“Did you pay someone to light the fire?”
“Would you be mad if I did?”
“I’d be devastated. If you did, that means you didn’t apparate here and then flash yourself magically back to me, which means you can’t teach me your magic.”
“I think I could teach you some magic.”
I take her to our room, on the house’s back side, right up by the water.
“Sorry that it’s just a mattress and some sheets. I thought you’d want to choose the bed and all the blankets and that stuff.”
I laugh as she starts unbuttoning my shirt. “You don’t want to see the rest?”
“I want to see you,” she whispers. “My home is with you…remember what you said?”
“I do remember.” She kisses my neck, and then I’m groaning. “Who am I to turn a lady down in her hour of need?”
I make Finley come until her need has been met, and we both agree I’ve shown her magic.
Outside, we sit on a swing I don’t even remember seeing when I looked at the house with a realtor, and Finley rests her head against my arm.
“Does it hurt much today?”
“No. Hardly at all.”
“The other?”
“They both feel pretty good.”
“It’s the green smoothies.”
“Oh yeah. Love those things.”
“They’re very good! You said so.”
“They are. I mean it. You’ve taken good care of me, and I feel better for it.”
She wraps her arms around me, and I wrap her up, too. She sighs, the sound a little wistful. “Why are you so good to me, Carnegie?”
“That’s easy. Because I love you so damn much.”
Her grip on me tightens. “It’s so strange to be here. And feel this way.”
“What way?”
She’s quiet for a minute before she whispers, “Happy.”
“Yeah, it’s kind of like that for me, too. But let’s not question it, okay?”
She nods. “You really are my prince. You know you are, right?”
“I’m not sure I’m much of a prince. But I love you more than anything. I would give you anything I could.”
“Well, all I really want is you.”
“That works out pretty well. Because all I want is you.” I look around. “What do you think? You wanna live here when we can? When we don’t have to be in the city?”
“Yes.” She laughs. “But can we still live in the cabin, too?”