But she refused, telling him she needed her space and warning him not to rush her into anything. She was certain her warning was the only reason he hadn’t brought it up over the past week.
“Should I be prepared to find the rest of the house fully furnished?” he asked as he walked back over to her.
“Not completely. I did the main living spaces and the master bedroom, but the house has a lot of rooms.”
He smiled and bent down to kiss her again. By the time he was finished, her blood was racing.
“I love you, you know,” he said.
She did know.
As he had vowed at her parents’ house, he continually did everything he could to prove how much he loved her. He made a point of telling her every day, usually multiple times. He sent her little gifts, like lunch deliveries when she was working at the office, a visit from a masseuse when she was working at her apartment, and even postcards he mailed while on his road trips.
When she attended his games, he always did something just for her to convey his love. He’d had it broadcast on the jumbotron. He’d had it announced over the loudspeakers. He’d had the cheerleaders stop by her seat to chant it to her. He’d had the team’s mascot hand-deliver her a love note he had written. He’d had someone decorate her car while she was in the arena.
Every time it was different. Every time a surprise. And every time a reminder of why she loved him so much.
Because he always made such an effort to surprise her, she decided she had to do this for him.
“I love you, too,” she said.
He reached up and took one of her curls between his thumb and forefinger as though enjoying the silky texture. “So, all that talk about renovation delays and some critical decision that has to be made today were just big, fat lies, huh?”
She grinned and took his hand. “Not entirely. Right this way.”
Rather than taking him through the main level or the basement, she started up the stairs. The guest rooms weren’t yet furnished and a couple of them still had moving boxes stored in them, so she passed those and went right to the master bedroom. She released his hand to turn the handles of the room’s double doors and push them open. Then she stepped back.
He took two steps into the room before he glanced up. When his gaze touched the ceiling, he came to a halt.
“The important question I have for you,” she said as she walked up behind him, “is whether you can deal with the twinkle lights. They aren’t in keeping with the Cape Cod style, but I’m used to having them in my bedroom.”
His attention finally pulled away from the strands of white lights she had strung from the ceiling. “Your bedroom?” he asked.
She heard the hope there. It lifted her heart. She moved closer to him and ran her hand over his chest.
“Unless you want to explain those photos of my family in your room to anyone who sees them,” she replied.
He turned and spotted the photos she mentioned. She had set a few framed pictures of her family on the nightstand on her usual side of the bed. He then looked around the rest of the room, surely spotting her jewelry box, lotions, and perfumes on the low dresser that would be hers.
“You’re moving in?” he said.
“We’re moving in.”
His smile was brighter than any she’d seen from him. He lifted her up and spun her around, making her cry out in surprise, then burst into laughter.
“You’d think it was my birthday,” he said as he put her back on her feet. “This is everything, Rox. I’m so damn happy right now.”
“Me, too,” she admitted.
She never would have foreseen it when they met five months ago. Committing to one guy? Being foolish enough to fall in love with him?
Never.
Now, she couldn’t imagine her life without him in it.
“Shall we christen this room properly?” he asked, looking suggestively towards the bed.
“Yes…in a minute. There’s another room I want to show you first.”
“Aww.”
She laughed again and took his hand. “Patience, love of my life.”
She led him down the hall to one of the finished rooms. The previous owners had used it as a study, but she worked with Will and Frank to transition it into a space that worked better for Callan’s needs.
Once again, she opened the door to the room so he could step inside. And once again, he took a couple steps in and stopped.
Soft lighting built into the walls cast a glow over the floor-to-ceiling glass cases filled with Callan’s memorabilia, trophies, medals, and awards. The cases were large enough to have room for more, which Roxy knew he’d need in the years to come.
But what had captured Callan’s attention was the large, framed piece of art that hung in the center of the far wall. Dual pin lights bathed the picture, drawing the eye. In the painting, fifteen-year-old Callan and his grandfather each held one end of the Stanley Cup. It was lifted above their heads as they cheered in victory.
Roxy commissioned the painting the day Callan closed on the house as a housewarming gift. She recruited Callan’s mother to find the photograph that meant so much to him and then gave it to the artist to use as inspiration.
“Do you like it?” she asked when he didn’t say anything for a few minutes.
He nodded and ran a hand over his face, clearing it of the emotion the painting had produced. “This is…” He shook his head.
She understood. She stepped beside him and slid her arm around his waist. He pulled her more completely against him, burying his face in her hair.
“Thank you,” he said.
“You’re welcome.”
After a while, they headed back to the bedroom, where they commenced with christening it.
Twice.
Though it was midday, they stayed snuggled together in their large, comfortable bed afterward. She was content just laying with her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She looked forward to many more of these days to come, no matter how few and far between they might be.
Just as she started drifting off, Callan spoke.
“So, now that I’ve convinced you to move in with me,” he said, “you know what’s next, right?”
Her drowsiness vanished. She lifted her head to look at him.
“What would that be, exactly?” she asked.
“I’m going to start working on convincing you to marry me.”
Her gaze narrowed. “You’ve really lost your mind.”
“Just what every man longs to hear when he approaches the subject of marriage with the woman he loves.”
She battled amusement and shook her head at him. “I’m sorry to say that you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you if you’re going to convince me to get married, Mr. Hockey.”
“That’s okay,” he said with a wide grin. “You’re living with me now. I’ll wear you down eventually.”
He probably would, she thought as she dropped her head back onto his chest and allowed herself to drift. Just as he’d worn her down to get her to commit to him, fall in love with him, and move in with him.
One persistent step at a time.
# # #
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Thanks so much for reading A Heart So Wild! I loved writing Roxy and Callan’s story. It was the perfect way to kick off this series, don’t you think?