Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
IT’S REAL
CAMDEN
The resort is getting the best buzz we could’ve hoped for.
It’s been unbelievably busy the past couple of weeks, but we’ve got a rare day off.
It’ll be the last one for a while before our grand opening in a few weeks.
Juju and I are in my bed down in the basement, coming down from our state of orgasm euphoria—I love waking up with her in the morning—when Kevin peeks his head in the door.
The little dude actually smiles when he sees her and comes bounding onto the bed.
Juju laughs and leans up to pet him. He immediately rolls onto his back and throws his paws in the air, which cracks us up. Little attention slut.
“He rarely comes down to say hi to me, but he can’t resist when you’re here,” I tell her.
“I love him so much.” She laughs when Kevin lolls around on his back and then ducks his head under her hand again. “I want a dog.” She sighs. “I’ve just always felt too busy with the cafe and couldn’t have one underfoot there in the kitchen.”
“You don’t want your only pets to be the hens and Ralph?”
She laughs and groans. “Ralph and I do not claim each other. He is Papa Hector’s through and through, and the hens are becoming mine.”
“Peaches and Snowball are your girls. They don’t let me hold them like they let you. And Muffin…she’s come a long way.”
“Aww, she has. She’s finally fattening up.” She sniffs and sticks her bottom lip out.
Of course I have to kiss it.
“I love them. Did I tell you I think Peaches told Ralph to knock off chasing me? Because he’s not trying as hard to eat me anymore. Unless she’s snoozing, and then he’s his usual cray self. They all have way more personality than I realized! But I still want a dog,” she coos to Kevin.
“I want one too. This guy fills the void, but it’d be nice to have one of my own sometime. You know, that’s one benefit to us having different schedules. One of us will usually be around…” I lean over and kiss her shoulder.
She looks at me with playful eyes. “That’s a big step, getting a dog together.”
“I’m ready for all of the big steps,” I tell her.
She bites her bottom lip, her eyes lighting up even more. “Me too,” she says.
The inner me bangs his fists against his chest in caveman celebration. I kiss her shoulder again and go up her neck. She shivers, and I smile against her skin.
“I’m really happy to hear you say that, Juliana Fair.” I plant kisses back to her shoulder and lift my head. “Are you still good to meet up in a few hours?”
“Yes,” she says, her voice and eyes soft and melty. “I have a few errands to run, but two o’clock still works for me.”
“Perfect.”
I have a couple of errands to run too, but I keep that to myself. I take a quick shower, and when I get out, Juju and Kevin are still having their lovefest.
“Do you have time for breakfast?” I ask.
“Always,” she says, hopping up. “I’ll take the fastest shower and be right up.”
“Hey, Juju.”
She turns and looks at me.
“I love you.”
She grins. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that. I love you too.”
As soon as I leave Juju, I shift gears straight into worker beast mode.
Ever since the resort opened, I’ve had Noah working on a side project with me.
My brother’s the best there is when it comes to bringing design plans to life, and it’s been great to spend this time with him.
We’ve both been too busy to hang like this, just the two of us, for a long time.
I’ve spent every spare hour between leaving Juju and heading into my shift at the restaurant out here—sawing, hammering, and revisiting my construction skills.
Now, we’re putting on the final touches.
Noah steps back first, brushing sawdust off his jeans, and gives me a satisfied grin. “She’s gonna love this.”
I run my hand along the smooth wood and get strangely sentimental. That’s been happening a lot lately. “I hope you’re right.”
“You know I am.” He slings an arm around my shoulders and yanks me in for one of those classic older-brother hug-slash-chokeholds. I laugh, half gasping, and make him work to get out of my own hold on him.
While he’s nailing in the last trim piece, Marilyn and Virginia pull up. It’s about half an hour before I’ve got to pick up Juju.
“We’ve got it from here, boss,” Virginia says, hauling food out of the truck.
“You’re the best,” I tell them. “Thank you. You’re getting bonuses for this.”
“Not necessary,” Virginia says. “We’re suckers for love. Now, go get your girl.” She blows a kiss and waves.
I take off, buzzing with adrenaline and nerves. I jog to the door when I get to Juju’s. Ralph doesn’t pay any attention until Juju steps out, and then he comes trucking toward her.
“I don’t think so, buddy,” I say, stomping my foot when he gets close.
He halts and throws his head back. “Ra-ra-ra-raooo!” he yells.
“Ra-ra your ass back into that coop, stat,” I tell him.
Juju’s laugh rings out, and I grin at her when Ralph scuttles away.
“Well done,” she says, still laughing when she gets in the SUV.
When we pull onto Wildbriar Lane, she looks over, eyebrows raised. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” I say, squeezing her knee.
It’s only a minute before I turn onto the dirt path that cuts through the trees and leads to my land.
When Dad bought this property, he let each of us choose a parcel for ourselves.
Mine has the best view of the lighthouse and the cliffs, and of course, endless water.
Every window of the future house will highlight the water.
Juju gasps as we pull up, and the structure comes into view.
She turns to me, eyes wide, voice barely above a whisper. “What have you done? It’s the tree house. Only so much better.”
Her gaze flicks from the whimsical structure nestled among the stunning tree branches to my face and back again.
Her mouth drops open, and her hand reaches for mine.
She’s quiet as I help her out of the truck, her eyes never leaving the tree house.
We walk up the ladder, sanded smooth. I ran my fingers over every inch, making sure there were no splinters. I lift her hand to the ladder, and she climbs up slowly, with me right behind her.
At the top of the stairs, I pause. “Ready?”
She nods, excitement bouncing off of her.
I push the door open, and she gasps.
The soft light spilling through the windows makes the inside look even more magical than the outside.
And I have the same kind of twinkle lights that Juju insisted were in the original tree house, which makes her smile.
This tree house feels like an extension of what we did to the resort.
Like you might see a fairy dozing on a moss-covered tree trunk or lightning bugs slowing down to say hello.
In the center is a beautiful round table Noah made, covered with an outrageous spread.
Fresh fruit sliced and shaped into a heart. Mini tarts with gold-dusted tops. Warm bread in a basket, with cheeses and figs and grapes draped on a plate next to it. Two silver domes cover the plates that I know have that pasta I made for Juju when we were kids.
“This is a dream,” she says reverently. “You did all this?”
“I had lots of help. Noah did all the hard parts.” I grin. “And Marilyn and Virginia brought the food over.”
“It’s gorgeous.”
“It’s yours…” I take her hand and go to the window, where we look out at the water. I point to the clearing in the trees next to us. “And a house right there, if you want it. If you want me.”
I take her hands, and she turns to face me. “I want you,” she whispers. “Forever.”
I drop to one knee and pull a ring out of my pocket, holding it up like an offering. My heart is hammering and my palms are sweaty, but when I look up at her face—those wide, beautiful eyes and the lips I’ve kissed a thousand times in my dreams and finally in reality—I’m not afraid. I’m certain.
“Juliana Fair,” I say, my voice steady, even though everything inside me is quaking. “I love you. I love all of you. I love the quiet times when it’s just the two of us in each other’s arms. I love when we talk about the little things, the big things, all the things.”
Her smile grows, but a tear drips down her cheek. I reach up and grab it with my thumb.
“I love when we shake with passion, how we can’t get enough of each other.
I love trying to catch my breath with you.
” I kiss the palm of her hand. “I even love when we insulted each other, back when we pretended to hate each other, because it’s made us appreciate what we have now even more.
I’ll love you until the day I die and then some.
” I take a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”
Her hand flies to her mouth, her eyes shimmering. I can see the tremor in her fingers, and the way her chest rises and falls like she’s breathless. She lets out a shaky laugh and drops her hand.
“Yes,” she whispers. Then louder and with certainty, “Yes, Camden. I will marry you. I cannot wait to marry you.”
She sinks onto the floor in front of me, cupping my face in her hands. Her smile knocks the wind out of me.
“I love you,” she says. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together. We are more than I could’ve ever dreamed of…and I think we’ll only get better.”
I slide the ring onto her shaking hand, or is that my hand shaking? She laughs again, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I can’t believe this is real,” she says.
I lay her back on the pile of blankets and pillows arranged next to the table, and we christen the new tree house.
I think it may be the only time we’ve ever forgotten about the food.