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“Harrison recommended it. He’s a member of their wine club.”
“He likes to spend money, doesn’t he?”
Ian laughs. The fullness is disarming. He brushes a hand through his hair, messing it all up, and then gives me that boy-next-door grin.
I’m helpless to do anything but grin back.
“Open your presents.” He pointedly looks to the gifts and pulls out a chair. It scrapes the linoleum floor as he does so, but the floor is so damaged it doesn’t matter.
He sits down, and I set my glass on the table. I carefully open the first present, peeling back the tape slowly so as not to rip the paper.
“Sunny. Come on, now. Don’t tell me you’re planning on re-using that paper.” He smiles over the rim of his wine glass, and my defenses rise.
“It’s the planet.” But that’s not really it. I just don’t receive many presents, and care feels like the natural approach.
As I peel back the paper I suck in air. It’s a small silver frame, and the photo inside is a gorgeous photograph of Polly. She’s galloping in the pasture, but it’s not my pasture. It’s the pasture by the tree line on the north end of the Dukes’ ranch. She’s younger, and her ears are forward, and the image captures her just like I always want to remember her.
“Where did you get this?”
“It’s a photograph I took of her.”
“When?”
“Oh, you’d ridden her over and taken off her tack so you could eat dinner. She was out running wild.”
“It’s really…” My thumb glides over the smooth glass. “Gorgeous.”
My heart softens in my chest. I have plenty of photos of Polly, but none that capture her in her youthful glory, a free spirit running through the wind. My eyes moisten because it’s just so thoughtful and sweet.
He shifts in his seat, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he looks a tad uncomfortable. I blink rapidly and shake off that emotional spillage.
“Did you take the photograph of the ranch? The aerial hanging in your apartment?”
“I did.” Those amber eyes sparkle in the kitchen light.
“That’s gorgeous, too,” I tell him.
“Sam rented a helicopter one day. We took it up to get an aerial view. The plan was to take photos for Mom and Dad.” He swirls the wine in his glass. “Did that. But Sam framed some for us.”
“But there isn’t one of those hanging in the ranch house.”
“No.” He shakes his head, and his eyes almost disappear in a thoughtful squint. “They took their portrait back with them to the beach house.” He straightens and tilts the wine glass in the direction of the other present. “One more.”
The remaining present is a much smaller box. This one, too, I open slowly. I can’t bring myself to rip through it. Presents are too rare. Beneath the bright blue paper is a velvet box. A jewelry box.
“It’s not much,” Ian blurts.
I flip the lid open, and it’s a short gold necklace with a golden sun pendant.
“I saw it and thought of you. If you don’t like it, it’s from a little jewelry store near my apartment building. Next time you come to Houston, you can trade it and get whatever you want.”
“I love it.” It’s beautiful. And thoughtful. My insides go gooey.
I lift it out of the box and hold it up to my neck. The chair scrapes against the floor as Ian moves to stand. He comes around behind me, lifts my hair, and brushes it over my shoulder. His warm fingers caress my skin. Tingles run freely along my spine.
“There.” His palms cover my shoulders, and he gently squeezes.
I turn, and his gaze falls to the necklace. He’s so close his energy pulses through me. It’s as if he’s performing reiki on me, and his heartbeat pulses through my veins, awakening my chakras.
