Chapter Thirteen
A month later, escrow was finally closing on the yellow house thanks to some red tape at the bank. Cole and Lauren had packed slowly and been okay with it, because they knew the house was going to be theirs. They would be all moved in just in time to decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Lauren and Jane shopped for the holidays every week. Apart from that, they worked hard on their projects and kept earning money that they put in the bank.
Lauren and Cole’s new house had prompted Jane to start wondering about her own future, not that she’d move away from Lauren so quickly. They’d wait until something went up for sale in the same neighborhood and until that time would stay in their cottage.
Jane and Adam helped Lauren and Cole move the things that they were keeping and shop for what they planned on buying. The house was considerably bigger than their old one and would need a few new pieces. Since Cole was living on old kitchen supplies when Lauren met him, they would also need new pots and pans. The girls took it a little further and got some new appliances too. Cole knew how hard Lauren worked and spending a few extra bucks on the house wasn’t a big deal.
The weekend they moved in was a big one. A few of the guys from the ranch helped, and the house was set up within a day, at least for the most part. The men moved the furniture and Lauren and Jane unpacked the boxes.
The work lasted late into the night. When it was finally time for bed, Cole and Lauren released Blue from the master bath to wander his new home and they collapsed on the bed. The bed was made and ready, and felt so good after their hard work. Lauren closed her eyes and pressed against Cole. “We’re in our house,” she murmured, smiling against his bare chest.
“I knew this was ours when we walked in the door,” Cole replied. He inhaled her scent and moved closer. “Are you happy, Lauren?”
“I’m exhausted, but thrilled beyond belief,” Lauren replied. They heard a cat meowing somewhere in the living room. “Oh, Blue. Sounds like he loves it here, too. There’s so much more space here, isn’t there?” There were just over fifteen hundred more square feet here, and it might take the cat some time to adjust. It would take them all time to get accustomed to things.
Sunday was spent cleaning up and ordering pizza. They ate outside and started planning out the backyard. Cole managed to get to bed early while Lauren finished organizing the kitchen before bed.
She walked down the hallway to climb into bed with him, finding him awake and ready for her. “Hey. What are you doing awake?” she asked him, pressing a kiss to his lips.
“Waiting for you, baby. I’m scared all alone in this big house,” Cole teased her. He found her lips with his. They moved together so he was pressed between her thighs. He kissed down her neck and chest and told her that he loved her. He took her with one slow thrust as Lauren arched her back and closed her eyes.
This was home. This was perfection.
They settled in over the next few weeks, able to host Thanksgiving at their place for Cole’s family. Jane and Adam also stopped by in their rush of visits to family. It was a beautiful day, and while Lauren missed her father, she knew that he was watching over her.
She went to sleep that night happy, safely in Cole’s arms.
December came around quickly, and Jane and Lauren got busy decorating both houses around their schedules. They kept the guys sane in between all of the green and red that surrounded them and that tormented the animals. Someone was always telling Blue to get out of the tree and Rocky to stop eating whatever was on the floor, but they learned a lot about how to deal with pets during the holiday season in the process.
Cole even brought a puppy home for Lauren just before the holiday, a big Burmese mountain dog that made her cry when she hugged it. They had a secure fence in the backyard, and there was no way Midori would get out of it, so she had a lot of room to run. Despite being far bigger than Blue, the two got along well and even slept together sometimes on one of the big dog beds in the house. Rocky was also a welcome part of the family, and the friends kept up the habit of going from house to house with them so they could play.
Christmas Eve was spent going to see Christmas lights around town, bundled up warmly with coffee while they took in the bright, colorful decorations. Lauren held Cole’s hand and noticed that Jane and Adam were close all night and adorably cute. They went back to the yellow house afterwards. They made fresh coffee and ate cookies as they sat around the fireplace in the living room. Adam smiled at Jane and held her hand as he looked at their friends. “We’re not going to tell anyone else for a few weeks yet, but we found out that Jane is pregnant. It’s early, just weeks in but she needed to tell someone.”
“Oh my God!” Lauren crossed the room to hug her friend and they danced around the room. “Are you even supposed to do that? Jane, I’m so excited!”
“At this stage in the game, it’s a gimme. I am just going to live as I would and take each day as it comes. There’s no history in my or Adam’s family of miscarriage, so I think it will be fine.” She grinned. “We might start looking for a house too in the new year. We’ll need you guys more than ever.”
Cole locked the door after they left and looked at Lauren. She shook her head and cried. “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy for them.”
“Me too, baby.” Cole pressed his lips together and stepped towards the tree that Blue had managed to leave alone after a lot of yelling. It was the only light now in the living room, and he extended his hand to her as he looked at her. “Come here.”
“Sure. Are you okay?” Lauren asked. She walked over and took his hand in hers.
“I’m perfect,” Cole told her. He paused by the tree for a moment, then dropped slowly to one knee. He stared up at Lauren and she covered her mouth, gasping. “I have taken a lot of steps with you, Lauren. I have fallen more in love with you every day and now that we’re in this house, our house, I am not going to wait any longer. Will you marry me?”
“Cole, you know how to make an amazing night even better,” she chided him, wiping tears from her eyes and smiling. “Yes. You know I will. You’re all I want.”
Lauren moved to join him on the floor and they kissed for several moments. Once they came up for air, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a dark velvet box. Lauren watched breathlessly. Cole pulled out a lovely band of diamonds with a small but beautiful stone set in the center and slid it on her left hand. Lauren started to cry all over again. “I love you.”
“I love you,” she replied and grabbed him to kiss him again.
After they had made love that night, Lauren went to use the bathroom and glanced out of the high window. She dried her hands off, careful with her ring. A star shot across the clear sky and Lauren felt tears in her eyes, feeling her father ‘s presence fill the room. He knew everything, and she felt his approval.