When I stopped in front of the car, a wave of anxiety and apprehension wrapped around me. I felt like I was suffocating, and it took me a minute to catch my breath. Though it was hot, I hadn't been sweating that much until now. I realized as Drew turned to look at me that I hadn't been in a car since my ride home from the hospital. "We don't have to go, beautiful," Drew said. I stared at him before blinking slowly. Drew was standing by the open car door, his worried gaze on me. I blew out a breath as I rubbed my hand against my chest. "I'm fine. I can't let myself be afraid of cars,"

Drew's smile softened, and his eyes held only love and encouragement. I climbed into the car, slid my seat belt into place, adjusted it so it would now lay across my bruise, and then waited for Drew to climb in. "You good?" He asked once he was in the driver's seat. I grinned.

"Yes! Let's get your birthday started."

We headed north, away from our house. The trees grew more plentiful the further we drove, and I swear the air cooled down. We were about ninety minutes into our trip when Drew pulled into a rest stop. I got out and stretched before heading to the restroom. When we both came out, I looked at Drew.

"So, do I get to know where we're going now?"

He just chuckled before kissing the tip of my nose and my lips.

"Nope, but we are almost there."

"You know, I should be the one surprising you for your birthday," I pointed out. Drew wrapped his arm around my waist before pulling me to him.

"You're all the present I need," he whispered, then gave me a searing kiss. By the time he lifted his head, I was weak in the knees and needed to lean against him for a minute. It didn't take us long until we were off the highway and driving through a charming little town. It was hard for me to believe that our house and the city weren't that far away because it felt like we were in a totally different world.

We passed small shops and the cutest little main street I had ever seen. Part of me was dying to stop and explore, while the rest of me just wanted to know where we were going. The road wound back into the trees, and since we had slowed down, I could see some enormous houses and farms where cows and horses dotted fenced-in fields.

I wasn't expecting Drew to turn off the road, so I missed the sign announcing the name of our hotel. The winding drive took us through more trees until we were suddenly in an open area in front of a vast mansion. Wings came off of both sides, with cobble-stone walkways and patios in front of them. The upper floors had balconies, and enormous windows decorated the whole building. Instead of stopping in front, Drew drove around the building to a nearby parking area. Once there, he pulled into a parking space. He turned off the car and got out to retrieve our duffle from the back, then held out his hand for me. "Drew?"

"Hmm?" The pure joy on his face sent a shudder through me.

"You're a pretty awesome boyfriend."

"I'm Glad you noticed," he said with a smugness that had me laughing even as he winked. The air out here was cooler than back home and just a little more humid, and all I could smell was pine and forest.

Once inside, we passed through a gallery with artwork I couldn't wait to return and explore. The lady at the front desk greeted us and took Drew's credit card and driver's license. Then she told us our room wasn't quite ready because we had been upgraded to the presidential suite.

I bit my lip. Patrick must have known where we were staying and called to upgrade us.

Drew let out a soft sigh. "Can we leave our bag here while we grab lunch and wait?"

"Of course," She said. "I'll text you as soon as the room is ready. Everything else you requested will be set up by then."noveldrama

"Thank you." We left our duffel bag with the bell staff and wandered into the restaurant. The wide doors at the end were open to the outside, and the ceiling fans were all on to give us a breeze.

Over our light lunch, we talked about everything and nothing. The burgers and chocolate shakes they served us were enormous, and we both found their size hilarious. When we finished, I was ready for a nap, but we didn't have a room yet, so we walked around the over one-hundred-acre property. The hotel also hosted several famous authors and presidents. It had been modernized but still focused on comfort and luxury. They would even pack you a picnic lunch if you wanted to hike to the nearby lake.

At one point, I stopped and breathed in the fresh air, the scent of the earth, trees, and wildflowers. Birds were calling to one another, and there were no cars or people around. It felt like it was just Drew and me.

I was so distracted by the forest that I was slightly startled when Drew wrapped his arms around me. I relaxed into him and leaned against his shoulder, looking at how the sunlight played through the trees. It felt so magical.

"I don't want to press, but I need to know how you're doing, beautiful," Drew said softly.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Better, but still sore. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have the bruise forever," I admitted. I am not as anxious about moving vehicles. I didn't know how nervous I would be until we got to the car." "Which is why I offered to skip this trip."

"I'm so glad we didn't." I looked up as he kissed my temple.

"Me too, beautiful, me too."

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