Epilogue
“NATE?” JESS CALLED as she entered the cottage.
It was unlocked but empty. A single mug sat on the bench, as if Nate hadn’t been home all day–which she knew he had.
Or he had only drunk tea and not eaten anything.
It wouldn’t surprise her. That man drank tea like it was the only thing keeping him alive.
Most weekends, Jess was at the cottage, but during the week she lived with her cat, Jimble, in a small rental near Rangiora hospital.
Nate had respected her request to take things slowly and she appreciated it, but Jess had been at the cottage more and more lately.
If she was honest, it was starting to feel silly paying for two places, but was she ready for the next step?
Today being a Saturday, she’d usually be spending the day with Nate but she’d been called in for a birth, leaving him alone, working on the cottage.
It turned out, old wooden homes took a fair amount of maintenance, but Nate seemed to enjoy it.
In the year they’d been together, he’d painted the exterior and built a new deck.
Both handyman jobs he said he’d never done before.
Fancy London apartments didn’t need the same kind of work most New Zealand homes required.
She’d been surprised by what he’d taught himself, watching online videos and befriending the staff at the local hardware store.
Jess had applied her skills to the interior, painting several landscapes for the lounge and one for the bedroom. Calm country living, and the lighter workload at the rural hospital, had rekindled the creativity she’d traded in for partying at university, and getting back to her true self felt good.
She touched the side of an oil painting near the hallway: a soft sweeping river scene, shining water swirling around grey boulders against a blue sky backdrop.
This one had been painted on location. Nate trekked upriver with her for hours, insisting on carting her canvas and paintbrushes until they found the perfect location.
She smiled. Her grandfather would’ve been pleased she was getting back into painting. He’d always been so encouraging of her in everything she did. Painting made her feel grounded and connected to him again in a way she hadn’t in a very long time.
Jess checked the bedroom. Still no sign of Nate.
Just a tidily made bed with hospital corners, the sheets neatly turned down.
It was never this tidy after she’d stayed over.
Her clothes were usually strewn over the floor and bed, sheets left scrunched and thrown back, forgotten about in their rush to fill their days off with better things than housework.
They loved making the most of their new country lifestyle.
When they weren’t working on the cottage, they went on hikes, day trips into the mountains, or picnics down at the river.
If it rained enough for them to call it a home day, they’d unfold the pull-out couch Nate had bought off the previous owners, drag blankets out into the lounge to create a cosy nest around the two of them, and binge watch classic films.
Jess made her way outside. Nate had talked about adding planter boxes around the edges of the deck. That’s most likely where he’d be. She headed toward the back of the cottage. “Nate? Hello?”
“Round the back,” he called back, his voice muffled.
As she turned the corner into the backyard, she gasped. Was she dreaming? Nestled under the trees along the back fence, sat the art studio she’d imagined back when she first stayed in the cottage during filming. It was as if it had materialised perfectly from her mind into reality.
She stood, hands over her mouth, taking it all in.
Large double glass doors in front sat open, welcoming a stream of sunlight into the white interior.
On the blonde wood floorboards, a huge easel was waiting next to a wood-topped bench covered in art supplies.
Everything light and bright and beautifully crafted.
On the back wall, in a set, hung her grandfather’s paintings.
Three landscapes of the Ashley River, each with a tiny dark-haired girl playing in the distance.
“How did you—?” Jess shook her head in disbelief, staring at the studio. A week ago, there was nothing here but grass. Nate had learnt some skills, but this?
“Just something I whipped up.”
He slipped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, sending a thrill through her body which, even after a year, hadn’t faded.
He placed his chin on her shoulder. “Happy Anniversary.”
His breath warmed her neck, and she leaned in so her head rested against his.
She couldn’t believe her luck with this man.
The studio was such a moving, loving gesture her heart found it hard to accept it was really for her.
That someone would do something so kind just because they cared about her happiness.
A tear slipped down her cheek. More than one man had left her crying, but never for such a beautiful reason.
“Seriously, Nate. How is this here?”
“I’ve been working on it every evening, and all of today.”
“You must have spent hours. You didn’t even eat today, did you?”
“Huh, forgot about that,” he laughed. “Guess I should eat something now.” He nibbled on her neck, sending another electric thrill through her.
Laughing, she turned in his arms and pressed her stomach to his, still baffled by his surprise. “You did this all by yourself?”
“I may have had some help with this one,” he said, giving her a cheeky smile. “I didn’t want your art studio to collapse around you. Not sure my skills are quite building code standard yet.”
“You found grandad’s pictures? And the double doors and the floor…it’s all so perfect.”
“I remember you talking about it, back when we were filming, and…I don’t know. Just made a mental note, I guess.”
He pointed to a platform in the corner of the studio. “Did you see Jimble’s cat tower?”
“He’s going to love that. It’s amazing. I can’t believe it.” Jess leaned in and kissed him. “Is London full of men like you?”
Nate smooshed his nose playfully against hers, then kissed her lightly.
“I’m going to say no.” He kissed her again, small and sweet. “In case you decide to trade me in.”
“Well…if I can get art studios out of it, maybe I could get a bigger one and—”
He playfully dipped her and a big, full-volume laugh bubbled up alongside an overwhelming sense of being exactly where she needed to be.
Whenever she was around Nate, he found ways to make her laugh.
Her whole life she’d spent trying to have fun, looking for it in all the wrong places.
If only she’d known. This simple, quiet lifestyle made her happiest. Maybe she would have abandoned her party days years earlier, but then she probably wouldn’t have agreed to do the show.
And she wouldn’t have found Nate.
He kissed her deeply and she tasted sugary tea on his lips, letting her mind slip into a happy delirium. Still kissing, they crumbled together onto the grass, her lips tingling, her heart full.
Tucking his arm around her, Nate cupped her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb.
“I love you, Jess, and I want this to be your home, too.”
He loved her. Had given her this huge gift. Wanted her to move into the cottage they both adored. He wanted more of her than anyone had ever asked for, but none of it made her want to run away.
“Jess Williams, will you marry me?”
The soft grass turned to quicksand beneath her, her body and mind tumbling into the unknown. But this time, it didn’t scare her. She knew Nate would be there to catch her. He always was. His love wasn’t for show. It was tangible. Solid. A boulder in the river. A studio in the backyard.
“Nate,” she whispered, her lips close to his. Close enough to brush them lightly against his as she spoke. “I love you, too.” She kissed him gently, loving the sun on her skin and the safety of his arms around her.
“Is that a yes?”
She ran her hand through the back of his hair and pulled him closer to her, soaking into his kiss, their mouths hungry for each other. Nate pulled back, the question still in his eyes.
“Yes? No?”
Jess pulled him back into another kiss, enjoying the anticipation. She’d wondered if she was ready, but she knew now what her answer would be. What it had always been.
Still, it was fun to make him wait.
He smelled so good. When their lips parted, she held her cheek against his and breathed him in, enjoying the earthy scent of wood and soap.
“What’s in it for me—” she whispered into his ear.
Nate laughed. “You’re driving me crazy.”
He snuggled into the soft curve of her neck, kissing her throat. Jess squirmed with pleasure and laughed again, wanting the moment to last forever.
“Will you?” he breathed against her skin, holding her tight and refusing to let her wiggle away.
She held his face in her hands and shuffled back so she could look into his eyes. “Of course, Nate. Of course I’ll marry you,” she said, holding his gaze and feeling completely adored. “Wherever you are, that’s where I want my home to be.”