made quick work of serving our dinner, then leaving. Luckily, Sunny was hungry, so she settled in to eat her meal.
“This smells amazing.”
I lifted my glass in a toast. “To us,” I stated simply.
She touched her glass to mine. “Us,” she repeated.
We relaxed and ate, the filet cooked exactly the way she liked it, her favorite vegetable, asparagus with béarnaise sauce, still crisp and fresh. She exclaimed over the tiny potatoes, the ragout of root vegetables I thought she would enjoy, and finished everything on her plate. I loved knowing I had fed her, taken care of her needs. I planned to take care of every single one—tonight and for the rest of her life.
The waiter reappeared, removed our plates, and slid a tray on the table. “Dessert and coffee.”
“Thank you.”
He left, and a few moments later I heard the van leave. They would return much later to clear away the last of the dishes and take down the tent. They had been well paid to handle every detail.
“I think I’m too full.” Sunny frowned.
I waved away her worries. “No problem. We can have it later.” I felt the stirrings of anxiety building in my stomach as I stood. “I have some things to show you.”
She let me take her hand, guiding her to the back of the tent. I switched on a light they’d set up and indicated the smaller of the two white boxes. “Open this one, Sunny.”
She lifted the cover, gasping at what she saw. “Linc, is this…”
“Yes. The concept model for the Amanda Webber Community Center. We break ground next week.”
She dropped the lid to the side, throwing her arms around my neck. She hugged me close. “Oh, Linc, this is wonderful! Show me.”
I explained the outlay. “The main floor has an open area where kids can hang out. A kitchen area where kids can be taught how to cook or, if needed, be given a meal. Learning rooms—free tutoring, computers, that sort of thing. I added an art studio. There will be counseling available. Someone to talk to if they need it.”
She squeezed my arm. “Linc, love, that is amazing.”
I blinked. Sunny had never called me a pet name before. I rather liked it. I squeezed her hand back. “Upstairs is all library. It will hold three times the number of books the one in town does. The place is open to everyone, Sunny. Anyone who wants to walk in the doors is welcome.”
I paused, looking at the concept model. “I was going to add a pool, but I was advised against it. So I’m donating the funds to enlarge and upgrade the one in town, and I’m adding a second one at The Sunny Place.”
“Wow. So you, ah, have enough…” She let the words trail off.
“Remember I told you I tripled the estate?”
“Yes.”
“I’m good at finance, Sunny. I keep his money away from mine. I never touch it. It will pay for this and fund it for decades the way it is structured.”
“Wow.”
I tilted up her face and kissed her. “Yeah. Wow.”
She indicated the table. “I am so excited for the town, and for you. Thank you for sharing it with me.”
I ran my finger down her cheek, my heart racing in my chest. “I have more to share.”
She bit her lip, picking up on my nervousness. “What next, I wonder?” she quipped, but the tremor in her voice gave her away.
I walked behind the table, placing my hands on the lid. “The future,” I said. “Our future.”
26
Sunny
Something in Linc’s posture made me tense. An underlying hint of nerves in his usually calm voice set me on edge. But I wasn’t prepared for what he revealed as he lifted the cover on the larger of the two boxes. I was prepared for a concept model. But not this.
It was a house. Even as a model, it took my breath away. Shaped like a U with a courtyard in front and a large secluded backyard, it was spectacular.
For a moment, I was stunned and silent. I couldn’t move, Linc’s words playing and replaying in my head.
“Our future.”
I blinked. This was the house he wanted to build for us? A home for us to share? I tore my gaze from the model to meet his eyes. His warm, filled-with-love eyes that assured me what I was thinking was exactly what he meant.
“For us?” I questioned.
He set down the lid and leaned on the table. “For you,” he replied.
I blinked at the moisture gathering in my eyes.