“Wow,” he said when she finally released him. “I need to build you a house more often. Come see.” He took her through the kitchen to show her the study, the dining room, and family room, which boasted a huge stone fireplace. Stairs from both the kitchen and the family room led to the second-floor wing he had built for the girls. “They’ll each have their own bathroom, which will be critical as we face the teenage years. You’ll also be glad to know I gave them each their own water heater, so there won’t be any more screaming about hot water.”

“You thought of everything.” She didn’t see one thing she would have changed. Across from the girls’ rooms were three more bedrooms.

“One is a guest room with another bathroom, and the other two rooms can be used for a home gym or anything else you want.”

“Okay, I’m trying to count bathrooms—”

“Six including ours: one downstairs, four up here, and one more upstairs. Seven bedrooms all together.”

Her hand covered her mouth as she peeked into the guest bedroom. “It’s so overwhelming.” The house had been built to keep the ocean view prominent in almost every room. He’d left all the walls white so she could choose the paint colors.

“You’ve got to see the best part.” He took her hand to guide her to a spiral staircase in the middle of the second floor. “After you.”

She walked up the winding stairs, opened the door at the top, and let out a shriek. The top floor was circular with walls made entirely of glass, offering a view of the beach and fresh-water reservoir. A fireplace in the middle divided the bedroom and sitting areas. It was the only room that was furnished with a new king-size cherry sleigh bed and rich leather furniture in the sitting room.

She turned to him with fresh tears in her eyes. “Oh, Jack, it’s exactly as you described it.”

“You remember?”

“Of course I do. We used to lie in bed in the apartment on Beacon Hill, and you’d describe this to me down to the smallest detail. It’s so much better than I ever imagined.”

He nudged her toward the spacious master bathroom where he’d put a huge Jacuzzi tub. Everything was marble and shiny new.

“There’s one more thing. Come on out here.” He opened the sliding door to a small deck that hung over the pool area and rocky shoreline below.

“Oh, look at this!” She marveled at the view. The winter ocean foamed with frigid rage as the gulls dove for lunch in the surf. Off in the distance, a stretch of sandy beach was deserted and barren except for a few hardy runners and their dogs. “It’s just so amazing. The most beautiful house I’ve ever seen.”