SWNOVELS HUGE STEPS: Chapter 22
Dandies’ wasn’t so busy today, but my feet sure could use the break anyway. Feet shouldn’t get swollen this early in pregnancy, should they? I wonder aloud as I trudge up the walkway home.
To my surprise, my doorstep is littered with red and yellow roses, and a little basket off to the side where I can already see my favorite coffee shop gift card sticking up out of it. Red and yellow roses? I peer closer, picking up and weighing the basket in my hand.
A little cream-colored envelope is tucked behind the gift card, but I save it for last, investigating what all is inside. My favorite perfume. A small bag of my favorite candy, not to mention the solid chocolate heart wrapped in pink foil. Someone’s clearly trying to butter me up—all my favorite things are nestled in tissue paper and the flowers are even freshly cut.
I sigh as I slide my finger under the flap of the envelope, a weird sense of dread permeating everything. ‘Richland Park Gazebo. See you there.’
The handwriting looks like it’s purposefully trying to throw me off unless there’s a fourth so-called suitor waiting in the wings I just don’t know about. I shake my head at the thought—that’s the kind of stuff soap operas are made out of – but then again, what is my life now, if not some daytime soap opera?
The curve of the letters isn’t very familiar to me, but thinking about it now, I haven’t had that many chances to really get a good look at Cody’s handwriting over the past three years and forget Jared’s or Jamie’s.
I pause for a moment, the gazebo mentioned, suddenly flickering into view as I close my eyes. It just so happens to be the very same place Cody proposed to me, well, at least the first time, anyway. I chew on my lip and step over the roses to unlock my front door, careful not to mess any of them up.
But the gift seems much more thoughtful than the stunt he pulled earlier this morning, and two attempts in one day are more effort than Cody’s ever put forth before.
The Richland Park gazebo is known to be a pretty romantic place, so maybe the twins got the idea in their head and it’s all just a big coincidence? They’re much more adept at this kind of thing, I can already tell. I mean, shopping, cleaning, repairing things for me? Way more than anything Cody ever did.
Tucking the note back into my pocket, I slip into my sandals and let my hair down, giving myself one last look-over before finding a vase for the flowers. No, this isn’t Cody. This has to be Jamie and Jared.
With the basket in hand, I make the fifteen-minute walk down to Richland Park, fidgeting with the handle on the basket the whole time, nervousness flooding through me. ‘Don’t be stupid, Abi,’ I whisper to myself, glad no one’s around. ‘There’s nothing to be nervous about.’
The pine needles crunch under my feet as I walk up the little bike path that curves around the outer edges of the park, each step giving me more confidence. I don’t know what Jamie and Jared have in mind, bringing me here to the gazebo.
There’s no one there when I arrive, so I stroll up to it and run my hand along the rounded curve of the railing, taking in the green scenery of the park. It’s actually a beautiful day. They picked a good time to do, well, whatever they’re going to do.
I barely have a chance to react to the sound of the footsteps moving quickly across the old wooden floor of the gazebo when warm hands close over my eyes, someone’s breath in my ear. ‘I’m so glad you made it.’
Whirling around, confused, I nearly knock him right over. He reels back and rubs at his jaw, irritation flashing across his face before he smooths it over.
‘Hey, babe.’