It.”
His smile widened as those blue eyes danced in the sunlight. “I knew you’d love it. Summer Beach is one of my all-time favorite places.”
“It’s perfect.”
“You’re perfect.” He wrapped me in his arms. “Living here with you,” he drew in a sharp breath, “would be a dream come true… and it’s the ideal location for your new job.”
“You know, as long as we’re together, I’d be happy even if we lived in an actual cave. But I must admit”—I chuckled happily—“this is better, like, much better.”
“Hmm, I don’t know, maybe you’re onto something,” he murmured as he nuzzled my neck. “You’d look totally hot in a loincloth. But I get it if wetsuits are more your thing.”
My eyebrows shot up. “A loincloth? Yeah, that’s never going to happen.”
He chuckled and we turned our attention back to the house.
“I know the owner. He’s an old associate of my father’s. He’s based in Beijing and hasn’t used this place for years. He wants to liquidate some assets. After the SolStar collapse, he reached out to see if I needed anything. He’s a nice guy.”
Gus wandered up the path then stood beside us, Karson draped and arm over his shoulder. “I knew this place would be amazing,” Karson said. “That’s why I wanted to bring you here first. Well, technically Gus brought us here, so full credit goes to him.”
“Glad to help.” Gus smirked. “And for what it’s worth, I can see you two being very happy here.”
“Luckily for us, it’s up for grabs, but we have to be quick, or someone else will beat us to it.”
“We don’t want that to happen,” I said as Gus wandered off, admiring the plants. I wound my way up the path, taking in the gleaming white house awash in sunshine, and the waves breaking on the beach.
“Shall we offer the full asking price?” Karson asked. “That should seal the deal.”
“Let’s do it!” I bounced on the spot.
I ran straight into his open arms, he lifted me off the ground, spinning me around while we laughed like idiots. When he finally set me down, we couldn’t stop smiling .
I’m so glad Dyson forced Karson to go to the club with him that night.
“You look lost in thought,” he said. “Care to share?”
“Just thinking how lucky we are,” I replied in wonder.
“About that. What do you think about taking an extended vacation until the house contract settles?” He turned to face Gus, who was aghast. “Don’t worry, Gus, this vacation doesn’t include being afloat, so you can relax,” he said, amused.
“Now that’s what I like to hear,” Gus replied, his frown vanishing as he meandered toward a bright flowering shrub.
“Well,” Karson said, his eyes locking onto mine, “are you on board? Excuse the pun.”
“Sounds tempting,” I said, unable to contain my smile. “As long as I’m back in time for my new job, I’m in!”
“We can come back whenever you want.” His eyes danced. “You know it’s a winter wonderland in Aspen right now. We could go there and then spend Christmas in St. Moritz.”
“A white Christmas, hey? I’ve always wanted to do that.” Excitement tingled through every part of my body.
“Then it’s settled,” he continued. “That should keep us occupied until it’s time to move into this beauty.”
I looked down, drew in a sharp breath, and blinked against the sting in my eyes.
“Ivy, what is it?” Karson grabbed my hands. “Don’t you want to go skiing?”
Clutching his hand, I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came as a tear trickled down my cheek.
Everything went wrong for so long. Now, everything feels… so right. “Tears of joy,” I managed, wiping my cheek.
His hand smoothed over my hair as he kissed my forehead softly, a shaky laugh escaped me.
The thought of flying down the slopes on the other side of the world with Karson made me smile. “I can’t wait for our trip, but just remember, I’m a snowboarder, not a skier.”
“That’s assuming,” he said, brushing his lips across my neck, “we even leave the chalet.”
“Come on!” I giggled, wiping away the last of my tears. “Let’s take a look inside.”
We joined hands and we made our way toward the brightly colored door.