Chapter 9

After one more perfect day at the beach, we pack up our cars, and I follow Colby back to his home. The landscape outside my window changes from coastal, to oak trees heavy with moss, hills, and billboards that make me vaguely uncomfortable. But I roll the windows down and try to keep the nerves inside me at bay.

I still think this is all kind of wild. We fell in love in a week, but maybe love is a wild thing worth chasing. Maybe it is possible to fall in love so quickly, especially when that someone is Colby Smith. The hard thing, the real test, will be if we can make it work as just Colby and Eli. Not as pretend husbands.

Finally, we turn onto a paved road in the middle of nowhere. A gate opens and I follow Colby's classic Mustang through it. Oak trees line the driveway, for what feels like forever, until a large, white farmhouse comes into view. The sight of it takes my breath away. Trees surround the house, and there's even a front porch with rockers on it.

Late afternoon sunlight shines behind the house and I am in love. In love with the man who brought me here, the man who built this house, and with the idea of the future we could have if I give it a chance.

Colby hops out of the car with a smile, making my heart do somersaults in my chest. His stupid smiles are going to make me develop a heart condition.

He opens my car door for me, helping me out with a hand on my forearm.

"This is my home," Colby says with pride.

"Did you design it?"

Colby nods as he looks at the house. Pride radiates off of him too. "I designed it after Marcus died. I couldn't live in the home we shared together anymore. It hurt too much. So, I sold that house, and finally built my dream home." He uses his arm to gesture around the property. "This is my family's land, and I was given these ten acres when I turned eighteen. I always knew I'd do something with it, I just didn't know when."

The front door opens and a dog comes racing out at us.

"Who's this?" I ask, dipping down to give them pats.

"Whiskey, she's my best girl."

"Whiskey," I murmur, laughing when she licks my face. Her hair is long, and almost auburn. "What kind of dog is she?"

"Irish setter. She was a gift from Marcus, towards the end."

Colby's voice isn't sad, just informative. We have so much to talk about and Marcus is one of them. I wish we had talked about him more at the beach house, but I never had the courage. Never really felt right. But if I'm going to start a life with Colby, then I need to know about the man who safely kept his heart before me.

A man comes out of the farmhouse, hands tucked into his pockets. He"s a giant of a man, even taller than Colby, but he's got dark hair where Colby's is light. The man waves at us from the front porch.

"That's my cousin Beau. He's been dog-sitting for me."

Colby takes my hand and pulls me towards the front of the house. Whiskey runs around the yard a few times, doing her business like a real lady. She comes back to bounce excitedly at Colby's feet. I totally get it. He laughs at her, giving her loving pats on the head.

"She missed ya," Beau says as he watches Whiskey jump around. He's got a southern accent just like Colby, but his voice is a little deeper, and his southern accent is just a little thicker.

"She was good?" Colby asks, squeezing my hand.

Beau nods. "Course. I kept her at my house, but brought her back here today when you said you were heading home." Beau sends an unsure look at me, then aims his gaze back at Colby. "All good?"

Colby lets go of my hand and hugs Beau, who stays stiff the entire time, but sweetly pats Colby on the back. When they pull apart, Colby looks back at me with a teasing smile on his lips.

"This is Elijah. He was my fake husband, but I think maybe one day he'll be the real thing. If he'll consider it."

I can feel the flush spread over my cheeks, and warmth diffuses through my entire body. Half embarrassment, half in pleasure. This man is going to be the absolute death of me.

Beau whistles, tipping back on his heels. Must be a family thing.

"Nice to meet you, Elijah." Beau puts his hand out, and I shake it firmly. His hand eclipses mine. I'm not even a small guy, these guys are just superhuman big. But they're kind and sweet too.

"You can call me Eli," I tell him with a gentle smile.

"Alright, Eli." Beau nods, then looks out at the sun behind the trees. "I better get back to my place. It might be the middle of the week, but we're ramping up for the weekend at the farm. You gonna bring him by?"

Colby lets out some sort of noise that Beau takes for agreement. Beau trots down the stairs with a dip of his head in my direction. He just walks down the paved driveway, then hops over the gate, and goes across the street. Weird.

"Where is he going …" I trail off and look over at Colby.

"He lives across the street."

"I didn't see any houses."

"Well, across the street means something a little different here," Colby explains. "It's about a thirty-minute walk home, but it's good for him. He likes solitude. If he needs to get somewhere in a rush, then he takes his truck, but that's usually only to go to work. Otherwise, Beau walks."

How interesting. Whiskey lets out a bark and nudges at Colby's hand. With a wide smile, eyes crinkled at the corners, Colby pushes open the front door. "Wanna see inside?"

Duh. The inside of the house is just as beautiful. Dark wood floors gleam from the sunlight shining in through the broad back windows. Everything about the house inspires comfort, putting me at immediate ease. A wide porch spans the back of the house, with more rocking chairs, along with tables for company.

The backyard expands out as far as I can see with trees dotting the land. A few hills away there's another farmhouse, but otherwise it's just us out here. Something about that sends a shiver down my spine. Colby lets me wander, so I do. I go from room to room, inspecting the house that Colby designed and built for himself, for his future. The idea that he wants to bring me into his dream home makes me feel special. Makes me feel a part of something bigger than myself.

The long hallway leading to what I assume is Colby's bedroom is lined with photos of his family. A photo of a young Colby with Beau and who I assume is another cousin captures my attention. God, Colby has always been beautiful. Easily twenty years old, Colby looks younger, but the smile is exactly the same. His smile has always been infectious and full of life.

The picture next to it has a smiling Colby in a suit, with an older man in a matching suit. He's got pitch-black hair, dark eyes, and a smile that looks like it doesn't come out a lot. But it's no less happy, no less ecstatic.

"Is this Marcus?" I ask quietly.

Colby comes up beside me, a steady presence. "That's Marcus."

"You look so happy."

"He made me very happy." Colby turns me so I'm facing him, hands firm on my hips. His fingers dip under my shirt, sweetly tracing the warm skin he finds there. "He made me so happy and I'm so grateful for the life that I lived with him. But that doesn't negate my ability to love you too, to build a life with you here. If you'll have me."

Emotions clog my throat. I let my forehead fall to his chest. Colby lets me gather my thoughts, doesn't push me to speak before I'm ready. His fingers continue their gentle onslaught against my skin, calming me more than he'll ever know.

"Alright, Colby. The husband experience was fun, but we need to start at the basics. We need to date and get to know one another, and try to make this something that can last. Okay?"

Colby chuckles and runs his palms higher up my back, under my shirt, before cupping my shoulders. His warmth bleeds into me and I lean against him more, letting him take my weight.

"We can be boyfriends for a little while before we do the husband thing for real."

I roll my head back and forth on his chest while I laugh. "You're infuriating. Alright, so we're downgrading one another to boyfriends."

"A demotion," Colby says seriously.

I nod seriously. "Demoted."

Colby tugs me away from his body to kiss me thoroughly. I sway on my feet a little, but he keeps me close, kissing me so possessively that my brain short-circuits just a little bit. I blink up at him in a daze when he pulls away.

"My boyfriend, my Eli," Colby murmurs against my slack mouth.

"My boyfriend, my Colby."

We kiss again and it feels like its own sort of vow. A promise that I hope to keep reaffirming for many years to come.