Against Me (Cedar Tree Book 3) by Freya Barker

shoulders and is replaced with an intense feeling of relief at Katie's reaction, and a smile steals over my face.
    "Caleb? Where are we?"
    "It's mine. Come on, I want to show you." Without waiting for an answer, I get out and walk over to the passenger side to help Katie out of the truck.
    The driveway is packed dirt and it isn't easy to maneuver her chair across the potholes.
    "The first thing that’ll get done is a proper paved drive so you can get around."
    Katie's surprised eyes land on mine, but she doesn't say anything. Once inside the huge barn doors, she gets a first look at the vast expanse of space.
    "This is amazing, Caleb. Absolutely amazing. This is going to be so beautiful. You're making it into a home, right? It fits you perfectly. I'm so excited for you." She turns to me with a giant smile on her face.
    I want to tell her I'm making it into a home for us , but I decide to show her instead. Walking over to the large drawing table off to the side, I start unrolling the plans that are stacked on there.
    "I'm keeping the big barn doors, but they’ll be left and fixed open. In the frame, I'll have large windows installed, floor to ceiling. Same on the back. You can see there are barn doors directly opposite and those go out into the fields. There I want glass as well, but sliding so it can open up to a deck. Everything has to stay one level, except where the hayloft is up above. It’ll be the sleeping quarters with a large master and bathroom in the back, and two smaller bedrooms with a bathroom in the front. I'm also keeping a separate room on the main level, which can be converted into an office or a den. Those will be the only rooms with doors, aside from a powder room. The front door will be right beside the barn doors in the front and a mudroom with laundry will be right off the side with a laundry shoot from the upstairs hallway. Beside the mudroom are the stairs and a small elevator. Beyond that, the entire back right side of the house is a large eat- in kitchen, most of which will face out the side and back with large windows. All the space between the front and back barn doors will remain open space for living areas."
    I've been leaning over the blueprints, pointing everything out as I've explained them, feeling Katie beside me following along. Turning to her now to gauge her reaction, I see surprise and confusion warring on her face. I run my fingers over the slight frown in her forehead along her cheeks and lightly over her lips, before cupping her chin in my hand.
    "What's that look for?"
    She swallows deeply, "You're installing an elevator?"
    "Yes, I'm installing an elevator. A small one-person one. With friends who have limited mobility, I'm learning to never take anything for granted, so since I'm building up from scratch anyway, I figure I might as well be prepared for everything."
    "Right, makes sense, I guess." Katie turns her face away.
    "But mostly it's because I want to make sure a certain someone can get around independently and effortlessly in this house, regardless of what the future holds for her," I add, knowing it was mean to keep her hanging, but needing that little sign of dejection to know she wanted this.
    I step around her just in time to see her wipe a tear before it has a chance to roll down her cheek.
    "You okay?"
    "Fast. I feel like Alice down the rabbit hole a little, with all that is happening. Overwhelmed, but in a good way, I think." She puts her hand on her chest to emphasize and chuckles. "My heart is almost beating out of my chest."
    "Gus gave me two days to settle things between you and me. Not a lot of time when I've been on the sidelines for four years, little one. Two days to ease you into considering I might envision you in my future. Two days to see if there is any hope for you to see me as part of yours. It's not enough, but it's all I have and what I need to get my head back in the game, so I'm laying it all on the table. No more hiding in the shadows, I'm going