43. Sarah

43

SARAH

I'd made my way through the house with Bobbi by my side, making sure what furniture remained in the house – and hadn't been cleared to make enough room for the party – was arranged just right.

As the guests started to arrive, I tried to blend in and feel a part of the ritzy crowd. Eventually, Bobbi split off to manage the event itself and I roamed from room to room, hunting for Bri.

As lovely as these people were, all I really wanted was to take a nap with Bri in my arms.

"There you are." Her familiar rumble came from the top of the stairs.

I whipped my head around to look at her. "I was looking for you."

Bri smiled, her charming grin making my heart race. "I was admiring your work, since you already got to see mine."

"What do you think?" Biting my lip, I watched as Bri slowly came down to me.

She nodded. "I think you were very generous in your opinion of my house."

With a laugh, I tilted my head to the door. "Should we get out of here? These don't seem like our kind of people."

Nodding, Bri put her arm around my waist and guided me outside. Once the front door closed behind us, the commotion of the brewing party faded. We passed new guests waking up the stone path as we left.

The box truck had been taken away already, the movers handling it. But before we walked to our cars, which suddenly looked schlubby next to the extravagant rides of Vic's friends, Bri guided me down to the lakefront.

"Are we allowed out here?" I looked back at the house, still filling up with partygoers.

Bri shrugged. "I think we worked enough to enjoy it a little."

It was hard to argue with that. So I followed behind her as she led us down the dock. The wood boards rocked slightly as a light wave lapped at the lake shore.

Stopping at the end of the deck, Bri let her hand travel down my arm to meet my fingers. She turned to face me, interlacing our hands. "I just wanted to thank you."

"For what?" I rolled my eyes, attempting to keep my blush at bay. But just being looked at by Bri was enough to make me melt.

Bri laughed. "Making me go back to carpentry. I don't know if I'll keep doing it, but reminding myself that I could was incredible."

Shrugging, I met her green eyes. "Well thank you."

"I made something for you." Bri dug into the pocket of her jeans.

"For me?" Squeezing her hand, I felt myself get nervous.

She pulled out a small, sculpted mountain. For how small it was, fitting in the palm of Bri's hand, it was incredibly intricate. A small stream flowed down the slope which was lined with a dense forest.

My jaw dropped. "Wow. This is amazing." Taking it into my own hand, I lifted it closer to my face. "Why did you do this?"

"Because, you've always helped me climb every mountain I've been at the base of. And I hope I can help you do the same." Bri's jaw clenched as she swallowed her nerves.

I shook my head. "God, you're the sweetest person I've ever met." Looking up at her, I turned toward the shore of the lake where the ugly fence that blocked the view from the street had finally been torn down. "Do you remember sitting over there as kids?"

Wrapping her arm around me, Bri nodded. "Of course. We used to come here after school almost every day when it was warm enough."

"And you were an expert rock-skipper." I giggled, still able to picture how her face lit up with excitement when she got anything more than three skips.

Bri's face wrinkled. "Why are you thinking about that?"

Letting a sigh escape my lungs, I rested my head on her shoulder. "I think I want to do stuff like that with you every day."

A beaming smile took over Bri's face. "You know there's no rush, right? I don't need anything other than having you in my life."

I lifted my head, relief washing over me after saying how I really felt. "I know. But I don't want to climb mountains with anyone else."

For a moment, Bri looked at me before she brought her hand to my neck and pulled me into a kiss. Our lips pressing together on the lightly rocking deck, my body relaxed. I was still going to have to take my time. But right now, I just wanted to be in Bri's arms.