My lips slowly parted as surprise wove through my love for this boy. “You remember that?”
His gaze drifted to me for a second. “You say something, I’m listening. You say something about our future? Babe, I’m never forgetting it.”
“Beau . . .”
“And that’ll be worth waiting for. Just like that house will be worth waiting for because it’s gonna be ours.”
One of those rare, breathtaking smiles crossed his face, shifting his expression entirely. Chasing away any darkness and anger that lingered under the surface, making him look so light and free for that brief moment.
“That’s why I think tonight is worth any wait too.”
I managed to tear my attention away when the car dipped as Beau turned into a driveway, a smile of my own breaking free when I saw the plantation house sprawled out before us.
Sleeping peacefully, waiting for the day when Beau and I would make it ours.
The giant house sat on five acres and sang comfort and hospitality. From the sweeping porch to the grand doors and the rest of the stunning architecture, it was pure southern charm.
I’d fallen in love with it the first time I saw it.
The same year I’d moved here, the family who had owned it for generations had left it to the town of Amber. I’d taken it as a sign. Over the years, Beau and I had made big plans for the place. One of which was getting married on the back of the property.
We might have snuck onto it a time or two.
“This is a great surprise,” I murmured, my smile still impossibly wide as Beau pulled around to the far side of the house so his Explorer wouldn’t be seen.
“What do you mean?”
“Our place,” I said, voice wistful as I reached for the handle of my door. But he grabbed my arm to stop me.
Excitement and mischief tugged at his mouth as he studied me. “You think this is your surprise?”
My stare darted out the windshield before meeting his again. “What—yeah. We haven’t been here in months.”
“Yeah,” he said as he leaned forward to capture my lips with his. “But we’ve never been inside.”
I sucked in a sharp breath as he pulled away and got out of the small SUV, a wicked smirk on his handsome face.
I scrambled out of the passenger side and met him around the back just as he was pulling blankets out. “Wait, what do you mean? You can’t—we can’t . . .” I looked to the house, words failing me.
“I found a window that wasn’t locked,” he said softly, hesitantly, his brow creasing when he looked at me. “Say the word, and we’ll stay in the back instead.”
“I wanna go in.” I reached for the arm that wasn’t cradling the blankets, awe swirling through me before what he said finally registered. “What do you mean you found a window? You just went around looking? You could’ve—”
“Gotten arrested?” His arrests had been such a sensitive subject since they’d both been linked to his anger—his fighting. He’d been so ashamed of them. Embarrassed for me. But the way he’d just tossed the words out there, it was as if the thought didn’t bother him at all. “Putting this look on your face? Getting you in that house? It would’ve been worth it.”
My pulse went all kinds of crazy with affection and excitement. “You’re crazy.”
One side of his face scrunched up in an adorable, teasing expression. “That title belongs to you.”
I pushed at him, feigning offense even though I couldn’t stop smiling. “Have you been in?”
His head shook, just a slight shift, but it still made such a big statement. Then again, everything Beau did seemed to be that way. Subtle looks or movements that had a massive impact. “Not setting foot in there without you.”
“Then let’s go.”
He reached for me with his free hand, not saying a word as he led me around the large house to where we normally spent hours getting lost in each other and dreams for our future.
But instead of continuing through the overgrown flowers to the gazebo, he took me up to the back porch. The faded wood creaking beneath our feet as he pulled me past the bay windows I knew looked into the kitchen and over to the opposite edge of the porch where another unkempt flowerbed began. A knowing look on his face when I glanced from the large windows overhead to him.
“One of those?” I assumed. At his faint nod, I asked, “How did you find this . . . why?” A hushed laugh made up of excitement and nervousness and awe bubbled past my lips. “What made you decide to go looking?”
He shifted the bundle of blankets to my arms and headed into the mess of wildflowers growing up and tangling with the dormant spring plants. Talking as he stopped below the second window in and began working on it. “Last week, after one of your fights with your parents, you said you’d give anything to be just you and me, in this place, living out our future.” The window opened with a groan, and Beau just stared at the open space for a moment before looking to me, hand stretched out in invitation. “I can’t speed up time, but I can give you the rest.”
I went to him, my soul dancing from the overwhelming love I felt for this boy. “Beau—”
“It isn’t too late,” he said quickly, softly. “We don’t have to go in.”
“Why wouldn’t I wanna go in?”
“The worst thing you’ve ever done is sneak out to be with me. This—going into the house—that’s . . . Savannah, that’s big.”
I lifted my chin to stare him down and watched as the corners of his mouth kept tilting up as if he was fighting a grin. “Excuse me, but I’m gonna own this house one day. And as the future owner, I’m simply checking on it because I’m concerned for its current state.”
“Uh-huh,” he rumbled, all kinds of amused. “Sheriff’s gonna love that one.”
“I’m sure he will. Now, help me up.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Beau easily hoisted me up, the same way he’d done so many times when helping me get to that first big branch at Madison’s tree, and I hurried to dump the blankets through the window before carefully climbing in and dropping down.
My mouth parting as the size of the house hit me anew.
Seconds later, Beau’s loud thud as he landed behind me echoed through the empty great room, chasing away the silence for a fleeting moment before we were surrounded in it again.
And then he was beside me.
Quiet.
Fingers weaving through mine and gripping tight.
Trying to take in this dream we’d shared for so long—and it was just one room. Darkened except for the moon shining in through the many windows. Haunting and beautiful and more than I ever could’ve imagined.
Perfect.
The day I’d met Beau, my heart had felt full in an inexplicable way. Like it was too big for my chest. Like it might escape me at any given moment.
At nine years old, I hadn’t understood.
It’d taken time to realize what that feeling meant.
That he was special to me, and me alone. That he was mine, and I was his. That he was my home.
Standing in that house, I had the same feeling. My heart was too full—too big. And with each breath, it was threatening to escape.