a breath, his forehead wrinkling. Then he relaxes—as much as Dale can relax—and his lips nudge into a smile.
“Now…the woman I love has worn it.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Dale
Those words took courage.
Every freaking ounce inside me.
I didn’t plan to say them. I didn’t plan to show Ashley my mother’s necklace.
But when she mentioned garnets, how could I not?
And now she knows.
Ashley knows I love her.
That she is the person I meant when I said I was in love once.
Still am in love.
She doesn’t speak. Her gorgeous blue eyes are wide, her pink lips parted. I want to kiss her senseless.
I lower my head—
“Dale.”
“Yes,” I say, my voice raspy.
“Are you telling me…?”
I sigh. “I didn’t intend to say it, Ashley. I didn’t intend for you to ever find out. But the necklace. Placing it around your beautiful neck. Then looking at you. You, wearing this creation of wine-colored gems… I had to tell you. Had to let you know that I love you.”
“I… Dale, I…” She pauses. “Please, tell me you’re not playing around. That’s not fair.”
I lower my eyelids slightly. “Do you really think I’d kid about something like this?”
“Then…when you said…”
“Yes, when I told you I’ve only been in love once, I was speaking of you.”
She clasps her hand to her mouth, and her eyes glisten.
“Tears?” I say. “Please, no tears.”
“They’re happy tears.” She melts into my arms.
I embrace her. Hold her as close as possible given our clothing.
And I hope I haven’t just made the biggest mistake of my life.
“I love you so much,” she says against my chest. “So much. I didn’t ever think it was possible to love someone the way I love you.”
I kiss the top of her head. “Me neither.”
She pulls back a little and fidgets with the clasp of the necklace. “Thank you for letting me try this on. It’s the most lovely thing I’ve ever had around my neck.”
I brush her fingers away from the clasp. “Keep it on. It’s yours.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
“Ashley, no matter where we go from here, whether this works or it doesn’t, that necklace was meant for you. No one else can possibly wear it.”
She fingers the garnet rope. “Are you sure?”
“I’m not sure of a lot of things,” I say, “but I’m sure that this necklace is meant for you.”
She parts her lips as if to say something.
“Don’t,” I say. “I still can’t promise anything beyond these two months.”
“But if you love me—”
I touch my fingers to her lips. “Ashley, sometimes love isn’t enough.”
“Love is always enough!”
I shake my head. “I’ve committed to the rest of your internship. That’s all I can do.”
“Dale…”
“Please, don’t push this.”
She drops her lips into an O. “Push. You can’t be pushed.”
“Can anyone? But that’s not what I mean. I want this. I want you. And yes, I love you. I tried not to, but you crept inside my heart. I never meant to tell you.”
“I don’t understand that. Love is something that should be shared.”
“I never thought love was in my future,” I say.
“Love is in everyone’s future, Dale. Everyone is worthy of love.”
Worthy? That’s not the issue, though I’m not sure how to describe to her exactly what the issue is. Not without baring more than I’m willing to.
“Two months, Ashley,” I say. “Two months. That’s all I can offer.”
She reaches behind her and unclasps the necklace. “Then I can’t accept this.” She hands it back to me.
“Yes, you can. I want you to have it.”
She shakes her head. “I’d give it more meaning than it has. You should keep it. You may”—she pauses, gulping—“find someone else you’d rather give it to.”
I won’t. No one else will ever wear this piece. It’s Ashley’s. It’s stunning on her, but that’s not the reason it’s hers and hers alone.
It’s hers because I’ll never love this way again. Not in this lifetime or any other.
The love I feel for her came quickly, like an arrow to my heart. Like a vise around my soul. It sneaked into me when I let my guard down for a millisecond.
I won’t let that guard down again.
“It’s yours,” I say simply.
“No.” She closes my hand around the garnets.
I place the necklace back into the velvet box. Whether she takes it into her possession or not, it’s hers.
It always will be.
“Maybe someday you can give it back to me,” she says. “If we choose to go beyond these two months.”
I simply nod. Is there harm in letting her think there’s a chance? Perhaps there is, but I can’t help myself. I