Page 107 of Deceitful Oath
“Fine,” he finally relents. “But can we take a lunch break or are you planning on popping this kid out today?”
My stomach grumbles at the mention of food, so I happily drop my roller and skip into the kitchen. I marvel at my kitchen, forgetting my hunger, as soon as I enter it.
I’ve dreamed of this my entire life when I was living in shitty apartments with one-pot burners and janky microwaves.
I run my hand over the smooth wooden countertop, taking in the white-washed walls, colorful pastel cabinets, and honey-colored wood floors. It’s bright, cozy, and magical—everything I’ve ever hoped my dream home to be. I just never expected I’d find it.
“No kitchen today,” Rafael says, coming up behind me.
“But why? I love it,” I beg, lovingly patting my pastel blue Smeg cooktop.
“Because we’re going on a picnic today,” he grins, looking like the devil I know he is. He grabs my hand and drags me onto the back porch, where a picnic basket sits waiting for us.
“Okay, even better,” I agree, my heart soaring in my chest. Rafael quickly learned that surprises are my love language and I’m fully smitten. “In the yard?”
“No, we need to walk a little if you’re up for it,” he says. “Otherwise, we can take the car.”
“I’m not dead yet,” I announce with gusto. “Let the hike begin!”
We stroll hand-in-hand across the wide lawn behind our home. A dense tree line borders our land on the far edge and Rafael leads me to it.
I’ve never gone out this far and a jumble of nerves hits me. As a reformed city girl, I’m used to manicured parks and concrete. Forests kind of freak me out.
I lean into Rafael, feeling his warmth through his shirt. It calms me down enough to follow him into the dense stand of trees.
The grass from our backyard ends, and the ground transforms into a soft carpet of pine needles and dirt. The trees look like giants once I’m actually beneath them, and I gasp in wonder.
“Nice, isn’t it?”
“Amazing,” I breathe. “Are we having our picnic in here?”
“Not quite,” he laughs, kicking a pinecone out of the way. “There’s a major surprise on the other side of this.”
He pulls me forward, and we run through the trees, giggling like little kids.
When we break through the tree line to the other side, my breath catches in my throat, and all I can do is stare. Just behind a short wooden fence, sit hundreds and hundreds of orange trees.
The late afternoon sun glows over them, illuminating the grove in soft shades of pink and orange. A soft, sweet breeze caresses my bare arms. The dirt floor transforms into fluffy green grass again—so bright it’s almost neon.
Everything feels like it’s in technicolor.
“Better?”
“I’ve never felt more at home,” I say in awe.
“I have a theory you were born in an orange grove,” he laughs, guiding me over the fence. “That, or on the sun.”
“Well, one of those is definitely not feasible,” I say, trying not to fall on my ass as I climb over. “I’ve never seen an orange tree before.”
We set up our blanket under a particularly leafy tree. Rafael climbs it to swipe a few fresh oranges while I unpack the basket. I pull out a fresh baguette, some dips, some deli meat and cheese, grapes, and a bottle of sparkling apple juice.
“You really outdid yourself with today’s menu,” I yell, gazing up at his very muscular ass above me in the trees.I can’t believe that’s all mine.I smile cheekily to myself.
“Thank you, but sunshine? I think I’m stuck,” he admits, his voice muffled by the thick leaves. “Can you just grab these so I can use two hands?”
I haul myself off the blanket, also needing two hands these days with how quickly the Bean is growing.
“Just don’t kick me,” I warn to his dangling legs. His hand pops out of the leafy canopy, passing me an orange. I grab it, reaching my hand up for the next one, but something lightly stabs my palm. I glance down at the orange, wondering if they have thorns, and drop it in shock.