Chapter Twenty-One - Aurora #2
Liam laughed. “The thing I would like the most is for you to move in with us.”
My smile faded, and I was sure a look of shock replaced it. “Move in with you?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
I turned and faced forward, staring out the window of the truck. “I am, I suppose. Wouldn’t that confuse Winnie?”
With a shrug, Liam answered, “I don’t think so if we explain to her why you’re moving in. I’ve already told Winnie I love you and you love me.”
“Yes. But she’s not even three yet, Liam. She doesn’t understand that.”
“What she does understand is she loves you, and for her, if you were there every morning and every night, she would be the happiest little girl on Earth. And I, the happiest man.”
I wrung my hands together slightly. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to move in with Liam and Winnie, I did, but how did I explain to Liam that his house felt more like Hope’s house? I swore I felt the ghost of her every time I walked through the front door—but I’d never admit that part to him.
I heard him turn on a signal, but I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I hadn’t been paying attention to where he was going.
“Liam, I don’t know how to say this without sounding…I don’t even know how it would sound. I don’t think I can move into your house.”
“Why not?” he asked, his brow creased.
“That house was Hope’s house. Your house and Hope’s. A place where you made memories together and the place where she…”
My voice faded off, and I closed my eyes. “I sound like a bitch. I’m so sorry.”
He took my hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. “You don’t sound like a bitch at all, Aurora. And I can’t begin to tell you how glad I am that you told me your true feelings.”
I smiled at him. “I’ll always tell you the truth.”
He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it. “And I will always tell you the truth. But, when I asked you to move in with me and Winnie, I wasn’t talking about the house I currently live in.”
I let out a confused laugh, then asked, “What house are you talking about then?”
A wide smile grew across his handsome face as he pointed in front of us. “This house.”
It was only in that moment that I noticed he had stopped driving. I turned and drew in a sharp breath. Sitting in front of me was my dream house. The Miller Mansion. The yellow Victorian house looked like something out of a postcard, with the fresh, untouched snow surrounding it.
“The Miller Mansion?”
“The Miller Mansion.”
With my eyes still on the house, I asked, “Wait, I’m confused. You said this house sold this past summer.”
I turned and met his eyes. They were sparkling with pure happiness. “It did. I bought it in August, before you told me it was your dream home.”
My mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me?”
Liam laughed. “Do you know how hard it was for me not to tell you I was the one who bought it?”
“Why…how come you didn’t?” I asked, turning to look back at the house.
“I wanted to surprise you, and I’ve been waiting for the right moment to do it.”
It was my turn to laugh. “Oh my God, Liam! You want me to move into this house! This house!” I said, pointing to the house.
“Yes!” he laughed. “I want you to move into this house with me and Winnie. It’s like Harper said, new beginnings.”
My hand came up to my mouth to hold back the sob that was threatening to emerge.
“Come on, let’s take a look inside.”
I didn’t even wait for him. I pushed the door open and did my best to run up to the house, through the fresh snow in my black boots. Once I was up on the front porch, I took it all in. I could see rocking chairs and a porch swing. Tons of flowers and bird feeders hanging down all along the porch.
Liam walked up and unlocked the door, pushing it open and motioning for me to go in. The second I stepped inside, I crinkled my nose. The smell of fumes and paint mixed in the air. Ladders and scaffolding were in the large living room and the formal dining room.
“I see work has begun!”
“They’ve mostly been working on repairs and such. Updating the plumbing and electricity, things like that.”
He took my hand and guided me through the living room, formal dining room, and into the large kitchen.
“Wow!” I said as I stood in the middle of the massive room. “Why is it so big?”
“There was a butler’s pantry that we took out to make the kitchen bigger. There was also a large fireplace located over here, against this wall, from the original kitchen. I went back and forth with my dad on whether we should keep it or not. In the end, the inspector said it had to come down.”
I slowly shook my head. “Do you have the designs for the kitchen?”
His cheeks turned pink. “I was kind of hoping to get your input on it.”
Surprised, I asked, “Mine?”
He nodded. “Aurora, I know we’ve only been dating a few months, but when I look at this house, I see us. You. Me. Winnie. And if we’re lucky, maybe another baby or two.”
Tears stung at the back of my eyes. “Oh, Liam.”
Leaning down, he brushed his lips against mine. “There’s more on the second floor.”
Laughing, I wiped a tear away. “More?”
“This area over here was a small eat-in kitchen, and if you go through here another living room and a room that can be a guest room or an office.”
We walked up the grand staircase and I marveled at the beautiful original oak banister.
“There are four bedrooms and four bathrooms up here. One is only a half bathroom.”
He stopped. “Close your eyes, this is your surprise.”
A bubble of excited laughter came out. “I thought the house was my surprise.”
The feel of his warm breath against my ear caused my body to shiver. “I have a few surprises for you.”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. Squeezing my eyes shut, I said, “Show me the next one!”
Liam guided me into a room. My boots alerted me to the wood floors.
“Open your eyes, Aurora.”
I slowly peeked open and felt my body sway as I took in the massive room with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
“Oh my gosh!” I covered my mouth with my hands and turned in a circle. Each wall was covered in bookshelves, except the back wall, which also featured a beautiful floor-to-ceiling window with a view of Moose Lake.
“There are ladders?” I said, my voice cracking from my attempt to hold back the tears.
“The wood is red oak. The books came with the house, and I told everyone to leave them alone until I showed you the room. My father said that some of them might be worth something, and that each book should be carefully reviewed. He remodeled a house once, and the previous owners stuffed money between the pages.”
I turned and looked at him, laughing. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. The new owners ended up with enough money to completely have the bookcases refinished and restored to how they were when they were first put into the house.”
With a slow shake of my head, I walked up and read some of the titles. “This is amazing, Liam. All of these books.”
“I wasn’t sure if you knew anyone who would be willing to go through them and at least make sure there weren’t any that might be of any value.”
Turning, I smiled at him. “That would be me!”
When he smiled in return, I wanted to run and jump into his arms. I wasn’t sure he knew how giving me a room full of books was the best gift I’d ever received. But couple it with ladders and I was so in love with this man.
“We can explore the library later; I want to show you the rest of the house, and there is something out back as well.”
After showing me the bedrooms and bathrooms, we made our way up to the third floor. It was huge.
“I thought maybe a play area for Winnie, and over on this side we can make an office for you.”
I spun and faced him. “For me?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. For you.”
Making my way over to him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked up into those deep brown eyes of his. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. Well, not since I became the owner of The Book Nook anyway.”
He winked. “One more surprise.”
Taking my hand in his, we made our way back down the steps and through the back door. Liam was practically pulling my arm out of its socket, and he clearly hadn’t remembered it was cold outside because he hadn’t even give me time to grab my coat.
“Wow!” I said as we walked out the back door and into a large open area of the backyard. Before me was a beautiful gazebo. It was decorated with swags of greenery that swept down all the way around. A chandelier hung down from the middle, and standing there were Winnie and my parents.
Confused, I looked at Liam. “How did…where is…what is going on?”
He squeezed my hand, and we made our way down a sidewalk that had been recently shoveled.
“I was hoping you would be so enthralled with the house you wouldn’t look out any of the windows,” Liam said with a nervous laugh.
I stepped up into the gazebo and hugged my mother, then my father. “I thought you guys were skiing!”
They both laughed. “A little white lie.”
“How did you get Winnie when Jake and Opal came for her?” I asked, bending down and hugging her tightly as I looked up at my parents and Liam. “I’m so confused right now.”
My father kissed my cheek. His light brown hair was streaked with snow. “It will all make sense in a moment.”
When I looked at my mother, she smiled. “We’ll be in the house.”
And before I could say anything, my father took my mother’s hand and they walked down the sidewalk Liam and I had just come from.
I watched them until they entered the house, then spun around and saw Liam holding Winnie. My mind was trying to piece everything together, and I was about to ask a question when Liam whispered something in Winnie’s ear. She nodded and held up a little red and white basket I hadn’t noticed before.
Liam opened the basket and took out a red jewelry box. My heart started to pound in my chest as I watched him set Winnie back down.
My hands came up to my mouth as it finally hit me what was going on. Liam got down on one knee as Winnie reached up and took my hand. Tears started to fall down my cheeks, and when Winnie looked worried, I laughed as I shook my head.
“They’re happy tears, angel.”
Her face broke out into a huge smile.
“Aurora, I know this is probably all way too fast, and that first night you said you wanted to take things slow.”
A sob mixed with laughter slipped free. “I think we threw slow out the window within five minutes, if I remember correctly!”
Liam grinned, and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks.
“I knew that night when I watched you sleeping next to Winnie that I was going to marry you. You’ve been my best friend and the one person I want to run to when I’ve got good news and bad news.
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love seeing you with Winnie, and the love that you have for her steals my breath away every time.
If I’ve learned anything in the last few years, it’s that life can turn our worlds upside down.
Good things happen, as well as bad. I don’t want to waste one more minute on this Earth without you by my side.
I want to wake up with you in my arms and fall asleep every night with you next to me. I want you to be a mother for Winnie.”
Winnie wrapped her arms around my legs, and I reached down, picking her up and holding her close to me.
“I would be honored if you would agree to becoming my wife and my best friend for life.”
Winnie reached up and wiped the tears from my cheeks with her tiny hands that were covered in mittens. “Will you be my mommy?”
Her sweet question made me cry harder.
Liam stood. “Will you marry me, Aurora?”
I nodded. “Yes! Yes, of course I will marry you!”
Winnie let out a squeal of delight, and it was only then that I heard other people cheering.
I looked around to see our friends and family all standing there.
There was a photographer as well who had been capturing the moment, and I hadn’t even noticed.
I was so focused on Liam and Winnie and the idea of us becoming the family I had always dreamed of.
Liam took my left hand and slipped a beautiful platinum princess-cut diamond ring over my finger. Melee diamonds covered the ring on either side of the central diamond.
I drew in a breath and stared at it. “Liam, it’s beautiful!”
He reached up and cupped my face with his hands, leaned down, and kissed me as more cheers erupted. When we drew back, he rested his forehead to mine.
“You just made me the happiest man in the world, Aurora Banks.”
“Me too!” Winnie said, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Liam took a step back, brought my left hand up to his mouth, and kissed the back of it.
My entire body felt warm and alive, and I had never experienced such joy before. “I know I just said up in the library that it had been the happiest moment of my life.”
Liam chuckled. “And now?”
“Nothing could ever make me feel this much love and happiness. I love you both. I love you both so very much and always will.”
With a sparkle in his eyes, Liam grinned. “You may change your mind about feeling this much happiness when you see one of the books up in that library.”
My brows shot up. “Really?”
Laughing, Liam took Winnie from me and set her down before pulling me into his arms and bending me back.
“My little bookworm. God, how I love you!”
He kissed me thoroughly to the sounds of cheers around us.
When he stood us up, I laughed and looked around at all of our friends and family.
Before I could even say a word, my sister Lou threw herself into my arms and hugged me.
Followed by Brystol, Harper, and Cadie. After rounds of hugs and kisses and then photos, I finally got a moment alone with Liam.
“Do you know what would make me so happy right now?” I whispered in his ear.
His eyes lit up with desire, and he pulled me closer to him. “If we snuck off and found a quiet corner?”
I shook my head. “If we could go back up to that library this instant!”
Liam’s head tossed back with a bark of laughter before he focused back on me. “Who am I to deny you such happiness?”