| |
Pulling open the top drawer of my desk, I fished deep in the back and extracted the little black box. Using my thumb, I flipped it open and gazed at the sparkly diamond inside.
“Finally going to ask?”
Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t heard Riley enter. Snapping the box closed, I dropped it back into the drawer and raked my hands over my face. “Fuck. I don’t know.”
Riley sank into one of the hard plastic chairs and stared at me across the desk between us. “How long have you been holding onto that thing now?”
Nearly a month. I’d lied to Jules and told her that I got called into work one day. Instead, I’d gone down to Kalispell and spent nearly six hours looking for the perfect ring.
“Too long,” I responded, and Riley laughed.
“What the hell are you waiting for? Gotta lock your girl down before someone else does.”
I knew he was just yanking my chain, but I couldn’t help the sudden surge of jealousy. Jules was smart and beautiful, and I sure as hell didn’t deserve her, but I wasn’t about to give her up. She was mine and mine alone.
Falling for her was never the plan. When she showed up last December, she was cool and distant, hiding from a past she refused to reveal. Much too young and utterly vulnerable, she was completely off limits. But no other woman made me feel the way she did. She’d managed to worm her way into my heart with her sweet smiles and guileless green eyes, and I’d fallen hard and fast. She meant more to me than anything on earth, and I wanted her by my side forever. Though she still hadn’t opened up to me about what had brought her here to Pine Ridge, I decided it wasn’t important. I hoped that one day she would be comfortable enough to tell me the truth, but the past was the past, and now it was just Jules and me. Nothing else mattered.
“I’m taking her out to dinner tonight. I plan to ask her after that.”
“Good luck, man,” Riley said as he stretched one hand across the desk. “You deserve it.”
I slipped my palm into his. “Thanks.”
I wondered if Riley could feel my hand shaking, and I yanked it away. I was nervous as fuck. What if she said no? It was part of the reason I’d waited so long to ask. After everything she had been through, I wanted to make sure that she was making the right decision. Now that things had returned mostly to normal and we’d fallen into a kind of routine, I was a little more confident. Jules and I had begun as roommates, and we soon became friends, then lovers. Each day with her was better than the last, and I wanted to see her beautiful face every morning until I took my dying breath.
“What are you waiting for? Get out of here.” Riley hitched one thumb over his shoulder toward the door.
I grabbed the black box out of my drawer once more and shoved it into my pocket as I stood. With a nod to my deputy, I slid my arms into my jacket, then strode out the door and climbed into my cruiser. My thumbs tapped an impatient rhythm on the steering wheel as I drove home. The little black box burned a hole in my pocket, and I was a nervous wreck by the time I pulled up in front of the large log cabin that had once belonged to Mia Prescott’s father. This house held memories too, but not like mine.
We still hadn’t listed my house for sale, but I knew without a doubt we would never go back there. I’d never get the image of Jules’s terrified face, the dark stain of blood saturating the bedroom carpet out of my mind. I felt like we needed a fresh start as a couple. If everything went well tonight, I would soon have a fiancée. The idea of starting a family with Jules turned my blood hot. I climbed out of my car and placed a hand on the hood of Jules’s older blue Cavalier. Still warm. She must’ve only beat me home by minutes, and I went in search of her. Pushing the front door open, I saw her in the kitchen to my immediate left, and I automatically gravitated toward her.
She smiled up at me as I approached. “Hey. How was your day?”
Afraid to open my mouth, terrified that I would spill the secret if I did, I slipped my hands into her hair and crashed my mouth to hers. Her body melted against mine under the force of the kiss, her mouth hot and sweet. I loved the feel of her, the taste of her. I would never get enough. A few seconds later, I lifted my head, and Jules looked up at me, a tiny smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “That good, huh?”
“That good,” I agreed as I dipped my head to kiss her once more. “Are you ready for dinner?”
Her hands splayed over my pecs, and she pouted playfully. “Or we could just stay here and finish what you started.”
It was an easy out that I was tempted to take, but in the end I shook my head. “No, baby, you deserve this.”
It had taken me weeks to convince her to go on a date with me—a real date. Pine Ridge had exactly two restaurants, not counting the restaurant that had just opened at Briarleigh. Rosie’s Café closed down daily at two o’clock, at which time the adjoining bar would open. I wasn’t about to take her to a bar for our first date, and I sure as hell couldn’t propose in front of a hundred people we knew and saw every day. Though she would’ve been happy enough to have dinner at the resort, I wanted to do something special for her and take her down to Kalispell.
I glanced at the clock. “Reservations are for an hour and a half from now, so get that cute ass in gear.” I gave her bottom a little swat to get her moving, but it had the opposite effect—not that I was complaining. Her arms wound around my neck and she pulled me down for another long, slow kiss.
She broke away with a soft, sweet little sigh and spoke against my lips. “I love you.”
Twining one arm around her tiny waist, I pulled her flush against me and brushed my nose against hers. “Love you, beautiful.”
I’d almost lost her once, and I wasn’t too proud to tell her every day what she meant to me. I’d do it every day for the rest of my life if she’d let me.
I growled as I gently pushed her away. “Go before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you to the car.”
A broad smile curved her mouth, lighting her eyes, and the sight of it made me go weak in the knees. She slowly backed away, then flounced toward the loft so she could change. As soon as she’d disappeared up the stairs, my hand went to the box concealed in my coat pocket. I drew in a deep breath, trying desperately to calm my fraying nerves.
That look on her face told me everything I needed to know; she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I hung up my coat and jogged upstairs, then quickly shed my uniform. Twenty minutes later, I’d showered and shaved, and we made our way out the door.
During the ride to Kalispell, we chatted amiably, Jules telling me all the plans for Briarleigh’s new spa. I was nervous as shit and feeling more tongue-tied than ever, so I gladly let her fill the silence. As soon as we were seated and had a bottle of wine delivered and poured, Jules folded her hands and placed them in front of her on the table. She tipped her head slightly to one side, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she peered at me.
“So, we have something else to celebrate tonight.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. How the hell had she found out? I decided to do what I did best: play dumb.
“Oh? What’s that?”
“Well...” Jules dragged out the word, and I found myself holding my breath. “You’re looking at Briarleigh’s new Special Events Coordinator.”
I blinked, so totally consumed by relief that it took me a moment to respond. “God, babe, that’s awesome. I’m so happy for you.”
I reached across the table and took her hand in mine. It was her left hand, and I eyed her ring finger for a minute before giving her a gentle squeeze. I wouldn’t do this now; I wanted her to revel in this special moment, about her and her alone. “I’m so glad it’s worked out for you. You deserve it.”
That smile I loved so much lit her face again, full of pure joy and happiness, and it served only to reinforce my decision. This was her time. But later... later she would be mine.