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Tears filled her eyes as she replied, “Yes.”
Her idea of being asked or even wanting to do things the human way had never crossed her mind. It filled her with happiness when he leaned across and kissed her firmly on the lips, his laughter spilling into the room.
She was delighted that he had asked her and glad she had pushed him to reveal his thoughts.
She suddenly found herself wanting to do both mating traditions. Her heart raced with excitement. She hadn’t even known it was something she wanted to do, but it left her with giddy butterflies.
She smiled as he pulled away from her lips and began to give her sweet kisses all over her face.
He beamed at her. “I need to meet with my team today. As soon as I am finished, I will visit your new shop,” he stated. He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss on it. “Then I’ll tell Karen the good news,” he said eagerly.
“You don’t have to come to the shop if you’re busy.”
He shook his head. “I’m not busy and if I were, I would still make time to see it. Seeing how much you’ve talked about it and how excited you are, there’s no way I’m not visiting and allowing you to show me around. Okay?”
Then he placed a ring at the end of one finger and slowly slipped it down to her knuckles while gazing at her with a thrilled expression. “Okay,” she said, watching with fascination as he stroked her fingers flat and kissed her hand.
Her eyes were drawn to the diamond in the thin golden band that caught the light as the ring was turned. The appearance was flawless, delicate, and fragile. “It’s beautiful.”
He whispered, “It was always intended for you.”
Harper cut her hair and braided it tight around his temples while he watched through a small mirror. Against Nick’s dark hair, her chestnut strands stood out, declaring him to be hers and she to be his.
On the porch, he rubbed his thumb over her finger with the ring and kissed it again. He wore a strictly neutral expression, but she smelled a sense of deep satisfaction and violent protective satisfaction enveloping him.
If she thought she couldn’t get any happier, then she was wrong.
Upon entering the shop, she was greeted by an array of vividly coloured Lilies that were displayed in a lush and vibrant display. It was followed by the gentle citrus of brilliant white mock oranges.
Intoxicating, rich, and sweet, Jasmine rolled over her senses, reminding her of cool sheets and moonlit evenings; exotic and intense. On the other hand, there was a burst of warm, sugary honey, soft and evocative of satin sheets, and bright sunshine. The yellow-white honeysuckle was delicate and trembling on the stem.
Her senses had been dulled by mistreatment and medical experiments, but she could detect scents at a level slightly above the range of humans.
Not all Numbers were overwhelmed by scent. Some had aspects of their senses that were simply stronger than others. She ran her finger over a creamy yellow primula and was glad her sense of smell wasn’t gone.
Humans interested in working with them developed a numbing cream to dilute their sense of smell, in effect as a dulling agent. Numbers could rub a tiny dab into their noses to detect smells without drowning in them. Looking at the counter, she noticed bottles of Absent cream awaiting sale beside the till and grinned.
She figured that since it had its uses, it would be counterproductive not to sell it.
She was overwhelmed by the riot of colours that seemed just right and subtle at the same time. Her eyes filled with tears of joy as she contemplated them. Though it was a small thing, it was hers and a place where she could work and grow. Also, it will increase her experience with human customers and expand her business.
Isla would still benefit from a little exposure even if she wasn’t at the register out front. One day, she hoped to see Isla behind that counter, full of confidence in the face of human customers.
It was the perfect setting, made even more perfect by the gentle humming of her friend from out the back. Her heart was lighter than it had been for many months as she smiled widely, showing off her sharp white teeth.
She twiddled the ring on her finger with an almost giddy feeling as she looked at it. She felt so happy that she thought she might burst from the constant flutter of butterflies in her stomach.
Nick
It was time for him to speak with his team.
Having his people understand that he wasn’t looking at them suspiciously or blaming them was important to him.
His drive to work was punctuated by a few glances from Numbers. His hand reached to touch his braid. He was reminded of the delight in her eyes when she finished braiding it, and he reached out to touch it.
The ring his mother wore meant a great deal to him. Since he was familiar with their customs, he gladly braided his hair for both of them.
She seemed dazed and humbled by the fact that he was giving her an heirloom from his family. It held deep meaning for him, and he wanted to honour Harper by giving her it; a gesture she was clearly moved by. There was so much emotion behind her eyes, and he could tell that beneath it all, she was deeply touched.
