Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m giving you a pass because I know you’ve been so busy. While you finish lunch, I’m going to finish frosting the wedding cake.”
“Sounds good, Jenn, and thanks again. When I’m done here, I’ll head up to my office, go through the last couple of bits, check in with Daniel, and then actually head home while it’s still light out.”
“That’s more like it,” she said, pulling out the mixer to make more royal icing. “See you tomorrow.”
Nate headed up to his office, feeling pretty darn good. The online feed for the wedding tomorrow was locked down, and Zach Jarrs himself had done the final check. Liz was happy, Yuriko was happy, and finally he could breathe easy.
As soon as he walked into his office, he noticed a coffee carafe sitting on his desk, and beside it was a small box. He’d recognize that carafe anywhere—it was one of a few that Tamara kept on hand at her coffee shop. The box contained some creamers and sugars and stir sticks and a couple of doughnuts. He smiled. She must have brought this over earlier today. Awww. Then he noticed an envelope… addressed to him. His heart began to race. It was a letter from Tamara.
The second he opened the envelope, a few things spilled onto his desk—some beach sand, tiny little seashells, a paper napkin, a balloon, and a letter written in Tamara’s large and loopy handwriting.
* * *
Dear Nate,
* * *
I’ve missed you so much this week, and I can’t stop thinking about you. I don’t want to stop thinking about you. I want to think about you for the rest of my life. You are the first person I think of when I wake up, and your handsome face is the last thing I think about at night. Our weekend in San Diego was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
I love you, Nate. In fact, I think I loved you the moment we met, but I was too scared to admit it. But I’m not scared anymore.
I know your week has been crazy, but I’m still here, across the street, waiting to make you a coffee, waiting to kiss you, waiting to spend my life with you, and waiting, again, to tell you every day that I love you.
* * *
Yours,
Tamara
* * *
Tears were streaming down Nate’s face, but they were happy tears. In fact, he was laughing through those tears. How did he get so lucky to meet that girl across the street? He didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. The main thing was that it had happened. He had never received a love letter before, and he was shaking with emotion. He smiled tenderly as he imagined Tamara putting those beautiful words together just for him. He had to take his glasses off and clean his lenses so he could read the letter a few more times.
He sat and looked at all the little things that had accompanied the letter, those sweet keepsakes they had collected on the beach and at the wedding in San Diego. They were so special because they had chosen them together and because they were memories of their time together. Tamara couldn’t have given him anything more meaningful.
He had fretted about finding the perfect way to tell Tamara that he loved her and thought that he had blown it. But now Tamara had said “I love you” in the most perfect way imaginable. And in doing so, she had made him feel so special and so loved.
He carefully folded Tamara’s letter and put it in his satchel. There was only one place he needed to be right now.
“Hey, you’re back again,” Tamara called over to the little dog. He was standing near a hole in the fence, looking up at her with a sweet expression on his face. She walked over to him and stroked his head, surprised to realize just how much she’d missed him since his last visit. Nate had always said that Furface would keep coming back, and she hadn’t wanted to believe him in case it wasn’t true. Yet here he was again.
“We can’t keep calling you Furface, though,” Tamara said to him. “Not if you’re going to come live with me.”
She realized she’d made another decision without really having to think about it. It was something so obvious; it must have been in a corner of her mind all along.
“You are going to come live with me, right?”
Furface seemed to understand what she was saying and sat down in a way that suggested he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Yes, I am, unless you want to come and live with me.”
Recognizing Nate’s voice, Tamara froze for a moment before spinning round. “Nate,” was all she said before she ran over and jumped into his arms. “Oh, Nate. I love you. Did you get my letter? You know I love you, right?”