Page 5

Dane

I push open the door to the jewelry store, stopping in surprise seeing the man at the counter already. His name tumbles out without meaning, turning his head along with the head of the girl that’s with him my way.

“Dane, what brings you in here?” Dylan asks me as the girl’s eyes widen staring at me, and I swear I’ve seen her somewhere recently but since I’ve been home with Celestia since Tuesday afternoon, I don’t know how or where.

“Don’t I know you?” I ask, making her giggle and Dylan’s eyes darken hearing it, which is as much of a shock as it is to see him with a girl.

“I was with Celestia the other day,” she states, and my jaw drops a hint before I shake my head as it comes back to me.

“Right…” I drawl out, my eyes flickering over to the displays of rings before returning to her with a bit of apprehension. I’ve no idea how her friend is going to react to knowing I want to put a ring onto Celestia’s finger after only knowing her for three days.

“So, what brings you in here?” Dylan asks me as Hank returns with a sketchpad in his hands.

“Uh…it looks like you’re busy. I can come back later,” I suggest but before I can leave, the bell jingles again, announcing the arrival of someone else.

I glance over, spying Duncan heading into the store, his eyes widening a bit, seeing not only me inside it, but also Dylan there, let alone Dylan with the girl. I’m pretty sure the look in mine was similar to the one there when I spotted Dylan with her, but it’s definitely there now seeing Duncan of all people in here.

He’s been just as anti-women as I’ve been, as Dylan’s been. So, to see both of them in here when neither of them has said a word about seeing someone, is flat out crazy. Total, absolute craziness. We’ve been friends for years and while there’s been a few things we don’t talk about—such as sex—women or the lack there of not bothering us definitely has been things we’ve mentioned. I’m pretty sure that neither of them has had women in their beds either from some of the things they’ve let slip over the years about their dating history so it’s definitely a shock to see them here.

Dylan’s head dips down, saying something to the girl with him, before he turns his attention towards our friend, taking all of it off from me for a moment. I can’t keep my eyes off the rings just ahead of us, wanting one on Celestia’s finger now.

“Duncan, fancy running into you here,” Dylan says, turning further towards him with her.

“Yeah, I…” Duncan stops talking as his gaze slips to the girl in his hold, staring at her much as I just did—like he’s seen her before as well. “Do I know you?”

“I’m Melodia. Celestia and I were with Serenia when you kind of left with her,” the girl says.

I can’t stop the smile that crosses my face at the mention of my girl, but there’s also a little shock when she adds in the name of their other friend and that Duncan is the one that she left with the day they arrived in town. I was shocked to learn that they hadn’t made any solid plans here, that they’d just let their friends go off with strangers, but now, knowing those strangers are actually my best friends, all of the silent worrying I’d done, hoping her friends would be safe, fades.

“They’re like my sisters, so if you’re here looking for something for them…” she adds looking between us.

“I…uh…yeah…well…” Duncan and I mumble, making Dylan chuckle as he drops a kiss onto Melodia’s head.

“If you’re worried I’ll ruin the surprise don’t be. I can keep a secret and well, since they are my best friends I would know what they like and don’t like. You know, if you needed help with something. Say a ring?” Melodia says and there’s such an immense relief that hits, knowing she’s not totally opposed to it.

“I mean, I wouldn’t turn down the help,” I state, and Duncan nods glancing from them to Hank and back again as the man looks amongst all of us in silent shock. Hell, he’s probably never expected any of us to show up in his shop looking for a bracelet, let alone be here looking for rings. He’s part of the town’s Small Business Owners Association that Duncan, Dylan, and I are all part of as well. It’s how we met. Eight years ago, for Duncan and Dylan after Dylan came to town, seven years ago for me when I got here.

None of us has had a single date in all of that time—hence the discussions of not being upset about the lack of women in our lives—but now here we are, looking for rings for three girls that are best friends as well. It’s comforting somehow to know that though. To know that our girls will be happy to hang out together the way we do.

“Well then, why don’t you point out what your friends might like, and I’ll let Hank know what I was thinking about for the necklace?” Dylan suggests to her, giving her a soft kiss when she grins.

Melodia moves Duncan and me away from the diamond rings despite our arguing that diamonds are traditional. She shakes her head, pointing me towards a unique oval design set with black and blue sapphires. Then points at an emerald ring with a look up at Duncan.

Somehow, despite not being traditional, it’s perfect. It reminds me of last night, the night sky shining down on us with a twinkle, while I cleaned all of her up—before dirtying her right back up. The oval ring will stand out on her hand, show she’s taken, and the black and blue stones will make me remember all of our nights together for forever I’m sure.

“Is there anything you’d like to look at?” Hank asks, joining our group at the counter, and both Duncan and I point out the rings Melodia suggested. “What size would you need them? These are both sized six and a half now. They can be taken up two sizes easily.”

“Uh…I don’t know,” I admit and Melodia giggles softly, looking to Hank.

“We all wear the same size,” she says taking the one from me and Dylan lets out a low growl stopping her from slipping it on, which stops me from having to protest it. For some reason, I don’t want anyone to wear it but Celestia. Not even her best friend to simply try it on for a fit. It should only ever be on Celestia’s finger.

“The only ring you’re going to wear on that finger will be from me,” Dylan states passing the ring back to me and I’m a bit surprised by just how close and possessive he sounds about it because it wholly echoes my own. “Close your eyes,” he tells her, before motioning to a pink ring lifting a brow towards Hank who nods.

“It’s six and a half as well,” he says, handing it over, and Dylan slips it onto Melodia’s finger, fitting perfectly.

“We’ll take them,” Duncan and I state and Dylan nods as well, slipping the ring off Melodia’s finger for now so Hank can box them up.

“Eyes,” Dylan tells Melodia, smiling when she instantly opens them, a grin on her lips, and he gives her a kiss pointing her towards the earrings and bracelets on display. “Go on and look around. I still need to put down a deposit for the necklace.”

Duncan and I both shake our heads at him as the three of us pay for our rings, and I’m amazed at the difference in my friends. I definitely don’t hate the idea of my girl being with theirs if she’s not with me. Of her being over at either of their houses when they’re home with their girls even if I have to work. Although I plan to do less of that now that I’ve found Celestia—as I warned the team at the café earlier.

They were shocked that I’d begin to pull back from work, let alone that I’d pull back from it because of a girl. It feels right though, so I’m not going to waste my time arguing about it. I’ll still go in and help out if absolutely needed. I still intend to come up with new blends and make the ones we use at the café. I just don’t intend to live there as I have for the majority of the last nearly seven years since I opened my doors.

More than anything, I want to be with Celestia. With the family I hope we create. That we may have already got started on if I got my way the last few days.

I head back to the house with food, finding Celestia lounging on the porch swing, and I wrap her up, keeping the ring quiet for now, as well as the fact that I saw her friend earlier. I tip her face up to mine when we’re finished eating, kissing her until it leads us back inside and to bed.

The next morning, I make some quick plans, arranging a picnic basket from Dylan’s restaurant, and order a huge bouquet of flowers from Duncan’s greenhouse while Celestia’s still sleeping. I slip into the greenhouse late that afternoon, taking the flowers from Nina who works for him and the little smirk on her face says she knows more than her words claim and I’m sure she questioned Duncan as to why I needed flowers. He might have sold me out to keep his own pending engagement to himself.

I hurry back to the car, lounging on the hood of it with the bouquet in hand to wait for my girl to finish. I claimed I needed to go to the bathroom to explain why I left her side as she browsed, and I let out a smile when Celestia looks out the window of the bookstore, her eyes widening seeing them.

She hurries out to me, and I pull her into my arms, kissing her boldly despite the eyes on us. Let the whole town talk about me being seen with a woman finally. Hopefully we’ll already be married by the time the next dinner for the association happens, so it’ll be old news, and they’ll leave us alone.

Well, maybe the won’t if all three of us show up with women. Most of them can’t tell us apart even though we don’t really look that much alike. We all have different hair colors and cuts, different eyes colors even, but seeing as we’re all about the same age and six-four, some of them have a hard time remembering who’s who. Maybe with our girls they’ll start to get it right—if they all keep their unique hair colors that is. I mean, I’ll gladly pay whatever it takes so Celestia can be happy with it because it looks absolutely stunning on her.

“Dane…what is this?” she asks as I put the flowers in her arms, putting her into the car and her nose twitches smelling the delicious food I had the delivery guy from Dylan’s restaurant meet me here with.

“Does a man need a reason to treat his girl to pretty flower and delicious food?” I tease her, heading away from the beach that she said she really didn’t care about when I asked what she’d like to do today. She’s been at my place since Tuesday, that’s three full days there, so I wanted her to see something other than just there if for some reason, she has to go back home Monday. I don’t want to part with her for one minute, but I’ll definitely follow her home if she needs to explain things or get her stuff.

“This is amazing,” she sighs, her face lowering down to smell the bouquet that’s a mix of wildflowers. Roses seemed too traditional for her. The wildflowers are full of color and life like she is, and I smile, kissing her hand as I pull up to the night caves. They’re not really caves in the traditional sense. It’s more that they’re hills and bluffs where spots have been hollowed out, making paths through them. It leads to an amphitheater type space, and I take the picnic basket and her hand, smiling when she doesn’t want to leave the flowers behind.

I tuck her into my side, showing her towards the amphitheater, and her jaw drops a bit seeing the opening there. There aren’t seats of the normal variety, but there are rocks which can serve as tables and chairs, and I take us over to a clear spot where a rock slab is and pull the blanket out from the bottom of the basket. It has a separate space to keep a blanket, so it doesn’t get wet thanks to the food and drinks in the upper part of the basket.

Celestia comes down to me with ease when I reach for her, and I wrap her up as I set the food and the little bottle of champagne out for us to enjoy. Dylan serves my coffee in his restaurant as well, so there’s a thermos of it for later with the dessert.

“Dane, this is incredible. Why?” she adds, her eyes beautiful beams of silver hope staring at me and I can’t wait. I capture her lips, taking the ring out of my pocket, and open it up as I pull back from the incredible kiss. “Dane?” she gasps, her lips trembling a bit as her chest shakes.

“I never believed in love at first sight. Thought it was a complete myth, as was desire you couldn’t control or fight, until I saw you, baby. The moment I laid eyes on you, I was lost, in this tumultuous surf of rampant desire and need, but I never worried I might drown in it, because it was with you, Celestia. You call me out of the deepest depths of it, bring me back to sanity, and then wrap me up and guide me home to you. You fill me with love that’s impossible to fight, for anything bad to exist because of it or within it, and I never want to be without you again, baby.

“So, I’m asking you,” I state, taking the ring from the box and slip it onto the end of her shaking finger. “Will you marry me? Be mine. My forever. My love, and let me love you and the family I want more than anything to build with you?”

“Yes, Dane,” she cries, her arm wrapping around me as I slide the ring fully onto her finger. It’s a perfect fit and I lift her face to mine, kissing her sweet lips, before stealing the tears that slipped from her eyes.

“I love you, baby. I love you so much. I can’t imagine my life without you in it for even one day now. Please tell me you don’t have to go back, that you can stay here with me forever,” I add, her smile growing and her answer is in her kiss, long before it ever leaves her lips with words.

“I’ve never felt like I’d find a home, but I feel it, here with you,” she says, snuggling in my arms as I feed her the meal. She’s adorable as she turns away from another sip of the champagne, her nose wrinkling it distaste of it, and I pull out the coffee, sharing it with her as we watch the sky darken entirely. “I love you too Dane. Felt it when we first met even if I didn’t immediately realize that’s what it was. I don’t have to go anywhere you aren’t, ever.”

“Good, because I’d follow you anywhere if you tried,” I tease, kissing her until we have to go home, or risk being caught if someone else comes here. I can wait to be inside her again. After all, she’s mine for life now.