Phoenix (Editing)

Chapter 30

Pierce was excited and nervous. He felt like he was going to throw up. He had made a few calls before they left the worksite, and everything was set up perfectly according to Lena. He'd managed to talk Claire into going back to her place first to shower and change. The trick now, was to get her over to his place where he had everything set up.

He eventually got her out of the house with promises of a surprise dinner. He had her wear a blindfold to their 'date' as he drove back to his house. As they drove, Claire kept fussing about the blindfold. "I don't know why I need this ridiculous thing. It's just dinner."

"Because it's a surprise." Pierce told her again, refusing to indulge more. He had managed to keep her away from his home the past few weeks with the construction going on at his own property, but he had lied to her about the work being done. When she had told Pierce about the baby he had immediately, began work on the house and said she wasn't safe there until it was done. He had told her he was not only baby proofing the house, which was true, but he was adding an additional room for the baby. He had plenty of space. He didn't need an extra room.

However, Claire did. He had built her studio. He had a small team, doing most of the work in his spare time himself, so it had taken longer than he had planned., but he was finally finished. He looked over at her seated in the passenger seat with her eyes covered. He was excited but couldn't ignore how anxious he was as well.

They had briefly discussed marriage when they had first gotten together and then she had been adamantly against it. But he had a strong feeling things had changed. Like they had between them. She loved him. He knew it in his bones. She had said it that night in Costa Rica. She hadn't said it since, but she had told him about the baby despite how scared she had been. He could see the fear written all over her beautiful features. He couldn't possibly know how hard that must have been for her.

Perhaps, she just needed a little push. A gentle nudge in the right direction? Besides, Pierce always imagined being married to the mother of his children. Not that he had thought about having kids this soon, not until he had met Claire that is. She changed everything for him the day she walked into his trailer. He was still thanking his luck.

That year after they had finished their project and gone their separate ways had been difficult for him. He hadn't been able to get her out of his system. Dating other women didn't help. The sex was empty. Parties had become boring. Steph had gotten tired of him moping about. By the time he had seen her again, he had already accepted the fact that he was in love with her. Never before had a woman gotten so far into his mind and under his skin. Now he couldn't imagine his life without her. How Tobias ever screwed his chance up, Pierce would never understand. The man was a damned fool, he thought as he shook his head.

As they pulled into his driveway and parked in his garage, Claire started to suspect something. Their surroundings sounded too familiar. Pierce led her through a door, pausing along the way and she heard the beep of an alarm system being disarmed and reset. "Are we at your house?" She asked even as she took the familiar step up into the kitchen as he told her to.

Still unable to see, but familiar with the layout, she glided her hand along the wall. She knew exactly where she was. "Why are we in your house?"

Pierce chuckled as he caught her hand and guided her toward the back and outside to the deck. He was impressed. Everything looked perfect. At least he thought so. He hoped Claire thought so too. Shit. He was nervous. The outside patio was covered, and heaters were hidden around the site, keeping it warm. A main fire crackled in the center of a barbeque pit. Beautiful, artistically done, lanterns floated in the air, tea lights strategically streamed among them. Flowers were everywhere. Most notably across the backyard. In dozens, upon dozens of buckets. Spelling out the words, "Will You Marry Me?"