46

We spent countless hours researching online, and days driving around to view places, but nothing seemed quite right. It was after the family dinner at the Benedict family home, where both Tess and Rory had announced they were pregnant (no surprise there) that we rang Alice to see if she had any ideas. She already had a few properties herself that she rented out, so we were keen to ask her opinion.

"What about that house Will told us about when we first drove up to see his family?" She suggested. We went to view it that evening, and put an offer on it the next day. It was a bargain considering its state and the land that went with it. Apparently, the distant relative that owned it had had it on the market for 10 years, and thought he'd never sell it due to its size and rural location- he was practically giving it away. It was perfect- a clean slate, tucked away from prying eyes that we could mould, and make our own.

With the ink barely dry on the documents, we got to work. There were structural repairs to be done, wiring, lighting, heating, water, the list was never ending- and that was before we even thought about attacking it with a paint brush! It was going to take a lot of work, but we both wanted this.

Phee and I spent all out time there. Yves was at University in Minnesota, so he wasn't impressed that Phee had decided to stay in Wrickenridge, but understood. He came back nearly every weekend to help out with our project. He had originally tried to persuade us to let him pay contractors to do the build, but we'd refused- this was our business. Monty loved the new project- he spent every day in the grounds, chasing butterflies and squirrels. We tried to do as much of the work as we could ourselves, and went to classes at the local college to learn some of the tricks of the trade. We were both working from 8-8, and collapsing whenever we got home. As Yves was away, Phee had taken to either staying with Karla and Saul or Will and I, so she didn't get lonely.

"So, what did you get Will for his birthday?" Phee asked me at lunch. We were sat out in the garden, watching Monty lollop through the newly lain grass.

"It's his birthday?" I squealed, dropping my sandwich to the floor. It was ham, so Monty wasted no time in pulling the meat out and eating.

"You didn't know?"

"No!" I exclaimed. I'd been so wrapped up in the house that I didn't even know what day it was. Will was born on the 10th, which meant my own birthday was a little over a week away, and I hadn't even realised that. I'd left so early this morning, that Will was still in bed when I drove off.

"I'm a terrible girlfriend." I groaned.

"No, you're not, you just got caught up. It happens to us all, and you can salvage this!"

"But how?" I wailed. I hadn't even got him a gift, and what could I possibly buy the man who had everything when I was on a limited budget myself?

"Well, there was this book I read once…" Phee began. I listened intently, a smile forming on my face. Maybe this birthday could be salvaged after all.

XXX

"Hey, baby." Will shouted as he came through the door.

"I'm the kitchen. Happy Birthday!" I called, as I heard him shut the door behind him and lock it. He laughed.

"Thanks. I thought you'd forgot!" He wandered through to the kitchen, and his jaw dropped as he saw me.

"How could I forget?" I lied through my teeth, with a saccharine smile. I was cooking his favourite meal: steak with home- made chips, although I was cooking them whilst wearing my skimpiest underwear.

"Sit." I instructed him, pointing to the table I'd laid out. He followed my instructions dumbly

"Should I get undressed too?" I noticed his eyes hadn't yet managed to find my face, and were instead buried in my cleavage.

"Maybe later." I winked, tossing the onions, before dishing up the two plates and carrying them to the table. I set mine down first before coming over to Will to give him his. He'd already loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt.

"Happy birthday, baby." He pulled me so I was sat on top of him after I put his plate down, and kissed me thoroughly. He pulled at his tie, but I stopped him, pulling away.

"Ah, ah, ah. Presents come after dinner." I slid off him, and went and sat in my own place. He ate his dinner very quickly after that, to my amusement. I savoured mine, watching how his eyes narrowed as I brought my tongue out to pull a piece of steak off my fork.

"Is it present time now?" He asked impatiently, as I set my cutlery down and took a languid sip of my wine.

"Not until I'm finished." I laughed as he pouted. "But you can open this." I bent under the table and passed him a small gift bag and card, while I finished off. I was very low on cash at the minute, despite the fact that Will kept telling me to use the joint account he'd set up, so I was hoping he liked the home-made touch.

He opened the card, barely glancing at it before plunging his hand into the gift bag and tearing at the paper. He looked at me, confused, as he took in the glass mason jar full of coloured pieces of paper labelled: 'Alexis coupons'.

Unhooking the lid, he pulled out the first slip. It was yellow.

"Meal out. Your choice, I pay." He read out. He delved back in and pulled out a green slip.

"Get out of washing up free card." He grinned at that one, and kept pulling slips out.

The slips were colour coded. Yellow was for meals out on me, green was for household chores, brown was for day trips, blue was for making me come home earlier, pink was for making whatever he wanted for tea, orange was for breakfast in bed, and the metallic slips meant that they were good for anything be desired- a freebie.

"You can cash them in at any time, but you can only use them once." I'd made about sixty cards in total. He'd just pulled out a red slip, and his jaw dropped as he read what it said. Red, I was pretty sure, was going to be his favourite coloured slip.

"Do you mean this?" He asked, grinning as he showed me what it said. I grinned and nodded.

"That's probably the least daring one, actually." His jaw dropped, but he recovered, tipping the jar's contents out onto the table and searching through until he'd found all the red ones. I liked the way he shifted in his chair as he read them, and I smiled into my wine.

"You like?" I asked, spearing a chip and bringing it to my mouth.

"Very much." His eyes were full of lust, and they betrayed his appreciation more than his thanks.

"Can I cash this one?" He asked, showing me the first red coupon he'd found. He came over and handed it to me. I read it, 'Strip'. I plucked it from his fingers and ripped it in half.

"Wish granted." I smiled.

XXX

Will took a great liking to his coupon jar. The red coloured cards, as I'd predicted, were by far his favourite, although he had used the others too.

"Can I have these for every holiday?" Will asked as we lay in bed. He'd just used up another of his red coupons.

"They can be a special birthday tradition." I laughed and he pouted.

"But if you're good, we can add ones in?" I offered. I'd already caught him taping tokens together and putting them back in the jar in the hope I wouldn't notice. I'd caught him red- handed.

The coupons had been great until he'd decided to use one of the metallic 'freebie wishes' to let him buy me a new car, and get rid of my current one. After I'd decided I was staying in Colorado, I'd bought a cheap, second- hand car that was 10 years old, as I didn't want to spend money unnecessarily. Will had thrown a fit when he'd seen it because he declared it 'unsafe' since it didn't have airbags. He looked very smug when he knew I had no option but to accept it.

"Does it have to be that?" I asked. Unfortunately, he was adamant. "Even if I say I won't do the coupon jar ever again?" He considered it for a moment. I knew it would take a lot for him to give up those red coupons.

"Your safety is worth a hundred jars." He had me.

"Fine. Wish granted." I admitted, promptly tearing it in two. He was thrilled, and he next day, we went to a car dealership and drove off the forecourt with a brand new ford focus.

For my birthday the following week, Will handed me a card.

"It's not as good as what you got me- I'm not as imaginative as you, but happy birthday, sweetheart." I could tell by the look in his eye that he was thinking of the red coupons and I blushed. 'Strip' had been one of the most modest things the coupons offered.

Opening the card, I saw inside two return plane tickets to the U.K.

"One for you, and one for me." He explained. I threw myself into his arms and cried. I'd been missing my family recently, 'Van was expected to give birth any day now and I so wanted to meet my little niece or nephew.

I cashed them in in October to go and see baby Daniel Jack Anderson- the most beautiful blue- eyed baby in existence. He was so wonderful, that he even made me feel broody.

We spend Christmas in Colorado, but flew to the UK on the 28th of December, ready for Rach's wedding- they were part of Will's Christmas present to me, while I'd bought him a new pair of skis after I'd seen him eyeing them in the local village ski shop. Skiing was our favourite pastime, and while the snow was good and fresh Will and I spent practically every weekend on the slopes.

Rach's wedding was gorgeous- it snowed for the pictures, and her and Dan looked the picture of young love. Alice and Soren were present too as Alice was good friends with Rachel, and the family enjoyed getting to know him a bit more. With a vet, two doctors, and a trainee dentist, we were very well cared for health- wise.

When we got back to Colorado, I threw myself back into working on the retreat. We just about got most of the decorating done and the place plumbed, heated and with working electricity. Selling it now would make us a large profit on what we'd bought it for, but we weren't tempted.

Come April, it was time for the annual soulfinder convention, which was to be held in Quebec this year. All the Benedicts attended, and they had amped up security this year, with Soren rendering everyone but the Benedicts' gifts useless, meaning people couldn't cause all that much trouble if they tried. Hopefully, we wouldn't get any more Gregory characters this year. Will seemed nervous all day at the event. I was sat with him, checking people and handing out badges whilst he was working to spot danger.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked him for what must have been the fiftieth time that morning. Xav snorted from my other side, and he covered his face with his hand when Will glared at him. He and Crystal had married a month ago in Venice and had just got back from their honeymoon, looking very tanned and relaxed.

"I'm fine." He assured me. "I'm just going to go and get some water." He stood and headed to the staff area.

"Hey, Will." I called. "Don't worry, I won't run off this year."

"You better not. I'd catch you anyway." I believed that for sure. I knew he'd go to the ends of the earth to find me if he had to.

While people went in for the video to explain the day's proceedings Will pulled me aside and asked if I'd like to go for a walk with him; it was all rather odd. He was acting very strangely, but I couldn't work out why. The venue this year was way out in the countryside as the Net decided this year to keep it out of the way; the less questions from curious non-savants, the better.

"Have you been re-using coupons again?" I asked him as we walked.

"What? No! Why do you ask?"

"You're acting funny." He scratched his head, and I thought he was about to come clean.

"No- I" He took a deep breath. "Alexis, I love you." He took my hand in his. "And I've got an important question to ask you." He got down on one knee, metallic coupon wish in one hand, and a diamond ring in the other. "Will you marry me?"

I clapped my hand over my mouth and nodded, seemingly incapable of speech. "Is that a yes?" I nodded again and he grinned, slipping the ring into place on my left hand.

"So this is why you were acting weird?" He nodded. "I thought you said I got a year." I teased, remembering the deal we'd made nearly a year ago.

"Yeah, well I couldn't wait that long."

"I didn't want to wait any longer either." I admitted, and he kissed me soundly.

I could hear the whoops and cheers behind us and I looked to see the whole family stood watching us. I buried my face in his chest.

"She said yes!" He cried, punching the air with his fist.

That wasn't all the drama at the convention that year. Tess went into early labour, and baby Prudence was born that evening, who later became firm friends with her cousin, Henry, who was born two months before to Rory and Vic.

xxx

I hope you enjoyed- this was one of my favourite chapters to write! Only the epilogue is left now, and it will be up once we hit 590 reviews, or next week. Thank you to every single person who has reviewed this story- without you, I would never have written it. X