Page 76 of A Sudden Romance

He untangled their hands and dug into his jeans, retrieving a velvety pouch, then scrambled to pull out something. It couldn’t be a ring since they’d just been swept up into a whirlwind of dating.

“Iris.” He dropped to kneel in the narrow passage between the seats. “Will you be my girlfriend?” He lifted the chain. Diamonds sparked beneath the lights. Two platinum elephants clinging to a red heart dangled on the diamond chain.

Oh my! Her heart squeezed, and she touched her thundering chest. A diamond necklace? He was blowing all his money on her, but telling him so could offend him.

“I thought I’m already your girlfriend.”

“I wanted to make it official.” He leaned in to kiss her lips, then spread the necklace out, grasping each end of its clasp in one hand and holding it up. “Could you please stand and turn around?”

Shakily, she complied. His fingers brushed against her flesh as he clasped the necklace in place. Goose bumps scattered over her body when he placed a kiss on her nape. She spun to face him, then took the pouch. Something scrunched in the small bag. She pulled it out and read the typed note:

The best things in life catch us by surprise.

Every moment with you feels like the best of my life.

Will you be my girlfriend?

“The best things in life...” she whispered the same words she’d used.

“When I saw the elephants, it was a sign the necklace belonged to you.”

“I love it.” She touched the elephants, their trunks clinging to a heart, connected by love. What a perfect symbol of their love for each other.

From that night until Christmas Eve, Iris worked alongside Sabastian as he shopped for fresh produce from a supplier with a greenhouse. He cooked random meals without using a recipe to prepare for the event where he had no clue what theme of food they’d require him to cook.

They took breaks to play in the snow, sledding mostly with a promise to go skiing and get on snowmobiles after Christmas with the few siblings intending to stay on until New Year’s. Nate was in charge of organizing the next reunion, and he was looking forward to utilizing January to start planning before his NASCAR race season resumed.

On Christmas Eve, before church with the family, her package arrived. A twenty-four-hour delivery package she’d ordered on eBay from an antique collector. Now, she just had to wait until tomorrow to give Sabastian his present.

Two hours after they exchanged gifts with the family on Christmas Day for the names they’d each drawn, she summoned Sabastian into the kitchen and handed him the wrapped toy.

“Open it.” She grinned, rubbing her hands together while anticipating his expression when he opened the gift—the reason she’d stolen him away to give it to him without everyone watching.

He untied the ribbon on the red shiny wrapper. His eyes widened, and a broad smile split open his lips. He wound the toy with the hand crank until a clown popped out.

Iris jumped, faking horror, and he eyed her, his shoulders shaking as he cackled.

“I love it.” He set the toy on the counter before gathering her in his arms. “Where did you find it?”

“I did my research.”

When he stepped out of the embrace, he opened one of the cabinets. “I didn’t get time to wrap my present, though.”

She touched her necklace. “I thought this was my present.”

“It’s not a big present, so don’t worry.” He carried a round globe and handed it to her.

It was a photo of them together, one she’d taken on the sledding hill the first day he’d loosened up to her. And the day she’d realized her feelings were getting too tangled up with him.

“You turn it on here.” He slid a round button, and “snow” fell over their photo.

“Is this why you wanted me to text you all the photos of us?”

“Not exactly.” He shrugged.

“This is the best gift ever.”

He winked at her. “You’re the best gift this Christmas.”

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