After I’d unloaded the last of the feed, I jumped down off the truck and did a little salute toward Rhett. He stared after me with a blank look on his face, and I chuckled as I climbed up into my truck. “Enjoy shoveling shit,” I said, and then I was off. Damn, it sure was fun to torment his ass.
Driving into the small town of Brooklet gave me that same sense of home it always had. I knew this was the right step for Maddison and me; I’d wanted to come back here to live ever since the first night in my tiny apartment. Thankfully, it was only a month-to-month lease I’d had because there was no way I could see staying there any longer than I already had. I was ecstatic when Mad suggested we move home; it was like she read my mind.
I parked along the side of the road and walked about half a block to the cafe where I was meeting her. When I say half a block, keep in mind that was not a far distance at all, like two store fronts, maybe three.
She sat out front, her phone in her hand, and she scrolled through whatever was on her screen. Her hair was down, blowing just barely in the soft breeze. I watched as she tucked a few strands behind her ear and turned to look right then left. The moment her eyes found me standing there, a smile spread out over her face, and my feet began to move once more.
“Hey, baby.” There it was, that feeling again. She’d only done it twice, but God damn, did it do something amazing to me. I cupped her jaw, pulled her lips to mine, and kissed her like my life depended on it.
“Wow,” she sighed as I pulled back. Her eyes remained closed, and her lips parted slightly. “What was that for?”
“Missed ya,” I confessed without feeling even the slightest bit whooped for admitting it.
“It’s only been a few hours.”
“I know.” I kissed her once more, only this one was quick. “It was far too long.”
Maddison smiled wide, laying her hand on my chest. “Are you ready to go see these three places?”
“Hell yeah.” Lacing my fingers with hers, I led her back to my truck, and together we drove from one place to the next.
The first one was far too stuffy and chopped up. I knew we weren’t buying it, but I seriously felt like I was trying to find my way from one side of a fucked-up maze to the next. By the frightened look on her face, I knew she felt it was a no as well.
The second property was better as far as the layout went, but it reeked of pot, and by the time we were back outside, I felt light headed. “I think I’m high,” she whispered, which made me laugh.
The woman showing us the properties offered us an apologetic smile and said, “Shall we move on to the next?”
When we pulled up in front of the third house, I got this weird feeling that I couldn’t quite explain.
“This is the one.” Mad whispered the words, but I heard them clearly.
“You think?”
“Look at that cute porch swing.” She reached out and placed her hand onto the handle of the door but didn’t open it yet. I watched her stare at the little grey house with the blue shutters. Hell, the door was even the same shade of blue. White trim and, like she said, the perfect porch swing.
“It has a picket fence, Mike.” She was in awe, and we hadn’t even seen the inside. “Can you believe that?”
Then she was off, rushing from the truck with the same kind of excitement a kid got on Christmas morning when they were rushing downstairs to see what Santa had left.
“This one is a little larger than what you were looking for,” the agent began to explain as she walked side by side with Maddison. I trailed behind, simply watching Mad’s reaction as the woman continued. “There are three bedrooms, plus a cute attic space that can either be used for storage or the perfect sitting room. I actually think it would make an amazing playroom or library but…”
Maddison looked back over her shoulder at me and offered a wink. I knew that moment that I wanted this house even if I hated it, because she’d already fallen in love with it. I also knew I wanted to check in on the option to buy at a later time, too.
After we’d gone through it room by room, I knew that it was our home. The woodwork was all original, the windows and doors, though having been replaced, were exact replicas of the originals as well. There was so much light, it was cheery and peaceful.
It was home.
“It sits on one point three acres and has a detached two-car garage. The front has the cute little picket fence, and the remaining part of the property is also fenced in.” There was a pause as Maddison and I shared a look that spoke volumes. “What do you two think?”
“We’ll take it.” The moment the words left my mouth, my Pretty Girl practically leapt into my arms.
“Okay then, let’s get started on the paperwork.” The woman excused herself, leaving Maddison and me standing in the quaint eat-in kitchen. I knew that if this place ever became our forever home, we would definitely do something about the border throughout, but for now, it was workable.
“I can’t wait to wake up here,” she whispered near my ear. “I can’t wait to make you breakfast in this very kitchen—”
“Naked?”
“Yes, naked.” She bit her
