points at the front of the house. “This will be the front door and you’ll walk into a beautiful entry way. There will be the wooden staircase and some kind of fixture of your choosing, of course, maybe something nice like a chandelier. Then back here is the eat-in kitchen. There will be plenty of counter space, a breakfast bar, and a pantry. Over in this corner will be a small table. Then the formal dining room will be over here, just off the kitchen. I put it back here in this corner because I figured this room wouldn’t be used daily, mostly for the kids’ birthday parties and family holiday dinners.”
I can’t hold back my smile as I listen to him talk about our kids and our future.
“Here’s the living room, and I thought we could add in an office or library over here. Really, it’s just extra room that you could use for anything. Upstairs, we have three bedrooms and two baths.”
“I thought you said four bedrooms?”
He shrugs. “I was counting the extra room downstairs. It could be a guest bedroom if you have family that wants to come visit,” he says to Deven. “Or anything you want. A playroom for the kids, a library, office, game room, man cave with a bar.”
“What do you think?” Hudson asks, looking down at me.
“I think it’s perfect,” I agree.
Clay continues on with his plans for the surrounding property, but I don’t even bother to listen. I’m too caught up in this new house that will soon belong to Hudson, our growing family, and me. The guys walk me around the property and talk about lines and where things will be, but I can’t do anything but stand in what will be my backyard and take in the view. It’s absolutely beautiful out here. There’s a large field all around us, giving us plenty of privacy and the security with the forest in the very back.
“We could even dig you up a pond if you want,” I hear Clay say. “A barn, horses, you name it.”
I laugh and shake my head, unable to believe that this is where I am. I never thought when I was drinking myself into oblivion and getting arrested and thrown out of school that my life would turn out this way, but here I am. I’m grown. I’m on my own with a man who loves me by my side. And this is only just the beginning of our story.
I watch as Hudson writes out a check and hands it over to Clay to get started on the build, and my jaw drops when I see how much the check is made out for. I’ve never seen a number so large in my life. When Clay walks back to his truck and pulls off, I grab Hudson’s hand and turn him to face me.
“We can’t do this,” I tell him, starting to panic.
“What? Why? I thought you loved it?” I can see in his eyes that he’s starting to panic too, but not because of the money. He’s afraid I’ve changed my mind about him. That would never be the case.
“That was a lot of money, Hudson! I’ve never in my life seen a number that big, especially when it comes to money.”
He laughs and pulls me against his chest. “It’s fine, Dev. I have more than enough.”
I shake my head, not understanding. “I don’t want you spending every cent you have on this house. It’s too much. We can buy a house in town. I mean, I don’t make much, and I know my mom isn’t going to chip in for the wedding. Plus, we have the honeymoon to think about and then saving for the kids we want to have and their college funds. We can’t drop that much on a house.”
He places his hands on either side of my face and forces my panicked eyes to look into his. “Deven, I have it. I have enough for all of it.”
“All of it?” I ask, eyes wide and mouth dropping open when I think about how much all of that will cost.
He smiles and nods. “All of it. I have us. I have more money than most people see in their entire lifetime. All of us do. It’s all family money. I got a chunk for my sixteenth birthday, then I got more for graduating, then I got more for joining the army. I made money in the army, and I get monthly payments