but she wasn't about to have such an important conversation when he couldn't even look at her because he was driving.
Every once in a while he glanced over, and she could see the worry, the confusion in his eyes. But she also saw resolve, as if he wasn't about to let her go without a fight. She took comfort in that. They could work this out and chalk it up to one of the many misunderstandings they'd no doubt have over the course of their marriage.
"Where are we going?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.
He reached for her hand, curling his finger around hers. "You'll see. We're almost there."
She recognized the area as an affluent neighborhood just north of Houston. They drove deeper into the residential area where the houses grew larger and more beautiful, the landscaping speaking of professional hands.
Then he turned into the circle driveway of a large stone house. The yard looked as though it hadn't been tended to in a while, or at least only a cursory hand had been applied.
"Come on," he said as he got out.
She met him around the front and he took her hand to lead her to the front door. To her surprise, he pulled out a key and inserted it into the lock.
“Gray?”
He drew her inside, and the smell of fresh paint quivered over her nose. The house was empty. No furniture, nothing on the walls except the gleam of new paint.
"This is where I've been spending so many evenings," he said gruffly.
She stared around at the foyer, the stairs and the open living room beyond.
"But Gray, we can't afford this house, I mean, we already picked out our house."
He smiled and pulled her through the living room. "I got a good deal on this one, and I knew you really wanted something larger, something we could grow into. When I saw it I just knew I had to have it for you. It was a foreclosure. Needed a lot of work. I've done what I can myself. Painting, new carpet, stuff like that."
She looked around, trying to absorb all he was saying. So many of her dream items were featured prominently in the house. The big fireplace, the big picture windows and a patio leading off from the living room through glass doors.
"Oh my God," she whispered. "This is really our house?"
He nodded. Then he hesitated. "That is, if there's still going to be a wedding."
Shame coursed through her. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to look at him. A tear trickled down her cheek to her mortification. Boy, when she screwed up, she went big.
He gathered her close, ignoring the stiffening of her body. He wrapped his arms around her and cupped the back of her head with one hand. His fingers wandered through the strands of her hair as he simply held on to her.
"Don't ever do that to me, Faith," he whispered. "You scared the shit out of me this morning. When I realized you'd canceled the arrangements, I went a little nuts."
She inhaled, holding and savoring his scent as she laid her head against his chest. "I'm sorry, Gray. I wish I could give you a reason. It was irrational of me, and I'm so sorry. It was stupid and childish, and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to marry me after all this."
He leaned back and tilted her chin until she stared into his eyes.
"I only have one question, Faith. Do you love me?"
Her heart shifted and melted under his intense gaze.
"So much it scares me."
"That's all I need. You loving me. Nothing else matters."
"I do. So much," she said with an ache in her voice.
"I vote we leave the tour of the house for another time and go home so we can address more important matters."
His hand slid down to lay flat against her belly, his fingers splayed out. God, there might be a baby in there. A mixture of panic and awe coursed through her at the thought.
"Yeah, let's go home," she said around the knot in her throat.
Nathan sat across the table from Julie watching her eat. He watched her smile, how her eyes lit up in response every time she spoke. How she laughed with no reserve. Was it any wonder he was always
Every once in a while he glanced over, and she could see the worry, the confusion in his eyes. But she also saw resolve, as if he wasn't about to let her go without a fight. She took comfort in that. They could work this out and chalk it up to one of the many misunderstandings they'd no doubt have over the course of their marriage.
"Where are we going?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.
He reached for her hand, curling his finger around hers. "You'll see. We're almost there."
She recognized the area as an affluent neighborhood just north of Houston. They drove deeper into the residential area where the houses grew larger and more beautiful, the landscaping speaking of professional hands.
Then he turned into the circle driveway of a large stone house. The yard looked as though it hadn't been tended to in a while, or at least only a cursory hand had been applied.
"Come on," he said as he got out.
She met him around the front and he took her hand to lead her to the front door. To her surprise, he pulled out a key and inserted it into the lock.
“Gray?”
He drew her inside, and the smell of fresh paint quivered over her nose. The house was empty. No furniture, nothing on the walls except the gleam of new paint.
"This is where I've been spending so many evenings," he said gruffly.
She stared around at the foyer, the stairs and the open living room beyond.
"But Gray, we can't afford this house, I mean, we already picked out our house."
He smiled and pulled her through the living room. "I got a good deal on this one, and I knew you really wanted something larger, something we could grow into. When I saw it I just knew I had to have it for you. It was a foreclosure. Needed a lot of work. I've done what I can myself. Painting, new carpet, stuff like that."
She looked around, trying to absorb all he was saying. So many of her dream items were featured prominently in the house. The big fireplace, the big picture windows and a patio leading off from the living room through glass doors.
"Oh my God," she whispered. "This is really our house?"
He nodded. Then he hesitated. "That is, if there's still going to be a wedding."
Shame coursed through her. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to look at him. A tear trickled down her cheek to her mortification. Boy, when she screwed up, she went big.
He gathered her close, ignoring the stiffening of her body. He wrapped his arms around her and cupped the back of her head with one hand. His fingers wandered through the strands of her hair as he simply held on to her.
"Don't ever do that to me, Faith," he whispered. "You scared the shit out of me this morning. When I realized you'd canceled the arrangements, I went a little nuts."
She inhaled, holding and savoring his scent as she laid her head against his chest. "I'm sorry, Gray. I wish I could give you a reason. It was irrational of me, and I'm so sorry. It was stupid and childish, and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to marry me after all this."
He leaned back and tilted her chin until she stared into his eyes.
"I only have one question, Faith. Do you love me?"
Her heart shifted and melted under his intense gaze.
"So much it scares me."
"That's all I need. You loving me. Nothing else matters."
"I do. So much," she said with an ache in her voice.
"I vote we leave the tour of the house for another time and go home so we can address more important matters."
His hand slid down to lay flat against her belly, his fingers splayed out. God, there might be a baby in there. A mixture of panic and awe coursed through her at the thought.
"Yeah, let's go home," she said around the knot in her throat.
Nathan sat across the table from Julie watching her eat. He watched her smile, how her eyes lit up in response every time she spoke. How she laughed with no reserve. Was it any wonder he was always
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