Epilogue
As Denver leaned into the turn, Misty pressed close, her arms tightening around his waist. He loved feeling her snugged up against his back when they took Roxanne out for a ride.
She’d taken to the motorcycle like a duck to water.
He’d offered to teach her to ride on her own, but she preferred riding with him, and who was he to complain about any up-close-and-personal time of any kind with his girl?
And on a day like today, when the sky stretched out in a ribbon of endless blue and the temperatures held the first hint of autumn, it was perfect.
Almost.
It would be up to her whether they made it all the way.
Denver found himself unaccountably nervous. Under the guise of reassuring her, he reached back to stroke a hand along the outside of her thigh. She squeezed him back. Releasing a breath, he forced himself to relax.
Things were great between them—had been great for four months—and he wanted to lock things in. He wanted this woman in his life for the everyday and always, and he didn’t need any more time to think about taking the next big step. This was the right move, even if she wasn’t gonna see it coming.
Taking the next fork in the road, he wound his way around to the opposite side of the valley, up into the hills just north of town.
Sunlight filtered through the trees to dapple the road.
It was a picture, one he committed to memory as he slowed the bike and pulled into a narrow lane.
Behind him, Misty straightened, obviously wondering where he was taking her. She’d see soon enough.
They broke free of the trees into a wide clearing with a view to part of the valley.
The house at the center had seen better days and was out of date by at least a couple of decades.
But the gardens that stretched beyond it…
those had seen love a lot more recently.
Denver drove around to the back and parked with Roxanne pointed toward the stellar view.
Misty slid off in a smooth motion, already yanking off her helmet so her hair came tumbling down. “These gardens are gorgeous! Where are we?” Damn, she was a sight in her own leather jacket and those skinny jeans.
Denver took a moment to appreciate the view she made all on her own before dismounting and tugging off his own helmet.
“I thought you might like them. The property belongs to the mom of a customer of mine. She spent her retirement building the gardens out. They were her pride and joy. Her son hired me to redo the cabinets a couple years back, and she used to love talking about them. She’s a helluva gardener. ”
“I’ll say.” She took a couple of steps toward a row of rose bushes. “What are we doing here?”
“I thought you’d like to see the gardens. They seemed up your alley.” That wasn’t all, but it was the start to his plan.
“Should we knock and say hello?”
“She’s not here anymore. She’s been having some health problems the last few months and recently moved to be closer to her daughter in Kentucky.”
“Oh, how sad. It’s obvious she put a ton of work into them. It’s tragic she had to leave them behind. I hope her son is willing to put in the work to keep them up.”
So far, so good.
“Go ahead and take a look around.”
Denver trailed after her as she moved from one bed to the next, identifying flowers and compulsively plucking weeds as she went.
“You ever want to actually garden? I know you’ve got your pots and stuff at home, but is that enough for you?
Are you basically done with flowers after spending all day with them at work?
” He was pretty sure the answer was no. She’d already added pots of this and that around his place.
Bright spots of color and cool greenery that added a homey touch he hadn’t known he’d been missing.
“I do the pot thing because I live in a rental. And because I had to spend so much time getting the shop up and going those first couple of years. But someday I’d love to have a showplace of a garden like this.
Oh my God, look at these orchids! ” She crouched down and brushed detritus away from some tender pink blooms.
Swallowing hard, Denver stuck his hands in his pockets to keep from rubbing them against his pants. He could be casual about this. “It’s for sale.”
“What?” Her tone was distracted, her attention still clearly on the flowers.
He tried again. “The property. It’s for sale.”
She straightened, looking back at the house. “It’d be a hell of an investment for somebody. The house needs work.”
He pivoted to look it over himself, skimming his gaze from the roofline down.
“It’s got good bones. Needs some updates.
Yank down those awnings and swap them for shutters.
Swap those spindly columns for some solid cedar beams. Update the paint.
The interior’s a bit dated, but nothing too much more than cosmetic.
There are hardwoods under the carpet, and the bathrooms got updated the same year as the kitchen cabinets.
Cindy had a helluva gardening shed over there off the garage, and there’s easy room to set up a woodshop.
We’d need to fence off part of the yard for the dogs, but that’s easily accomplished. ”
When he looked back at Misty, she wasn’t looking at the house anymore. She was staring at him. “What are you saying?”
I want more. I want you. “I think we should move in together.”
“Here?”
She’d jumped straight to logistics. That was a good sign, right? Or maybe she was just stuck on pure disbelief.
“I mean, we don’t have to, if you don’t like it.
But your place doesn’t have room for my workshop.
My place doesn’t have easy room for all your stuff.
This property would suit all our needs and still have plenty of room for us to customize.
” Stepping toward her, he grasped her hands, hoping she didn’t notice his sweaty palms. “I wanna build something with you, and I think this place has tons of potential.”
“You want to move in together?”
Why did she still look so surprised? “I mean…yeah. Didn’t I say that?”
“That’s a big step. It’s only been four months.”
Was that the issue? He couldn’t blame her skepticism.
He’d been the one to let her take the lead almost their entire relationship.
But he was more than ready to take this next step.
“I don’t need to wait when I finally figure out what I want, and I want you, Misty.
Morning, noon, and night. If you don’t like this property, we’ll find another one together.
But say you’ll build something with me.”
Her big brown eyes glimmered with emotion. “You’re really sure?”
“Really, really. This is right. We’re right.” And wasn’t it a wonder, to have that certainty? “You’re the brightness I’ve been missing in my life, and I don’t ever want to go back to the dark. I love you. I probably should’ve led with that.”
Her face melted into a broad smile and she rose up to her toes, pressing her cheek to his. “I love you, too. God, so much.”
The sweetness of that swept through him, wiping out the nerves and the worry that he’d moved too fast, for once in his life. No matter what she said next, he’d have that. He could wait for the rest, if he had to.
Misty linked her arms behind his neck and tipped back her head to look into his eyes, hers full of everything he’d hoped to see. “I’d love to build something with you, Denver. I’d even love to build it here.”
Relief and excitement had him snaking his arms around her waist to haul her close, brushing his mouth to hers. “That’s good to hear because I already made an offer.”
Misty pulled back on a laugh, beaming a smile. “You did what?”
He shrugged. “Steve let me have first bid. If you didn’t like it, he’d have just put it on the market like normal, but he was happy to let me have first crack at it. The place is ours, if we want it.”
She melted against him. “I want it. I want you. I want us. So yeah, let’s do it.”
And that was the perfect beginning to the perfect rest of his life.
Choose Your Next Romance
I hope you enjoyed this opposites attract romance!
The Misfit Inn journey continues with Those Sweet Words, Pru and Flynn’s story, which overlaps with this one during Kennedy’s wedding.
There’s a wedding fling and a fake engagement that you won’t want to miss!
If this was your first visit to The Misfit Inn, the series begins with When You Got A Good Thing, Kennedy and Xander’s story.
If you’re digging more opposites attract romance, have some one with a side of sexy former Army Ranger and another Reynolds family wedding (that’ll be Athena’s wedding, in case you want to read her book Stay A Little Longer first), check out What I Like About You!
Can’t decide? Keep turning the pages for a sneak peek of them both!