20. Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
William
One Month Later
“Baby, hurry.” I poked my head into the bathroom and tried to see through the steam. EJ took showers hot enough to scald and the billowing clouds were as thick as ever. “I don't want to miss the cider donuts.”
“Babe, the festival doesn't start for another half hour. You will get your donuts, I promise.”
I whined to exaggerate my point before leaving him to it. My eagerness for fresh donuts was only part of my excitement. I had big plans today. Big plans that I refused to put off any longer. I'd already wasted too much time when it came to my EJ. I putzed around his little cottage to temper my antsiness, tidying up odds and ends while smiling to myself like a fool over all the new little mementos I discovered around his home.
We’d definitely gone full-speed ahead making up for lost time over the course of the last month. There were half a dozen new pictures scattered on the shelves from dates and adventures we’d had—fancy dinners, a river cruise, a trip to a nearby cider mill, and countless drives along the country roads we called home. A picnic basket I bought him held pride of place on the top shelf of one of his bookcases. He used it at least once a week to surprise me on my lunch break during patrol.
My excitement took on another level of intensity as I heard the shower turn off. Another fifteen minutes passed before his footfalls came down the hall. As soon as I turned to face him in the entrance to the living room, we both burst into laughter. We’d done it again—his cozy charcoal grey cowl neck sweater was damn near a perfect match to the turtleneck sweater I'd picked to wear. His tan chinos were just a shade darker than my beige ones. The only difference between our leather loafers was the size.
“Jesus, we’re ridiculous,” EJ quipped with a warm grin. “Looking delicious as always, babe.”
“Ditto, my dear.” I closed the distance between him, brushing a kiss over his freshly-shaved cheek before pausing to draw a lengthy inhale. “Did you steal my cologne again?”
“Yes. I like smelling like you.”
“Mm. Me too.” I peppered kisses along his jaw and drew back with a soft sigh of contentment. “Let’s go. I don't want to be late.”
“Yes, yes. God forbid you don't get your precious donuts.” He patted my chest and stepped back. “You drive. I don't want to get yelled at for speeding again.”
“I've already done you so many favors. Should have ticketed you months ago.” I grabbed my keys from the hook beside the door as we exited the house. We hadn't discussed the fact that I spent basically every single night at his house. I'd skirted around the fact that my childhood home was filled with too many painful memories. He never pushed for more details, but he knew. Especially since he’d come with me more than a few times for the uncomfortable visits with my dad at the nursing home. Honestly, if it weren't for him, I didn't think I'd have the strength to visit and relive all the pain and heartbreak week after week.
I refused to let my mood suffer over things that couldn't be changed, so I concentrated on the day’s activities. It was a brilliant day for the town’s annual October Harvest Festival. The sky was a cloudless sweep of porcelain blue, the trees were glittering in their full autumn glory, and the air was crisp with the perfume of fallen leaves, overripe apples, and the last vestiges of summer blossoms still lingering at the edges of the golden hued meadows.
We held hands over the center console of my truck as the winding roads rolled out ahead of us. Every curve brought new sights of red and orange and yellow. There was nothing quite like autumn in our town. The spectacle got even better as we approached the hamlet of Windhaven. The festival was renowned for its picturesque architecture and historical features. All decked out for the festival, it became something straight out of a storybook. Pumpkins, mums, leaves, and brightly decorated stalls filled every nook and cranny. There were horse-drawn hayrides and games galore. The scent of food and drink hung heavy amongst the perfume of the autumn air. I wanted to inject it straight into my veins. Most of all, I wanted to experience it right alongside my boyfriend.
Once I managed to find parking for the truck, we ventured along the sidewalks hand in hand. For all his teasing of my excitement, EJ’s face glowed with childlike glee. We were suckers for this stuff. He stopped at every single stall, admiring little trinkets and handmade goods with earnest attention. Before we even made it halfway down one side of the street, I was already carrying three bags—new pumpkin spice candles, homemade goat’s milk soap, and a jug of locally sourced maple syrup.
I did finally get my donuts. Fresh and soft and crusted with so much cinnamon sugar, the kisses we shared afterward were sweeter than ever and inspired me to lick every single little sugar crystal from his lips. But the donut station was not the stall I was most eager to visit. Not wanting to seem too suspicious, I let EJ take the lead and barely resisted the urge to keep glancing at the destination as we meandered closer and closer. The progress toward my goal was painstakingly slow, especially considering every single person who called Windhaven home wanted to stop and talk to the new Town Supervisor.
Finally, before I completely lost my nerve, we made it to the tiny table filled with handmade leather and silver jewelry. The owner was a new resident of town that I'd met through one of my friends. As soon as I stepped forward, he gave me a quick smile and reached under the table to retrieve the special order I had worked with him in secret over for weeks. Naturally, my nerves jumped and anxious energy flooded my body. This was a big step. A massive one. One I had once lost hope of ever taking with EJ.
The man handed me the long slender box with a clipped nod and sat back in his folding chair as I turned toward EJ with a bracing inhale. It was now or never. With zero explanation and a gruff mumble, I held the box out toward him with a shaking hand.
“Got you something.”
“Oh?” EJ’s face lit up with a brilliant smile as he took the box.
My hands were drenched with sweat as he pried the top off and pushed the tissue paper aside. His soft “ooo” turned into a breathy “ooh” as he lifted the intricate braided leather and silver chain bracelet from the box. I knew the minute he read the tiny engraved bar. Tears hung to his lower lashes as his eyes darted up toward mine.
“You mean it?” His whisper was so quiet, I nearly missed it over the noise of the crowds bustling all around us.
“I loved you then. I love you now. I'll love you always,” I quoted the words I'd had chiseled into the precious metal aloud. “I love you, EJ.”
“Oh God,” he blurted with a choked sob. “I love you too.”
We’d danced around the words probably a hundred times, neither of us willing to be the first to say them out loud, but I was sick of waiting. I was tired of taking time for granted. We’d lost a decade already. I never wanted to waste another second.
“I love you. I always have, in one way or another. Consider this my promise—I'll love you forever, baby.” I carefully gathered the bracelet from his trembling fingertips and looped it around his wrist. “It might be too early for declarations of forever, but I don't care. One day, I swear to you, I'll replace this with a smaller circle that means even more.”
“Jesus, Will.” EJ swiped the fingers of his free hand beneath one eye and then the other as I tied the leather secure around his wrist. “I'm a blubbering mess.”
“You're my mess.” I kissed his nose and smiled into his watery eyes. “And I'll tell you I love you a thousand more times, tears and all.”
He laughed and leaned in closer to blanket my lips with his. There was still a sneaky taste of cinnamon sugar amid the flavor of him. It was the most delectable thing in the world. Especially as we sealed our declarations under the warmth of the autumn sun amid the glorious colors of the season. We had a lifetime of memories behind us and a lifetime more ahead of us. This one, though, would be one of my most treasured. Past, present, and future all coalesced into the perfect moment—the moment I finally, finally found my happily ever after.
The End