Let It Be (Butler, Vermont #6) - Marie Force Page 0,22
Who wouldn’t? But they won’t be happy that I plan to live here rather than there. That doesn’t fit with their idea of how my life should unfold.”
“We’re planning a wedding that’s a couple of months away, and your parents don’t even know about me. I don’t feel right about that.”
He didn’t either. If only he wasn’t so afraid they were going to somehow ruin the best thing to ever happen to him.
“We’ll drive to Philly this weekend and get it taken care of. They have a right to know you’re getting married, Linc.”
“I guess.”
She sat on the floor of the room that would serve as their temporary bedroom while they worked on what would eventually be a two-story dwelling with plenty of bedrooms, painting the trim they’d installed over the weekend. Their summer in Mississippi had prepared them well for the challenges they faced at the barn he’d bought sight unseen that did, in fact, still bear the faint aroma of cow shit.
Throughout those early months in Vermont, he’d known in the back of his mind that he needed to take steps that would bind him to his new life before he told his parents about the change in direction his life had taken. Their engagement, his job and the purchase of the barn had been critical to that plan.
“I can’t believe they’ve thought you were in England all this time. It’s not right that you haven’t told them where you really are. My parents would lose their shit if I did that.”
He squatted behind her, moved her ponytail out of the way and nuzzled her neck, making her giggle.
“Linc! Stop. I’m painting.”
“Take a break. I want to show you something.”
“Let me just finish this section.”
He waited, not so patiently, for her to be done and then helped her up from the floor. “I hope you’re not regretting choosing me, since you’re having to spend every night working over here after working all day.”
“Are you kidding? I love that we’re doing this ourselves. Imagine how proud of it we’ll be when it’s finished.”
“If it’s ever finished.” The enormity of the task they’d taken on overwhelmed him at times, but she was completely unfazed.
“It will be, and people will come from all over to see our amazing home.”
He took her hand and led her outside, where the air had become crisp and chilly as September had faded into October. The fall colors had dazzled him as he’d been introduced to an entirely new pastime called “leaf peeping.” According to Elmer, peeping season was the store’s busiest time of year—even more so than Christmas—and he was seeing that for himself as the autumn colors headed toward a spectacular peak.
“Where’re we going?” Molly asked as they trekked across their huge backyard.
“Follow me, and you shall see.”
“You’re being very mysterious.”
Smiling, he led her through the inky darkness to the place he’d set up for them earlier. “I wanted to take you somewhere romantic, somewhere we could be alone, but I kept coming back to our own home.” He pulled out the flashlight he’d stashed in his coat pocket earlier and illuminated the tent he’d pitched.
“What do you have in mind?” she asked with a small, sexy smile.
“You know what I have in mind.”
“I thought we were going to wait.”
“I can’t wait. It’s all I think about. You’re all I think about. I can’t work or think or function, because all I want is to be with you. You’ve completely bewitched me.”
“I see the way you look at me in the office,” she said, stepping closer to him.
“How do I look at you?”
“Like you want to carry me out of there and have your wicked way with me.”
“That’s about right.”
“You’re a terrible distraction.”
“Am I?”
“You know you are.”
He held the tent flap for her, and she went in ahead of him to find the bed he’d made for them from an air mattress, sheets and a quilt he’d bought at the store two days ago, after Elmer had left for the day. Linc suspected his future father-in-law probably knew about the purchase, even though he hadn’t been there.
“This is lovely,” Molly said, sitting on the bed.
“No, it isn’t, but it’s all ours, with no rifles around for miles. Or so I hope.” Elmer had been rather quiet about them working at the barn late into the night. Linc suspected that was because his sweet wife, Sarah, had told Elmer to leave them alone. Molly’s mother had been nothing but warm and welcoming to Linc, and