Gus

1 year later

Sully grunted as we shuffled our way up the stairs with the massive desk. 

We swore a few times before we got it down the hallway to the space I’d picked out for Eloise’s workspace.

“Cam killed it with this.”

I smoothed my hand over the cherry finish. “I hope she likes it.” I tossed the ring box at my brother. “That too.”

He flicked it open and whistled. “Damn. I might be paying you too much.”

I laughed. “I’m just glad I saved for so long. I didn’t spend much when most of my jobs included a place to sleep.”

“And now look at you.” He looked around the large bedroom on the first floor. “I can’t believe you lucked out with this house.”

“I can’t believe I have a mortgage.”  

My brother laughed as he handed me the keys to the Cape Cod house. The same one from our first time together. Hell, her office was the same room, but my brother didn’t need to know that part.

“You had a damn good down payment, bud. I think your mortgage is better than mine.”

I took the keys. “Thanks for co-signing with me. My work history looked a little spotty with all my travels.”

“All good. It’s barely a risk. You’ve officially been on the Murdock Brothers payroll for a year. If you waited a few more months, you could have done it on your own.” 

“I couldn’t chance it. I already lost out on this place once, I couldn’t let it go again.”

“You sure about the mother-in-law cottage at the back?”

“I’m sure.”

“It’s a pre-fab so we just need to do electrical and plumbing. We can have her in by Thanksgiving as long as we don’t have issues with permits.”

“Get Lexi on it.”

“Will do.” He slapped my back. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” 

I jangled the keys before stuffing them into my pocket. I had a lot of work to do before I picked up Eloise after work.

I didn’t want to steal all her thunder especially after her mom had given her such a hard time about overhauling her bedroom in their old house. She and her mom actually decided to keep the townhouse while things were in flux with Eloise’s new game. She was getting closer to finishing it, but game design was not a quick thing.

And I knew she needed a quiet space to really work.

So, that’s what I was giving her.

I had a good idea of what she wanted. I’d been a little sneaky by playing the dream game. Watching her pick out all the kinds of things she liked on her dream board for an office gave me a good jumping off point.

Now I just had to implement it.

I had the bare bones of the space done before I needed to pick her up. 

I was sweaty and had green paint in places I didn’t want to think about, but the room was ready.

I didn’t have time for a shower, but I was pretty sure she’d forgive me.

I set the ring box on her keyboard, then headed out. 

Nerves roiled in my guts on the drive and as I waited outside Bite Me to pick her up. She was laughing with Jessie as her boss locked up.

When she spotted me, I waved. She ran over to me the big smile still lighting her face. 

“Hey. Did you lose a fight with a paint roller?” She picked at my hair.

“Something like that.” I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah.” She waved at Jessie and got in my truck. 

When I took off in the opposite direction of her house she gave me a look. “You want to get something to eat?”

“Nope.”

Her smile widened. “Are you whisking me away to some amazing hotel?”

I laughed. “Not quite.”

“Damn. I could use a big bed and you with some alone time.” She reached over and nipped at my ear. “A really big bed.”

I groaned. “Me too, love.”

She sighed. “Maybe we can sneak away for a weekend.”

“Maybe.”

She sat forward when I turned off Chatham Lane. “Where are we going? Did you need to look in on a jobsite?”

I just smiled and kept driving.

Eloise was the worst about surprises. She’d nag me until I caved and told her.

Not this time.

When the house came into view, she turned to me. “Oh, my God. I heard the sale fell through. Did you get the code to the house again?”

I shrugged. 

She squealed and gripped my arm. “I wish you would have told me.” She frowned. “Neither of us are rocking the freshest of hook up—” she shook her head. “You know what? Who cares. I’ll climb you in that shower.”

I laughed and my dick definitely didn’t hate that plan.

She hopped out of the truck before I could come around and open her door. 

“Eloise, it hasn’t been that long.”

She turned just before the stairs. “I know. You stayed over last night, and your version of an alarm is way better than mine.” Her smile was devilish as she ran over to me and grabbed my hand. “But there’s something about seeing this house that has me more than revved to get you naked.”

I hoped that was the case for the rest of our lives.

I followed her up the stairs and held out the keys. 

She frowned when she took them. “Where’s the Realtor lock?”

“I don’t know.”

She looked at the keys then up at me. “Angus?”

“Try the key.”

She licked her lips, and her eyes went shiny. “You didn’t.”

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. 

She pushed open the door. On the kitchen island was a huge basket from my real estate lady. It had champagne and a big balloon that said Congrats!

With shaking fingers, she touched the bag of gummy bears and the champagne flutes. “Gus.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.

I came up behind her. “When it came back on the market, I just went for it. For us.”

She turned in my arms. “You bought it?”

I nodded. “Is that okay?” 

She covered her mouth with her hand and the tears flowed. She nodded.

“You can scream. It’s only us.”

She leaped into my arms, and I caught her. She peppered kisses all over my face. “I can’t believe you. I love you. I love this house.” 

I set her down and cupped her face. “It felt like ours from the first time I came in here with you.”

“It really did.” 

I kissed her softly, then took her hands. “There’s one more thing I want to show you.”

Her gaze went sly. “Is that right?”

I laughed as I drew her down the hall.

“Why, Mr. Murdock.” Her voice was teasing, but when I drew her through the doorway she gasped. 

She ran into the middle of the room and spun around to take it all in. 

I’d painted the walls in a deep green. It set off the cherry finish of the desk that dominated the window with a perfect view of our backyard. I’d created a grid pattern of tiny shelves for around the window and brought some of her plant babies from her house. 

“I left room for you to fill in everything but wanted you to have a jumping off point.”

She touched the spider plant from her living room, then the large, curved monitor, and sat down hard in the gaming chair.

Her fingers shook as she pulled the keyboard closer with the ring box on top.

“I know we’re still figuring out a lot of stuff, but I love you, El. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” I turned her in the chair and plucked the box off the keyboard. I held it tight in my hand. “Before I ask you, I want you to know that I know you and your mom are a package deal. I want to make her a little cottage in the back. I’ve been researching those little houses for her. Just enough for—oof.”

I caught her as she launched herself at me. “You thought of my mom?”

“Of course.”

We landed on a heap on the oval carpet I’d picked out. She wrapped her arms and legs around me and squeezed. “You thought of everything.”

“Not everything. I want to make this house ours. The rest you have complete input on for decoration and all that stuff.”

She sniffed and buried her face in my neck. “I love you.”

“I love you too, El. So much. Way more now than even when we were kids.”

She sniffled and laughed. “Way more?”

“Tons more. I want a kid with all your freckles and crazy red hair.”

She let out a little sob. “I want that too.”

I brought the ring box in between us. “Marry me? Soon? I can’t wait to be yours forever.” 

She opened the box, then lifted her tear-filled eyes. “Yes. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

I laughed and pulled the simple princess cut solitaire out of the box and slid it on her finger. I wasn’t sure if it was her hand shaking or mine, but it slid right on. She laughed as she cupped my face and kissed me.

Her lips tasted of tears and surprise and all the love I never expected to find. 

The love of my life and every other one we made together.