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I don’t let myself think about what this may mean. Surely Dale can’t be thinking… I mean, he only committed to two months.
He meets my gaze. “Choose.”
I gulp. “Er…what?”
“Choose,” he says again. “Pick the loveliest one, and it’s yours.”
“You’re… What?” I say again.
“I’ll leave the two of you alone. Just wave me over if you need me.” Iris heads to the front of the store.
We’re the only customers so far. Did Iris open just for us? I have no idea.
“Ashley,” Dale says, “you’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” I echo.
“So let’s get married tonight. With your mom. It’ll be a double wedding.”
The words float around me in the dark red of his voice. I actually see them—the first time I’ve seen words in color, like most synesthetes. They break into individual letters, like a word scramble I’m trying to make sense of in my head.
Because it has to be a scramble, right? He didn’t just ask me to be his wife. This is all so un-Dale-like.
Clearly I’m still up in the room. In bed. Asleep.
This is all a dream. A lovely dream.
Except that it’s not.
Dale drops to a knee, taking both my hands in his. “I never thought I’d say these words to anyone, but I want to marry you. You deserve a lot better than what you’ll get with me, but if you love me as I love you, we can make it, Ashley.”
My mouth drops open.
It’s real. And his words are real. Except they’re not his words. They’re my own. They’re what I believe, not what he believes.
I drop to my knees so that our gazes are level. “Are you sure?” I have to ask.
He smiles and chuckles. “I’m not really sure of anything, but I know I love you. I know I’ve never felt this way before, and I know I’ll never feel this way for anyone else. You’re my love, Ashley. I don’t ever want to be without you.”
“At least you’re honest.” I reach out and cup his cheek. “I don’t want you any other way than who you are, because who you are is the man I’ll always love.”
“Marry me, then,” he says. “We’ll find our way through life together.”
I melt against him and bury my cheek into his strong shoulder. “I’ll marry you, Dale. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
The letters swirling around me finally form words, and then a sentence.
This is real.
Truly real.
And still kind of unreal.
Do I think Dale is ready for this? No. Even he isn’t sure. But I have to grab the brass ring while he’s offering it.
I love him, and somehow, I’ll make him see that he made the right choice.
What led him here?
Seeing me with the Texans last night?
Something else?
I’m ridiculously curious, but I don’t ask. If he thinks too much about what he’s doing, he may change his mind.
I can’t risk that.
He pulls me to my feet, and we face the display of rings. “Choose your favorite. If you don’t like any of these, I’ll have one designed to your specifications. I want you to be happy, Ashley.”
“I’m already happy. They’re all beautiful. I’m not sure I can choose.”
“Then I’ll buy all of them. You can wear a different one each day.”
I can’t help laughing. “You’re being silly.”
He pauses a moment, his forehead wrinkling. “Wait just a minute.” He heads over to where Iris stands. The two of them whisper together, and then Iris heads to the back.
Dale returns. “Iris is bringing out something you’ll love.”
“Something else? I love all of these.”
“You’ll love this one even more.”
A few minutes later, Iris appears with a blue Tiffany’s velvet box. She hands it to Dale. He opens it, and his eyes widen.
Then he turns so I can see.
I gasp loudly.
It’s set in platinum. A large round diamond, three carats at least, and set around it are tiny garnets. Or they could be darker-colored rubies for all I know.
But they’re the color.
The color I love.
The color of Dale’s voice.
“I should have thought of this before,” Dale says. “I told Iris to set out her most beautiful engagement rings. Of course she thought only of diamonds, but a simple diamond will never suffice for you, Ashley. Your favorite stone is the garnet.”
He remembered.
Well, of course he did. He gave me his mother’s garnet necklace. It’s upstairs in my hotel room. I plan to wear it for my mother’s wedding this evening.
I will. And I’ll wear it when I marry Dale.
“What about your family?” I ask.
“What about them?”
“Don’t you want them here?”
“They’ll understand. Hell, they’ll all be ecstatic, honestly.”
I don’t doubt his words. Talon and Jade worry about him being alone. Now he won’t be. He’ll have me.
He slides the ring onto the third finger of my left hand.
It fits perfectly.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dale
Though I expect to feel apprehension, I’m surprised when I don’t.
The bauble is beautiful, but not nearly as ravishing and priceless as the woman wearing it.
