rings. One had an etching on it that she couldn’t quite make out. The other intrigued her. It was a series of channel-set, transparent yellow stones with horizontal black inlay between them. “What on earth,” she said, reaching for them.
“I hope you like them,” he said, worry in his tone. “I want your hand in marriage, Cari. I had these specially made for you . . .”
Gasping, her fingers froze above the wedding ring set and her eyes widened. “Marriage?” Everyone she knew lived together and didn’t get married. Her generation thought marriage was old-fashioned.
He moved, uncomfortable, still holding out his palm with the box in it. “Cari, I love you. I’ll never stop loving you,” he rasped thickly, “but I want what we have to mean something a lot more than just cohabiting together. Any two people can live together. But to get married? That’s a commitment. I don’t know if you agree with me on it or not, but I think what we have is worth getting married for.”
Touched to the point of tears, her smile watery, she took the box, looking at the rings. “They’re beautiful, Chase. And yes, our love has certainly stood some tests. Really stressful ones.”
“Do you love me enough? See me as a forever partner with you, Cari? Because that’s how I see us.”
She felt sorry for Chase. He was shifting from one cowboy boot to another, totally unlike him. She closed the box and threw her arms up around his powerful shoulders. Pushing up on her toes, she whispered into his ear, “Yes, I’ll marry you. Now will you stop moving around like a mustang who wants to escape?” and she laughed, meeting his eyes, which held relief in them.
His hands fell on her shoulders and he grinned bashfully. “Then you’ll marry me? Really? You’re not doing this just because I want it, are you? I need to know you feel as strongly about this as I do.”
“I do, Chase,” she whispered, her voice breaking. Cari closed her eyes when he leaned down, kissing her lips with such tenderness that tears ran silently down her cheeks, the liquid flowing to where their mouths clung to one another, as if to seal their overflowing love.
Reluctantly, Chase eased from her mouth, setting her down on the ground. “You need to look at those rings, Cari. I don’t know if you’ll like what I’ve done. I need to explain them to you. Okay?”
He was precious, more the shy, nervous little boy than the heroic and courageous man who had saved her life. She opened the box and he stood to the left of her, watching.
“Take out the engagement ring?” he asked, and pointed at the yellow and black gemstones that lay flat against the surface so they couldn’t snag and be pulled out of the setting.
Cari pried it out. She laughed with delight as she looked at it more closely. There were five faceted rectangular yellow stones with four black stones, like a stripe, in between them. “You know,” she told him, sliding him a wicked look, “if I didn’t know better, I’d say this looks like the abdomen of a honeybee.” She grinned widely. “Well? Am I right?” Her heart melted as the largest smile she’d ever seen, pulled at his mouth, his gray eyes dancing with sheer joy.
“Yes,” he said, amazed. “Yes, I had a woman jeweler in Silver Creek make it specifically for you. I didn’t know if you’d recognize it or not, but you did. I feel pretty good about that.”
“It’s hard to miss, Chase.” Cari was deeply touched by his thoughtfulness. “What are the stones?”
“They’re very rare topaz. Yellow is rare anymore, the real yellow topaz. And the black stones are black tourmaline, and it’s set in eighteen-carat gold from Alaska. I figured they have bees up there. Right?” He gave her a searching look.
Laughing, she nodded. “Bees all over the world, Chase. Will you slide it on my finger?” She handed it to him and presented her left hand.
He placed his hand beneath hers. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me: you.” He slid the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. Cari lifted her hand, studying it and watching it glint in the sunlight.
“This is beautiful, Chase . . . thank you.” She threw her arms around his thick torso, squeezing him with all her might. She felt such love for him. What other man would possibly have an engagement ring made from scratch to