Lucie

It had been a long day. 

We were in the middle of the holiday season—my first one as a business owner—and I’d been run off my feet from the moment I’d turned over the OPEN sign through late in the day, and then after I’d closed up the coffeeshop a little early, I joined the other merchants in town, setting up a tent to sell coffee and cookies to merry shoppers. I had recruited a few students—some from Savannah, and a few of my more recent students from Burton—to sing or play the guitar or bells to add to the festive air. 

It was great PR for Harmony Beans, but it also made for a very long day. 

Although I had missed Ruby, I was grateful that Wyatt had been free to spend the day with her. She would have been cranky and tired by now . . . just like her mama. 

It still gave me a thrill of wonder every time I heard Ruby call me Mama. She’d started doing it on her own during the summer, and I had worried that Wyatt might be upset, but on the contrary, he had been almost as happy as me—and he’d asked me if I wanted to consider legally adopting Ruby. 

“Nothing the court says can make you more or less her mother,” Wyatt had said, his eyes steady on mine. “But if something ever happened to me, an adoption would mean that no one could take Ruby away from you.” 

While I certainly didn’t want to think about losing Wyatt, I loved the idea of being Ruby’s mom in every sense of the world. So we’d called the same lawyer who had helped with the custody case, and he’d begun the process of making that happen. 

Sometimes these days, I had to pinch myself to believe this was my life. Every morning, I woke up in Wyatt’s arms. I spent happy hours with our little girl, who was growing in grace and joy every day. I loved walking the farm with Wyatt and Ruby, loved learning every inch of our land—our land. 

I loved the evenings when Wyatt and I snuggled together on the couch or on the porch glider. I also loved the afternoons when we gathered with our friends at one of their homes or ours, talking and laughing for hours while our children played nearby. 

Life was so very, very good. 

And I was so very, very grateful.

Even when I was bone tired and borderline cranky as I was now, pulling into my driveway. The house was mostly dark—Ruby was long since asleep, or at least she should have been—but there was a light in the kitchen, which meant that Wyatt was waiting up for me. That was the sweetest sight in the world. 

“Honey, I’m home,” I called softly as I stepped into the kitchen, kicking off my shoes and then scooping them up with two fingers. 

“Welcome home, my love.” Wyatt stood next to the table. He was wearing his newest pair of jeans and a hunter green sweater. He looked damn good . . . but then again, my husband always looked absolutely delectable. 

Once I could tear my eyes from him, though, I saw that the kitchen was filled with dozens of flickering candles, suddenly taking me back to the night I’d waited here, trembling with anticipation and nerves, to ask Wyatt to dance with me. 

“What’s this?” I stepped closer to him, tilting my head to one side. 

“It’s a celebration of three hundred days.” Wyatt reached out and took my hands in his. “Three hundred days of marriage. Three hundred days of love. Three hundred days of us.” 

I smiled up at him. “Is it really exactly three hundred days?” 

“It is.” He grinned. “I realized it last weekend, and I was kind of bummed that we wouldn’t be able to spend today together, but then I thought there was some kind of perfection in surprising you tonight.” 

“I’d have to agree.” I went to move into his arms, but Wyatt held me at arm’s length. Frowning, I asked, “What are you doing?” 

“Just this.” He sank down to one knee, holding my left hand in both of his own. “Lucie Robillard-Mayfield, three hundred days ago, we made promises that we didn’t plan to keep. But here we are, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been happier. I love you more every single day, which is crazy because I love you so much right now that I can’t imagine it getting better—but ask me again tomorrow, because somehow, I know it will.”

With his free hand, he tugged a small silky bag from his pocket. “We never did traditional rings. The wedding rings we wear are perfect, but I saw this, and I knew it was what you needed as your engagement rings.” His grin was crooked. “Isn’t it just like us to do things backward? Nearly a year of marriage, and I’m just now putting an engagement ring on your finger.” 

He withdrew a dainty circle of gold from the bag and slid it onto the third finger of my left hand, just above my wedding ring. I sucked in a breath and lifted my hand to study the ring. 

The gold band was etched with tiny flowers. In its center was a small, perfect circle of soft blue sapphire flanked by one small diamond on each side. 

It fit my finger perfectly. 

“Oh, Wyatt,” I breathed. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I love it.” I tugged him to his feet and wrapped my arms around his neck. “And I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” He bent his head to glide his lips along my jaw. “I gave you this ring to ask you to stay married to me for another three hundred days.” 

“Only three hundred more days?” I pulled back to blink at him. “That’s all?” 

“Well, in three hundred days, you can decide if you still love me and want to stay married. That keeps me on my toes—I’ll never take you for granted, knowing that every three hundred days, you could change your mind.” 

“Ahhh.” I caressed the back of his neck. “What about you? Do you get an out every three hundred days, too?” 

“Nope.” Wyatt shook his head. “I don’t need one. Three hundred days are nothing. I already know that I’m going to keep loving you for at least three hundred years.” 

“Good to know.” I pressed myself up against his body. “I’m curious, though. How exactly do you plan to keep me happy for the next three hundred days?”  

“Sweetheart, I’m going to keep you so satisfied during the nights that the days will take care of themselves.”  He covered my lips with his, in a kiss so arduous and passionate that I forgot what I’d been asking. His mouth left mine briefly to murmur, “I’m talking multiple orgasms. I’m talking making you come first, last, and at least twice in between.” 

He lifted me up into his arms, carried me up to our bedroom . . . where he kept all of his promises. 

And then some.

 

It’s reunion time for the Crystal Cove High Class of 1989, and romance is in the air.

Second chances, surprise loves, secret crushes . . .

it’s all here set against a totally rad mix tape playlist that will take you back to the days of legwarmers, neon hues, and Aquanet-sprayed hair.

Take on me, and let’s dance and JUMP, all night long! Let’s go crazy . . .

for romance with a nostalgic twist that will take your breath away.

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DANCING IN THE DARK–Releasing July 2nd!

Nash had a huge crush on Peyton when they were in high school, but back then, she had a steady boyfriend–and a secret. When the two meet again at their high school reunion, the sparks they ignored all those years ago can’t be denied. But can they get beyond the past to build a forever together?

Preorder here!

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