Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Nick drives through the gates and onto the property, and it doesn’t go unnoticed that he leaves the gates open behind him, but as he drives around the bend and the house comes into view, the gate is the last thing on my mind.
This home is everything I’ve ever wanted to build for myself, a vision plucked right out of my brain, and I gape at it in shock. It’s a gorgeous two-story farmhouse with a wrap-around porch, the perfect home to raise a family. There’s space to run and play, room for a barn and every animal under the sun.
“It’s beautiful,” I say, my voice cracking as I gape at the spectacular home. “This is really yours?”
“Mmhmm,” he says, pulling to a stop right out front. “Took a little over four years to build, but it was worth it.”
My eyes widen, and I turn my stare on Nick. “You built this?”
“Sure did,” he says. “Every last bit of it was all me. Some nights I worked until my fingers bled, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
“Holy shit,” I breathe, barely able to comprehend just how big of a job that would have been. “That’s incredible, Nick. I . . . I don’t even know what to say. How the hell could Nana just let something like this slip?”
Nick laughs. “Come on. I have just enough time to give you the grand tour before my family should be showing up for lunch.”
“Your family?”
“Every last one of them.”
Fuck.
I am so not prepared to face them. It’s one thing having to earn Nick’s forgiveness for breaking his heart, but his family has always been a tight-knit group. Breaking Nick’s heart meant I broke theirs too, and just like Nick, they’re not afraid to let me know. Hell, I’m sure they’ll have plenty to say about the idea of Nick and me getting back together.
Jumping out of Nick’s old truck, I meet him around the front, and he takes my hand before leading me to the front door. There are four small steps that lead up to the beautiful wrap-around porch, and the second my feet land on the hardwood, butterflies begin soaring through my stomach.
Nick reaches for the door handle, and it doesn’t go unnoticed that it’s been left unlocked, but I suppose when you live all the way out here on the outskirts of a crime-free small town with a big-ass gate keeping people out, locking up isn’t quite as necessary as it would be elsewhere.
He welcomes me into his home, and my jaw instantly drops. It’s absolutely stunning—a definite bachelor pad that could probably use a woman’s touch, but the home he’s built is incredible. It’s an open plan, and from the front door I see the massive kitchen, dining, and living areas. As I take it all in, my gaze stops on the one thing that has no place in such a beautiful home.
“What kind of pathetic Christmas tree is that?” I ask, taking in what looks to be some kind of bushy stick with a single line of tinsel tossed over it.
Nick scoffs. “It’s better than your burned one.”
“That twig doesn’t even come close to my masterpiece.”
Nick rolls his eyes and empties his pockets out onto the small entryway table before stepping into me and crowding my space. “You’ve got no fucking idea how long I’ve wanted to have you inside my home,” he murmurs as his hands come to the front of my coat and slowly open it before letting the heavy material fall down my arms. Without moving even an inch away from me, he reaches out and hangs my coat on the rack by the front door before leaning in and closing the gap between us. His fingers caress the side of my face before his lips are on mine.
It’s a swift, passionate kiss, and all too soon, he pulls away, his hand falling into mine. “Let me show you around.”
Nick pulls me along, showing me every last feature of the house and telling me everything about how he came to design each part, what inspired him, and anything worth noting along the way. By the time we’ve been around the whole house and we’re back in the impressive kitchen, I’m absolutely blown away.
“It kept me busy,” he says as I lean against the counter. “Kept my mind occupied so I wasn’t always thinking about boarding a flight to New York and bringing your stubborn ass home.”
A smile lingers on my lips as I push away from the counter and move into his arms. “I absolutely love it,” I tell him, suddenly able to fill in all the blanks from the past six years and picture the life he’s had without me.
Nick adjusts himself so that he faces me, his arm locking around my back as his blue gaze settles onto mine. “I built it for us, Blair,” he says. “It was supposed to be your graduation present after college. I was waiting for the sale to go through when you told me you were leaving.”