AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Angel is having a foal,” I say.
She glances up. “That’s what Westin says.”
“It’s so exciting,” I muse. “It’ll give me something to look forward to. Spring seems far away.”
“I’m sure there’s lots to look forward to,” Maddie says, banging the oven door shut as she sets the last sheet inside. She can’t seem to look me in the eye.
“Are you alright?” I ask.
She nods, ducking into the pantry. When she returns, she has a picnic basket in her hand. She sets it down before me and I stare up at her, confused.
“This is your dinner,” she says. “Yours and Sovereign’s.”
“Um…thank you,” I say carefully. “Sovereign has an appointment tonight though.”
She looks at me pointedly. “You are his appointment, Keira.”
It hits me right then why everyone is acting strange. Why Westin took the time out of his day to stand in the barn with me for two hours. Why I’ve been cutting biscuits in the kitchen since four in the afternoon. My lips part and my heart starts hammering at the base of my neck.
Her brow arcs, she jerks her head towards the door.
“Better get upstairs, missy,” she says. “And take your basket with you.”
My eyes are already wet, but I blink hard. I can’t think of words so I just grab the basket handle and make a dash up the hallway. Up the stairs and to our bedroom.
It’s empty.
The fire is burning. There’s a black box laying on the carefully made bed. But it isn’t that that draws my attention.
My painted mare is back, sitting on the bedside table. And beside her is a dark brown, varnished wood stallion with a bridle made of painted stars. Between them is a little wooden box with the lid popped open.
And inside is a ring.
My entire body feels like it’s made of air. I place the basket on the bed and float to the bedside table. My painted mare is whole again, her front legs seamlessly attached and painted over. My eyes fall back on the ring. I’m almost afraid to look at it. What if it’s just my imagination?
Except for the sterling silver band Clint gave me, I’ve never had a piece of jewelry before meeting Sovereign. It always felt sad to buy my own, so I just pretended I didn’t want any. He gave me the silver collar and that felt like a luxury.
But this ring is different. This is a delicate work of art. Like something I’ve seen on the fingers of rich women in movies.
I should savor this moment. The only useless pretty thing I’ve ever had is the painted mare.
And that had an element of sadness attached to it.
But this ring is the beginning of a new chapter.
“You like it, redbird?”
I whirl and he’s standing in the doorway. He’s in good clothes, a dress shirt and pants. His sleeves are rolled up, exposing his thick arms. He looks so good I can’t think of a single word.
He crosses to me, tilting my chin up.
“I don’t know if that ring is pretty enough to be on your finger,” he says. “But I gave it my best shot.”
I just nod hard. His mouth turns up as he takes my hand and leads me to the bed. I don’t know what I expected, but it’s not for Sovereign to sink down on one knee at my feet. We’re still almost eye to eye, but I don’t care. Nothing about my life has been conventional. I missed everything—I’ve been just an accessory until now.
He’s giving me this because he knows it means something to me.
He takes my hand. I’m shaking so hard I can’t speak. He picks up the ring and a laugh catches in my throat because it looks so small in his fingers. Our eyes meet.
