“Thank you,” Josh said. “And thank you for calling me this morning.”
I smiled and turned to Rylan. “Well, your room is booked for the next three weeks, but after that, it is open and I will make sure it is reserved for you whenever you need it!”
“Awesome!” Rylan said. “Papa Josh also said that I would be helping you with stuff around here, right?”
“Yes,” I said. “As long as you are willing. You know what you’re doing, and I have seen how hard you work and how thorough you are.”
Rylan nodded, his expression serious. “Can I go get started now? I noticed that the front walkway and basketball court need to be swept.”
“You don’t have to work now,” I said. “This seems like it should be a time to celebrate.”
“Please let me,” Rylan said. “I like working here, and it is a way of celebrating. I am so excited!”
“Okay, fine,” I said. “Get to it!”
Josh and I both laughed as Rylan jumped up and ran down the walkway. “So he’s happy,” I said, turning towards Josh.
“He’s very happy,” Josh said, stepping closer to me. “Once I told him about the new plan, he hugged me and said he was so glad. Then he admitted that he was going along with the idea of moving because he wanted me to be happy and he wanted to support me, but that he was actually disappointed at not being able to go to school with his friends.
When I asked him why he hadn’t said anything he said that he knew we would work it out and that he would have a good time in London, but that he didn’t want to be the reason that I didn’t go after this new opportunity.
We had a really good talk about everything, and I told him that he is more important to me than anything and that I want him to always be honest with me. But now that I know how he was truly feeling, I am even happier about how things have worked out!”
“Oh, me too,” I said. “That’s so sweet that he was willing to do that for you, but I am so glad that he doesn’t have to. And, I am so glad that you are going to be here.”
I took another step towards him, and he walked even closer to me until we were only inches apart. “Well,” Josh said, his voice husky. “That only leaves one thing.”
“What is that?” I said, smiling.
“Brenna, would you like to go on a date with me this evening?”
“Absolutely!” I said.
“Good,” Josh murmured as he leaned down and kissed me.
We lingered in that moment, a sense of rightness and joy enveloping us. The tension of the past days seemed to melt away as we embraced the future with newfound hope and excitement.We pulled back slightly, our foreheads touching, and just smiled at each other.
Josh took my hand and led me to the deck chairs, where we sat down, holding hands and looking out at the beautiful garden. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “About how we can make the most of this situation. With the Rogers Group partnership, we can actually expand our own operations here too. We could develop projects that bring in more revenue locally, maybe even support more community initiatives.”
“That sounds wonderful,” I said. “It would be amazing to give back to the community that has given us so much.”
Josh nodded. “Exactly. And with you and Rylan here, it feels like everything is falling into place. It’s more than just a business opportunity; it’s about building a life that we’re all happy with.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company and the peaceful afternoon. The anticipation of our date that evening added a delightful undercurrent to our time together.
Later, as the sun began to set, I started preparing for our evening out. I chose a dress that I knew Josh liked, a simple but elegant blue number that highlighted my eyes. As I finished getting ready, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the new beginning we were embarking on.
Josh arrived promptly, looking dapper in a crisp shirt and jeans, holding out his hand for me. “Shall we?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.
We drove to a charming little restaurant by the beach, where we enjoyed a delicious meal accompanied by the soothing sound of the waves. We talked and laughed, sharing dreams and plans for the future. It was a perfect evening, filled with love and hope.
As we walked along the beach afterwards, hand in hand, the moonlight casting a magical glow over the water, I felt a profound sense of gratitude. Life had thrown us someunexpected challenges, but we had found a way to navigate through them together.
“Thank you for believing in us,” Josh said, pulling me close.
“Thank you for making it all possible,” I replied, leaning in for another kiss.
And as the night went on, with the sound of the ocean as our backdrop, we knew that this was just the beginning of a beautiful journey together.
