AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She laughs with glee. “A pink kitchen! I love it, but will my wee monster be able to eat a meal in an all-pink kitchen?”
“What about me seems wee to you?” I ask, taking her in my arms for a kiss.
We’ve had Cheffie and Nan stock the place with all her favorite snacks and drinks. Chocolate cream biscuits, multiple flavors of tea, the makings for Cosmos, and flavored martinis for her hen night, as she’s opted for a quiet night in with just her closest friends. We’ll have the rest of the food catered for the event when she picks her date.
Under my instruction, Freya snuck the pink bowl in as soon as Fiona entered the house to find me after the party. The bowl sits proudly on its spot on the counter. “Oh! My bowl is already settled. I love it! It looks as if it always belonged right there.”
“Aye. It does.”
We go up the stairs, the wood treads lit by the pale sunlight streaming in the large oval window set in the stairwell. Upstairs, there's a big bedroom with an oak headboard and fluffy white bedding. French doors lead out to a balcony overlooking the garden, perfect for viewing the city lights at night.
"I can't believe you did all this for us.” She runs her fingers over the pale-pink matching velvet pillows and throws. We settle down on the plush dove-gray settee at the end of the bed.
"It’s yours.”
“Ours,” she corrects me.
“There’s a shed behind the cottage where we’ve moved all your craft supplies so you can work in peace.”
“You’ve thought of everything. This place is perfect for crafting or having space to bake outside of Nan’s domain, and of course, the girls will love it for nights in,” she says.
“Freya will be the first girl to visit—she’s made as much clear to me.”
“She shall. I know she had her hand in this. It’s also an amazing place for guests to stay.” She’s quiet for a moment, thinking. “Can my dad stay for a while? Now that he’s sober and you two are on good terms?”
“I’d like that.”
“Thank you.” She snuggles into my side. “I’d also love it for a romantic night with you. I won’t spend the night here without you.”
“I wanted a place where you can escape from everything and relax."
Correcting me once more, she laughs. “For us!”
“For us.” I lean down, kissing her cheek.
"Thank you," she says softly.
My Fiona is even selfless in the gifts she receives. “I’m so lucky to have ye for my wife.”
Suddenly feeling overcome with emotion, I lean in, kissing her, our love evident in the simple, gentle touch.
“There’s one more surprise,” I say.
Leaning down, I pull the pink box out from under the sofa. I hold it in my lap. Removing the lid, I reveal all the things she’ll be needing soon.
All in pink.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Fiona
My father smells of the leather soap he uses and ocean air—nothing else. The stale scent of alcohol is gone from his breath, and the pallor is gone from his skin. His face is tanned from the sun as he keeps up with the gardens at our Norse Garden Estate.
He’s not alone in his work. After visiting for a tour of her former home, Mary Allan habitually returns to her old home most Sundays. She’s not only got a green thumb, but good taste in men as well.
Well, men when they’re sober.
Nary a weevil has been in sight since Dad came to live with us. He helps me with my gardens, getting Mary's tips about keeping the bugs at bay. For now, he’s staying in Whispering Rose Cottage.
