him. “What’s going on inside that head of yours, Charlotte?”
Determined to be honest with him, Charley swallowed her fears. “I, uh, I’ve been picking up on a vibe.”
“What kind of vibe?”
“I might be wrong…”
“You won’t know for sure unless you tell me about it.”
She swallowed hard. “I’ve gotten the feeling over the last couple of weeks that you might be thinking about what’s next for us, and I’m sort of concerned about that.”
“Ah, damn, Char. I’m really sorry you were worried. I’ve been working on a little surprise for you, but it’s not what you think.”
“Oh. Really?”
“Yeah.” He took her by the hand. “Come on. Let’s get comfy, and I’ll tell you about it.”
As they got ready for bed the same way they always did, side by side in the huge master bathroom, Charley tried to think about what kind of surprise he might have in store for her. She liked to stay one step ahead of the people in her life, but Tyler was the exception to that rule. He could be harder to read than some of the other people she knew, and that, in turn, made him endlessly interesting to her.
There were times, such as this, that she couldn’t believe she’d once found him boring. She’d not been bored once since she got to know him better and realized that under his quiet, unassuming exterior was a deeply intelligent, passionate, fascinating man whom she loved with all her heart.
Falling off a cliff had turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to her, because it had given her the chance to really know the man who’d insisted on caring for her after the accident—and every day since then.
He got in bed after her, bringing a small gift bag that he handed to her. “Half that gift is for me, so don’t get too excited.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“Do we need an occasion for me to give you a gift?”
“No, but I don’t have anything for you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“I do?”
“Uh-huh. Open that, and I’ll tell you.”
Charley fished out a velvet jeweler’s box from the tissue paper and glanced at him before she opened it. “Oh, Tyler… What…” Inside were two rings, one bigger than the other. The smaller of the two was all diamonds that glittered in the glow from the bedside lamp.
He took the smaller of the two and held it up for her to get a better look at it. “Do you like it?”
“It’s beautiful,” she said, fighting a feeling of dread. “But I don’t want—”
He touched a finger to her lips to stop her. “I know, sweetheart. I heard you from the beginning when you said you don’t want to get married, but I want everyone else in the world to know you’re taken.” He slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand and then held up her hand to see how it looked.
Charley couldn’t contain the tears that filled her eyes. “This might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever done.”
“Now you have to put mine on me.”
She took the second ring from the box and slid it onto his left hand. “I love you, Tyler. Thank you for not trying to change me.”
“Why would I try to change you when I love you just the way you are?”
Charley leaned in to kiss him. “That, right there, is really the sweetest gift you’ve ever given me. I never imagined I’d find someone who loves me despite all my rough edges.”
“I love your rough edges as much as your smooth curves.” His hand landed on her ass and gave a gentle tug to bring her closer to him.
“I thought you were going to propose.”
“I’d never do that to you.”
She smiled at the mildly offended expression on his adorably handsome face. “I should’ve known better.”
“Yes, you should have. But the rings… They’re okay?”
“They’re better than okay. They’re amazing symbols that we’re together by choice.”
“Together forever by choice.”
She nodded as she kissed him. “Could I ask you something?”
“Anything you want.”
“Does it ever bother you that we’re not going to get married or have kids?”
“Nope.”
“Do you mean that? Really?”
“I mean it. It doesn’t bother me because you were honest with me about what you wanted—and didn’t want—from the beginning. I haven’t spent all this time with you hoping I was going to change your mind about something so important to you.”
“I’m not sure why I feel the way I do about those things. I only know that it’s always been that way for me.”