He laughed, the sound uneasy. “Are we spending the night on the boat? It’s not exactly what I had in mind for my wedding night.”
“Nope.”
I stopped near the end of the docks where larger boats were kept, smiling as I saw what Bentley had arranged. Small lanterns lit up the wood planks all the way to the end, where, moored and floating in the harbor was a large, beautiful houseboat, aptly named, New Beginnings.
I turned to Jordan, who was staring at the boat with undisguised lust. I waved my hand. “Ta-da!”
He blinked, then looked at me. “You arranged a night for us on this boat?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I arranged the next two weeks on this boat, Jordan.”
He gaped at me, speechless. I pulled him down the dock and onto the boat. Inside, he stared, his gaze bouncing from the comfortable cabin, the well-equipped galley, the outside seating area, and down the hall to the sleeping quarters.
“I don’t understand.”
I stepped in front of him. “You told me once you dreamed of taking one of these boats and touring the Thousand Islands. I told Bentley and asked him for help in chartering one. He became so interested, the company bought one. They did some work on it, and we get it for the next two weeks for our honeymoon.”
“You did this for me?”
“Yes. Hiding it from you was hard, but Bentley and Van covered well.”
“They did. I never suspected or heard anything.”
“I wanted to give you—give us—this.” I cupped his cheeks. “Two weeks of the open water, relaxing in the sun, and time together.”
“Sandy,” he whispered, then clasped me in his arms, laughing and crying at the same time. “This is amazing, my darling. Simply amazing.”
He kissed me hard, lifting me off my feet. “I should have carried you over the threshold.”
I smiled against his mouth, kissing him again before he set me back on my feet. I eased back before he could distract me. I indicated the pile of documents. “Those are all the maps and courses. There will be someone here in the morning to show you how it all works and answer any questions.” I smiled. “Bentley offered to get someone to drive it, but I said no. I wanted to be alone with you.”
He moved to the counter, looking over the papers. “Good. I have manned one before. I went with a group of men on an excursion a few years ago. They travel slowly so you have a chance to enjoy your surroundings. As long as I have the maps and chart our course, I’m good. I’ll know where we can dock, and we can decide what stops we want along the way.”
He looked up from the charts, his eyes filled with excitement. “I think this is the best present I have ever gotten, Sandy. Thank you.” He held out his hand. “The best part is I get to share it with you.”
I let him draw me to his side. I nestled against him as he slowly flipped the pages, tracing paths with his finger, tapping various spots. “So much to choose from.”
“Bentley assures me if you enjoy it, we can have it again, Jordan. We don’t have to see it all on one trip.”
He abandoned the maps and wrapped me in his arms. “I’m looking forward to seeing everything with you, Sandy. Lots of boat trips, new cities, galleries, and places to explore. I want us to live every moment together and enjoy whatever life has to offer.”
“I like the sound of that.”
He bent, nuzzling my lips. “I think our course can wait until the morning. Right now, there are other things I want to explore. Like what you’re wearing under that sexy dress and how fast I can get you out of it.”
I slid my arms around his neck. “I like that idea.”
I gasped as he swung me into his arms. “Then let’s go and explore, my darling wife.Eight years laterI woke, blinking in the early morning. The sun wasn’t even up yet, the only sounds outside the gentle waves breaking on the shore and, much closer to my ear, Jordan’s deep, steady breathing. His arm was thrown over me, and he was a wall of warmth against my back, keeping me safe, even in his sleep.
I eased out from under his arm, sliding my feet into my slippers and grabbing the leggings and long shirt I had left at the end of the bed. I slipped into the bathroom, quietly dressed and got ready, then headed for the kitchen. I switched on the coffeepot, overriding the timer I had set for later. I couldn’t wait that long.
Once it was ready, I headed outside and walked to the beach to watch the day begin.
I settled in the lounger, drawing my legs to my chest as the dawn broke. Thousands of shards of light scattered across the water, reflecting like diamonds in the early morning sun. The gulls soared high, swooped and dipped in their graceful flight, and I knew the rest of the world would soon wake. I loved coming out here in the mornings, enjoying the peacefulness of the place. Most evenings, Jordan and I sat on the back deck watching the sunset together, but the mornings were usually mine alone.