Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“I agree,” I say, just as Kate returns and plonks herself on my lap. “Did you tell Granny about the application you made yesterday?”
Kate glances at me then Granny.
“I think she’d like to know,” I say.
“I don’t know if it will come to anything,” she says, “but I reapplied to Cambridge. I emailed my old tutor to tell him and he replied to say he was happy to support my application. If I get in, I’ll start next year.”
Granny’s eyes go glassy and she grasps both of our hands. “That’s fantastic news.”
“I’ll only travel during breaks from university,” I say. “The rest of the time we’ll be here.”
“In Crompton?” Granny asks.
“We keep talking about it,” Kate says. “Vincent wants to take a piece of the estate and build a place for us both, but I’m not so sure. If I’m going to be studying, it makes more sense to be in Cambridge. If I get in.”
“Beck is developing some townhouses in Mayfair we’re going to look at. It would be good to have a London base too.”
“What about Norfolk?” Kate says. “And we want to be close to you too, Granny.”
“Lucky for you, I don’t have a job,” Granny says. “So I can come and visit you wherever you are.”
Kate and I share a look. Kate’s been clear wherever we go, Granny goes. It suits me fine. Granny’s my family now, too.
“The London place has a granny annex,” Kate says. “I mean, it literally has your name on it.”
“Don’t fuss about me. I’ll just fit in around you. Now, Vincent, introduce me to your brothers.”
As if on cue, Beau approaches, wearing a smile as wide as Africa. He picks up Granny’s hand and kisses her knuckles. “I’m Beau Cove. Vincent’s brother. I take it you’re Granny? I’ve heard wonderful things.”
“The charm in your family is quite exceptional,” Granny says to me and laughs. “Are you married?”
“Not yet,” he replies. “Would you like to dance?”
“Is Beau flirting with Granny?” Kate asks as we watch him escort her to the middle of the dance floor.
“He doesn’t know how to turn it off.”
“It’s going to get him in an awful lot of trouble,” she says.
“Beau’s used to trouble,” I say. I worry about him sometimes. He seems so rudderless—always chasing the next high. I wonder what will be enough for him.
Kate slides her arms around my neck and we look out at our friends and family laughing and dancing and celebrating in this beautiful place.
How did we get so lucky?
“I have a wedding present for you,” I whisper in her ear.
“I already have everything I want right here.”
I grin because I know she’s telling the truth. Kate’s made me see that the most important things in life aren’t financial. Which is why I’m hoping she’s going to like my gift.
I pull out my phone and scroll to the page I’m looking for. “You know whatever I have is yours.”
“If you say so.” She sweeps her fingers into my hair. She’s barely listening.
“But I wanted this to be in your name. The papers are all drawn up. You just have to sign them.”
She narrows her eyes at me and glances at my phone, which I have angled in her direction. “What’s in my name?”
“This place. Crompton.”
She freezes. “You want me to own it?” Her mouth unfurls into a smile.
“Yeah. I mean, you do anyway now we’re married, but it’s so special to you, I wanted it to be yours specifically.”
She cups my face in her hand. “Thank you.” She pauses. “You’re so special, Vincent. Not because it’s such an extravagant gift—which it is. But because you’re always thinking about me. You’re always putting my happiness front and center. I want to do that for you, too.”
I clasp her hand in mine. “You do. Every day. Just by being you.”
A few weeks after that
Kate
We all stand looking at Carole and John’s house from the driveway.
I keep glancing up at the heavy, gray clouds threatening above. I give it four minutes until it starts bucketing down.
“We’ve got to have at least four more bedrooms,” Carole says.
“Four?” John shrieks. “Do you have a bunch of secret children I don’t know about?”
“And a bigger dining room,” Carole says.
“We can’t just make the dining room bigger,” John says.
“Which is why I’m thinking it might just be better to pull the entire house down and build something new. What do you think?”
“What do I think?” John says, his face getting redder by the second. “I think—”
“I didn’t mean you, I meant Vincent. And Jacob. Extend or demolish?”
“Nathan has a house just down the road. We don’t all need to stay with you every time we visit.”
Carole reaches around her back and unties her apron with pictures of Jacob on it. “This is just what I was afraid of. If you all have houses nearby, no one is going to want to stay. And I love it when we eat together, and sit around the firepit and then fall into bed.” She screws the apron up in a ball and throws in on the ground. “I want my grandchildren crawling into my bed in the mornings and I want to tuck them up at night.”