Not My Hero

My eyebrow raises, and I lift my hands. “It’s just a little paint.”

Chuckling, he walks away. “You have more paint on you than on the wall.”

My eyes drift over him, taking in the backward baseball cap, the t-shirt stretched over his broad shoulders, and the jeans. God, those jeans. “Love the handyman look you’ve got going,” I call after him.

“All for you,” he yells back.

I go clean the paint off, and then I pull the paper from my pocket. Opening it, my lips curve up.

‘So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.’ - Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.

My boyfriend, the romantic.

I tuck the note back in my pocket and walk to the main room to check how the workers are coming along. Glancing around the open space, I notice the easels arrived and go inspect them to make sure they delivered the right ones.

Later, when I’m walking to the kitchen to check on Mom, I grin when Colton comes down the hallway.

“I forgot to tell you they delivered the easels,” he mentions before he presses a quick kiss to my lips.

“I saw.”

We’re just about to pass each other when Colton hands me another note. Taking it, I stare at him as he continues walking. “Did I forget something?” I call out.

“Nope.”

Shrugging, I open the piece of paper.

‘Once upon a time, there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.’ - Nicole Krauss, The History of Love

This man. God, could I love him more.

Walking into the kitchen, I find Mom checking over a list of cutlery we need. “How are things going in here?”

She glances up. “Good. I think I ordered everything we’ll need. When are the two cooks starting again?”

“This coming Thursday.”

“Good. Then they can receive the orders.” Mom stands up and stretches out. “I’m going to head home. See you later.”

“Bye.” I look over the list she left on the counter, and wanting to make sure the construction team fixes the cracked tile in the one restroom, I walk out of the kitchen.

Now that everything is almost ready, I can’t wait for the opening. We’ve invited a couple of elite people Colton knows, hoping they’ll donate to the worthy cause. He mentioned one of them was Brady’s girlfriend.

Glad to see the tile has been replaced, I go search for Colton. When I don’t find him, I pull my phone out of my pocket and send him a text.

Me: I’m done for the day. Where are you?

Colton: Out by the pond. Come here.

Me: Give me a minute. I just want to lock up the front.

I pull the main doors shut and lock them before I walk to the back of the building. Heading past the patio where we have a firepit, I see Colton standing under the oak tree. When I get closer, a smile forms around my mouth as I notice the blanket spread out over the grass with a picnic basket on top.

“Oooh, I like this,” I say when I reach him.

“Yeah? I thought we could celebrate now that all the work is done.”

“What about Mom?” I ask as I sit down on the blanket.

There’s a light breeze in the air, cooling the air.

“It’s just the two of us today.” Colton sits down next to me and opens the basket and pulls out a bottle of champagne and two glasses. “Will you pour for us?”

“Sure.” My eyes keep darting to all the foods he’s unpacking, and I grin when I see the strawberries and cream. “You’re in a romantic mood today. What did I do to deserve all this?” I hand one of the flutes with bubbly to him.

“Can’t a man just show his woman how much he loves her?” he asks, a secretive look in his eyes.

“Yeah, but I get a feeling there’s more to this picnic. Did you break something, and this is your way of doing damage control before I find out?”

Colton shakes his head, and then he pulls another folded piece of paper out of his pocket. I watch him take a deep breath, and then he holds it out for me to take.

Opening the page, my eyes slowly drift over the words.

Despite our differences, I fell in love with you. Or maybe it was because of them. It doesn’t really matter because with you I’ve found something rare. You’re more than just the love of my life. You’re more than my best friend. Every moment we’ve spent together is imprinted in my heart.

You’re my reason for waking up every day. You’re my reason to push harder because I want to give you the world. I want to reach for the stars and hand them to you. My whole world fits in your heart.

I’ll love you until the sun stops shining, until the moon drops from the night sky, and until the last star has vanished.