Page 204 of The Reason I Married Him
“Well, I’m glad I could offer you a new experience.”
“Thank you,” she says sweetly, the same voice she’s used all day. At first, I thought she was putting on a show for everyone, but once we left the farm and headed into San Francisco to catch our flight, and her tone stayed the same, I wondered if it was because her stress levels had lowered.
Either way, I like it.
I especially like it when she teases me while using that voice.
I make a left to head down a dirt road toward the cabin and say, “Heads-up, the cabin is an old A-frame. It still has its original wood paneling, with the only update being the bathroom. I plan to make a few adjustments here and there, but I want to preserve the old cabin feel as much as possible.”
“I’m sure it’s perfect,” she says just as I make another left and then pull into the short driveway of the cabin.
“There it is,” I say, happy that the outside light was left on.
“Oh, it’s so cute,” she says as I put the rental car in park and turn it off.
We both step out of the car, and I retrieve our luggage from the trunk as she takes it all in.
Crickets sound off in the distance as the silence of the forest envelops us. The smell of fresh pine fills the air, as well as a dewy mist, indicating the night is upon us. Through the leaves and branches of the trees, the glittering stars shine down upon us, and even though there are neighbors, they are nowhere in sight, offering complete privacy.
“Wow, it’s dark here and quiet.”
“Just what an author loves,” I say as I walk up to her with our luggage. “Go on, the key is under the welcome mat.”
“Doesn’t seem very safe,” she says.
“No one is doing anything illegal here in Canoodle. Trust me, the town is like Almond Bay, one big family.”
“Says the guy who checks the locks every night because he peed his pants.”
“Hey now.” I point at her. “That was told in confidence. I don’t expect you to throw it back in my face.”
She chuckles. “Never should have told me.”
She grabs the key from under the mat and unlocks the door. The kitchen light was left on as well, so we aren’t fumbling around as we enter.
The first thing I notice is the smell of the wood all over the cabin.
The second thing is a note saying congratulations.
The third thing . . . just how right this feels.
How homey.
“Fuck,” I mutter as I take in the open-concept cabin with a wood-burning fireplace in the corner, worn-out furniture in the living room, and a kitchen sink with a red-and-white-checkered curtain underneath it to block the view of the pipes.
“What’s wrong?” Aubree asks.
“Nothing.” I drag my hand over my face. “I can’t believe it’s going to be mine.” I turn toward her and say, “You did this. You helped make this happen. Thank you so much, Aubree.”
Her cheeks flush as she says, “I’ll be saying the same thing to you when I own the deed to the rest of the farm. It worked out. Did Wallace ever text you back?”
I shake my head. “No, but I’m sure he’s trying to figure out what happened.”
“Did you talk to your parents?”
“Yeah, I called them while you were packing. They want to meet you. Said they were happy for us, but definitely want to meet you. I told them we can arrange for that after we get back to Almond Bay. But I did mention the cabin, and they said they’d contact the family lawyer in the morning. They’ll need a copy of the wedding certificate, but once we turn that in, it’s all mine.” They asked many more questions likehow did I find, date, and marry a new woman in such a short space of time.But Aubree doesn’t need to know about that.
She softly smiles. “I’m happy for you, Wyatt. I know how much this means to you.” She looks around the space. “And I can see why. It’s very homey, feels like a place where many memories are made.” She places her hand over her mouth and lets out a large yawn. “Gosh, sorry.”
