Matt had just smiled. “I like that idea.”
In between all the chaos of life with a newborn, Matt had also tried to reconcile with his parents. Ultimately, he and his father had been able to salvage what little relationship they’d had, and things were getting better there. Especially since Matt’s dad was absolutely smitten with his grandson.
Mrs. Coolidge, though, was just too toxic. Matt tried and tried, but after one too many snide remarks about Dara and the baby, he’d cut her off. Funny—his migraines had started clearing up after that.
Dara’s mother still had an opinion about everything, but she was getting better about biting her tongue. Especially since Dara—with some encouragement from Matt’s therapist, who she was now seeing too—had learned to put her foot down even harder than before. And Dad, of course, was as wrapped around the baby’s finger as Matt’s father.
The truck slowed down, bringing Dara back into the present. Matt pulled down the long driveway, and as the house came into view, her heart skipped. The place had been under construction for the last couple of months, and it was finally complete, and it was gorgeous. Just gorgeous.
Neither of them had wanted a gigantic place, but it certainly wasn’t small. The white plantation-style exterior—pillars and all—was even better than she’d imagined it would be, and once she’d had a chance to plant some flowers and bushes around the driveway and lawn, it would be perfect.
Beyond the house, the stable wasn’t quite finished yet, and there were still some fences going up in the pastures behind the half-constructed arena, but it was coming together.
“Well.” Matt parked in front of the garage. “This is it.”
“It looks amazing.”
“From the outside, yeah. The interior…” He grimaced.
“You didn’t hire whoever decorated the rental, did you?”
A laugh burst out of him. “Uh. No.” He took the keys out of the ignition. “I think you’re going to like it, actually. Let’s go check it out.”
They got out of the truck and carefully took Matthew out too. The baby was tucked snugly in his car seat, and he didn’t stir at all as Matt carried him up the front walk.
On the porch, Matt handed Dara a set of keys. “Care to let us into our new house?”
She grinned. “I would love to.”
The click of the dead bolt made her heart jump. She pushed the door open, the brand-new hinges moving soundlessly, and was immediately greeted with the scents of new construction—fresh paint, sawdust that had almost certainly been cleaned up but had still left its mark on the air.
The foyer was still bare, but gorgeous with its sweeping staircase and sunbeams spilling in through all the windows. She could already imagine a grandfather clock beneath the bannister, her grandma’s lovely red Persian rug across the white marble tile, and some framed artwork on the walls.
“Take a look around.” Matt put a hand on her back and kissed her cheek. “It’s all yours.”
“All ours, you mean?”
He smiled. “Semantics.” He gestured at their surroundings. “Check it out.”
“I don’t even know where to start.”
“Should we flip a coin? Heads, upstairs. Tails, downstairs?”
Dara laughed and gestured toward the kitchen. “Or we could just go that way.”
“Lead the way.”
When Matt said he’d spared no expense, he wasn’t joking—this was amazing. The kitchen was mostly his domain, every stainless steel and granite surface painstakingly selected along with the top-of-the-line appliances, and it warmed her heart to see an extra high chair parked beside the island. It was far enough from anything that might be hot or sharp, but close enough for Matthew to be in here while his dad was cooking—she wasn’t sure which of the two of them enjoyed that more, but they’d been doing it since the baby was barely a month old.
After they’d passed through the kitchen and the empty—but massive—dining room, as well as most of the ground floor, he grinned and gestured for her to follow him. At the end of the hall, he stopped.
“This”—he pushed open a door—“is your office.”
It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. It was much sunnier than even her office in Los Angeles, thanks to two enormous windows. Her desk, file cabinets and bookshelves would fit in here with room to spare, and she could look out at the rolling hills that were in the process of becoming pastures.
“This is…” She exhaled. “Matt…”
“You like it?”
“I love it. All of it.” She put an arm around his waist and kissed him. “Thank you. For making all this happen.”