Merry With a Scrooge (The Love Beach Holiday Collection)

17. Vail

Vail

Two weeks later

“Where are you taking me?” Laney asks.

I don’t answer her. It’s meant to be a surprise but I’m sure the second the place we’re going comes in to view she’ll know.

“It’s only a few minutes more.” I squeeze her hand in reassurance.

Since our return from LA there has been little time to ourselves.

First, we had to find accommodations for three adults and one four-year-old.

Then we— I —had to face her family.

Shockingly, Quade hasn’t been as hostile as I expected. I wouldn’t say he is happy with the way I married his sister, but he isn’t against our union either.

It’s very unsettling if I’m honest. I’m sure at some point he’ll punch me for the way I went about claiming Laney as mine.

“Do you think Van will be okay?” she asks, her head twisting around to look behind us.

“He’s fine. Gram is enjoying every second of her new great grandbaby.” Our marriage might not have been welcomed with open arms, but Van has. He has known the majority of the Sanderson extended family from before he was born but now, he is part of it thanks to his stepmother—my wife.

I grin.

I have a wife.

And it isn’t the one I expected to have this time last year.

Today should have been my one-year anniversary. Instead, it will be the day we take possession of our family home.

If Laney likes it.

Her sister’s assured me as a little girl she’d loved the house I hope to make our primary residence. We’ll still have to find somewhere in New York, but my hope is we spend at least three weeks a month here in Love Beach. The other week will be either in New York or one of the other QVE offices.

“Vail, as much as I love you wanting to surprise me, I’m not interested in getting lost in the woods.” She laughs. “Then again, if we get lost, we might actually have a few minutes to ourselves.”

“When we get to our destination we’ll have about an hour before Gram brings Van over.”

“Wait. If he’s going to join us why didn’t we just bring him with us?”

When I confessed my feelings for Laney, I never expected to love her more than I did in that moment. But in the days since we rescued Van from his mother and returned to Love Beach, I’ve fallen deeper in love with my wife.

She’s embraced motherhood with an enthusiasm I never could have predicted. Then again, we’re talking about Delaney— Laney —Ivy Bennett Sanderson Kavanah.

She doesn’t do anything by half.

And the love she has for my son rivals my own.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been out here,” she murmurs. “Isn’t the Carter estate this way?”

“Just through these trees.”

“We’re heading to the Carter’s old place? I thought half of it fell down in a hurricane.”

“It did. A few years ago. They’ve repaired the damage.”

“Oh.” She’s quiet for a bit then says, “Vail? Why are we heading toward the Carter’s place?”

I hear the wonder in her voice, the way her breath hitches and her step falters a little and I give another hint. “It doesn’t belong to the Carter’s anymore.”

“It doesn’t?” She sucks in a breath and her hand squeezes mine, holds tight. “Who bought it?”

I smile at her. “I did.”

“You.” She swallows. “Why?”

“Because I want to live here more than we live in New York. It’s close to your family and it means our family has room to grow.”

“But—”

“We don’t have to. We can, and will, find a place in the city for when we’re there but I want this to be our main home. If it’s what you want.”

“Vail.”

The sniffle she makes has me stopping. Pulling her around in front of me, I study her teary eyes. “Laney? Baby. It’s okay, we don’t have to live here. I can sell it. Or we can just use it when we come down for the holidays. Or?—”

Her lips are on mine. The salt of her tears on her skin, mingling on our tongues when she opens her mouth and deepens the kiss.

It isn’t long before the passion we struggle to contain bursts free and we’re on the ground. Laney straddling my lap.

Yanking her mouth from mine, she gasps, “I love you,” before diving back in for another kiss.

I don’t know how long we make out like teenagers, and I don’t care. Laney is in my arms and the tears on her face are happy ones.

I think.

The thought has me cradling her face and separating our mouths. “Laney.” My gaze searches hers. “You’re happy?”

“Very. Extremely. Completely. Fucking. Ecstatic!”

“So, the house?”

“Yes. I’d love to live in that house. When can we move in?”

“Today?”

“Is that a question? Didn’t you say you bought it?” She laughs.

“I do know. And yes, I bought it for us. I made them rush the handover. It’s ours as of this morning.”

She grins, tears still leaking from her eyes. “Then let’s go! I haven’t been in the house since I was about thirteen or fourteen and the Carter’s grandchildren stopped coming here in the summer because their parents got a divorce.”

She’s on her feet, tugging on my hand to get me off the ground, making me laugh.

In the weeks since I declared my feelings to Laney, I’ve laughed more than I have in seven years. She doesn’t just make me smile, she lights up my days and living with her is fun even when we’re bickering.

Which we do a lot because she doesn’t let me get away with anything. And I have to admit to getting her riled up a time or two on purpose.

There is nothing hotter than my wife when she’s hot under the collar. But then I suspect I’m the recipient of the same behavior from her. It’s the little grin that curls the left side of her mouth she can’t seem to contain when we’re bantering back and forth.

“Vail!” She pulls on my hand. “Come on.”

I let her pull me to my feet and drag me behind her. At the pace she’s going it only takes a few minutes to reach the boundary between her family estate and the Carter property.

I can’t help my grin.

I guess it’s the Kavanah property now.

“Oh Vail!” Both hands cover her mouth and she just stares. Her eyes moving all over the house that—if her sisters are to be believed—once was a second home to her every summer.

“Those better be happy tears,” I say, slipping an arm around her shoulders and tugging her against my side.

“The very happiest.” She doesn’t bother to wipe her wet cheeks. Instead, her gaze swings to mine and she lowers her hands. “I love you without the house but…”

She’s forced to stop and swallow.

“Your heart is my home but this house, the thought behind it, is the out-of-body home. The one we’ll share with our children, our future grandchildren if we’re lucky.”

“We’ll be lucky. After waiting this long to be with you I won’t have it any other way.” Urging her forward, I say, “Let’s go home.”