Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jude

Present

Fourteen days ago, Ella and I drove twelve hours from Washington to California. Her car was loaded to the brim with boxes as I followed behind in a rickety old moving truck.

She’s been staying with me until she finds another place. And every day she’s here, it feels like a goddamn dream come true. She’s the reason I bought this house after all—seeing as it’s exactly like the one we had talked about ten years prior.

If it were up to me, she’d be living here permanently. But I also know how important it is to her to have space, to hold on to her independence. I can set aside my own selfishness, as long as I know she’s happy.

Slamming her laptop shut, she lets out an excited squeal. “I think I found one! ”

“Did you? Where’s it at?”

“Out in the boondocks, right past downtown. Someone had one of those tiny homes built on their land and they’re looking to rent it out. Sherie actually told me about it. She knows the owners. They just emailed me and told me I can come take a look at it today.”

Fucking helpful Sherie . “That’s exciting.” Coming up behind her and wrapping my arms around her waist, I bury my head into her neck. “Not going to lie, I’m going to miss you being here.”

Her smile falters. “Me too. But it’d be crazy to move in together so soon, right? Everyone would think we’re insane.”

Fuck everyone else.

I kiss her neck, inhaling the clean, crisp scent of her. “You already know I’d have you officially moved in within the hour. But make yourself the priority, and do whatever makes you happy. Fuck everyone else, me included.”

“Mmm, you know, fucking you does sound pretty nice.”

“You’re killing me.” My dick comes awake merely at her suggestion. I can tell she feels the swell of it behind her, pressing against her low back, as she purposely squirms to get as close as humanly possible.

“Such a little cocktease,” I mumble.

Looking up at me with a satisfied smirk, she rocks her ass against me one more time to really get my attention. “Come with me to look at the house?”

“Let’s go take a look, love.”

As I grab my keys out of the basket on the counter, I do my best not to cross my fingers that this place is an absolute shit hole. If it’s what she wants, then I’ll support that. Even if my flight-or-fight does want to throw her over my shoulder and march her back inside the house— our house.

We drive through downtown, passing storefronts that perfectly encapsulate the charm of a small town. From the outside, none of them appear especially modern, but their vintage appeal makes them come alive.

At a stop sign, we pull up next to Little Elm, where a large ‘available for rent’ sign is taped to the dusty window of the neighboring shop. As soon as she glances at it, I can see the wheels turning in her head.

“Huh, looks like the music center moved,” I say, pretending to be only semi-interested for the sake of getting her to open up about it.

She looks over at me with an amused smile. “I know what you’re doing.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lie, staring straight ahead so she can’t see the bullshit in my eyes. “Just eyeing prime locations, in the off chance anyone I know wants to open a new business.”

Mulling it over, she finally replies, “I’m thinking about it. I just don’t know if I have the guts to pull the trigger. Someday, maybe.”

“You’ve already been thinking about it. That means it’s not just a ‘someday’ idea, it’s a ‘right now’ possibility. What’s stopping you from going for it?”

“Those TED Talks really are rubbing off on you.” Her thumb drums lightly against the passenger side door as she thinks. “But in all seriousness, I guess the only thing stopping me is myself and my worry of failing.”

“We all believe in you. The only thing left is for you to believe in yourself too.”

She laces her fingers through mine and gives a gentle squeeze. “Thank you.”

I bring her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to the soft skin of her knuckles. As we leave the last street of downtown behind, the world shifts around us. The buildings and businesses fade away, replaced by the quiet expanse of a deserted country road.

From beside me, she uses her phone GPS to pinpoint the address. We pass a sprawling sunflower field, and a horse ranch with Clydesdales bigger than my SUV. With views like this, there’s no doubt that this place will be perfect for her. It’s a bittersweet feeling. More than anything I want her to stay with me. But I need to count my blessings that at least we’ll be in the same county.

After a few more minutes, we turn onto a dirt road leading to the several acres long property that the tiny home is located on. Our bodies bounce in the seats as we coast along the uneven gravel. A large cattle dog comes bounding toward our car, happily running alongside to greet us the moment we step out.

The property is breathtaking, with the rolling hills that nearly seem to reach the sky. An acre out from the main house lies the tiny home. With clean lines and horizontal wooden siding, the place looks modern with a rustic charm.

The owner, Jonathan, greets us in the driveway. His leathery tan skin, dusty well-worn boots, and flannel shirt give him the look of someone who’s spent the majority of their life working the land. He unlocks the mahogany front door, and gestures inside, to let us take a moment to look around without him peering over our shoulder.

The interior is as impressive as the exterior. Real wood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows with a view people would pay good money for. Of course, it’s small—narrow hallways, an even narrower staircase leading up to a loft bed. But for one or two people, it’s perfect.

I know it, and she knows it.

“I had no idea tiny homes could look like this ,” I say, as we look into the bathroom. The walls are entirely lined with white subway tiles, and there’s even enough room for a full shower-tub combination.

“Seriously. The pictures don’t even do it justice,” she responds.

“To be fair, they probably could barely fit a camera in here.”

We both glance around with wide eyes. But I notice there’s a shift in her demeanor, and a cautiousness that wasn’t there five minutes ago.

“So, what do you think? How are you feeling about it?” I ask.

“It’s nice,” she replies, biting her bottom lip. “Really nice.”

There’s more to it though. I can sense it.

“Nice enough to make you want to live here?”

Bracing herself with her hands on the counter, she finally turns to look at me. Here it comes, all those thoughts that usually stay bottled up in her mind that I have the privilege of being trusted with.

She shrugs. “I hate it.”

Her bluntness causes a laugh to burst out of me. I’m secretly thrilled, because that means having her at my house for a while longer.

Walking up beside her, I hug her close to my chest. “And what do you hate about it?”

She melts into my touch. “That you’re not going to be in it. The second I walked through the door, it got real… too real, that I’d be here, by myself, alone. That feeling of home I’ve found living with you, at your house, vanished. And I don’t want that to go away.”

“Well, I’ve got an easy solution for that. Move in with me? Officially? I know you think it’s wild to do it so early, but who the hell cares. It’s our life.”

She smiles, her hazel eyes seeming to flash even more green. “Let’s be crazy together then. Let’s do it.”

I take her face in my hands and kiss her like never before, excitement pulsing through me because our adventure is only beginning.

This next chapter of our lives took years—ten painfully long ones to be exact. But now, with her by my side again, I realize that every moment we have is a gift. A someday that finally arrived, not soon, but right when it was meant to.