it’s sweet. Just wondering if there’s a story behind it.”
I rest my forehead on hers. “Because your nectar is sweeter than honey…honeybee.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Londyn
“As much as I’m kind of digging this blindfold,” Wes says as I keep his hands in mine, leading him from his Range Rover and toward Gampy and Meemaw’s house, fallen leaves crunching under our feet, “I’d rather you be the one blindfolded.” He smiles slyly.
I laugh. I may not be able to see his eyes, but I can picture them heating.
“Plus, I helped with the remodel,” he continues. “I know what it looks like inside. This is completely unnecessary if you ask me.”
I stop walking as we approach the front porch. “Maybe I just wanted to put a blindfold on you.”
“Is that right?” He curves toward me, seeking my lips, but I remain just out of reach, taunting and teasing.
“It was part of my plan so I can have my wicked way with you.” I trail a finger down his chest, stopping just shy of his belt. “And while you did help with the remodel, I banished you earlier this month while I put all the finishing touches on everything. Trust me. This house looks nothing like it did the last time you saw it. Now, watch your step coming up the porch.”
I help him up the short flight of stairs, through the door, and into the foyer, positioning him beside Julia and Imogene, who wear blindfolds of their own.
While I’d hoped to have an extra week to do the big reveal around Thanksgiving, when I learned they were coming into town early so Julia could help with the large amount of holiday orders at her Atlanta bakery, I pulled several all-nighters to get the house finished before they arrived. I still can’t believe it hasn’t even been three months since I’ve last seen them. Or that Wes and I have only been together a little more than a month. It seems like it’s been so much longer. Probably because, for all intents and purposes, we started dating back during the summer. I just hadn’t admitted it.
“Okay.” I clap my hands together, bouncing on the balls of my feet, nervous and excited to see what they think of all my hard work over the last several months, especially these past few weeks. “You can remove your blindfolds.”
Imogene rips hers off, Wes and Julia following suit. I simply stand back and soak in their reaction.
“Oh, my god…,” Julia breathes, looking up at the high ceiling of the entryway where a lantern-style chandelier now hangs, welcoming everyone who enters. “Is this even the same house?” Her chin trembles as she soaks in Gampy and Meemaw’s remodeled home.
“Let’s start in the living room.” I walk from the foyer and through a pair of open French doors leading to the hallway, a touch I’d seen in many other Southern homes of this style.
“Is this…,” Julia interrupts.
I stop, grinning when I see her gaze fixated on the scattered frames I’d hung in the hallway. “I repurposed some of the trim we ripped out. Made them into frames.” I gesture to the matting. “And I was able to save some of the original wallpaper.”
“And the photos?” Her voice catches.
“Wes helped.” I flash him a smile, nothing but admiration and pride in his gaze as he finally sees what I did with the photos I’d asked him to find. It’s a wall of memories. Some of Meemaw and Gampy. Some of Wes and Julia during their childhood. Hazel helped, her incredible photo editing skills giving each of them a historic look, fitting in with the overall vibe of the house.
“This is…” Julia shakes her head, speechless. Then she flings her arms around me. “Perfect, Londyn.” She pulls back, holding me at arm’s length. “It’s perfect.”
I laugh. “You’ve only seen the hallway so far. Come on.”
With a grin, I turn into the living room, their eyes widening as they take in the space. Natural light streams in through the windows, two comfortable couches sitting across from each other. Besides the kitchen, this is probably the most modern room, although I did keep the fireplace, even if it’s purely decorative.
“Is that the original light fixture?” Wes points to the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
“It is.” I grin. “It just needed a little TLC.”
He shakes his head and drapes an arm around my shoulders. “This is incredible. I would have put money on that thing being yet another casualty of the house.”