Lie to Me (Pearl Island Trilogy #4)(86)

“Oh, thank God!” He scooped her into his arms. “I knew you had a warrior in you. Which is why I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Her arms tightened about his neck.

“As for giving the necklace to my grandmother,” he said, setting her back on her feet, “you don’t need to do that. I only care about you not giving it to John.”

“I don’t understand.” A frown dimpled her brow. “Of course I’m going to give it to Adelaide.”

“She won’t accept it.”

“Why not?”

He exhaled a breath, wondering where to begin. “I went to see Mémère before I came here. That’s when she told me the truth. Turns out, she never wanted the necklace back.”

“What?” Chloe pulled back, startled.

“My sentiments exactly!” he agreed. Stepping away, he paced in exasperation. “Oh, when she first realized it was gone, she genuinely mourned losing it. But it wasn’t the mirror she missed, it was that phase of her life. Even though the mirror in the pendant helped her natural talent as a fortuneteller, as far as she was concerned the most important thing about the necklace was that her husband gave it to her. Papa died a year before Katrina hit, and she wasn’t prepared to lose something so closely tied to the love of her life.”

“Then why doesn’t she want the necklace back?”

“That’s what I wondered.” He shook his head, feeling as stupefied as Chloe looked. “These last few years, whenever I’d ask her if she missed being a fortuneteller, and she said yes, I took it at face value. Especially since she broke down crying when I showed her the article about you finding the necklace. She begged me to go after it.”

He ran his hands through his hair, remembering how her reaction had torn him apart. He would have done anything in that moment to take her anguish away.

“Turns out I totally misunderstood,” he continued. “Actually, I think she wanted me to misunderstand, because she knew I wouldn’t come here if she had been completely straight with me.” He faced Chloe, still stunned over how his grandmother had manipulated him. “She didn’t want me to come here to get the necklace. She wanted me to come here to get you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Mémère always said our futures were entwined. She thinks the mirror knew I loved you, and that you were my destiny, so this is how it brought us together.”

“Why would she say that?” Chloe frowned. “Did she know you had a crush on me?”

“Of course she knew. When you have a fortuneteller for a grandmother, there’s no keeping secrets.” Seeing Chloe’s stunned expression, he took her hand in his. The necklace dangled by its chain, flashing in the sun between them. “The point is, she’s right. You’re my future, Chloe. I want to spend my life with you.”

“Oh God.” She looked ready to faint, so he tightened his hold on her hands.

“I know you worry that it won’t work out,” he said, searching her eyes. “But, every couple takes that chance. In my family, it usually pays off. Look at my parents. Or my grandparents. They had a long, good life together.”

“Because of the necklace,” she breathed in wonder. “You said its power is to strengthen love.”

“Or because they loved each other even without the necklace,” he countered. “Regardless, Mémère says the necklace belongs to you now.”

He watched Chloe stare at the necklace for a while, then lift her eyes to him.

“I want to give it to you,” she said in a rush.

“Why?” he asked, first in confusion and then in disappointment as the answer came to him. “To hedge your bet on things working out for us?”

“No.” She shook her head. Her tears returned, but she looked happy this time. “As a token of love. Because I really do love you.” She pressed the pendant into his hand. “You are my champion, and I want you to have it.”

He stared down as the magic of it warmed his palm, raced up his arm. It filled him with a sense of reassurance. A reassurance of love.

“All right.” Curling his fingers around the pendant, he looked at her. “I’ll accept it. On one condition.” He watched a frown tighten her brow and gathered his courage. Nerves had his heart climbing into his throat. “That you marry me.”

He caught her by the elbows when her knees buckled.

“It’s okay,” he said, suddenly panicked. “I know love scares you, and marriage probably terrifies you—”

“No,” she said, as tears tumbled from her eyes. “I’m not scared. I’m not!” She wrapped her arms about his neck. “I’m happy. For the first time in my life, I am absolutely happy.”

“Then you’ll say yes?” He held her for a second, absorbing her words. Then he pulled back to see her face. “Not because the necklace gives you courage, but because you love me and you believe what we have will last.”

“Yes,” she whispered, then took a breath to speak stronger. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“Thank God.” He lifted her up into his arms and twirled her about. Her laughter wrapped about him, filling him with joy.

Lowering her to the ground, he gazed at her face in wonder. Beautiful, brave Chloe was going to marry him. He touched his lips to hers to seal their promise. She leaned into him, returning the kiss eagerly. As their mouths and bodies moved together, all the knots of anxiety released one at a time, allowing his muscles to tighten with something far more pleasant. Desire.