Page 37 of Ripple Effect

His jaw slackens. “Me?”

“What? Did you think I brought you on only for your ability to charm the customers?” I tease gently. I stand, working the kinks out of my back from too much time behind my desk. “You have a flair with accessorizing. I’d also love to get your input on my sketches for the holiday.” Even though it’s only June, I have to start placing subtle items throughout the store soon so by the time fall comes around, I’m not completely shutting down for the transformation.

“I’d be honored, Libby.”

“Then let’s plan on that once we get rid of Big Ben.” I smirk over the nickname we gave the monstrous clock.

Leland gives me a charming smile. “You’ve got it. If there’s nothing else, I’m going to go home. You headin’ out soon?”

I groan. “I should probably catch up on paperwork.”

Leland frowns. “But I thought you always left on time when Cal got home from a business trip?”

“That’s why I’ll be out early tomorrow,” I tell him.

“Hmm.”

“What is it?”

“I wonder how his truck got here is all. I went to help my last customer with… Libby?”

But I’m already racing past him to the back of the building. Throwing open the door, my heart flips in happiness because Leland is right. Cal’s truck is sitting in its usual parking spot.

“I guess you didn’t know?” Leland comes up behind me.

I shake my head. “No! I’ve got to go shut down.”

But Leland just smiles. Handing me my purse and an envelope, he leans down to hug me before saying, “I’ve got it. Have an amazing night, Libby.” Turning, he strolls down the hall toward my office while I clutch the envelope in one hand, my purse in the other.

Quickly shifting the bag to my shoulder, I use my nail to slit the edge of the envelope open. I slide out the card and gasp. The paper is as fine as any I’ve ever touched. It’s almost fragile beneath my finger, but it’s what’s on the cover that makes my heart pound before I even open it.

It’s a sunflower.

With trembling hands, I open the card.“There is no way…”I read aloud. I flip the card over. I peek into the envelope.

Nothing.

“Cal, honey. I think you forgot the rest of the message,” I murmur as I pull out my keys to my apartment upstairs. Unlocking the door, I slide through, close and lock it behind me. Turning, I freeze in place before my breath whooshes out. “Oh, my God.”

Every other step has a card on it, and the ones that don’t have candles on them. “What is this?” I wonder aloud. Dropping my bag and keys, I move over to the first step and pick up the card. It’s a different feel than the first one, which I haven’t let go of. I open the envelope and find another card of sunflowers, this time it’s a photograph of a field of them.“For you to understand…”

I climb the next two steps and pick up the card.“The depth of my love for you.”My heart sighs. Anxiously, I go up the next two stairs.“I don’t just want…”

“Today with you.”

“I want your tomorrows as well.”

“My heart will always be yours, Elizabeth.”

My heart is pounding as I pick up the last card. With shaking hands, I open it and read it aloud like I have all the others.“Open the door, honey.”Clutching the cards to my chest, I reach for the knob to my apartment.

Then, they all fall from my hands as my arms drop to my side in shock. “C-C-Cal?” I stammer out as I look down on him.

Down.

Because he’s on his knees in front of me in a room filled with sunflowers and candlelight.

“Oh, my God.”My hands fly to my mouth.