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"Gold, nothing too fancy, but more than just a plain band," Desmond clarified.
"Of course. If you'd please take a seat, I'll bring out our selection. I'm sure you'll find just what you're looking for."
After a minimum of debate, they selected rings with an ivy vine etched on them. The salesman wrapped the rings, congratulated Desmond and Rebecca on their upcoming wedding, and put a significant dent in the corporate card's credit line.
"You don't have cheap tastes, do you?" Desmond asked as they headed for the door.
"Of course not. I chose you, didn't I?"
He couldn't help but laugh. How could he argue with that line of reasoning? "Why do I even bother trying?"
"Beats me." She grinned. "You know you're never going to win."
They stepped out into the plaza. It seemed lighter than before, brighter. Desmond cast a reflexive glance upward, then stared, unable to believe what he saw. The stars had faded, and the midnight black sky had been replaced by pre-dawn gray.
Oh, God. They'd been in the jewelry store far longer than he'd thought. It was almost dawn. He had to get back inside.
He lengthened his strides, pulling Rebecca along with him.
"Hey! Where's the fire?"
Her words acted like a tonic, snapping him out of his knee-jerk panic. He was already inside. The sky above him was an illusion. But what an illusion!
He stopped, so suddenly she ran into him, and turned to face the east. The first tender fingers of rosy pink were stretching out, tinting the gray sky around them a soft baby blue. Was that really what it looked like? It had been so long since he'd seen a sunrise.
He felt the warmth of Rebecca's presence beside him, and pulled her close. He wanted her to share this beautiful sunrise with him.
"Desmond?" she whispered. "Hon? You're crushing my hand."
He loosed his grip on her fingers, and whispered back, "Isn't it amazing?"
A golden glow edged the buildings, sliding up into the sky. The rays of sunlight slid from pink, to peach, to orange, to gold, and the sky deepened from a cold pale blue to a brilliant robin's egg blue. Fluffy white clouds drifted across the sky, blocking the sun from his sight. But he could see the light, burning, lighting the entire sky.
Rebecca tugged on his hand, and he forced his gaze away from the beautiful sunny sky. Her gray eyes were dark in her pale face.
"What is it? You're frightening me."
"Wasn't that sunrise beautiful?"
"It's just a trick. Special effects. Lights and mirrors." She reached up and touched his cheek. "My God, are you crying?"
"No, of course not." He blinked, and struggled to get his feelings under control. Normal human beings didn't react this way. "I was staring at the light for too long."
"Yeah, I noticed." She tilted her head and studied him, not quite mollified. "But why were you staring at it?"
"I'd never seen anything like it before."
"Oh." She chuckled, and turned the same soft rose as the sunrise. "You just seemed so blasé about the other sights of the city. I forgot you've seen them before."
He returned her smile, even though he didn't feel like smiling. A cold knot of fear was growing in his stomach. When he'd seen the sunrise, he'd been inspired. She was so close to him, almost a part of him, that he'd instinctively tried to share the experience with her. Thank God her mental shields had been up.
Without that mental communion, she hadn't understood the meaning behind his comments. Which was a relief. If she had, it all might have been over. If she found out what he was before they were married, she might run back to New York and leave him forever.
No, he had to keep his secret hidden. He couldn't tell her until he was sure the knowledge wouldn't drive her away from him. He only hoped the day would come when he could tell her. And that the day did not come too late.
Chapter 15
REBECCA KNEW she'd remember this moment forever. Desmond, handsome as the devil in a black tuxedo, framed against a backdrop of scarlet and pink lilies and the delicate white wedding bells of lilies-of-the-valley, taking her hand in his strong, warm fingers. Sliding the cold metal of the ring onto her finger, and clasping his hand around hers until the gold heated beneath his touch. Staring deep into her eyes as he intoned his vow.
