Sealed With A Vow

Chapter 30- Surprises

As soon as I heard the garage door close, signaling that Derek had left for work, I rolled out of bed, slipping on a robe to wear over my lace-trim nightgown. I normally never wore these skimpy things to sleep, but my husband had bought it for me without my knowledge during one of our previous trips to the mall.

After I'd found out how expensive it was, I forced him to return it, but he refused, insisting that seeing me in lace would allow him to sleep better at night. In reality, he'd be out like a light every time we got to bed. There could be a serial killer pounding on our window, and he wouldn't even stir an inch.

So much for having a "sleeping problem."

Smiling at the thought of Derek, I headed downstairs to get out everything I'd need for the barbecue from the fridge. Today wasn't just a typical Saturday. It was November 14th, his 25th birthday, and I'd planned a huge surprise party for him. I had invited some of his relatives and close friends, including his COO- Keith Harrington. And of course, his parents were coming, too.

It'd also be the perfect opportunity to celebrate his career milestone. Weston Hotel Group had announced the official date of its grand opening in Sydney, and we'd recently bought plane tickets to fly over there in January right after Christmas.

Derek wouldn't be home from work until four, which gave me plenty of time to prepare the food and decorations. Heather had insisted on coming over early to assist with the cooking, but I'd kindly declined her offer. Besides, I was much more productive on my own.

Tying my hair up in a bun, I quickly got to work, setting out the marinated ribs I'd left in the fridge overnight. This way, they'd taste extra flavorful. Before grabbing the ingredients for my signature potato salad, I turned on some music from my phone.

Soon, I was dancing and singing along to Taylor Swift's Style as I swiftly moved about the kitchen, preparing several different foods at once. The mouthwatering aroma of baked BBQ chicken began to fill my nostrils, and I went to check it in the oven.

While stirring a brownie mixture, my body suddenly grew tense. For some weird reason, it felt as if I was being watched.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I slowly turned around, anxious to see if there was actually someone behind me.

My spoon instantly fell to the ground as a scream escaped my lungs.

"Oh my god, what are you doing here?! You scared me!", I exclaimed.

There, leaning against the wall, was none other than my husband. He had an amused look on his face, trying to suppress a laugh, but failed.

"You should've seen yourself! What were you gonna do with that spoon? Hit me with it?" He smiled arrogantly.

"It's not funny! I thought you were a burglar!", I protested, slapping his arm.

Derek picked up the wooden spoon and went to rinse it in the sink, laughing to himself. I just stood there, recovering from the momentary heart attack he'd given me.

"You never answered my question about why you're home so early."

"I forgot some documents this morning, so I had to come back to grab them," he explained, waving a bundle of papers in front of my face.

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah. I gotta go back to work now. I'll see you at four?"

I nodded my head and he smiled, kissing me on the forehead.

"Do you have any idea how adorable you look when you're dancing?"

Gee, how long had he watched me?