I’ve known my husband since I was 15 (which is terrifying, considering that my older daughter is now 15). He has completely surprised me only four times:
1. The summer after my freshman year in college he took me out to dinner at an Italian place. We rode on his motorcycle. And over the minestrone, he got down on his knee, pulled out a ring, and asked me to marry him. We didn’t actually get married until I graduated, but it stuck. This June we’ll celebrate our 27th anniversary.
2. Big time gap. Biiiiiiig time gap. We were planning to get a new car for me. I had everything picked out–I wanted a red Mini Cooper with a black top and black bonnet stripes. He negotiated endlessly with various dealerships. Then one Saturday he announced we were driving to Roseville–100 miles away–to place our order. We got there and he sat me down with the salesmen to get the details. meanwhile, hubby volunteered to entertain the kids by wandering the lot. A while later, he returned and said, “Honey, there’s one on the lot pretty close to what you want. Come see.” So he drags me out there… and there’s my car. Which he’d decorated with balloons and with photos of Spike. I still have that car. Best car ever.
3. We were heading down to Palm Desert to spend Thanksgiving with the in-laws. First night there, hubby hands me an envelope. Inside? Tickets for a 4 night cruise leaving the next day out of Long Beach. We went to Catalina–I’d always wanted to go–and Baja. Kids stayed with the grandparents. I finished writing my second novel, Flux, while on the ship. Which was perfect because that book begins and ends on a ship.
4. We were all driving to Vegas for a long weekend. I’m not a huge fan, but fine. Only, when we got to Barstow, hubby veered right instead of left, and he told me to look under my seat. There was a manila envelope with directions to…
Another place I’d always wanted to go.
And that surprise was especially cool because it gave me a plot bunny, and that plot bunny turned into this book:
Which you can buy today only for 35% off!
It’s a ghost story with–I promise you–a happy ending.