Page 271 of Broken Saint
“This place is incredible,” I muse as we sit on the deck, rocking back and forth on the most comfortable swing seat I’ve ever sat on, staring out at the calm lake before us.
“You want it?” Colt asks, shocking me from my mindless state of relaxation.
After he proved to me just how much he missed me and how much he loves me at least four times over, I curled up into his big body and fell asleep. By the time I woke again, the sun was setting, casting the entire house in this beautiful orange hue. There was no chance we were staying inside and missing it.
“Do I want what?” I ask, turning to look at him with a frown pulling at my brow.
“This place.”
A laugh bursts out of me, but when he doesn’t join me in my amusement, it falters.
“Shit. You’re not joking, are you?”
He smirks.
“You can’t just buy us a house,” I argue.
“Of course I can. I can do whatever the fuck I want…what you want.
“I chose this place because it’s close to your mom, but far enough out of town to give us privacy. It’s perfect. Plus,” he says, reaching for my hand and lifting my engagement ring to his lips. “It’s where we consummated this.”
My heart tumbles in my chest.
“I’m not sure that’s a thing,” I whisper.
“It’s a thing if we want it to be a thing,” he says before tugging me closer and brushing a kiss over my lips.
“Is this place even for sale?” I ask when he lets me up for air.
“For the right price, anything is for sale,” he says with a wink.
“Jesus,” I mutter.
“I know we haven’t really talked much about the future and what it holds for us, but I always want you to be able to come home when you need it. Just because my life is in Seattle right now, it doesn’t mean that you have to be there all the time.”
“I want to be wherever you are,” I argue, his words making my stomach knot with anxiety.
“I know. And I want to be wherever you are, too. But I want you to know that you can always come home.”
Tears burn my eyes as he continues speaking.
“One of the guest rooms can be your mom’s. If you want to be here when this one is born, then we can do that. Or if you want her to stay in Seattle for a bit. Anything, Ella. I’ll do anything to make all of this easier for you.”
“You are,” I force out through the lump of emotion clogging my throat.
He smiles at me, his own emotion shining bright in his eyes.
“I don’t need you to buy a house.”
“I know, but this place is pretty fucking awesome, don’t you think?” he says, dragging me from the seat beside him and settling me on his lap.
His hands slide up my sides before twisting in my hair.
“I love you, Ella Rogers.”
Butterflies flutter in my belly at the sound of my married name falling from his lips.
“You’ve made all my dreams come true, Colton Rogers.”