Chapter 47 #2
We stood beneath the striped awning, studying the menu overhead when the teenage girl behind the counter nearly dropped her scoop when she looked up and recognized Titus.
I bit the inside of my cheek, trying not to smile. I had forgotten he had recently become an internet sensation among her age group.
“You’re Titus Hawk!” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “The billionaire with the yacht, right?”
Titus shrugged. “Most billionaires have yachts.”
“I know, but they’re not as hot as you.” She looked at me. “Sorry.”
“While I appreciate the compliment, my lady and I are here to enjoy some ice cream. If you don’t mind, could you please take our order?”
“Sure. Right. Yes. Sorry.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What is your flavor of choice, my love?” Titus asked, looking at me with a smile.
“Strawberry.”
He turned back to the young woman. “We’ll have one scoop of strawberry and one scoop of chocolate, both on a cone, please,” he said.
A few moments later, we carried our cones outside.
“Look at us. Like we’re already an old couple on a Sunday afternoon drive, enjoying ice cream cones while overlooking the beach,” I said, sitting beside him on a small wooden bench beneath one of the giant oak trees.
“Is this the weekend we weren’t watching the grandchildren?” he said, playing along.
I took another lick of my delicious ice cream. “No,” I answered. “Remember? They were going to our daughter’s in-laws’ house this weekend.”
Titus quietly laughed as he continued eating his ice cream. “So we have a daughter then?”
“We have two, actually…”
“Two?” His eyebrows shot up. “Why isn’t our other daughter bringing her children over while the rebellious one kisses her in-laws’ ass?”
“Because,” I continued, having fun with our banter and enjoying the hell out of my ice cream, “Jasmine married an only child. His parents are extremely possessive of him and the grandchildren.”
Titus stopped eating his ice cream and looked over at me, “Jasmine?”
“Jasmine,” I repeated my made-up name.
“If that’s the name you love, then I understand why you chose it. What I don’t understand is why we raised our daughter to be pushed around by selfish in-laws who steal our grandchildren from us on a Sunday afternoon?”
“She’s in love with Henry, and doesn’t need her in-laws making her life hell.” I laughed at the next name I made up.
“Our daughter married a man named Henry?”
I nodded, trying to remain steadfast on that name.
“What age is he? Ninety? Surely Jasmine is not a… how do you call it? Sugar baby?”
I laughed into my ice cream. “Surely not. Henry is twenty-nine. He was named after his father. And his father before him.”
“Henry the Eighth, is it? He and his parents are already annoying me,” Titus said, shaking his head. “One thing is certain, mi amor… we most definitely have quite a future ahead of us.” He kissed my lips. “Damn, that strawberry tastes delicious. Or maybe it’s just your kiss.”
“Try it,” I said, leaning the cone toward him.
He offered me his, and the chocolate tasted as though they’d melted the finest Belgian chocolate bar into the mixture and made an ice cream from it.
“We’ve got to remember this place,” I said.
“I’ve got to purchase this place,” Titus laughed. “Create a franchise out of it and bring these delicacies to our area.”
“For once, I won’t argue with you about your business acumen.”
We finished our ice cream, and then we walked hand in hand back to the car. Once inside, Titus had us back on the road, heading up the coast.
It was so nice being here, out of the city, watching the endless line of beach towns give way to rolling hills, towering oak trees, and winding roads that felt hidden from the rest of California.
I had no idea where we were headed, and I honestly loved that he wanted to surprise me with the destination. All of this was quite a treat, not just because I was with him, but because it was nice not to be shuttled by helicopters or chauffeurs… It was just him and me.
I rested my elbow on the door of the car and looked around. “Where exactly are we?”
“You’ll see.”
Titus smiled, looking down the road, which narrowed beneath a canopy of ancient trees. Sunlight filtered through the branches overhead, painting shifting patterns across the hood of the Jaguar.
Then he slowed, and my attention immediately shifted. The entrance appeared almost unexpectedly.
It was a simple stone wall, partially hidden beneath ivy. An understated sign. A winding private drive disappearing into a landscape that looked more like a countryside estate than anywhere I’d expect to find in California.
“This is it?” I asked.
“This is it.”
We turned onto the drive, the gravel crunching softly beneath the tires. The property seemed to unfold around us with every passing second. There were gardens, stone pathways, and towering eucalyptus and oak trees.
Everywhere, flowering hedges burst with color. This cozy retreat looked impossibly peaceful. It was as though the rest of the world didn’t exist here. The drive curved, then curved again, and suddenly I saw it.
My breath caught as I covered my chest. It was something out of a storybook.
A charming stone cottage sat nestled among gardens and mature trees. Ivy climbed portions of the exterior walls, while climbing roses framed windows that glowed softly beneath the late-afternoon sun.
A stone chimney rose above the roofline. French doors opened to a private patio. Beyond it all, the Santa Ynez Mountains stretched into the distance, bathed in gold by the setting sun.
Titus rolled to a stop, but neither of us moved right away. I simply stared ahead. This was nothing like what I expected. There was no grand entrance. No sprawling estate. And no display of wealth.
It felt romantic and intimate. This place seemed to be where people came to disappear together.
“Titus.”
His gaze shifted toward me. “Yes, preciosa?”
“If a Hallmark movie and a luxury travel magazine had a baby, it would look like this.”
The smile that appeared on his face told me it was exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for.
I looked back toward the cottage. The gardens seemed to spill around it in every direction as birds chirped nearby and a light breeze moved gently through the trees.
For the first time all day, I noticed there wasn’t a single sound of traffic.
“Do you like it?”
I smiled. “I love it.”
Something softened in his expression, as though he’d wanted this weekend to be perfect and had been waiting for my verdict.
The realization warmed my chest. “You were worried I wouldn’t?”
His laugh was low. “A little.”
I stared at him. “Titus Hawk gets nervous?”
“Only about things that matter.”
He stepped out of the car and rounded the front, and a moment later, he opened my door and offered me his hand. The instant my feet touched the ground, I understood why he’d brought me here. Not because it was luxurious or exclusive… but because it was just the two of us.
“I should warn you.”
I glanced up. “About what?”
His smile turned wicked. “I have no intention of sharing you with the outside world until Sunday.”
I laughed as he pulled me toward the cottage. Surprisingly, his idea sounded perfect.
“So, where are we?” I questioned again.
“It’s San Ysidro Ranch, just outside Santa Barbara,” he said. “We’re staying in the exact cottage that President Kennedy took his bride on their honeymoon. It’s quite charming and everything I hoped you would love.”
As we stepped up to the entrance, I tightened my grip on his hand. I already knew this place was going to be everything I loved and more. The fact that he’d thought of this—of driving us up the coast with the top down, just the two of us—made the entire weekend feel even more special.
As I looked over at him, I couldn’t help but think of all the ways I planned to thank him for whisking me away to a place that already felt perfect before we’d even stepped through the front doors.