A Winter Wedding(102)

When their eyes met, she knew he was far more serious than he’d sounded. “Kyle, I can’t stay.”

“Even if I give you this?” He reached into the muffin sack and pulled out a small velvet box, which he handed her.

So much for waiting until after breakfast. Apparently, he couldn’t wait. But Lourdes was afraid to take it. She could guess what was inside. “Kyle...”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I had to do something. I had to at least try.”

Hoping she was jumping to the wrong conclusion, that it was just a keepsake necklace or a pair of earrings to remember him by, she opened the lid—and stared down at the very engagement ring she would’ve chosen for herself.

“Eve told me you posted the ring you wanted on Twitter. She sent me pictures of rings similar to the one you liked. They were all yellow gold, so I went with that.”

She could hardly breathe. “I do prefer yellow,” she said. “I’m tired of almost all jewelry being set in white these days.”

“And she said you liked the princess-cut diamond.”

“You got exactly what I would’ve chosen.” And judging by the size of the diamond, he hadn’t been concerned about the price.

“But?” he prompted.

She lifted her gaze. “You know what stands between us.”

“We could make it work.” He cupped his hands around hers, which held the ring. “So what if our lives aren’t as compatible as we are. That might not be what we would’ve chosen, but...it doesn’t change the way I feel. I don’t want to let you go. Will you marry me, Lourdes?”

She felt tears burn her eyes. “You don’t understand.”

“I do understand. All the traveling won’t be easy. You’ll be split between here and there, and I’ll hate having you gone so much. But I can’t let you leave me—not without telling you that I’d give everything I have, everything I am, to make you happy. I’ll support your music. Whatever you want to accomplish.” He rested his forehead against hers. “No one else could love you more,” he whispered.

Tears welled up and slid down her cheeks.

“Say yes,” he coaxed. “Your career is important. So is mine. But what we feel for each other is important, too. This kind of thing...it doesn’t happen every day.”

“Kyle, I need more time,” she said. “This is... This is too fast.”

“I understand. But I had to tell you before you left. You should know what’s waiting for you here—if you want it.”

Struggling to swallow around the lump in her throat, she nodded.

“Would you like to try it on?” he asked, indicating the ring.

A tear dripped from her chin. Of course she’d like to try it on, but she couldn’t. She was afraid it would break her heart when she had to take it off.

He wiped her tears, then put the ring down and raised her chin. “It’s okay. It’s too soon. And it’s a big decision for you. You don’t have to answer now.”

She moved her thumbs over the razor stubble on his jaw. “Don’t let anything ruin this day,” she murmured.

“I won’t,” he said and carried her into the bedroom.





28

She was gone. Kyle had hoped Lourdes would give him an answer to his proposal before she left. He wanted something to cling to. But she hadn’t. To his knowledge, she’d never even tried on the ring. She’d never mentioned it again, either. And the most telling sign, at least in his view, was the fact that when she drove off, she immediately turned around, got out of her car, hugged him fiercely and whispered that she’d never forget him.

There’d be no danger of that, if she was coming back.

“Are you okay?” Morgan asked.

She’d brought over his new office computer and was helping him recover his files, but Kyle’s heart wasn’t in his work today. He kept glancing over at the kitchen drawer where he’d put the velvet box that held the ring. He’d bought it from Hammond & Sons Fine Jewelry, the only high-end jewelry place in town. Yesterday, after he’d roused Eve to get her advice, he’d had to call George Hammond at home and drag him from his bed to open the shop early, but George had been nice about it. Kyle knew him well enough that he could also take the ring back, and he figured he should do that before George assumed the twenty grand Kyle had paid was going to remain in his pocket. Kyle had spent more than he’d ever dreamed he would on any piece of jewelry, but if Lourdes had accepted it, he wouldn’t have cared about the price.

“I’m talking to you.” Morgan snapped her fingers in front of his face.

Kyle blinked and shifted his gaze. “What’d you say?”

“I asked if you were okay.”

“I’m fine. You’ve asked me that twice since you got here.”

“Because you’re not yourself.”

“Let’s stick to business.”

“Fine,” she said. “There’s plenty of that to talk about. The insurance adjuster called. He wants to come out and take a look at the building tomorrow morning. What time should I tell him?”

“The earlier, the better.” Fortunately, Riley had rearranged his schedule as promised, so he’d be able to do the work right away. He was already writing up a bid to keep the insurance adjuster honest in his estimation of the losses.