Chapter One

On a bright Saturday morning in October, a week after getting home, I'm kissed awake by my husband.

"Mmmm..." I moan. "Five more minutes."

Then I feel a small, slightly sticky hand patting mine. "Mama?"

I open my eyes and there he is. My baby boy with his bright blue eyes and copper curls. I can't help but return his happy, baby grin. But then I tuck back into my pillow, closing my eyes again.

"We let you sleep as long as we could," cajoles Christian, nudging me awake. "We have a surprise for you."

That does it. I open one eye. "It's not my birthday. And I think I've had enough surprises for awhile," I say, looking at him meaningfully.

We've just returned from my birthday and our anniversary trip to Europe. Near the end of our trip, we discovered I was pregnant again. And upon returning to Seattle, we've learned that it's twins. And then, Kate and Elliot came over last night and told us that they've finally set a date for their wedding. It's going to be June twenty-second.

So now there's going to be an early summer wedding. My best friend is marrying my husband's brother, and I am thrilled for them. Really, I am. Kate was glowing - so happy as she bounced around, excited to share her news - and all I could think about was my late May due date. So, for the moment, I am feeling surprised-out. And slightly overwhelmed. And sleepy. And a little nauseous.

I sit up and peer at him, narrowing my eyes. "You guys didn't cook me a giant breakfast, did you?" My stomach flips at the thought of pancakes dripping with syrup and lovingly made, but runny, eggs.

"Nope. But you should try and eat a little something. It's a bit of a drive. So…" he commands, "get up, shower, and be ready in thirty!" Ugh, I am not awake enough for bossy Christian.

And with that, he scoops up Teddy, tickles his belly, and heads back upstairs. I can hear Teddy's belly laugh and the clamor of his sisters' greetings in the kitchen. I roll my eyes and, suspecting that I won't be able to put them off, head for the shower.

Twenty minutes later, I am upstairs and ready to go. Based on the fact that Christian was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt when he woke me, I followed his lead and dressed casually. I am wearing jeans, a striped tee, and a light cardigan with pockets.

The kids are finishing up breakfast, Teddy in his high chair and his sisters - my step-daughters Marissa and Ellie - are at the breakfast bar. An episode of PJ Masks is playing on the little kitchen television. It's bright and busy... and wonderful.

"Is this okay?" I ask Christian, gesturing to my outfit. "It's hard to dress for a surprise, you know."

He chuckles and leans in for a kiss. "You look perfect... beautiful and amazing, my wife."

I laugh and make myself some dry toast and a cup of tea in a to-go mug.

We pile into the SUV, Teddy and Ellie in their boosters in the middle row, Marissa in the back.

"Do you girls know where we're going?" I ask, examining their faces for hints.

They both shake their heads vigorously. Hmmm, I don't see any sneaky smiles. I think it's a surprise for them too.

Christian gets on I-5, heading north, and after several miles takes the Woodway exit. Woodway is a small community just past the urban sprawl of Seattle. Without traffic, it's only a fifteen minute drive. The downtown area is small, but boasts several upscale shops and restaurants. We've been here a few times to eat, but today we pass straight through, heading toward the water.

"The beach?" I ask, "But we didn't bring..."

"Nope," he cuts me off, "not the beach."

He drives further into the neighborhood west of downtown. We don't know anybody who lives here... Is it someone who works for him? As we drive, the properties get more and more expansive. Finally, he turns off onto a wooded driveway. No house is visible, but it's marked with two brick pillars.

It's a little dark and overgrown, and we're all hushed as Christian follows the winding driveway. The driveway ends at a large clearing. There's a meadow to the left, which slopes down, presumably to the water. To the right is a huge, half-timber house. It's a little run-down, with some missing roof tiles and crooked shutters. But the design is grand and I bet it's at least a hundred years old.

We all get out, Christian getting Teddy and carrying him in one arm, and take in the scene. "Who lives here?" I finally ask.

Christian shrugs. "It's just an idea, but maybe... us."

The girls overhear him and shriek, running ahead up the gravel drive.

My jaw drops. "But we have a house. A beautiful house. I don't..."

"Yes, we do. And it's getting too small. Quickly." And he looks pointedly at me. "Let's just go check it out."

I sigh and take his hand, and we start walking slowly after the girls. He's right. We'll soon be filling all of the bedrooms, leaving no spares for grandmas or other guests. And the beach property in Seattle is at a premium, with no room to spare.

I can't decide if the house gets better or worse at we approach it. It's definitely showing signs of age and disrepair, but the design is stunning and it looks very well-built. It's a classic half-timber structure, with dark beams and white stucco.

A stout, middle-aged woman in a boxy skirt suit is waiting by the door. "Mr. and Mrs. Grey," she gushes, "I'm the realtor, Olga Kelly. Welcome to Number One County Line Road."

"Hello," I say, shaking her hand after Christian. "County Line Road?"

"Yes," she says. "Most of the waterfront homes are on Pacific Crest Way, but this property is unique in that it bridges King and Snohomish Counties. The driveway actually runs along the county line."

She swings the door open and gestures for us to enter, the girls rushing ahead of us.

And - oh wow - the door opens into a wide entryway. To the right, a grand staircase sweeps to a landing on the upper level. To the left, double French doors are open to a sunny parlor. Again, the girls rush ahead, their feet slapping on the dark slate floors.

But I hold back and just take it in, then slowly release the breath I'm holding. Christian tugs on my hand. "Come on. There's lots more to see."

"I don't even need to see it," I sigh. "I'm home." And I can feel it, see it, hear it… Marissa asking for the car keys on her way to meet friends, Ellie dancing her way across the landing and down the stairs, Teddy bravely heading out the door on his first day of kindergarten, and these two new babies taking their first steps. And Christian and I cheering them on, and eventually growing old together. This is our family home.

We work our way through the dining room to the right and into a large, old-fashioned kitchen. It's cozy, with beamed ceilings and an eat-in area, but it's completely isolated from the rest of the house. We continue through a swinging door, and we're in the main living area of the house. It's large, with a generous seating area and stone fireplace. Ahead of it, there's a sun room, and I can just glimpse the view beyond. There's also a library and a small, dark den, both with wood-paneled walls, and a tiny water closet. It's all very traditional - gorgeous, dark woodwork frames the doorways and windows. Crown molding and chair rails define the wallpapered main rooms. But the windows, although large and floor-to-ceiling, are all covered in heavy draperies.

We walk out into the sunroom and - finally - there's the view I was expecting. An unobstructed view of the Puget Sounds and its islands, stretching in front of us. Christian puts Teddy down, and our little man goes straight to the window, pressing his nose against the glass.

Now that his arms are free, Christian comes up to stand behind me. He puts one hand on my belly, and slides the other up over my shoulder. He pushes my hair back, starts to nibble my neck just behind my ear.

"Well," comes a cheery voice from just behind us. "What do you kids think?"

Shit… I forgot about the realtor! Christian releases me, grabbing my hand again, and spinning us around.

"The property and the view, of course, are what you're really buying," Ms. Kelly continues. "Most folks snap up these old properties, demolish them, and put up new construction." She points through the windows to the right. "The house on the point, for instance, belongs to an architect and his family. They're your closest neighbors. Maybe you can have him in to take a look?"

I walk closer to the window and examine the house in the distance. It's all glass and steel, modern with sharp corners and angles. It looks cold and exposed, hanging out over the rocks. Inexplicably, a shiver runs through me. "No," I say, "I don't think a house like that is for us. I am thinking more along the lines of a renovation? Keep the main structure of this house and its character intact, but add modern amenities and make it more open to the view?"

I look at Christian and he's nodding. Is he with me or was he thinking that this would be a complete tear-down?

I lean into him. "This is our family home. I can feel it. Tearing it down would break my heart."

He pulls me in tightly. "Then that's what we'll do. We'll talk to the architect, get Elliot and his crew on board. So, it's settled?"

I look at him and nod, a wide smile creeping across my face, and turn to face Ms. Kelly again. "Wrap it up," I say emphatically. "We'll take it."

We take a tour of the rest of the house, and upstairs are six generously-sized bedrooms. Two share a jack-and-jill bathroom, and there is one bathroom in the main hallway. There is no obvious master bedroom, but the two bedrooms facing the water have potential. Christian comes up with the idea of combining them into a large master suite.

Back on the main level, we are shown that a second set of stairs lead from the den to the lower level. There are three more bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small sitting area. French doors open to a little flagstone patio.

Christian looks around, deep in thought. "Is it going to be big enough?"

"Christian, this is a NINE bedroom home. Yeah, I think it'll be big enough. How many more kids do you think we're going to have?" I ask, a little worried.

He chuckles. "It's not that... I was just thinking that we'll need rooms for guests plus living quarters for security personnel."

"You want our CPOs on-site? Living in our home?"

"It's something I've been considering, yes," he says. "We're more isolated up here, and - if we have the space - it wouldn't be a bad idea."

Hmm... I will have to think about this. "I don't know," I say, "I'll think about it. I guess it depends on who it is."

Ms. Kelly steps forward, reminding us of her presence. "If you're needing a bit more space," she says, "I may have a solution. Follow me." She leads us through the French doors and along a path that curves up and away from the water toward stone steps. We climb them, and they lead up to a little log cabin in at the edge of the woods. "This was the original homesteaders' cabin," explains Ms. Kelly. "It's been used mainly for guests or as storage in recent years, but with a little TLC, it would make an ideal caretakers' cottage."

She opens the rough, wooden door with a skeleton key and we step inside. It's an unfinished space, but larger than it appears from the outside. The view from the back windows rivals that of the main house. Christian paces off the room to get an idea of the size. "This could easily be finished to be a two-bedroom cottage with a living area, bath, and kitchen," he says, looking at me. "What do you think? Close enough for security, but far enough for privacy?" I look around and agree that it's a perfect.

We go back outside to round up the girls, who have abandoned the house and are running around the main lawn, turning cartwheels and laughing. They aren't used to a real lawn - just a deck and patio on one side, a path to the beach on the other. I can picture setting up croquet, maybe a hammock off to the side, at the edge of the meadow. Christian lets go of Teddy's hand, and he toddles off to meet his sisters on his sturdy little legs.

Christian pulls me in close, and we watch our children play.

"Well, how's the view, Mrs. Grey?"

"It's amazing," I say. "I love the water and the islands, but what I mostly see is our future... and it's beautiful."