33. Chapter 33
Rabble
C lutching Skye’s hand, Rabble hurried them toward his truck.
Their friends stood on either side of the path holding up thin sparklers which sent tiny multi-colored arcs flying about them.
Skye ducked into Rabble’s side as he did his best to shield her from the bright flashes with his body.
He threw his truck door open and helped her up and into the cab, carefully tucking her dress around her legs before shutting the door.
Declan stood nearby; no less than three sparklers clutched in either hand which he waved about in gleeful abandon.
Rabble dodged the soaring sparks as he raced to his door and popped the latch. Preparing to launch himself into the driver’s seat, he paused, watching as Dash approached. He rolled his eyes at his twin’s shenanigans and held out his hand for Rabble to shake.
“See you at the reception,” Rabble said, taking his friend’s hand in a firm grip.
Dash gave a snort. “Yeah, okay.”
Rabble couldn’t stop the feral grin that came over his face. Dash was probably right. They’d make it to the reception…eventually.
Skye practically bounced in her seat, excitement radiating from her in waves.
He started the truck, revving the engine a few times before tearing from the parking lot, the truck growling loudly as he headed toward the surprise he planned.
He drove in the opposite direction, back through the town of Shiloh Hills and passed the Cottage District to a short, charming gravel path that led back through a thick stand of trees.
The leaves had begun to change colors and shadowed the driveway in an enchanting way.
“Why are we going this way, Rabble? The B&B is back in town.” Skye tilted her head, curiosity growing in her tone.
“Remember how they said the house wouldn’t be ready for another month?” Rabble asked.
Skye nodded.
“Well, make that one day. The crews are coming back Monday to finish everything up.”
Skye squealed and clapped her hands, joy evident in her sparkling eyes.
Another property Skye had obsessed over from an early age, the Old McGrader house had recently gone up for auction on the courthouse steps, and Skye’s eyes had light up.
She’d launched into a thirty-minute presentation on the integrity of the home’s strong wooden beams, as well as the benefits of the adorable fruit and nut tree orchard and the large but forgotten garden.
It hadn’t taken long for Rabble to place his bid on the property, the only bid the county received.
One night as they lay together in bed, Rabble joked, “I’ve now bought you not one, but two, falling-down buildings. I’m not sure I’m so good at this being in love thing. Surely, I’m doing something wrong.”
Skye had giggled sweetly and pulled the sheets to cover her body as she rolled onto her side and smiled at him. “No, you’re doing perfectly! Plus, you gave Elyza the church as a gift after the fact, so technically I only have one building trying to fall down.”
Smiling to himself as he recalled that memory, Rabble parked the truck in front of the new porch and jogged to Skye’s side to help her down.
They walked hand in hand up the three short steps, her ankle-length gown swishing about her.
Rabble took the keys from his pocket, unlocking the door and shoved it open.
Before she could protest, Rabble lifted Skye into his arms and carefully crossed the threshold with her cradled against him.
Her laughter rang in his ears, the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.
Inside, Rabble carried Skye a little further into the home before setting her slowly back on her feet, ensuring she was steady before letting go and stepping back to watch her take everything around them in.
Skye had visited the house during the renovations, staying for short periods of time between her work and packing up her cottage, leaving Rabble to oversee the majority of the progress.
The home had been transformed completely, from roof to foundation.
In just three months, they added three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and they opened up the kitchen and living room to each other.
Crews of carpenters, general laborers, tilers, and more worked in harmony to build, polish, and shine the beautiful old house into the perfect home for Rabble and Skye, where they could live out their lives together.
Rabble could picture the two of them, raising a family and, later, rocking side by side in sturdy wooden chairs, the kind that stood up to the years and that they could pass down to their children and beyond.
By Monday, when the last of the work finished up, Rabble and Skye would finally start moving in their things, situating themselves in their new lives and home.
“Oh, Rabble,” she breathed, her voice full of wonder as she looked around, a new wife in her new home.
He wished he could read her mind and see the house from her perspective. Was it everything she’d dreamed of? Had he gotten it right?
“That’s not even the surprise.” Taking her fingers in his, he led her forward, toward the dining area at the rear of the home.
When Rabble first saw the table sitting in the new house, he’d stopped dead in his tracks, immobile with a feeling so deep in his chest, he feared how it might effect his heart. He wiped at his eyes, trying to stem the tears that welled and spilled over.
Skye sidled up to the table, gasping. “Oh my word, Rabble, this is…”
He nodded, rubbing his fingers lovingly over the long table. “Mrs. Basket had it delivered while we weren’t here.”
Both of them knew the significance of the table, the meaning behind the tiny letters carved into the corner, the wood so well loved that it had become smooth with age.
“Her husband made this for her when they first married,” Skye whispered reverently.
Atop the table, Rabble had a selection of fruits and cheeses and puffed pastries set out, just for them.
Skye chuckled at the small platters of finger foods. “Rabble, we have to get to the reception.”
He shrugged, pulling out a chair for her. “We will get there. We’ve got a little time, and I wanted a moment alone with my wife.”
The title slid from his lips so easily and he took a moment to bask in the glow of how it sounded as he sat next to her, waiting while she chose a selection from the trays. Once her plate held her favorite choices, he moved to add an assortment of everything to his own plate.
“I have another surprise,” Rabble said, sucking on a ripe strawberry.
Did I imagine the way her eyes followed my lips?
“Another surprise? Rabble, that’s two in one day. Be careful,” she warned teasingly. “I might get spoiled.”
He dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. “That’s the point, babe.”
“What’s the other surprise?” she laughed.
“We heard back from the realtor and the lawyer today. Looks like we’re good to go.”
Her eyes widened. “No way! Rabble & Bros. is moving to Shiloh Hills, permanently? It’s actually happening?”
Rabble nodded, loving the way her eyes gleamed. And the way she moaned when she bit into a particularly juicy berry. “Yep, the old bank is ours. Ironically, it’s right across from the courthouse.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, ironic.” Her tone suggested it was anything but.
“Want to see what they got done today?” Standing, he held out his hand to her.
Together, they walked through their home, admiring the way the new light fixtures threw the light in the foyer and the subtle sparkle and shine of the tile backsplash in the kitchen.
Up the stairs, Rabble opened the door to each of the bedrooms and stood back while Skye inspected them.
She twirled in a circle in the vast space, her toes burying in the soft new carpet.
The last bedroom was theirs. Rabble followed her in while she investigated the huge walk-in closet and large, immaculate master bathroom. In the bathroom, the tiled shower was big enough to hold five people, with rain showerheads on either side.
“You were listening.” She smiled.
Rabble nodded and smirked. “Always.”
“You know…the carpet in the bedroom is the softest on the market.” Rabble’s voice was little more than a rumble as he backed her against the bathroom doorframe.
One hand wandered down to her hip while the other curled around the wooden board behind her, his grip tight as he barely contained himself at the feel of her body bowing into his.
Skye’s eyes sparked at his challenge and she grinned.
Rabble soaked in the beams of excitement and pleasure that shone on her face, basking in the intrinsic knowledge of her love that she freely gave him because she loved him for who he was.
Together, they would face anything life threw at them and he would spend the rest of his life fighting to keep that beautiful smile on his wife’s face.
Skye hummed, amusement and playful defiance turning her lips into a mischievous grin. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
Rabble chuckled devilishly. “Yes, ma’am.”